Illustrating God's Wisdom and Design with Non-Biblical Examples
Scripture consistently affirms that God's wisdom is revealed through His works. The psalmist declares that the heavens proclaim God's glory without speech or language, their message going out to all the earth [13]. Paul applies this principle broadly in Romans, noting that creation itself testifies to divine attributes [13]. This raises a practical question: may Christians point to observable phenomena—natural patterns, human craftsmanship, scientific discoveries—as illustrations of God's wisdom, even when these examples don't appear in biblical narratives?
The Biblical Foundation for Natural Revelation
The author of Hebrews writes that "by faith, we understand that the universe has been framed by the word of God, so that what is seen has not been made out of things which are visible" [5]. This text establishes that visible creation points beyond itself to an invisible Creator. Torrey's Topical Textbook catalogs divine wisdom as "exhibited in His works" [2], drawing on passages that describe God's wisdom as perfect, universal, and beyond human comprehension [2]. The created order functions as a legitimate theater for observing divine attributes.
Calvin articulates this principle in his commentary on Genesis, acknowledging that "the infinite wisdom of God is displayed in the admirable structure of heaven and earth," though he cautions that human capacity remains "too contracted to comprehend things of such magnitude" [14]. This Reformed perspective affirms that creation serves as a valid source of theological illustration while maintaining appropriate epistemic humility.
Wisdom Derived and Underived
A crucial distinction emerges in how Scripture speaks of wisdom's origin. God's wisdom is "underived" [2]—He receives instruction from no one (Job 21:22; Isaiah 40:14). Human wisdom, by contrast, is derivative: "all human wisdom derived from" God [2]. Adam Clarke's commentary on Exodus 28:3 reinforces this point, noting that even "ingenuity in arts and sciences, even those of the ornamental kind, comes from God" [11]. When Moses was instructed to select skilled craftsmen for the tabernacle, Clarke observes that God indicated these artisans "had derived their knowledge from himself" [11].
This theological framework permits Christians to recognize divine wisdom in human achievement and natural phenomena precisely because all such wisdom traces back to its single source. The danger lies not in observing wisdom outside Scripture but in failing to acknowledge its origin—a form of the error Job's friend warns against: "Lest you say, 'We have found wisdom; God has vanquished him, not man'" [1].
Prudence in Application
The biblical category of prudence offers guidance for how believers should employ non-biblical examples. Torrey's describes prudence as "intimately connected with wisdom" and notes that the prudent "understand the ways of God" and "are not ostentatious of knowledge" [7]. This suggests that illustrations from nature or human experience should clarify rather than obscure, pointing toward God rather than displaying the speaker's erudition.
Peter instructs church leaders to serve "as examples to the flock" [4], modeling rather than merely asserting truth. When Paul describes Israel's zeal as lacking knowledge [6], he highlights the insufficiency of enthusiasm without understanding. Non-biblical examples function best when they illuminate scriptural truth rather than substitute for it, when they aid comprehension rather than merely ornament discourse.
The Limits of Natural Theology
While creation reveals God's wisdom, it does not exhaust revelation. Clarke's commentary on Romans 11:33 distinguishes between God's wisdom (His designs) and His knowledge (the means He employs) [12]. The natural world may display the fact of divine wisdom without fully disclosing the content of divine purposes. Isaiah's message to the prophet emphasizes that fearing the Lord differs fundamentally from fearing human threats [8, 9, 10]—a distinction that natural observation alone cannot establish but that creation's order may illustrate once revealed.
The Wisdom of Solomon, though apocryphal, reflects an ancient Jewish tradition of tracing wisdom's action through history and nature [3]. This approach recognizes creation as a legitimate domain for theological reflection while maintaining Scripture's primacy in defining doctrine. Non-biblical examples serve as windows, not foundations—they may illustrate what revelation teaches but cannot independently establish theological truth.
Sources
- Job “Ne forte dicatis : Invenimus sapientiam : Deus projecit eum, non homo. -- Job 32:13”
- Torrey's Topical Textbook “Torrey's Topical Textbook: Wisdom of God, The — Is one of his attributes -- 1Sa 2:3; Job 9:4. Described as Perfect. -- Job 36:4; 37:16. Mighty. -- Job 36:5. Universal. -- Job 28:24; Da 2:22; Ac 15:18. Infinite. -- Ps 147:5; Ro 11:33. Unsearchable. -- Isa 40:28; Ro 11:33. Wonderful. -- Ps 139:6. Beyond human comprehension. -- Ps 139:6. Incomparable. -- Isa 44:7; Jer 10:7. Underived. -- Job 21:22; Isa 40:14. The gospel contains treasures of -- 1Co 2:7. Wisdom of saints is derived from -- Ezr 7:25. All human wisdom derived from -- Da 2:1. Saints ascribe to him -- Da 2:20. Exhibited in His works. ”
- Smith's Bible Dictionary “Smith's Bible Dictionary: Wisdom, The, Of Solomon — a, book of the Apocrypha, may be divided into two parts, the first, chs. 1-9, containing the doctrine of wisdom in its moral and intellectual aspects: the second, the doctrine of wisdom as shown in history. chs. 10-19. The first part contains the praise of wisdom as the source of immortality, in contrast with the teaching of sensualists; and next the praise of wisdom as the guide of practical and intellectual life, the stay of princes, and the interpreter of the universe. The second part, again, follows the action of wisdom summarily, as pres”
- I Peter “I Peter 5:3 (Webster) — Neither as being lords over [God's] heritage, but being examples to the flock.”
- Hebrews “By faith, we understand that the universe has been framed by the word of God, so that what is seen has not been made out of things which are visible. -- Hebrews 11:3”
- Romans “Romans 10:2 (YLT) — for I bear them testimony that they have a zeal of God, but not according to knowledge,”
- Torrey's Topical Textbook “Torrey's Topical Textbook: Prudence — Exhibited in the manifestation of God's grace -- Eph 1:8. Exemplified by Christ -- Isa 52:13; Mt 21:24-27; 22:15-21. Intimately connected with wisdom -- Pr 8:12. The wise celebrated for -- Pr 16:21. They who have Get knowledge. -- Pr 18:15. Deal with knowledge. -- Pr 13:16. Look well to their goings. -- Pr 14:15. Understand the ways of God. -- Ho 14:9. Understand their own ways. -- Pr 14:8. Crowned with knowledge. -- Pr 14:18. Not ostentatious of knowledge. -- Pr 12:23. Foresee and avoid evil. -- Pr 22:3. Are preserved by it. -- Pr 2:11. Suppress angry fee”
- Isaiah (Protestant academic) “Tyndale House on Isaiah 8:11: 8:11-15 This text reveals the heart of Isaiah’s message. The issue was fear of the Lord versus fear of people (see 7:9; 8:6). When an individual fears people, the Lord becomes a trap and destruction is certain (cp. Prov 29:25; see “Fearing People” Theme Note). For those who fear the Lord, he becomes a sanctuary; their salvation is assured.”
- 1 Peter (Protestant academic) “Tyndale House on 1 Peter 3:14: 3:14-15 or be afraid of their threats: See Isa 8:13, where God exhorts the prophet to fear nothing except the Lord. • worship Christ as Lord: By fearing Christ, they will be free from fear of their human persecutors.”
- Isaiah (Presbyterian) “Jamieson, Fausset & Brown on Isaiah 8:13: Sanctify--Honor His holy name by regarding Him as your only hope of safety (Isa 29:23; Num 20:12). him . . . fear--"fear" lest you provoke His wrath by your fear of man and distrust of Him.”
- Exodus (Methodist/Wesleyan) “Adam Clarke on Exodus 28:3: Whom I have filled with the spirit of wisdom - So we find that ingenuity in arts and sciences, even those of the ornamental kind, comes from God. It is not intimated here that these persons were filled with the spirit of wisdom for this purpose only; for the direction to Moses is, to select those whom he found to be expert artists, and those who were such, God shows by these words, had derived their knowledge from himself. Every man should be permitted as far as possible to follow the bent or direction of his own genius, when it evidently leads him to new inventions”
- Romans (Methodist/Wesleyan) “Adam Clarke on Romans 11:33: O the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! - This is a very proper conclusion of the whole preceding discourse. Wisdom may here refer to the designs of God; knowledge, to the means which he employs to accomplish these designs. The designs are the offspring of infinite wisdom, and therefore they are all right; the means are the most proper, as being the choice of an infinite knowledge that cannot err; we may safely credit the goodness of the design, founded in infinite wisdom; we may rely on the due accomplishment of the end, because the mean”
- Psalms (Protestant academic) “Tyndale House on Psalms 19:3: 19:3-4 God’s wisdom does not need to be spoken. Through creation, it is seen, felt, and experienced. Paul applied this text to condemn Israel for its lack of receptivity to Jesus Christ (Rom 10:18). • The sun is part of God’s creation, but it is not a deity, as people of other nations in the ancient Near East commonly believed.”
- CCEL (Reformed) “Calvin, Commentary on Genesis, Vol. 1 (Gen 1-23), section 4.1: Argument. Since the infinite wisdom of God is displayed in the admirable structure of heaven and earth, it is absolutely impossible to unfold The History of the Creation of the World in terms equal to its dignity. For while the measure of our capacity is too contracted to comprehend things of such magnitude, our tongue is equally incapable of giving a full and substantial account of them. As he, however, deserves praise, who, with modesty and reverence, applies himself to the consideration of the works of God, although he attain le”