We have studied the way the cosmos and, more familiar to us, the earth can prove that God exists as Bible verses teach. “The heavens are telling of the glory of God; And their expanse is declaring the work of His hands. Day to day pours forth speech, And night to night reveals knowledge. There is no speech, nor are there words; Their voice is not heard” (Psalms 19:1-3). And “Since the creation of the world His invisible attributes, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen, being understood through what has been made, so that they are without excuse” (Romans 1:20). We use terms like omniscience, omnipotent, and omnipresent to describe God. But what displays the magnitude of an infinite being? Can words show how big God is? Or is it the star-filled heavens surrounding the earth that reveals the vastness of Him and His capabilities?
Our Milkyway Galaxy is 588 quadrillion miles across. How big is that? Or consider a distant star whose diameter exceeds the orbital diameter of the planet Saturn around our sun. Can we even get our minds around that? And then to read Isaiah’s descriptions of God and realize, our God is bigger than the universe. “Who has measured the waters in the hollow of His hand, And marked off the heavens by the span, And calculated the dust of the earth by the measure, And weighed the mountains in a balance And the hills in a pair of scales?” (Isaiah 40:12). How big and powerful are His arms to measure the universe, or how large are His hands to hold all the waters on earth in His them? How grand are His balance and calculations to determine the exact proportions of dust and water to form the earth and all living creatures? We can come to an unworthy understanding of God’s majesty and power by a study of His creation in the light of His Word, The Bible.
Shawn Jeffries pointed put in his Step By Step video, Lessons From the Ant, that God’s creatures conduct their daily activities as God has provided for them and can also present lessons. “But now ask the beasts, and let them teach you; And the birds of the heavens, and let them tell you. Or speak to the earth, and let it teach you; And let the fish of the sea declare to you. Who among all these does not know That the hand of the LORD has done this” (Job 12:7-9).
The beasts – behêmâh – From a Hebrew word meaning any large quadruped or animals in general, wild or domesticated. Cattle are the usual animal used in illustrations, but sheep and goats fit as well. The example of a mute animal that receives the tender care of its owner and obeys the voice of its caregiver is compared with Israel. “An ox knows its owner, And a donkey its master’s manger, But Israel does not know, My people do not understand” (Isaiah 1:3). Jesus uses this same example as He refers to His followers, “My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me” (John 10:27). The Wild animals that run from humans or turn from the food offered by humans never learn of the care enjoyed by domesticated animals. They are like the Jews that rejected the teaching from Jesus. “Jesus answered them, “I told you, and you do not believe; the works that I do in My Father’s name, these testify of Me. “But you do not believe because you are not of My sheep” (John 10:25-26). We need to be like the animals that receive the blessings and obey the master. Jesus was talking about us when He said, “I have other sheep, which are not of this fold; I must bring them also, and they will hear My voice; and they will become one flock with one shepherd” (John 10:16).
The birds – not caged but wild. “Even the stork in the sky Knows her seasons; And the turtledove and the swift and the thrush Observe the time of their migration; But My people do not know The ordinance of the LORD” (Jeremiah 8:7). These are not like domesticated animals as they have no contact with humans. They present a lesson about God’s care for His creation that may be read in scripture but is observed in nature. Singing about the wild creatures, the Psalmist says, “He gives to the beast its food, And to the young ravens which cry” (Psalms 147:9). And God asks Job, “Who prepares for the raven its nourishment When its young cry to God And wander about without food?” (Job 38:41). In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus said, “Look at the birds of the air, that they do not sow, nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not worth much more than they?” (Matthew 6:26). Some birds fly from the northernmost part of North America to the tip of South America to find the summer food God provides for them. It is a long journey, but they are given the endurance to make the round trip each year as the seasons change.
We may learn much about God by studying His creatures as we explore the Bible and consider other things in nature in future blog posts.
