Nature reveals the mysteries of its Maker
Elohim said, “Let there be light,” “Let there be an expanse in the atmosphere, dividing the water above from the water below it,” “Let there be land to divide the seas and let the plants come up,” “Let there be two great lights to rule the day and the night.”
All that we see in inanimate nature speaks to us of God, the Father. The rocks, the plants and trees, the wind and air, the bodies of water, all speak of our God who reveals Himself in them all. Distant yet all-encompassing, quiet, subtle, almost imperceptible, filled with enough knowledge for an everlasting sabbatical, yet without evident personality, and apparently absent of intimate love. As with our Father, within inanimate nature we live and move and have our being. From it’s bosom God feeds His children; through it we, as it were, nurse from God.
Then Elohim made the lower and higher orders of animate creation, finally saying, “Let Us make man in Our image, after Our likeness.” All that we see in animate nature speaks to us of God, the Son. In the animal kingdom we are better able to see of the character of God what was not so apparent in the plant, the rock, the liquid, and the gaseous kingdoms. Among all the tiny insect world, and the fish realms of the great deep, and land animal domains we view the Son’s traits of community and intimacy, personality and character, determination and surrender, mercy and power, nurture and boldness, giving and receiving. We see love and loyalty in correction and instruction, lessons which are taught in the inanimate sphere of nature, but not so obviously.
But clearer than all the animal kingdom, the character of Christ is even more so revealed in the humans. Their depth of intellect and passion, their extremes in expressing emotion, their intricate ability to communicate, place them high above the most advanced specie of their lesser counterparts on the sixth day of creation.
Christ was the Word. From everlasting He was with God, and was God. He was God’s thoughts made audible. The Son shared in the life and mysteries from the mysterious Father and dispensed them before the creation. He was His Father God’s mouthpiece. His spokesperson, Christ alone could reveal God. This revelation of Elohim He designed in all of His works.
But Earth was special. More so than any other world, Earth was a miniature kingdom of God, a small-scale universe. For all other creations to see, as on HDTV, the two person Elohim was revealed in the two-fold creations of our planet, in the inanimate and animate natures, the flora and the fauna.
As the white clouds move upon the surface of the earth and the mists which hug the mountain troughs, so the Spirit surrounds God and all-pervades His universe; and as it moved upon the face of the waters before the commencement of creation, it still surrounds us in anticipation of working redemption on a fallen creation.
As we look to the mountains, the grandeur of “the everlasting hills” speak to us of the throne of God, “high and lifted up” (Gen. 49:26;Is. 6:1). “The mountains shall bring peace to the people, and the little hills, by righteousness.” (Ps. 72:3).
“And it shall come to pass in the last days, that the mountain of the Lord’s house shall be established in the top of the mountains, and shall be exalted above the hills; and all nations shall flow unto it.” (Is. 2:2).
“He stood, and measured the earth: He beheld, and drove asunder the nations; and the everlasting mountains were scattered, the perpetual hills did bow: His ways are everlasting.” (Hab. 3:6).
“The stone that smote the image became a great mountain, and filled the whole earth…. And in the days of these kings shall the God of heaven set up a kingdom, which shall never be destroyed: and the kingdom shall not be left to other people, but it shall break in pieces and consume all these kingdoms, and it shall stand for ever.” (Dan. 2:34,35,44).
“They shall not hurt nor destroy in all My holy mountain.” (Is. 11:9).
The trees of the forest portray the millions of angels who stand before the great Progenitor of all life. “Thus saith the Lord of hosts; If thou wilt walk in My ways, and if thou wilt keep My charge, then…I will give thee places to walk among these that stand by—” we are “made…kings and priests unto God and His Father” praising God in His presence with those billions of heavenly servants that stand “before the God of the earth.” (Zech. 3:7;Rev. 11:4;Rev. 1:6). Silently, reverently, the trees remain in place as in God’s presence, and hear His wisdom and grace. In their upturned arms the Creator gives us insight to the perpetual attitude of praise of His angels to their God in response to His everlasting love and righteousness. And it should lead us to learn through faith to follow their example.
Its no wonder Jesus loved to walk through the groves of Palestine and commune with His Father as if joining with the angelic hosts who were in His Father’s very presence. “A garden…Jesus ofttimes resorted thither with His disciples.” (Jn .18:1,2).
As we see from what Zechariah and John heard, those forests of wood also represent the Lord’s redeemed. “Let the field be joyful, and all that is therein: then shall all the trees of the wood rejoice.” (Ps. 96:12). “The trees of the Lord are full of sap; the cedars of Lebanon, which He hath planted.” (Ps. 104:16).
In the autumn we see the leaves die and fall. Likewise, all that is dead and dying in our spiritual life needs to be shed. The other day I say two large, noble oaks full of dried up leaves. When all around was greenery, why were those trees clinging to dead leaves? It seemed that they were trying to prove something, and it taught me a lesson. Should we hang on to our old self-indulgent practices which are obviously good for nothing and destructive to us and everyone around us? Yet, we hang on to them as if no one notices.
Trees live long lives, likened to the redeemed and their eternal life. “As the days of a tree are the days of My people, and Mine elect shall long enjoy the work of their hands.” (Is. 65:22).
The grassy meadows, and fields full of amber waves of grain speak to us of all those who are growing in faith. “The voice said, Cry. And He said, What shall I cry? All flesh is grass, and all the goodliness thereof is as the flower of the field: The grass withereth, the flower fadeth: because the Spirit of the Lord bloweth upon it: surely the people is grass. The grass withereth, the flower fadeth: but the word of our God shall stand for ever.” (Is. 40:6-8).
In the atoms, the nucleus and electron cloud covering it, we see the infinite union of our Creators. The bond that holds the atomic proton and neutron together is so strong that upon splitting them apart, vast amounts of power are released. What does this say about the Godhead? It says that the Father and Son know a love that is so tightly woven together, that when They had to separate from each other for man’s redemption at the cross, a tremendous, inaudible pain was experienced by Them both. The great earthquake at Jesus’ death was only a tiny expression of the severing of ties caused by the Son becoming sin for us and being rejected by His Father.
“It shall come to pass, that before they call, I will answer; and while they are yet speaking, I will hear.” (Is. 65:24). Inaudible nature’s pull on the human heart is God’s overture of love to man. In the beauty of nature God sends millions of messages, “My love is for you, no matter who you are.” And when a soul finally surrenders to God and He has gotten its attention, then it is that that person realizes that God has been showing him His love all along through the exquisite artistry of the world He gave to us. He has put all the beauty in the world, just waiting for the day sinners turn to Him and hear His promise of everlasting love.
Departing from the inanimate features of Earth, we turn to animated nature. There, we see unnumbered species of intelligent life. From the tiny ant, continuously building up the ant metropolis, to the gargantuan Blue Whale mother and calf piercing the watery depths, we see intelligence and communal living.
We identify with them all in so many respects, whether it is in their work ethic, their charm, their warmth to one another, their fear of death and survival instincts, etc. They communicate lessons to us much more clearly and amenably than the inanimate world. The nobility of the lion, the meekness of the lamb; the fierceness of the hungry Grizzly, the timidity and innocence of the fawn; all communicate traits of character that we comprehend, lessons that go immediately to our hearts.
“Ask now the beasts, and they shall teach thee; and the fowls of the air, and they shall tell thee: or speak to the earth, and it shall teach thee: and the fishes of the sea shall declare unto thee.” (Job 12:7,8).
Another lesson striking home to the human heart is the ending of life. All throughout the animal kingdom we see death. Either accidents leave innocent creatures dead, or predators hunt down and kill their victims. In either case, what we are given in death is the opportunity to sorrow for them and be broken in heart.
That brokenness of soul has been captured in the fallen natural world since sin entered. Like Israel’s animal sacrifices which converted the hearts of those who took part in the slaying of the innocent little ones, so our hearts are broken when we witness the death of animals preyed upon. But our wise Creator altered this planet, destroying His beautiful heaven-on-Earth demonstration, all for our sake.
The gifts and calling of God are without repentance, but they beckon repentance, and evoke the sacrifice of self, which brings heaven closer to earth. In a million ways, God made this earth to give us study and wonder and a contrite spirit, throughout eternity.
Everything God has created, animate or inanimate, the sun, moon and stars all the way down to the remotest mite living on a mote, praises Him.
“Praise ye the Lord. Praise ye the Lord from the heavens: praise Him in the heights.
Praise ye him, all His angels: praise ye Him, all His hosts.
Praise ye Him, sun and moon: praise Him, all ye stars of light.
Praise Him, ye heavens of heavens, and ye waters that be above the heavens.
Let them praise the name of the Lord: for He commanded, and they were created.
He hath also stablished them for ever and ever: He hath made a decree which shall not pass.
Praise the Lord from the earth, ye dragons, and all deeps:
Fire, and hail; snow, and vapours; stormy wind fulfilling His word:
Mountains, and all hills; fruitful trees, and all cedars:
Beasts, and all cattle; creeping things, and flying fowl.” (Ps. 148:1-11).
The very cause of Lucifer’s rebellion in heaven was related to the making of this planet, in the secret council between Father and Son through the communion of the Holy Spirit. In that council, as never before, through a new extraordinary creation They wanted to bring together a special means of manifesting Themselves to the universe. By an object lesson the Godhead would give Their multitudes of children of the innumerable worlds afar and the angelic hosts opportunity to study the Godhead and Its kingdom through a small scale representation of it.
The king of the planet was to represent God the Father; his wife was to represent the Holy Spirit which comes from God and knows the mind of God; and their son was to represent the only begotten Son of God, the highest of the children of God and only heir to His throne. The animal kingdom represented the intelligent life on the inhabited worlds throughout the cosmos, and the birds that patrolled the heavens and filled the air with song corresponded to the angelic hosts, all these representations to be from the Son’s perspective, who was one like them. Christ designed the creeping things and the flying insects to exemplify the same from God’s perspective, who is infinitely purer than even the holiest of angels.
Lucifer was not permitted to take part in all the matters involving Earth’s creation, being a creature himself. This brought to public an envy of Christ which had been musing in his heart. He was a mighty angel with many great services and attainments for God; he had been very faithful in his duties. Why should the little Child of God have this higher privilege of being included in the special council, while Lucifer is excluded? Didn’t he stand before God as high priest of the angelic hosts? Wasn’t he the leader of billions of ministering spirits of the Father, hearkening unto the voice of His word? Why should the Ancient of Days set him aside like this? What did the Beloved Son do to be more beloved than Lucifer?
But, all these thoughts were simply the outworking of a love for praise which he had been enjoying from the hosts under his leadership. For some time prior to the great secretive meeting of the Godhead the angels had been unwittingly showering him with laud and praise, and he allowed it to continue. Before the private councils of the Most High concerning Earth had ended, Lucifer’s loyalty toward God was already severely tested and tarnished.
To Lucifer as He had done to Hezekiah, “God left him, to try him, that He might know all that was in his heart.” “Therefore will the LORD wait… and therefore will He be exalted… for the LORD is a God of judgment: blessed are all they that wait for Him.” (2Chron. 32:31;Is. 30:18).
Thus, Satan’s determined effort to bring this beautiful world to ruin and to make it his own possession. He foments wars; he plays with the chemistry of the air and the mechanisms under the ground to bring desolation everywhere; he leads in the destructive arts of technology, using of the wisdom of God that he learned in the courts of heaven.
However, God’s wisdom has been at work even in the midst of Satan’s afflictions. And despite the adversary’s best efforts to wipe the earth free of people happily obedient to the King of kings, obedience will persist to the very end when the Lord of lords returns to receive them to Himself.
All that we see in inanimate nature speaks to us of God, the Father. The rocks, the plants and trees, the wind and air, the bodies of water, all speak of our God who reveals Himself in them all. Distant yet all-encompassing, quiet, subtle, almost imperceptible, filled with enough knowledge for an everlasting sabbatical, yet without evident personality, and apparently absent of intimate love. As with our Father, within inanimate nature we live and move and have our being. From it’s bosom God feeds His children; through it we, as it were, nurse from God.
Then Elohim made the lower and higher orders of animate creation, finally saying, “Let Us make man in Our image, after Our likeness.” All that we see in animate nature speaks to us of God, the Son. In the animal kingdom we are better able to see of the character of God what was not so apparent in the plant, the rock, the liquid, and the gaseous kingdoms. Among all the tiny insect world, and the fish realms of the great deep, and land animal domains we view the Son’s traits of community and intimacy, personality and character, determination and surrender, mercy and power, nurture and boldness, giving and receiving. We see love and loyalty in correction and instruction, lessons which are taught in the inanimate sphere of nature, but not so obviously.
But clearer than all the animal kingdom, the character of Christ is even more so revealed in the humans. Their depth of intellect and passion, their extremes in expressing emotion, their intricate ability to communicate, place them high above the most advanced specie of their lesser counterparts on the sixth day of creation.
Christ was the Word. From everlasting He was with God, and was God. He was God’s thoughts made audible. The Son shared in the life and mysteries from the mysterious Father and dispensed them before the creation. He was His Father God’s mouthpiece. His spokesperson, Christ alone could reveal God. This revelation of Elohim He designed in all of His works.
But Earth was special. More so than any other world, Earth was a miniature kingdom of God, a small-scale universe. For all other creations to see, as on HDTV, the two person Elohim was revealed in the two-fold creations of our planet, in the inanimate and animate natures, the flora and the fauna.
As the white clouds move upon the surface of the earth and the mists which hug the mountain troughs, so the Spirit surrounds God and all-pervades His universe; and as it moved upon the face of the waters before the commencement of creation, it still surrounds us in anticipation of working redemption on a fallen creation.
As we look to the mountains, the grandeur of “the everlasting hills” speak to us of the throne of God, “high and lifted up” (Gen. 49:26;Is. 6:1). “The mountains shall bring peace to the people, and the little hills, by righteousness.” (Ps. 72:3).
“And it shall come to pass in the last days, that the mountain of the Lord’s house shall be established in the top of the mountains, and shall be exalted above the hills; and all nations shall flow unto it.” (Is. 2:2).
“He stood, and measured the earth: He beheld, and drove asunder the nations; and the everlasting mountains were scattered, the perpetual hills did bow: His ways are everlasting.” (Hab. 3:6).
“The stone that smote the image became a great mountain, and filled the whole earth…. And in the days of these kings shall the God of heaven set up a kingdom, which shall never be destroyed: and the kingdom shall not be left to other people, but it shall break in pieces and consume all these kingdoms, and it shall stand for ever.” (Dan. 2:34,35,44).
“They shall not hurt nor destroy in all My holy mountain.” (Is. 11:9).
The trees of the forest portray the millions of angels who stand before the great Progenitor of all life. “Thus saith the Lord of hosts; If thou wilt walk in My ways, and if thou wilt keep My charge, then…I will give thee places to walk among these that stand by—” we are “made…kings and priests unto God and His Father” praising God in His presence with those billions of heavenly servants that stand “before the God of the earth.” (Zech. 3:7;Rev. 11:4;Rev. 1:6). Silently, reverently, the trees remain in place as in God’s presence, and hear His wisdom and grace. In their upturned arms the Creator gives us insight to the perpetual attitude of praise of His angels to their God in response to His everlasting love and righteousness. And it should lead us to learn through faith to follow their example.
Its no wonder Jesus loved to walk through the groves of Palestine and commune with His Father as if joining with the angelic hosts who were in His Father’s very presence. “A garden…Jesus ofttimes resorted thither with His disciples.” (Jn .18:1,2).
As we see from what Zechariah and John heard, those forests of wood also represent the Lord’s redeemed. “Let the field be joyful, and all that is therein: then shall all the trees of the wood rejoice.” (Ps. 96:12). “The trees of the Lord are full of sap; the cedars of Lebanon, which He hath planted.” (Ps. 104:16).
In the autumn we see the leaves die and fall. Likewise, all that is dead and dying in our spiritual life needs to be shed. The other day I say two large, noble oaks full of dried up leaves. When all around was greenery, why were those trees clinging to dead leaves? It seemed that they were trying to prove something, and it taught me a lesson. Should we hang on to our old self-indulgent practices which are obviously good for nothing and destructive to us and everyone around us? Yet, we hang on to them as if no one notices.
Trees live long lives, likened to the redeemed and their eternal life. “As the days of a tree are the days of My people, and Mine elect shall long enjoy the work of their hands.” (Is. 65:22).
The grassy meadows, and fields full of amber waves of grain speak to us of all those who are growing in faith. “The voice said, Cry. And He said, What shall I cry? All flesh is grass, and all the goodliness thereof is as the flower of the field: The grass withereth, the flower fadeth: because the Spirit of the Lord bloweth upon it: surely the people is grass. The grass withereth, the flower fadeth: but the word of our God shall stand for ever.” (Is. 40:6-8).
In the atoms, the nucleus and electron cloud covering it, we see the infinite union of our Creators. The bond that holds the atomic proton and neutron together is so strong that upon splitting them apart, vast amounts of power are released. What does this say about the Godhead? It says that the Father and Son know a love that is so tightly woven together, that when They had to separate from each other for man’s redemption at the cross, a tremendous, inaudible pain was experienced by Them both. The great earthquake at Jesus’ death was only a tiny expression of the severing of ties caused by the Son becoming sin for us and being rejected by His Father.
“It shall come to pass, that before they call, I will answer; and while they are yet speaking, I will hear.” (Is. 65:24). Inaudible nature’s pull on the human heart is God’s overture of love to man. In the beauty of nature God sends millions of messages, “My love is for you, no matter who you are.” And when a soul finally surrenders to God and He has gotten its attention, then it is that that person realizes that God has been showing him His love all along through the exquisite artistry of the world He gave to us. He has put all the beauty in the world, just waiting for the day sinners turn to Him and hear His promise of everlasting love.
Departing from the inanimate features of Earth, we turn to animated nature. There, we see unnumbered species of intelligent life. From the tiny ant, continuously building up the ant metropolis, to the gargantuan Blue Whale mother and calf piercing the watery depths, we see intelligence and communal living.
We identify with them all in so many respects, whether it is in their work ethic, their charm, their warmth to one another, their fear of death and survival instincts, etc. They communicate lessons to us much more clearly and amenably than the inanimate world. The nobility of the lion, the meekness of the lamb; the fierceness of the hungry Grizzly, the timidity and innocence of the fawn; all communicate traits of character that we comprehend, lessons that go immediately to our hearts.
“Ask now the beasts, and they shall teach thee; and the fowls of the air, and they shall tell thee: or speak to the earth, and it shall teach thee: and the fishes of the sea shall declare unto thee.” (Job 12:7,8).
Another lesson striking home to the human heart is the ending of life. All throughout the animal kingdom we see death. Either accidents leave innocent creatures dead, or predators hunt down and kill their victims. In either case, what we are given in death is the opportunity to sorrow for them and be broken in heart.
That brokenness of soul has been captured in the fallen natural world since sin entered. Like Israel’s animal sacrifices which converted the hearts of those who took part in the slaying of the innocent little ones, so our hearts are broken when we witness the death of animals preyed upon. But our wise Creator altered this planet, destroying His beautiful heaven-on-Earth demonstration, all for our sake.
The gifts and calling of God are without repentance, but they beckon repentance, and evoke the sacrifice of self, which brings heaven closer to earth. In a million ways, God made this earth to give us study and wonder and a contrite spirit, throughout eternity.
Everything God has created, animate or inanimate, the sun, moon and stars all the way down to the remotest mite living on a mote, praises Him.
“Praise ye the Lord. Praise ye the Lord from the heavens: praise Him in the heights.
Praise ye him, all His angels: praise ye Him, all His hosts.
Praise ye Him, sun and moon: praise Him, all ye stars of light.
Praise Him, ye heavens of heavens, and ye waters that be above the heavens.
Let them praise the name of the Lord: for He commanded, and they were created.
He hath also stablished them for ever and ever: He hath made a decree which shall not pass.
Praise the Lord from the earth, ye dragons, and all deeps:
Fire, and hail; snow, and vapours; stormy wind fulfilling His word:
Mountains, and all hills; fruitful trees, and all cedars:
Beasts, and all cattle; creeping things, and flying fowl.” (Ps. 148:1-11).
The very cause of Lucifer’s rebellion in heaven was related to the making of this planet, in the secret council between Father and Son through the communion of the Holy Spirit. In that council, as never before, through a new extraordinary creation They wanted to bring together a special means of manifesting Themselves to the universe. By an object lesson the Godhead would give Their multitudes of children of the innumerable worlds afar and the angelic hosts opportunity to study the Godhead and Its kingdom through a small scale representation of it.
The king of the planet was to represent God the Father; his wife was to represent the Holy Spirit which comes from God and knows the mind of God; and their son was to represent the only begotten Son of God, the highest of the children of God and only heir to His throne. The animal kingdom represented the intelligent life on the inhabited worlds throughout the cosmos, and the birds that patrolled the heavens and filled the air with song corresponded to the angelic hosts, all these representations to be from the Son’s perspective, who was one like them. Christ designed the creeping things and the flying insects to exemplify the same from God’s perspective, who is infinitely purer than even the holiest of angels.
Lucifer was not permitted to take part in all the matters involving Earth’s creation, being a creature himself. This brought to public an envy of Christ which had been musing in his heart. He was a mighty angel with many great services and attainments for God; he had been very faithful in his duties. Why should the little Child of God have this higher privilege of being included in the special council, while Lucifer is excluded? Didn’t he stand before God as high priest of the angelic hosts? Wasn’t he the leader of billions of ministering spirits of the Father, hearkening unto the voice of His word? Why should the Ancient of Days set him aside like this? What did the Beloved Son do to be more beloved than Lucifer?
But, all these thoughts were simply the outworking of a love for praise which he had been enjoying from the hosts under his leadership. For some time prior to the great secretive meeting of the Godhead the angels had been unwittingly showering him with laud and praise, and he allowed it to continue. Before the private councils of the Most High concerning Earth had ended, Lucifer’s loyalty toward God was already severely tested and tarnished.
To Lucifer as He had done to Hezekiah, “God left him, to try him, that He might know all that was in his heart.” “Therefore will the LORD wait… and therefore will He be exalted… for the LORD is a God of judgment: blessed are all they that wait for Him.” (2Chron. 32:31;Is. 30:18).
Thus, Satan’s determined effort to bring this beautiful world to ruin and to make it his own possession. He foments wars; he plays with the chemistry of the air and the mechanisms under the ground to bring desolation everywhere; he leads in the destructive arts of technology, using of the wisdom of God that he learned in the courts of heaven.
However, God’s wisdom has been at work even in the midst of Satan’s afflictions. And despite the adversary’s best efforts to wipe the earth free of people happily obedient to the King of kings, obedience will persist to the very end when the Lord of lords returns to receive them to Himself.
posted by David | 7:38 PM
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
<< Home