CHAPTER ONE
Vision Seed for the Book
The
seed of the vision for this book was sown sometimes November of 2014 while I
was taking some select youth through a course I called BSC (Bible Student
Course). I was using The Shepherd’s Staff as the instructional material. As I
expounded a topic on the revelation of God through nature and the challenges
therein, my interest got deeper. Lo and behold, the fruit is the book in your
hand.
I
pray God will use this book to open our eyes to the abundant light that abounds
in nature to highlight the biblical truths so as to bring the message down to
earth. Amen.
What is Nature?
Nature
is an English word that has its root from Latin. It is derived from the Latin
word natura, a noun formed from the
past participle of the verb nasci (=
to be born). That is, nature can be defined as “the earth as it is born from
the womb of God.”
Let’s consider three dictionaries’ views on
the definition of nature.
Merriam-Webster
Dictionary defines nature as,
The physical world
and everything in it (such as plants, animals, mountains, oceans, stars, etc.)
that is not made by people.
Longman
Dictionary of Contemporary English has this to say,
Everything in the
physical world that is not controlled by humans, such as wild plants and
animals, earth and rocks, and the weather
Let’s
also consult Wiktionary, the third dictionary application on my mobile device,
The natural world;
consisting of all things unaffected by or predating human technology,
production and design. E.g. the ecosystem, the natural environment, virgin
ground, unmodified species, laws of nature.
I
think we should give all these lexicographers a rousing ovation. Indeed they
deserved it for they have gone to great lengths to define nature for us.
With
the benefits of these insights, let me come up with a personal working
definition that will guide me throughout this book:
Nature
is every physical thing in the world considered in the state God has made it.
So
just like the lexicographers have said it, these will make my list of nature’s
composition: unmodified species of plants and animals, the natural environment
of mountains, oceans, virgin ground, earth, rocks and the ecosystem, the
weather, the firmament including stars, moon, clouds and the sun, and the laws
of nature.
I
submit that in all these we can find witnesses of God’s attributes (Acts
14:17). This is seeing God through the light of nature.
Different Versions of the Golden Text
Next
is picking the anchor verse for the book. We need a verse that talks about
nature, about the attributes of God and about how nature can show such
attributes.
That
seems a herculean task. But we need not worry ourselves any further. God has
provided himself a lamb, I mean a verse. Romans 1: 19-20 fits the perfect
picture of what we are looking for:
Because that which
may be known of God is manifest in them; for God hath shewed it unto them. For
the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen,
being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead;
so that they are without excuse:
(Rom 1:19-20 KJV)
Dear
reader, I want to crave your indulgence that we break the alabaster box to
reveal the deep aroma of this verse by considering it in seven other Bible
translations and versions. Thank you in advance for your patience.
For that which is
known about God is evident to them and made plain in their inner consciousness,
because God [Himself] has shown it to them. For ever since the creation of the
world His invisible nature and attributes, that is, His eternal power and
divinity, have been made intelligible and clearly discernible in and through
the things that have been made (His handiworks). So [men] are without excuse
[altogether without any defense or justification],
(Rom 1:19-20 AMP)
But the basic reality
of God is plain enough. Open your eyes and there it is! By taking a long and
thoughtful look at what God has created, people have always been able to see
what their eyes as such can't see: eternal power, for instance, and the mystery
of his divine being. So nobody has a good excuse.
(Rom 1:19-20 MSG)
God punishes them,
because what can be known about God is plain to them, for God himself made it
plain. Ever since God created the world, his invisible qualities, both his
eternal power and his divine nature, have been clearly seen; they are perceived
in the things that God has made. So those people have no excuse at all!
(Rom 1:19-20 GNB)
…because what can be
known about God is plain to them, because God has made it plain to them. For
since the creation of the world his invisible attributes -- his eternal power
and divine nature -- have been clearly seen, because they are understood
through what has been made. So people are without excuse.
(Rom 1:19-20 NET)
For the truth about
God is known to them instinctively. God has put this knowledge in their hearts.
From the time the world was created, people have seen the earth and sky and all
that God made. They can clearly see his invisible qualities--his eternal power
and divine nature. So they have no excuse whatsoever for not knowing God.
(Rom 1:19-20 NLT)
They know everything
that can be known about God, because God has shown it all to them. God's
eternal power and character cannot be seen. But from the beginning of creation,
God has shown what these are like by all he has made. That's why those people
don't have any excuse.
(Rom 1:19-20 CEV)
…since what may be
known about God is plain to them, because God has made it plain to them. For
since the creation of the world God's invisible qualities eternal power and
divine nature been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so
that men are without excuse.
(Rom 1:19-20 NIV)
Back in the Days
I remember that favourite song we used to sing
from the SOP (Songs of Praise) on our secondary school assembly then
All
things bright and beautiful
All creatures great
and small
All things wise and
wonderful
The Lord God made them all
In
fact I still have the first stanza clearly in my memory,
Each
little flower that opens
Each little bird that
sings
He made their glowing
colour
He made their tiny wings
And
the song moves from the little details of God’s creation to the more prominent
ones. I’m sure we loved the song not just because of its smooth musicality. The
strong connection with nature must have made it our favourite of all times.
Deep
inside of us we all yearn to reconnect with nature. It might be in form of
simple desires for clean air and good sleep or in form of a complex yeaning for
an unadulterated rustic environment. It just must be. For the declaration of
God on what will be the end of our human nature is glaring…
…for dust thou art,
and unto dust shalt thou return
Nature: Its Appreciation and Creator
The
truth of the order and beauty of nature is that they are not just to be appreciated.
They should bring us to being more intimate with and appreciative of the
creator. Romans 1:19-20, our golden text for this discourse, corroborates it,
Because that which
may be known of God is manifest in them; … being understood by the things that
are made…
This will be better appreciated if we asked the question: what
revealed God back in the days when men had not the Gospel, the law of Moses or
the theophanies of the Patriarchs. Theologians have described those days in two
dispensations: the dispensation of conscience and the dispensation of human
government. One thing is sure. God would never leave himself without a witness even
at such times. And that witness is nature. So, it will not be enough for those
that traverse the world to just appreciate nature then. They must seek to
understand God through it.
But then, even in this our dispensation, there are some people
whose special case demands great attention to nature matter…
Those Who Never Heard the Gospel
Some
have asked me this question, “What will happen to those who never heard the
Gospel of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ before they died?” This same Romans
1:19-20 is the key to the answer. They will be judged based on how they
responded to the light of nature about God.
Going
a chapter deeper into the Romans’ Epistle we find the resolution of this matter
even more glaring,
For as many as have
sinned without law shall also perish without law: and as many as have sinned in
the law shall be judged by the law… In the day when God shall judge the secrets
of men by Jesus Christ according to my gospel.
(Rom 2:12, 16 KJV)
But then, we need to ask? Who are those without the law and what
will be used to judge them if they don’t have the law. The answer lies in the
verses between v.12 and v.16 (vv.13 – 15). These three in-between verses were
actually put in parentheses to depict they are really further explanatory
notes. Let’s have them, and invariably our answers,
(For not the hearers
of the law are just before God, but the doers of the law shall be justified.
For when the Gentiles, which have not the law, do by nature the things
contained in the law, these, having not the law, are a law unto themselves:
Which shew the work of the law written in their hearts, their conscience also
bearing witness, and their thoughts the mean while accusing or else excusing
one another;)
(Rom 2:13-15 KJV)
“Those without the law”
then means unbelievers who are without the law of God, initiated through Moses
but perfected in Jesus. And what will be used to judge them is the law of
nature. But mark it, those among them who had had the offer of salvation
through Jesus but spurned it are already condemned (Joh 3:18).
Law of Nature – A Needle’s Eye
But
I doubt the number of them that will make it through to heaven by the law of
nature, because knowing God through nature has its challenges which we shall
explore in this book.
Nature
serves better in corroborating the perfect revelation of God already in the
Bible. So, it will be a worthwhile venture for someone who has already become a
child of God to appreciate, and expatiate on, the Biblical revelations through
nature.
CHAPTER TWO
Purpose of the Book – To Spur, Not to Chronicle
Permit
me to seize the moment to state categorically the intention of this book. The
book is not to tell you about all the voices of nature that exist. But rather,
it is to spur you, through the few examples space will afford it, into making a
lifelong exercise and lifetime commitment of listening to nature through long
and thoughtful look so as to understand the hows and whys of biblical eternal
truths more deeply and more practically.
Hold
that thought. Let me corroborate it from a point in case from no mean person
than Apostle Paul himself. Paul had argued it out that the women in Corinth
should cover their head when in church. At a point in the discourse (in fact,
the concluding part of the discourse) he had no option but to draw from the
rich Mother Nature in that environment to drive home his conviction,
Judge in yourselves:
is it comely that a woman pray unto God uncovered? Doth not even nature itself
teach you, that, if a man have long hair, it is a shame unto him? But if a
woman have long hair, it is a glory to her: for her hair is given her for a
covering.
(1Co 11:13-15 KJV)
In
essence, if they had listened to the teaching of nature in the first place,
there would not have been any need for his homily.
No
single correct teaching of nature can contradict the eternal Biblical truths.
In the actual fact, nature teachings will always seek to confirm them. So, it
is a plus to those that give long thoughtful attention to such nature sermons.
This
chapter, the longest, will seek to explore some biblical and personal examples
of messages from nature, lacing them with the fabric of the benefits and
limitations of nature’s message and interpretation.
Ploughing Nature
Every
beauty of nature is to be appreciated. Yes. But more so, it is to be explored,
or ploughed, to discover, according to Romans 1:20, two invisible qualities of
God – his eternal power and his divine nature.
The
psalmists of Psalm 19 and Psalm 104 did exceedingly well in this aspect. Let’s
take an excerpt from them,
Heavens’ Voice, Nature’s Voices – Psalm 19’s Story
The heavens declare
the glory of God; and the firmament sheweth his handywork. Day unto day
uttereth speech, and night unto night sheweth knowledge. There is no speech nor
language, where their voice is not heard. Their line is gone out through all
the earth, and their words to the end of the world…
(Psa 19:1-4 KJV)
Let’s
try to appreciate this better in a thought-for-thought translation,
The heavens tell of the glory of God.
The skies display his marvelous
craftsmanship.
Day after day they continue to speak;
night after night they make him known.
They speak without a sound or a word;
their voice is silent in the skies;
Yet their message has gone out to all the
earth,
and their words to all the world…
(Psa 19:1-4 NLT)
Hearing Nature’s Voices
Whaoh!
The heavens tell of an attribute of God, God’s glory, to all the earth, and yet
they say it without a sound or a word. Unspoken truth spoken everywhere, a la The Message, what an oxymoron! Come
to think of it, speaking loud mutely!
I
feel we are bound to ask some questions. It is pertinent because this our cartilaginous
natural ear definitely cannot be involved in this. That is obvious, it cannot
hear without sound involvement. So what part of us is expected to hear this
loud soundless speech? And to add, as a matter of clarification, how is it to
hear it?
Let’s
make the two questions into one sentence: where and how do we hear the
day-to-day, and night-after-night, voices of nature? Amplified Bible answers the where, “in our
inner consciousness” and the Message answers the how, “by taking a long
thoughtful look”. To put it in a clear and unambiguous sentence: when we take a
long and thoughtful look at nature our inner consciousness begins to hear the
voice of God’s eternal power and divinity in it. That’s the secret of hearing
nature’s voices. Glory be to God!
Psalm 104’s Many Voices
Psalm
104 will present a peculiar problem. It is too much loaded with the voices of
nature. I think what we can do is to just take an excerpt from it. I will leave
you to do justice to the others in your own private study. Remember, the book
is not about chronicling all nature cases but rather using some select few to
spur you into action.
God’s Housing-for-All Policy – Psalm 104’s Revelation
Welcome
back to Psalm 104. Among its many nature messages, I love one above: God’s
providence secures accommodation for all His creatures. This is worthy of my
extraction from this beautiful world of nature’s imagery called Psalm 104,
The trees … Where the
birds make their nests: as for the stork, the fir trees are her house. The high
hills are a refuge for the wild goats; and the rocks for the conies.
(Psa 104:16-18 KJV)
One
of the basic necessities of life is accommodation. And God has made that
available free of charge for all these inferior creatures. How much more me, a
creature made in His image. Invariably, if I can trust him enough, like these
birds and quadrupeds, what he has built for me will come to me on a platter of
grace. What do you think?
Personal Nature’s Voices
For the
time being, let’s drop the psalmists’ imageries. And let me share with you
personal messages from observing nature.
As I
was taking the BSC course I earlier mentioned on God’s revelation from nature,
I personally began hearing the voices of nature. Permit me to take you through
some.
Voice of Grain and Resurrected Body
For
example, I heard the voice of the resurrected body in a sown grain of maize
bringing out a new body. I was not actually the first to see that, Paul had
seen it,
But some man will
say, How are the dead raised up? and with what body do they come? Thou fool,
that which thou sowest is not quickened, except it die: And that which thou
sowest, thou sowest not that body that shall be, but bare grain, it may chance
of wheat, or of some other grain: But God giveth it a body as it hath pleased
him, and to every seed his own body…
So also is the
resurrection of the dead. It is sown in corruption; it is raised in
incorruption: It is sown in dishonour; it is raised in glory: it is sown in
weakness; it is raised in power: It is sown a natural body; it is raised a
spiritual body. There is a natural body, and there is a spiritual body.
(1Co 15:35-38, 42-44
KJV)
Nature’s Voice: Answer to Hows and Whys
Hope
somebody is getting this. Many of your questions of how and why about eternal
truths can be answered by taking a long and thoughtful look at nature. And once
you get it, it settles down permanently with you.
Voice of Growing Tree and Growing Faith
What
of another example here. I appreciate the power of a growing faith in God by
studying the strength of a growing tree. That observation is not new too. Jesus
actually used it,
And Jesus said unto
them, Because of your unbelief: for verily I say unto you, If ye have faith as
a grain of mustard seed, ye shall say unto this mountain, Remove hence to
yonder place; and it shall remove; and nothing shall be impossible unto you.
(Mat 17:20 KJV)
Voice of Nature in Jesus’ Parables
In
fact, Jesus’ parables were replete in the use of nature to highlight eternal
truths about God.
Sermon of Fowls and Lilies
When
talking about God’s unlimited supplies, he says,
Therefore I say unto
you, Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink;
nor yet for your body, what ye shall put on. Is not the life more than meat,
and the body than raiment? Behold the fowls of the air: for they sow not,
neither do they reap, nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feedeth
them. Are ye not much better than they? Which of you by taking thought can add
one cubit unto his stature? And why take ye thought for raiment? Consider the
lilies of the field, how they grow; they toil not, neither do they spin: And
yet I say unto you, That even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one
of these. Wherefore, if God so clothe the grass of the field, which to day is,
and to morrow is cast into the oven, shall he not much more clothe you, O ye of
little faith?
(Mat 6:25-30 KJV)
So,
permit me to call that powerful message, which calls us to shun anxiety and
trust in the unlimited supplies of God, the message of fowls and lilies.
Material Mind - Need for Nature’s Message
If
it were not made the message of fowls and lilies, getting it registered into
our material mind may be a bit difficult. No wonder Jesus mildly rebuked
Nicodemus for still finding it difficult to understand a message he relayed in
the language of nature.
Marvel not that I
said unto thee, Ye must be born again. The wind bloweth where it listeth, and
thou hearest the sound thereof, but canst not tell whence it cometh, and
whither it goeth: so is every one that is born of the Spirit. Nicodemus
answered and said unto him, How can these things be? Jesus answered and said
unto him, Art thou a master of Israel, and knowest not these things…If I have
told you earthly things, and ye believe not, how shall ye believe, if I tell
you of heavenly things?
(Joh 3:7-12 KJV)
Mental K-leg to Ploughing through Nature
How
can Nicodemus still be asking for how when the how has been relayed to him in
the language of nature. That is one of the limitations of language of nature;
it needs an already enlightened mind for correct interpretation. The mind of an
unbeliever has a k-leg, to render it
in Nigerian local parlance. The k-leg
is this,
This I say therefore,
and testify in the Lord, that ye henceforth walk not as other Gentiles walk, in
the vanity of their mind, Having the understanding darkened, being alienated
from the life of God through the ignorance that is in them, because of the blindness
of their heart:
(Eph 4:17-18 KJV)
Amplified
Bible, please, give me the length and breadth of the unbeliever’s darkened mind,
So this I say and
solemnly testify in [the name of] the Lord [as in His presence], that you must
no longer live as the heathen (the Gentiles) do in their perverseness [in the
folly, vanity, and emptiness of their souls and the futility] of their minds.
Their moral understanding is darkened and their reasoning is beclouded. [They
are] alienated (estranged, self-banished) from the life of God [with no share
in it; this is] because of the ignorance (the want of knowledge and perception,
the willful blindness) that is deep-seated in them, due to their hardness of
heart [to the insensitiveness of their moral nature].
(Eph 4:17-18 AMP)
Derailed Interpretation from a Depraved Mind
This
is too much corrupt a condition for a mind to get it right about the revelation
of God in nature. No wonder those who attempt it in this grossly defaced and
devalued mind end up with this:
Because when they
knew and recognized Him as God, they did not honor and glorify Him as God or
give Him thanks. But instead they became futile and godless in their thinking
[with vain imaginings, foolish reasoning, and stupid speculations] and their
senseless minds were darkened. Claiming to be wise, they became fools
[professing to be smart, they made simpletons of themselves]. And by them the
glory and majesty and excellence of the immortal God were exchanged for and
represented by images, resembling mortal man and birds and beasts and reptiles.
(Rom 1:21-23 AMP)
Oh
my God! They ended up being an idolater. That was not what nature was meant to
lead them to. No thanks to the corrupt nature in them that corrupted the
message. The virus of sin must be gotten out of them if anything meaningful
about God will come to them from the message of nature.
Paul
could not help but lament how some men had misinterpreted the message of this
witness God left of himself in nature in his full glare,
Men, why are you
doing this? We also are [only] human beings, of nature like your own, and we
bring you the good news (Gospel) that you should turn away from these foolish
and vain things to the living God, Who made the heaven and the earth and the
sea and everything that they contain. In generations past He permitted all the
nations to walk in their own ways; Yet He did not neglect to leave some witness
of Himself, for He did you good and [showed you] kindness and gave you rains
from heaven and fruitful seasons, satisfying your hearts with nourishment and
happiness.
(Act 14:15-17 AMP)
God’s
goodness and kindness in which nature echoes so loud is a witness of Him.
Making images and figures, either tangible or intangible, to take the
appreciation, honour and worship due to Him is a derailment.
Best of Unregenerate Mind, Cultured Mind
What
of cultured minds, though unregenerate? Someone may ask. The best an
unregenerate cultured mind can get from nature is the existence of, and the appreciation
of, the Supreme Being as being generally good. That will create in them a
hunger for a relationship with the Supreme Being. If this eventually helps them
yield to the constant appeal of the Holy Spirit to give Jesus a chance, that is
excellent. But often times, it makes them look for alternatives to satisfy the
inner consciousness to draw close to the Supreme Being.
Perfect Revelation of God, not in Nature
I
wish to state categorically at this point, dear reader, you need Jesus. He is
the perfect and total revelation of the Supreme Being nature has been pointing
you to,
For in [Jesus Christ]
the whole fullness of Deity (the Godhead) continues to dwell in bodily form
[giving complete expression of the divine nature].
(Col 2:9 AMP)
For the full content
of divine nature lives in Christ, in his humanity,
(Col 2:9 GNB)
Everything of God
gets expressed in [Jesus Christ], so you can see and hear [God] clearly. You
don't need a telescope, a microscope, or a horoscope to realize the fullness of
Christ, and the emptiness of the universe without him.
(Col 2:9 MSG)
What
more evidence do you need! The full content of divine nature, which nature
seeks to reveal in part, lives in Christ. Invariably, he is…
…the Way and the
Truth and the Life; no one comes to the [Supreme Being] except by (through)
[him].
(Joh 14:6 AMP)
So,
case closed. Jesus is the only way.
Consider Jesus, Get God’s Revelation Right
To consider Jesus, why not pray this prayer
wholeheartedly:
Lord Jesus, I have seen that you are the
complete expression of the Supreme Being I have been seeking to know through
nature, and that I cannot come to Him except through you. This day, I accept
you as my Lord and Saviour. Use your shed blood on the cross to wash my sins
away and crucify the nature of sin in me. I receive the power to become a son
of God. Thank you for saving me. Amen.
Prayer
over, as Pastor Femi Emmanuel is wont to say, let’s explore more of Jesus’ use
of nature in his parable.
Voice of Tare and Wheat vs. Form and Fruit in Jesus’ Parable
Just
like farmer will use fruit, but not form, to separate between wheat and tare,
so God will consider the fruits of righteousness, and not forms of
righteousness, on the last day,
Let both grow
together until the harvest: and in the time of harvest I will say to the
reapers, Gather ye together first the tares, and bind them in bundles to burn
them: but gather the wheat into my barn…As therefore the tares are gathered and
burned in the fire; so shall it be in the end of this world. The Son of man
shall send forth his angels, and they shall gather out of his kingdom all
things that offend, and them which do iniquity; And shall cast them into a
furnace of fire: there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth. Then shall the
righteous shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father. Who hath ears
to hear, let him hear.
(Mat 13:30, 40-43
KJV)
The
message therein for the enlightened mind is to always strive to cultivate
fruits of righteousness and win God’s approval rather than putting on forms of
righteousness to win man’s approval.
Voice of Universal Rain and Sun, and God’s mercy
The
eternal mercies of God is displayed in the way he shines his sun and releases
his rain both on the good and the wicked
But I say unto you,
Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you,
and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you; That ye may be
the children of your Father which is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise
on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust.
(Mat 5:44-45 KJV)
The
message is explicit enough; a believer should have a heart large enough to
accommodate love and general care for even his avowed enemy.
More Personal Nature’s Voices
Permit
me to discontinue the examples of references to nature in Jesus’ parables so
that the book will not look like a catalogue of the things which you can even
find out for yourself at your own convenience.
Covenant of Day and Night, and God’s Faithfulness
Another
example of the light of nature I find out was the consistency and constancy of
day following night and night following day. Since I was born, or have come of
age, I have never seen the darkness of the night holding sway till 11am or the light
of the sun radiating till 11pm. When it is morning, it is light, and when it is
night, it is dark. That is the sacred order. And you know the nature of God it
reminds me of? His eternal faithfulness. God will forever remain faithful to
His promises and covenants. He Himself made reference to it when He was
revisiting His covenant with David,
Thus saith the LORD;
If ye can break my covenant of the day, and my covenant of the night, and that
there should not be day and night in their season; Then may also my covenant be
broken with David my servant, that he should not have a son to reign upon his
throne; and with the Levites the priests, my ministers.
(Jer 33:20-21 KJV)
That
should leave a lasting impression on our consciousness as we sleep in the night
and wake in the morning that God who has remained faithful to his covenant of
day and night will fulfill all his promises for our lives in their season.
Voice of Firmament’s Unpropped Hanging and God’s Self-Existence
I
look up to the sky and I was overwhelmed. What awes me is not the expanse of
its firmament par se. But that it has remained suspended since the earth was
made, without any prop or support.
In the expanse I see eternal greatness, for only a great God can
do such a great work! But more so, in the suspension without any support, I see
the self existent nature of God. He is God that does not need the support of
anyone to be who He is. He is I am who I am and I will be what I will be. He is
complete in Himself. My God! I feel like rapping on about this one and only
living God whose personal name is YAHWEH. Even if the whole earth is void of
men and the whole of heaven is void of angels, He remains God, the sovereign
Lord God Almighty. Their existence or non-existence doesn’t change His glory or
reduce His honour. Glory be to God!
I tell you, that is how nature can cause your heart to brew with
praise to God when you look long and thoughtful enough.
I am not alone in this hanging firmament matter, Job’s friend,
Elihu, is with me
Can you explain … how
he hangs the clouds in empty space?
(Job 37:15-16 CEV)
Job’s Rendition: Spreading Skies, Hanging Earth and Holding Clouds
Job
himself had earlier introduced a dimension of thoughtful look at this firmament
that even takes God’s awesomeness a bit further,
He it is Who spreads
out the northern skies over emptiness and hangs the earth upon or over nothing.
He holds the waters bound in His clouds [which otherwise would spill on earth
all at once], and the cloud is not rent under them.
(Job 26:7-8 AMP)
This
is too much a revelation of God’s awesomeness, excellency and greatness. Whaoh!
Skies spreading over emptiness. Earth hanging over nothingness. Clouds holding
Earth-wide-flood-causing water without bursting. Ah! Permit me to sing to His
awesomeness in my language,
Eru
re n ba mi o [I’m overawed by Your awesomeness]
Eru re n ba mi o [I’m
overawed by Your awesomeness]
Apa nla to so ‘le aye
ro [Mighty hand that balances the earth]
Eru re n ba mi o [I’m
overawed by Your awesomeness]
Erujeje leti okun
pupa [Mighty Terrible One by the Red Sea]
Eru re n ba mi o [I’m
overawed by Your awesomeness]
Oba to f’idi aye so ‘le
o [The All-Sovereign that established the earth]
Eru re n ba mi o [I’m overawed by Your
awesomeness]
Exploring Nature’s Voices – Profitable Venture
Men
and brethren, it pays to give ourselves often to this exercise of exploring the
voice of nature about God’s eternal power and divine nature. Heartfelt
gratitude, unending adoration and renewed dedication will flow from our heart.
Another Message from the Firmament – God and His Promises All the Way
Before
we leave this firmament sermon, permit me to quickly add that the hanging wonder
of the firmament, which all the man-made seven wonders of the world put
together cannot match, also has a salient message to the saints. God doesn’t
need anyone’s support, approval or agreement to fulfill all those exceeding
great and precious promises (2 Pet 1:4 KJV) he has made for us. He is sufficient
in Himself to fulfil them all. Can I hear somebody say Amen?
Notice: Nature’s Voices, Multi-directional
At
this point, we may have to observe though, that the lessons from nature may be
in many directions. But the ones we are focusing on are those that can redirect
us back to the appreciation of the attributes of the Creator in His creation.
Just
one more personal nature sermon, please. I crave your indulgence.
One More Personal Nature’s Voice – On Palm Tree
One
of the trees of nature that make a very impressive appearance in the Bible is
the palm tree. The tree stands out in many qualities. In fact, I have once read
a commentary that claims the Mediterranean people can put it to 365 uses.
Unbelievable you may say. Well, I have no means of affirming it or disproving
it. But then, we put it to many uses too in this part of the world. Permit me
to quickly isolate two attributes of the tree to illustrate God’s dealing with
his saints.
The righteous shall
flourish like the palm tree…They shall still bring forth fruit in old age
(Psa 92:12-14 KJV)
The Flourishing Palm and the Righteous
The
first attribute is flourishing. How do palm trees flourish? John Gill’s
Exposition of the Entire Bible has a mouthful of descriptions about it. Let’s
offer him a space,
…palm trees…are firm
and strong…of a long continuance…grow upright, and under the greatest
pressures, and rise upwards against the greatest weight upon them…whose force
and vigour is on the top of them, which being cut off, they die…which delight
in hot climates and sunny places, bear a delicious fruit, are ever green, are
very durable, and their branches used in token of joy and victory
(Dr. John Gill,
1690-1771)
What a succinct elicitation
of images around the flourishing palm tree. Now what are the messages it
portrays of the righteous? John Gill is not done yet,
…so truly righteous
persons are upright ones in heart and life, grow up into their head, Christ,
and rise up heavenwards in their desires and affections; and, like the
Israelites, the more they are pressed with the weight of afflictions, the more
they grow; their grace and strength, their life and rigour, lie in their head,
Christ; from whom was it possible they could be separated, as it is not, they
would instantly die; they flourish under him, the sun of righteousness, and his
warming beams of love, and bring forth the fruits of righteousness by him, to
the glory of God; their leaf of profession does not wither, but is always
green; the grace of God, which is in them, being an incorruptible and never
dying seed: hence, in the issue, they make that palm, bearing company in Rev
7:9 who are more than conquerors through Christ, that has loved them.
(Dr. John Gill,
1690-1771)
Halleluiah! May
you and I be counted among the white-clad righteous multitude that will hold
palms in their hands before the throne and the Lamb singing,
Salvation
to our God who sitteth on the throne
And to the Lamb forevermore
Can
I hear a big Amen!
Palm’s Old-Age Fruitfulness and the Righteous
Quickly,
the second attribute. Palms will still bear fruits in their old age. This is so
true for the righteous that even the deadness of Sarah’s womb and of Abraham’s
body could not stop their biological fruit of Isaac. Even when their human nature
is decaying, grace is delivering fruits, spiritual, biological, mental,
ministerial, financial, health, in the life of the righteous. No wonder the
scripture says,
They go from strength
to strength [increasing in victorious power]; each of them appears before God
in Zion.
(Psa 84:7 AMP)
So
tell me, why will their path not be as a shining light…
… the longer they
live, the brighter they shine.
(Pro 4:18 MSG)
Yah!
This is a good place to draw the curtain on the repertoire of personal and
biblical examples of nature’s message. Indeed, I hope I have not contradicted
myself by earlier calling them select few. Please bear with me.
Before
we go, let’s do one more thing. Can we touch on few (few again!) of the
abundant nature-images used in describing various spiritual entities in the
Bible? If it’s Ok by you, it’s Ok by me too. Shall we?
CHAPTER THREE
Nature: Symbols for Spiritual Entities
Welcome
to the shortest chapter of this book. It will be short for I intend to ration
my words while I simply show, by scriptural references and concise annotations,
the various nature-images which are used to describe the following spiritual
entities and personalities: word of God, children of God, God the Father, Jesus
Christ, Holy Spirit and the kingdom of God. Permit me to cut a template for
myself here. I shall restrict the nature-images per entity to only three and no
more.
Word of God
Let’s
start with the word of God. Many nature-symbols were conjured up to represent
the various qualities of God’s word. Let’s have three of them,
…The seed is the word
of God
(Luk 8:11 KJV)
So,
it is alive and produces fruits when sown into the soil of man’s heart
That he might
sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word,
(Eph 5:26 KJV)
As water,
its effect is glaring from the verse; it cleanses and sanctifies
Thy word is … a light unto my path
(Psa 119:105 KJV)
This
light dispels spiritual and demonic darkness and illuminates the inner and
outer paths of man
Children of God
The
next stop will be the children of God. They have been described variously as…
.. the good seed…
(Mat 13:38 KJV)
…yielding
fruits serviceable to God and men…
…the salt of the
earth…
(Mat 5:13 KJV)
…flavouring
the earth and stemming corruption therein, and…
…the light of the
world…
(Mat 5:14 KJV)
…luminaries,
showing the world the way of, and to, God through their good works.
God The Father
The
first person of the Godhead, the Father, allowed Himself to be described in
nature-images too,
As an eagle …So the
LORD…
(Deu 32:11-12 KJV)
He
bears his own on his everlasting wings to high places of heavenly bliss and
earthly blessings
The LORD is my rock…
(Psa 18:2 KJV)
He
is the unmovable nourisher, supporter, defender and deliverer
For the LORD God is a
sun…
(Psa 84:11 KJV)
Under
God’s warming beam of love, the leaf of faith profession will not wither and
the fruits of righteousness will be produced (credit to John Gill)
Jesus Christ
Having
picked the First Person of the Godhead, it becomes automatic to pick the Second
Person of the Godhead and explore three of His nature images, not touching
again those mentioned which He shared with the First Person,
… Jesus …the Lamb of
God…
(Joh 1:29 KJV)
…without
any resistance he conceded to be slaughtered for the sins of the whole world…
…the good shepherd..
(Joh 10:11 KJV)
...giving
his life to save and to sustain his sheep, and…
… the bright and
morning star…
(Rev 22:16 KJV)
…having
the glory the Father and the saints delight in, and the influence from which
the blessings of all grace, life and righteousness flows from.
Holy Spirit
Welcome
to the section of the Third Person of the Blessed Trinity, the Holy Spirit. We shall
explore three nature-metaphors as usual.
… the Spirit of God
descending like a dove…
(Mat 3:16 KJV)
…typifying meekness, simplicity, peace and
reconciliation as doves were known to have no gall of bitterness…
… with the Holy
Ghost, and with fire…
(Mat 3:11 KJV)
…for His refining power and his power of burning and
judgment as in Isaiah 4:4…
…The wind bloweth…so
is every one that is born of the Spirit…
(Joh 3:8 KJV)
…because of his powerful, comfortable, and quickening influences in
their lives (says Gill)...
Kingdom of God
As my way of signing
out, I need to pick nature images about the kingdom of God which Jesus used
abundantly in his popular Kingdom parables. Why save the Kingdom of God for the
last? I earnestly desire the Kingdom matters make the most lasting impression
on us we wind down the book. And that is in order. Has Christ not said, “Seek
ye first the kingdom of God and His Righteousness?”
Now, images of
the Kingdom of God,
… The kingdom of
heaven is like to a grain of mustard seed…
(Mat 13:31 KJV)
…accepting Jesus looks like an ordinary, simple thing
but its effects and influences, beginning from the declarant, reaches far and
wide…
Again, the kingdom of
heaven is like unto treasure hid in a field...
(Mat 13:44 KJV)
…it must take your all, heart, mind, strength,
potentials and resources, to possess it…
The kingdom of heaven
is like unto leaven…
(Mat 13:33 KJV)
And when you have possessed it, you must absorb all
its vital force till the influence permeates your whole thought-process and
heart-purpose and your entire words and deeds.
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