CREATION OBEYS
CREATION OBEYS
Isaiah 48:13 ~ ~ “Indeed My hand has laid the foundation of the earth,
And My right hand has stretched out the heavens; When I call to them,
They stand up together.”
He commands the sun, and it does not rise; He seals off the stars;
All of creation obeys its Creator! Both old and new testaments show the marvels of the obedience of nature to the Word of God.
In Joshua 10:13,we’re told about the longest day, when Joshua’s army was fighting the Amorites in defense of the city of Gibeon.
“So the sun stood still, And the moon stopped, Till the people had revenge Upon their enemies” The sun and the moon obediently stopped in their orbits and made time stand still until the Lord said to return to their orbits. On the other hand, one of the plagues He put on Egypt was three days of total darkness, so the sun obeyed and didn’t shine for three days at the command of the Mighty Creator.
Water molecules obey their Creator. The Red Sea and the Jordan River both parted for the children of Israel to go through on dry land. The molecules of the water in the Sea of Galilee “held hands” and upheld Jesus as He walked across the water surface. Jesus calmed the storms on Galilee more than once, by the Word of His mouth. The components of nature gladly obeyed in worship. The molecules of water in the water jars at the wedding in Cana gave way to molecules of the finest wine at the command of the Master, and, of course, the entire upper canopy of water above the earth gave way to create the flood, along with the oceans staying within their boundaries at the command of the Creator of the universe. Water turned to blood as one of the plagues of Egypt. Every molecule flowing in the Nile River changed in obedience. Every molecule of water, in big or small quantities, naturally know and obey their Creator.
Fish came together by the side of Peter’s boat twice at the command of the Master, one fish carried a Roman coin which Jesus took out of its mouth for a lesson to His disciples, and fish cells, along with bread crumbs were multiplied at the command of Jesus, the Lord of Life sustaining food.
God the Mighty Creator controlled the breeding program of Jacob’s sheep during his stint working under his wicked father in law, Laban. The sheep obeyed the Lord in where to go at what time and which rams to be with. All to show the Creator’s power in all areas of Creation and in profiting His people.
God uses animals to help His people in many ways. After his episode with Ahab and Jezebel, Elijah was exhausted and starving, but God commanded Ravens to bring him bread and meat every morning and bread and meat every evening until he was recovered.
When the Philistines wanted to return the Ark of the Covenant to Israel to free themselves of the plagues because of it in 1Samuel, they put it on a cart, and attached two milk cows to it, who had recently calved, after having taken their calves from them. Only their Creator could make these cows, painfully loaded with milk, leave their hungry, bellering calves behind, but they obeyed, bellering back to their calves the entire way, but nevertheless, gladly obeying their Creator, and returned the Ark to Beth Shemesh where Joshua and his men were harvesting wheat. The cows stopped in the field, just where God told them to. They were exhausted, in pain for their milk, worrying about their calves, and very hungry, but they obeyed in every detail. They gave their lives for their obedience, also. The men used the cart to build a fire, and sacrificed the cows as a thank offering to God for the return of the Ark. This shows simple, sacrificial obedience, even in some of the simplest of God’s Created creatures.
Every animal specimen of the known world at the time of the flood obeyed their Creator in a very timely manner, as they paired up as He directed, and walked, He only knows how far, from their native area, directly to the Ark, and right in the door, probably going directly to the area assigned by God for each for the next year. They didn’t know what it was for, they weren’t being baited by food. Each of them were simply told by God to obey, and they did. It’s a simple concept, but they knew it instinctively. After all, what is instinct but the Creator telling each animal what to do?
Then there were the smaller animals that He used to produce the plagues on Egypt? The frogs, lice, locusts, and flies all showed up, as He guided them, or else He created millions of them, then suddenly disappeared or left the area.
Jesus said if we didn’t praise Him, the stones would cry out in praise. Even the minerals know Him!
He healed, brought to life, cast out demons, and every created thing, including demons, obeyed their Creator, either willingly or not, but they all, including the demons, know His power and authority.
He also put diseases onto people. He put boils on the Egyptians as one of the plagues. He gave Miriam leprosy, then healed it when she repented of her accusations against Moses. All living things will obey Him because He made them. Every cell in living beings is alive, and knows its Creator.
Even the fig tree dried up and died after Jesus made a rather casual command that it never have fruit forever.
Nebuchadnezzar’s body changed when he was cursed because of his pride and greed, and he grazed like a cow for seven years. His body changed, his hair and nails growing out accordingly. His digestive system had to change also. Every molecule and cell obeys!!!
Jesus rode a donkey, a donkey foal, to be exact, when He rode through the city on what we call Palm Sunday. He told His disciples just where to find this little donkey, and, of course, there he was. The Word tells us that no one had ridden this little guy before, but Jesus got on, and he carried Him without incident, right through the yelling crowds, with waving palm branches, no doubt, hitting him in the face and children running up to him. They laid out clothing and palm branches for him to walk on—very frightening!! This was a young, inexperienced animal, probably taken from his mother not long ago, but he obediently trusted his Creator/King/rider even in this strange and scary situation, for whatever he should do, knowing that He wouldn’t let anything bad happen to him. I’m sure Jesus communicated that very thing to him as they went along. After all, that little guy was important to Jesus at that moment in time, and I’m thinking that he knew it.
There was another famous donkey in the Bible too, back in the Old Testament book of Numbers, chapter 22. Balaam was a prophet of God, and Balak wanted him to curse Israel. He said He could not go with them and do that, even though they came back twice and offered him much money. The last time, he told them to wait until morning so he can see what God says now. God told him to go with them, but not to speak anything except the exact words He gives him. He saddled his donkey and left. But God knew his heart, and that the silver and gold offered would entice him at the moment of decision, to speak other than God’s words. So the Angel of the Lord—(pre-incarnation of Jesus) stood in front of the donkey on the road. He was a powerful vision with His sword drawn, standing firm and tall. The donkey saw Him, but Balaam didn’t, and when she saw Him, she casually turned and went into the adjacent field. Balaam, not knowing why she did that, beat her and brought her back to the road. Now the Angel had moved, and stood where there were two walls by the road. The donkey tried to get alongside the Angel, with Balaam beating her continuously, no doubt, because they were losing time. But it was so narrow that when she went close to the wall, she crushed Balaam’s foot against the wall, and he beat her even harder. Now the Angel moved to a spot that was so narrow she couldn’t get through at all, so she laid down in front of the Angel, with Balaam still on her back. We can only imagine how angry Balaam was by now, so he got off and beat her like never before, because he still didn’t see the Angel. She wasn’t frightened of the bright, powerful Being, she was respectful and obedient. She obviously knew Who it was, and worshiped in her way. But this was between the Angel and Balaam. The Word of God tells us what happened next:
28 “Then the Lord opened the mouth of the donkey, and she said to Balaam, “What have I done to you, that you have struck me these three times?”
29 And Balaam said to the donkey, “Because you have abused me. I wish there were a sword in my hand, for now I would kill you!”
30 So the donkey said to Balaam, “Am I not your donkey on which you have ridden, ever since I became yours, to this day? Was I ever disposed to do this to you?”
And he said, “No.”
31 Then the Lord opened Balaam’s eyes, and he saw the Angel of the Lord standing in the way with His drawn sword in His hand; and he bowed his head and fell flat on his face.
And the Angel of the Lord said to him, “Why have you struck your donkey these three times? Behold, I have come out to stand against you, because your way is perverse before Me. 33 The donkey saw Me and turned aside from Me these three times. If she had not turned aside from Me, surely I would also have killed you by now, and let her live.”
34 And Balaam said to the Angel of the Lord, “I have sinned, for I did not know You stood in the way against me. Now therefore, if it displeases You, I will turn back.”
35 Then the Angel of the Lord said to Balaam, “Go with the men, but only the word that I speak to you, that you shall speak.” So Balaam went with the princes of Balak.”
I find this story very interesting. Many times we see that animals can discern spiritual things when people can’t. Are we too preoccupied with the things of this world, the seeking of riches? Or is it sin that blinds us? Could be either or both, but one thing is sure…… Creation is simply open to hearing from their Creator and Master, and unbelief and pride, which are usually the downfall of mankind, never enters their minds.
“Jesus did many other things as well. If every one of them were written down, I suppose that even the whole world would not have room for the books that would be written.” (John 21:25)
Live in the Light of Our Lord 