Nature is everywhere, you can’t miss it! But did you know that nature teaches Bible truth? Yes, it does. In this post then we will look at some of the things in nature through the lens of the Bible.

Why Do We Say That Nature Teaches?

Well, God says, “But 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. Who knoweth not in all these that the hand of the LORD [God] hath wrought [done] this?” Job 12:7-9.

First of all, if you are wondering what is meant by “Job 12:7-9,” it is what is called Bible notation which is a way of referencing the Bible. Now the Bible is a collection of books, where each book in the Bible consists of one or more chapters, and each chapter has numbered sections called verses. The quotation referred to as “Job 12:7-9” is taken from the book titled Job in the Bible, the 12th chapter, and the 7^th to the 9^th verse.

So then, the Bible, which records God’s words to the human race, says that nature does, in fact, teach us. This is what we will explore in this post.

Who is God?

Secondly, here is a brief overview of who God is. God is the name given to a divine Family called “the Godhead” (Acts 17:29) in the Bible. This Family, the Godhead, consist of three Persons who each are “without father, without mother, without descent, having neither beginning of days, nor end of life.” Hebrews 7:3.

So, the Godhead has three members and, No, there are not three Gods! For the members of the Godhead never contradict each other at any time. They speak with one voice, and so we can say, “there is one God.” Mark 12:32.

What are the names of these three Persons in the Godhead? Their names are “the Father” (Matthew 11:27), “the Son” (Psalm 2:12) also called Christ (Matthew 1:1), and “the Holy Spirit” (Psalm 51:11).

What is God like? An important point to grasp about God is that He is “God, that cannot lie” (Titus 1:2) and “God is love.” 1 John 4:8. That is to say that each member of the Godhead has a character of love that is identical to that of the others, and the love in God’s heart is the only definition of true love in the universe.

God, the Creator of All Things in Nature

Now God, speaking of Himself, says, “God the LORD, [is] he that created the heavens, and stretched them out; he that spread forth the earth, and that which cometh out of it; he that giveth breath unto the people upon it, and spirit [mind] to them that walk therein.” Isaiah 42:5.

Thus, we see that God is the Creator of all things in nature, which is to say, that God is the Creator of everything that exists outside of Himself.

What Does Nature Teach?

So, what does nature teach? God says, “That which may be known of God is manifest [is plain and clear] in them [in all humanity]; for God hath shewed [showed] it unto them. For the invisible things of him [of God] 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 [humanity] are without excuse.” Romans 1:19, 20.

That is, nature teaches us about God, both the things in nature that are visible and invisible. How? Continue reading and I will explain how.

Nature Teaches: The Heavens

Let us now consider the heavens which are a part of nature to see what they teach us about God.

For God says, “The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament [sky] sheweth [shows] his handywork. Day unto day uttereth speech, and night unto night sheweth [shows] knowledge. There is no speech nor language, where their voice is not heard.” Psalm 19:1-3.

“Their line is gone out through all the earth, and their words to the end of the world. In them hath he set a tabernacle for the sun, which is as a bridegroom coming out of his chamber, and rejoiceth as a strong man to run a race.” Psalm 19:4, 5.

“His [the sun’s] going forth is from the end of the heaven, and his circuit unto the ends of it: and there is nothing hid from the heat thereof.” Psalm 19:6.

We see then that when we look at the heavens, which are visible to every human being on earth, they silently speak to us, teaching us about God. And God gives us the example of the sun as something in the heavens of which all humanity is aware.

What is So Special About the Sun?

Well, God says, “But unto you that fear [reverence] my [God’s] name shall the Sun of righteousness [Christ] arise with healing in his wings; and ye shall go forth, and grow up as calves of the stall.” Malachi 4:2.

So then, God’s reference to the sun in nature is symbolically a reference Christ who is called “the Sun of righteousness.” Malachi 4:2.

But why is Christ likened to the sun? Because God says, “For the grace of God [God’s unmerited favour] that bringeth salvation [the saving of humanity from eternal death, which is to be annihilated by God, and instead give them eternal life] hath appeared to [shined upon] all men [all humanity].” Titus 2:11. Why the need for salvation and for God’s grace? Continue reading and you will see.

In other words, like the sun in nature which shines upon the whole surface of the earth, God’s grace, which is God’s unmerited favour in blessing humanity, has been presented as a gift to every human being.

Why is God’s Grace Unmerited by Humanity?

The first human pair whom God created, a man named Adam and a woman named Eve, had a character of perfect love identical to God’s character of love.

Adam and Eve Do Evil

Adam and Eve, however, fell into sin, which is evil and wrongdoing, and God says “The wages of sin is [eternal] death [which is to be annihilated by God].” Romans 6:23.

But God said, “How shall I [God] give thee up [Adam and Eve]?” Hosea 11:8. For God was heartbroken at their sin and knew that if He were to annihilate Adam and Eve, the human race would become extinct. God also knew that if Adam and Eve were allowed to live, the effect of God’s great law of heredity would be that all Adam and Eve’s descendants would inherit their disposition to sin and, therefore, become sinners themselves.

But, Christ “he stood between the dead and the living; and the plague [the death of Adam and Eve] was stayed [held back by God].” Numbers 16:8. When Christ did this, He signed His own death sentence, in that, He, Christ, offered Himself to die “for the sins of the whole world.” 1 John 2:2.

Christ’s Work on Behalf of Humanity

Christ’s promised sacrifice of Himself was “without money and without price” (Isaiah 55:1), that is, it came at an infinite cost to the Godhead.

So, God said, “The gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.” Romans 6:23. (Jesus is the name that was given to Christ when He was born as a baby boy over 2,000 years ago.) For by His death then, Christ would secure eternal life for the whole human race.

In other words, “God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us [the human race], even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us [made humanity alive] together with Christ, (by [God’s] grace ye are saved [from eternal death which is annihilation]).” Ephesians 2:4, 5.

How are we made alive with Jesus Christ? The reason is because Christ lived a sinless life on earth for about 33 years, was murdered, but in dying He paid the penalty for sin for all humanity, was resurrected (brought back to life by God) because He was sinless and, thus, Christ earned eternal life for humanity.

Note that, in order for any human being to receive eternal life from God, they must have repentance (deep remorse and sorrow for their sins) and faith in the work of Christ on behalf of humanity. Then it is that God forgives the past sins of such persons and gives them the gift of love, which is to say, the gift of Christ’s righteousness, which enables these persons to stop sinning.

Thus, Christ is indeed “the Sun of righteousness [Christ] [who] arise[s] with healing in his wings” (Malachi 4:2) to bless humanity by healing their sin-sick souls. So, when we see the sun in nature with the sun’s rays bringing blessings to every living thing on earth, our minds should naturally turn to Christ.

God’s Unmerited Favour Towards Humanity

All God’s blessings upon humanity are done by God “that in the ages to come he [God] might shew the exceeding riches of his grace [God’s ummerited favour] in his kindness toward us [toward humanity] through Christ Jesus.” Ephesians 2:7.

Now God was not obligated to save humanity from eternal death (annihilation), but He did so because He has a heart of love. For God, through the death of Christ, has demonstrated that He would rather die Himself than see the whole human race annihilated for their sins. This then is God’s unmerited favour toward humanity for we did not deserve it.

And God says to humanity, “Do not frustrate the grace of God.” Galatians 2:21. I “beseech [entreat] you…that ye receive not the grace of God in vain” (2 Corinthians 6:1) for then you will not be saved to eternal life but will instead be annihilated.

Why Does Humanity Need to Grow Up?

As was quoted before from the Bible, God says, “But unto you that fear [reverence] my [God’s] name shall the Sun of righteousness [Christ] arise with healing in his wings; and ye shall go forth, and grow up as calves of the stall.” Malachi 4:2.

So, God is saying that the human race is to grow up like the calves of cows in nature. But why does humanity need to grow up?

To answer this question, let us consider some facts. God says, “And all the days that Adam lived were nine hundred and thirty years: and he died.” Genesis 5:5. “And all the days of Noah were nine hundred and fifty years: and he died.” Genesis 9:29. We see then that, originally, human beings lived almost to one thousand years.

About 350 years after the worldwide flood which God brought upon the earth for the sin of those people then living, a man named Abraham was born. “And these are the days of the years of Abraham’s life which he lived, an hundred threescore and fifteen years [one hundred and seventy-five years].” Genesis 25:7. Here is a marked difference in lifespan, for Abraham did not even live 200 years.

Just over 400 years later after Abraham, a man named Moses was born. “And Moses was an hundred and twenty years old when he died: his eye was not dim, nor his natural force [vigour] abated [diminished].” Deuteronomy 34:7. Here again was a marked decrease in lifespan from the time of Abraham.

Today, in the twenty-first century, humanity can say, “The days of our years are threescore years and ten [seventy years]; and if by reason of strength they be fourscore years [eighty years], yet is their strength labour and sorrow; for it is soon cut off, and we [figuratively speaking] fly away.” Psalm 90:10. That is, today, few people live beyond 80 years of life.

Also, in the time of Moses, “Only Og king of Bashan remained of the remnant of giants; behold, his bedstead was a bedstead of iron; is it not in Rabbath of the children of Ammon? nine cubits [thirteen and a half feet] was the length thereof, and four cubits [six feet] the breadth of it, after the cubit of a man.” Deuteronomy 3:11. This indicates that Adam and Eve and their early descendants, called giants by later generations, were at least 13½ feet tall.

We see then that the human race has degenerated physically so that their height is less than Adam and Eve’s and their lifespan is scarcely 80 years. Therefore, those individuals who receive eternal life from God will indeed grow up like the calves of cows in nature to the full height of Adam and Eve.

Who is the Bridegroom?

Here is a portion of the Bible quotation that was given earlier in this post. “Their line is gone out through all the earth, and their words to the end of the world. In them hath he set a tabernacle for the sun, which is as a bridegroom coming out of his chamber, and rejoiceth as a strong man to run a race.” Psalm 19:4, 5.

We see here that God likens the sun in nature, specifically, the sun in the heavens, to a bridegroom. But what does this mean?

God says that there will come a time when all the righteous those on earth who will be saved by God shall ask a question and Christ shall respond to them: “Who is this that cometh from…[heaven], with dyed garments from…[heaven]? this that is glorious in his apparel [clothing], travelling in the greatness of his strength? I [Jesus Christ] that speak in righteousness, mighty to save.” Isaiah 63:1.

The righteous will then say, “Let us [the righteous] be glad and rejoice, and give honour to him [Jesus Christ]: for the marriage of the Lamb [Jesus Christ] is come, and his wife [the holy city of God with the righteous within] hath made herself ready. And to her [the holy city] was granted that she should be arrayed [clothed, figuratively speaking,] in fine linen, clean and white: for the fine linen is the righteousness of saints [the righteous].” Revelation 19:7, 8. Thus, we see that Christ is the bridegroom.

Who is the Strong Man?

Let us continue to unpack Psalm 19:1-5. Here’s the portion that is now our focus: “The sun…is as a bridegroom coming out of his chamber, and rejoiceth as a strong man to run a race.” Psalm 19:4, 5. The question now is, Who is the strong man?

God says, “When a strong man armed [Satan] keepeth his palace, his goods [the human race] are in peace: But when a stronger than he [Christ] shall come upon him, and overcome him, he taketh from him all his armour wherein he trusted, and divideth his spoils [plunder].” Luke 11:21, 22. We see then that Satan is the strong man but Christ is stronger than he.

So, who is Satan? He is the angel that rebelled against God in heaven and who caused some of the angels to join him in his rebellion. And because Satan and his “evil angels” (Psalm 78:49) refused to stop sinning, God cast them out of heaven pending the day when all humanity, Satan, and his angels, will be judged by God.

It was Satan who tempted Adam and Eve to sin, and as a result Adam and Eve fell into sin. Since every human being, having inherited Adam and Eve’s disposition to sin, is born with a sinful nature, Satan claims the human race as “his goods” (Luke 11:21), his prize, in his conflict with God.

But thank God for Christ who is stronger than Satan, the strong man, and who works to turn humanity from evil to holiness, thus making them accepted by God as His children!

Which Race is Being Run?

Lastly, in unpacking Psalm 19:1-5, our focus is on this portion: “The sun…is as a bridegroom coming out of his chamber, and rejoiceth as a strong man to run a race.” Psalm 19:4, 5. Our question now is, Which race is being run?

God says, “And if a man also strive for masteries [for example, as an athlete in a race], yet is he not crowned, except he strive lawfully [according to the rules].” 2 Timothy 2:5.

So, in our case under consideration, both Satan and Christ are, figuratively speaking, in a race with each seeking to be crowned victor, and thereby win the prize which is the human race.

Satan uses all manner of evil, especially deceit, to keep the human race in sin, and thus he does not strive lawfully according to God’s law of love. On the other hand, Christ uses only love to win humanity to his side of the conflict and, thus, Christ strives lawfully and will, therefore, be crowned as victor over Satan.

Thus, God says, “And thou [Christ], O tower of the flock, the strong hold of the daughter of Zion [of all the righteous who will fill Zion, the holy city of God], unto thee [Christ] shall it come, even the first dominion [over the earth and the human race]; the kingdom shall come to…[you].” Micah 4:8.

That is, since God foresees that Christ will be the victor, “there was given him [Christ] dominion, and glory, and a kingdom, that all people, nations, and languages, should serve him [Christ]: his [Christ’s] dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and his kingdom that which shall not be destroyed.” Daniel 7:14.

Nature Teaches: The Butterfly

Let us now consider the butterfly in nature which goes through four stages in its lifespan. So, the butterfly starts life as an egg, it then hatches to become a caterpillar, after growing in size the caterpillar forms a protective case called a chrysalis, out of which emerges after a time an adult butterfly.

What lesson do the butterflies in nature teach us? They teach us about salvation, the saving of humanity from eternal death (annihilation) by God who instead gives eternal life.

But in what way do they teach us about salvation? Think of the butterfly’s egg as the human embryo in the mother’s womb, and the caterpillar as the baby which is born with a sinful nature, and which grows over time.

Furthermore, think of the chrysalis as the time when an individual, if they so choose, is “transformed by the renewing of…[their] mind” (Romans 12:2) by the power of the Holy Spirit.

Lastly, think of the adult butterfly which emerges from the chrysalis as when God says, “Therefore if any man [any person] be in [a spiritual connection with] Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away [the old sinful nature is subdued]; behold, all things are become new [the person has now become a partaker of God’s divine nature of perfect love].” 2 Corinthians 5:17.

Such a person who has “the perfection of beauty [of character]” (Psalm 50:2), symbolised by the beauty of butterflies in nature, will be saved and, hence, will receive eternal life from God.

We see then that the lifecycle of the butterfly in nature tells us the story of salvation.

Nature Teaches: The Sea

The seas in nature cover a vast portion of the earth’s surface and we will now look at what lessons they teach us from a biblical point of view.

The Waves of the Sea in Nature

Note that God is He “which stilleth the noise of the seas, the noise of their waves, and the tumult of the people.” Psalm 65:7.

What is the noise of the seas here? It symbolizes Satan and his evil angels, who are known as demons, and who constantly spew out of their mouths cursing, violence, and accusations of sin, all this against God and humanity, in God’s hearing and who stir up people to create an uproar.

Thus, humanity can say in truth, “The floods [demons] have lifted up [themselves in pride], O LORD [God], the floods [demons] have lifted up their voice; the floods [demons, figuratively speaking,] lift up their waves [cause trouble on earth].” Psalm 93:3.

But “thou [God] rulest the raging of the sea [of demons]: when the waves thereof [the demons’ evil deeds] arise, thou stillest [overrule] them.” Psalm 89:9. “The LORD [God] on high [in heaven] is mightier than the noise of many waters [than many demons], yea, than the mighty waves of the sea [than mighty demons].” Psalm 93:4.

“The waters [demons] saw thee, O God, the waters [demons] saw thee; they were afraid: the depths [the demons] also were troubled.” Psalm 77:16.

So, God says, “The sea [the demons] saw…[you, God], and fled… What ailed [troubled] thee, O thou sea [you demons], that thou fleddest?…that thou wast driven back [from causing harm]?” Psalm 114:3-5.

We see then that the waves of the sea in nature represent the activity of demons. These demons cause trouble, disaster, and harm, on earth, and they justify themselves before God by their accusations against humanity.

That is, the demons are effectively saying to God, that God is not fair in protecting humanity from their evil, and that God should allow them to work their wicked will on earth.

The Depths of the Sea in Nature

Let us consider what God says, that there are those among humanity who can say in truth, “Deep calleth unto deep at the noise of thy waterspouts: all thy waves and thy billows are gone over me.” Psalm 42:7.

What is a waterspout? It is a tornado-like, vertical column of water, raised from the surface of the sea and driven furiously by the wind. So, what lesson can we learn from waterspouts, billows, and waves of the sea in nature?

Well, some things in the Bible symbolise more than one thing and we have an example of this here. That is, God’s exceeding great love for humanity is represented as the billows and waves of the sea that wash over the human race tenderly.

Furthermore, in this instance, the deep calling unto deep represents the joy of mutual love between some people and God. Note that not all of humanity know this joy because some people are still living according to Satan’s ways.

So, we see that, in this case, the depths of the sea in nature give us a clear understanding of God’s love for the human race.

Moreover, the waterspout, which at first look seems violent, really symbolises the deep, earnest desire of God to draw out from humanity a deep love for God.

The Breadth of the Sea in Nature

Again, God says, “So is this great and wide sea, wherein are things creeping innumerable, both small and great beasts.” Psalm 104:25.

Here “this great and wide sea” (Psalm 104:25), that is, the breadth of the sea in nature, represents the boundlessness of God’s love for humanity, for it is an infinite love.

So, not only is God’s love for every human being deep, it is also wide without limit, as demonstrated by Christ’s voluntary death to save humanity from their sins.

Nature Teaches: The Bee

Now let us see what biblical lessons that the bees in nature which populate the earth teach us.

Bees and Honey in Nature

We will now consider the bees in nature that make honey. And God says that every human being should be able to say of themselves in truth, “How sweet are thy [God’s] words [contained in the Bible] unto my taste! yea, sweeter than honey to my mouth!” Psalm 119:103.

Thus God says, “My son [and my daughter], eat thou honey, because it is good; and the honeycomb, which is sweet to thy taste: So shall the knowledge of wisdom be unto thy soul: when thou hast found it, then there shall be a reward, and thy expectation [of receiving eternal life from God] shall not be cut off.” Proverbs 24:13, 14.

For God says, “Sanctify them [make them holy] through thy truth: thy [God’s] word [the Bible] is truth.” John 17:17.

“All scripture [the whole Bible] is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine [teaching], for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: That the man [or woman] of God may be perfect, throughly [fully] furnished [equipped by God] unto all good works.” 2 Timothy 3:16, 17.

Therefore, God desires that all humanity should say of themselves in truth, “Thy [God’s] word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee [God].” Psalm 119:11.

So then, the honey made by the bees in nature represents God’s word which is “the holy scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus.” 2 Timothy 3:15.

Bees on the Attack in Nature

Let us now look at bees on the attack in nature for the biblical lesson they teach us.

God says there are times when persons can say of themselves in truth, “All nations compassed me about [surrounded me]: but in the name of the LORD [God] will I destroy them. They compassed me about [surrounded me]; yea, they compassed me about [surrounded me]: but in the name of the LORD I will destroy them.” Psalm 118:10, 11.

“They compassed me about [surrounded me] like bees; they are quenched [extinguished] as the fire of thorns [as thorns on fire]: for in the name of the LORD I will destroy them. Thou [Satan] hast thrust sore at me [pushed me violently] that I might fall [into sin]: but the LORD helped [protected] me.” Psalm 118:12, 13.

What does “All nations compassed me about [surrounded me]” (Psalm 118:10) mean?

Well, a man named Daniel had an encounter with the angel “Gabriel” (Daniel 8:16), “Then said he [Gabriel], Knowest thou [Daniel] wherefore [why] I come unto thee? and now will I return to fight with the prince of Persia: and when I am gone forth, lo, the prince of Grecia [Greece] shall come.” Daniel 10:20.

Here Gabriel refers to the chief of all those demons whom Satan has appointed over the nations of Persia and Greece as “the prince of Persia” (Daniel 10:20) and “the prince of Grecia [Greece]” Daniel 10:20, respectively.

So, when we are surrounded by all nations as if surrounded by bees on the attack in nature, it is when we are surrounded by the demons whom Satan has assigned to all nations. But praise God for His protection from demonic attacks, for the demons only seek to do us harm!

Nature Teaches: The Birds

We will now look at the birds in nature to see what biblical lessons they teach us.

Birdsong in Nature

God says, “The flowers appear on the earth; the time of the singing of birds is come, and the voice of the turtle [turtledove] is heard in our land.” Song of Solomon 2:12.

“He [God] sendeth the springs into the valleys, which run among the hills. By [Beside] them shall the fowls [birds] of the heaven have their habitation [nests], which sing among the branches.” Psalm 104:10-12.

Thus, the birds in nature sing constantly and they are an example to humanity that they should “make a joyful noise unto the LORD [God], all the earth: make a loud noise, and rejoice, and sing praise.” Psalm 98:4. Why? Because of all the blessings which God pours out upon the human race.

Therefore, let every human being say, “O come, let us sing unto the LORD [God]: let us make a joyful noise to the rock [to Christ the Source] of our salvation. Let us come before his [God’s] presence with thanksgiving, and make a joyful noise unto him with psalms [with sacred songs].” Psalm 95:1, 2.

Yes, be like the birds in nature constantly “singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord [God].” Ephesians 5:19.

Birds and Their Food in Nature

Again, God says regarding birds and their food in nature, “Behold the fowls [birds] of the air: for they sow not [seeds], neither do they reap, nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feedeth them. Are ye not much better than they?” Matthew 6:26.

“Take therefore no thought [Have no distrustful and unbelieving thoughts which separate you from God] for the morrow [for tomorrow]: for the morrow [for tomorrow] shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day [unto today] is the evil thereof.” Matthew 6:34.

“But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these [necessary] things shall be added [given] unto you [by God].” Matthew 6:33.

So then, we are to be worry free and carefree as the birds in nature knowing that God is our Provider.

Birds and Their Nests in Nature

God also speaks of birds and their nests in nature, saying, “Yea, the sparrow hath found an house, and the swallow a nest for herself, where she may lay her young, even thine altars, O LORD of hosts, my King, and my God.” Psalm 84:3.

Here God is giving to humanity a lesson in trust in God, for the birds in nature only build their nests where they feel perfectly secure from harm.

Nature Teaches: The Ant

We now come to the ant in nature to see what biblical lesson it teaches us.

God says, “The ants are a people not strong, yet they prepare their meat [food] in the summer.” Proverbs 30:25.

“Go to the ant, thou sluggard [you lazy person]; consider her ways, and be wise: Which having no guide, overseer, or ruler, provideth her meat [food] in the summer, and gathereth her food in the harvest.” Proverbs 6:6-8.

Here God is saying to humanity, “Study [the Bible] to shew [show] thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing [interpreting] the word of truth [the Bible].” 2 Timothy 2:15.

For the Bible leads us to receive Christ, who said, “I [Christ] am that bread of [eternal] life” (John 6:48), during our lifetime when we have the opportunity. That is, we are to receive Christ while it is harvest when spiritual bread that gives eternal life is plentiful and available.

For “it is appointed unto men [unto humanity] once to die, but after this the judgment [of God].” Hebrews 9:27. Therefore, be not found among those people who will say on God’s Judgment Day, “The harvest is past, the summer is ended, and we are not saved [from eternal death (annihilation) by God].” Jeremiah 8:20.

So then, be like the ant in nature which wastes no opportunity to gather their food in harvest.

Nature Teaches: The Flowers

Let us now consider the flowers in nature and see what biblical lessons they teach.

God says, “I [God] will be as the dew [as the Holy Spirit] unto [the] Israel [of God, which consists of all those people who have received the gift of love from God]: he shall grow as the lily [by maintaining holiness in the midst of the wickedness on earth], and cast [send] forth his roots as [the trees of] Lebanon.” Hosea 14:5.

Here the lily in nature represents the spiritual beauty, purity, and perfume, of the individual under the work of the Holy Spirit which, if the individual so chooses, changes the person from sin to holiness.

Note that the person must be willing to go in the ways of holiness, which is to say, in the ways of love, otherwise the Holy Spirit is barred by their unwillingness from giving them a change of heart from sinfulness to holiness. For God will not force us to change our evil ways if we do not wish to do so.

“The wilderness and the solitary place shall be glad for them [the Israel of God]; and the desert shall rejoice, and blossom as the rose.” Isaiah 35:1.

Here the rose in nature represents the spiritual beauty and fragrance of the individuals who will adorn the new earth to come. That is, the new earth which will be created by God will be freed from the curse of sin, which had caused the earth to have wildernesses, solitary places, and deserts.

So, figuratively speaking, the adornment of the rose in the new earth will be as if the earth rejoices and is glad for its restoration to the original beauty of the earth.

“For as the earth bringeth forth her bud, and as the garden causeth the things that are sown in it to spring forth; so the Lord GOD will cause righteousness and praise to spring forth [from the Israel of God] before all the nations [all humanity].” Isaiah 61:11.

Therefore, God says, “The LORD thy God in the midst of thee [of the Israel of God] is mighty; he will save [to eternal life], he will rejoice over thee with joy; he will rest in his love, he will joy over thee with singing.” Zephaniah 3:17.

Thus, the many and varied flowers in nature represent the diversity of the Israel of God, which is made up of people who come from all parts of the world, all of whom are destined to be saved to eternal life by God.

Nature Ministers

We now come to consider nature as a whole and to see what it teaches.

God says, “Forasmuch then as Christ hath suffered for us [for humanity] in the flesh, arm yourselves likewise with the same mind: for he [or she] that hath suffered in the flesh hath ceased from sin; That he [or she] no longer should live the rest of his time in the flesh to the lusts of men, but to the will of God.” 1 Peter 4:1, 2.

In other words, the trials of life that we go through can have two possible effects—either drawing us close to God or pushing us away from God. But it is God’s desire to draw us closer to Him by these trials as we come to know God as the Comforter and Healer of our sin-sick souls.

Therefore, as we come to God, He sends us out to the world saying, “Ye are the [spiritual] light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid.” Matthew 5:14. This spiritual light is intended by God to attract to God those who do not yet know God as they should.

So then, just as nature ministers to all humanity, those who know God as they should, that is, those who are true Christians, are called to minister to the world. For nothing in nature lives unto itself but rather ministers to all, unlike selfish humanity who only live for themselves.”

Know then that “the Lord [God] gave the word [the Bible]: great was the company of [holy angels with] those that published [proclaimed] it.” Psalm 68:11.

Is Nature’s Revelation of God Enough?

We now ask the question, Is nature’s revelation of the things of God enough to cause us to be saved by God to eternal life?

Consider what God says, “Take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God [the Bible].” Ephesians 6:17. This a partial answer to what it means to obey God’s command, “Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles [trickery] of the devil [Satan].” Ephesians 6:11.

How can we put on the armour of God? Well God says, “Come now, and let us reason together, saith the LORD [God]: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be [white] as wool. If ye be willing and obedient, ye shall [spiritually speaking] eat the good of the land: But if ye refuse and rebel, ye shall be devoured with the sword [of the Spirit, theh Bible, which condemns all sins]: for the mouth of the LORD [God] hath spoken it.” Isaiah 1:18-20.

For we must have a personal two-way communication with God, which is called prayer. In addition, we must read and study the Bible, two distinct activities, in order to be made holy by complete obedience to the Bible. This obedience which includes ministering by sharing God’s word, the Bible, with others.

Thus, we see that nature does not impart sufficient knowledge for us to be saved by God to eternal life.

Conclusion

In this post, we have looked at several things in nature and found that nature does indeed teach us Bible truth about God.

For as was said earlier in this post, God says, “But 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. Who knoweth not in all these that the hand of the LORD [God] hath wrought [done] this?” Job 12:7-9.

But we have also seen that nature’s revelation of God is insufficient for giving us the knowledge which is essential for us to be saved by God to eternal life.

So, learn all you can from nature about God but do not neglect the other necessary things for a knowledge of God that saves.

The Bible Teaches Us How to Obtain Eternal Life from God

“In the beginning was the Word [Christ], and the Word [Christ] was with God, and the Word [Christ] was God.” John 1:1. “And the Word [Christ] was made flesh [was born as a baby boy named Jesus], and dwelt among us [human beings], (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father).” John 1:14. Thus, Christ, whose “name is called The Word of God” (Revelation 19:13) is the One who gave the whole Bible to humanity, from the Bible’s beginning to its end. Further, “God is love.” (1 John 4:8), which is to say, Christ is love.

And every one of you as a human being are to “lay apart [put away] all filthiness and superfluity [abundance] of naughtiness [of wickedness], and receive with meekness the engrafted [the implanted] word [from God, which is the Bible and], which is able to save your souls [from annihilation by God as the penalty for sin].” James 1:21. For the word of God, the Bible, being implanted in us means that “the love of God is shed abroad [is poured] in our hearts by the Holy Ghost [the Holy Spirit] which is given unto us.” Romans 5:5. So then, “love is of God; and every one [every human being] that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God.” 1 John 4:7. This is known as “justification” (Romans 4:25) which is accomplished by our repentance, that is, our deep sorrow for our sins and the gift of faith from God, which when exercised to believe God’s promise of forgiveness of sins and cleansing from sin brings us the gift of love from God. Note that everyone receives the gift of faith from God but without repentance people have a superficial faith and not saving (correct) faith that takes proper hold of God’s truth by the working of the Holy Spirit.

Immediately upon our justification, God tests our character to see if we will successfully resist all temptation to sin. Our success depends on our exercising faith in Christ’s keeping power through the Holy Spirit and, hence, we become sanctified (made holy) and thus receive eternal life from God.

And this is life eternal [everlasting life], that they [as human beings] might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent [to the earth as a Deliverer from sin].” John 17:3. Thus, when the whole Bible makes our character a character of perfect love, it means that we know God and, hence, we will receive eternal life from God.

How This Blog Teaches Bible Study

My blog posts take one or more Bible verses and unpack what is often the hidden meaning in them, to help you to gain in your understanding of the Bible, and to receive insights into how to study it. For God says, “Study [the Bible] to shew [show] thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing [interpreting] the word of truth [the Bible].” 2 Timothy 2:15. There are new blog posts every two weeks on a Monday at 12:01 a.m. in timezone UTC-5 (GMT-5).

Further Reading

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