Dear Missionary Lady,
Greetings in the name of our sovereign God. It is a comfort to know that nothing happens to us without His overseeing and shaping it.
Lesson # 41. God declares His own sovereignty. After speaking of His wisdom, power, and provision, God now speaks of His sovereignty in chapter 39. As in the previous cases, His illustrations are found in creation, this time in the animal kingdom. God gives a series of examples that reveal how He has determined the characteristics of each animal.
The first example involves how the animals give birth (vs. 1-4). “Knowest thou the time when the wild goats of the rock bring forth? or canst thou mark when the hinds do calve?” (v. 1). God knows, because He designed it. God knows everything about the reproduction of every animal.
God knows in which season of the year different animals give birth (v. 1). Most animals give birth in the spring, but some births are in summer and fall; bears and squirrels bear young during the winter, nurturing their babies to be ready to emerge into the spring world.
God knows the gestational period of each animal (v. 2). For fruit flies, it is a mere 24-30 hours, but elephants must endure for 22 months.
God knows the birth process for each animal (v. 3). A mole rat’s first litter might be 10 to 15 young, but it gradually reaches a peak of up to 33 babies at once; many larger animals typically have a single birth. Tenrecs give birth to 2-10 babies at a time, each of which is covered in spines that harden as soon as the air touches them, making for a painful delivery.
God knows the growth and developing independence of each new member of the animal kingdom (v. 4). Most snakes and lizards move on without ever seeing their offspring, while other animals stick close to their mothers for many months. Animals differ greatly in each of these characteristics. It was God's sovereignty that determined and established these differences.
The second example has to do with God deliberately making certain creatures wild (vs. 5-12). “Who hath sent out the wild ass free? or who hath loosed the bands of the wild ass? Whose house I have made the wilderness, and the barren land his dwellings” (vs. 5-6). The wild donkey hates civilization, scorns ownership, and forages in the mountains for food. The wild ox is similar. He will not be domesticated and cannot be trusted to live in captivity or be trained for farm labor.
The third example is the ostrich (vs. 13-18). The ostrich seems very foolish when it comes to her children. She leaves her eggs exposed in the earth where they can easily be crushed by the feet of other animals. She does not care for her young in the same way other animals do, and some die as a result. She seems not to care. Why is the ostrich like this? “Because God hath deprived her of wisdom, neither hath he imparted to her understanding” (v. 17). Even today the ostrich is commonly considered to be the dumbest animal.
The fourth example is the horse (vs. 19-25). The horse is characterized by boldness. He is mighty and majestic. He leaps and snorts, he aggressively paws the ground, and he bravely goes out to battle. Even in the height of the battle, “he mocketh at fear, and is not affrighted; neither turneth he back from the sword” (v. 22). The horse seems to live for war, aggressively welcoming and embracing the action and even the danger.
The final example is the mighty birds, the hawk and the eagle (vs. 26-30). The hawk soars high above the earth. The eagle makes its nest high on a rocky cliff. He is alert for pray, sweeping down on live animals, and feeding his young with bloody carcasses. Why does he do this? “Doth the hawk fly by your wisdom ... Doth the eagle mount up at thy command” (vs. 26-27). Job didn't determine these characteristics; God did.
In each of these examples, God emphasizes that the various characteristics were by His choice. God determined the birth characteristics of each animal. God made some animals wild. God made the ostrich foolish and the horse brave. God determined the living and eating conditions of the birds of prey. God doesn't give the application explicitly, but the implication is clear. The God who determined every characteristic of the animal kingdom is the same God who is able to determine every characteristic in the lives of humans.
God has complete right and ability to create vast differences between His creatures, and that includes mankind. The lives of individual people vary greatly. The lives of some may seem to be filled with blessing, while the lives of others see one trial after another. Some see divine rescue through dramatic answers, while others see it only in death and heaven. God sovereignly determines the life events for each of His children, whether that be in their family status, financial status, health status, living conditions, types and numbers of trials, areas of service, and even fruitfulness in service.
From a human standpoint, this variation may not seem fair. If God were evil, that might be true, but God is always good. “Thou art good, and doest good” (Psalm 119:68). “And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose” (Romans 8:28). A God who is sovereign over all things has every right to personalize life as His wisdom decrees best. He does not need to give explanations for the variety that He ordains. Because He is good and has all wisdom and all power to do anything that He wants, He is completely worthy of trust. He is fully able to coordinate the best situation and solution for each individual, one that will bring maximum fruit and glory, even when the individual does not realize what is going on. Because our sovereign God is always good and is incomparably wise, the correct response to sovereignly-designed variation is submission and trust.
May God enable you to embrace what His hand has designed and to profit in every good way that He intends. God bless you.
Love in Christ,
Peggy Holt
member at Open Door Baptist Church in Lebanon, PA
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