Using Natural World to Understand God's Power Wisdom Goodness
The natural world serves as a profound testament to God's power, wisdom, and goodness, offering insights into divine attributes that are otherwise beyond full human comprehension [1, 5].
God's power is evident in His comprehensive governance of creation. This divine providence extends to the natural world itself, controlling elements like the weather and the growth of plants [8, 13]. The psalmist notes that God "thunders marvelously with his voice" and performs "great things, which we can’t comprehend" [5]. This power is not limited to grand phenomena but also encompasses the brute creation and the intricate affairs of humanity, down to individual lives [8]. The Bible asserts that God's divine power grants "all things that pertain to life and godliness" through the knowledge of Him [6].
The wisdom of God is similarly displayed throughout creation. The book of Proverbs suggests that God utilized His wisdom to establish the created order, making the world's workings a testimony to His greatness [11]. This wisdom is described as perfect, mighty, universal, infinite, and unsearchable [1]. It is so profound that it is "beyond human comprehension" and "incomparable" [1]. Job 28:12-27 portrays divine wisdom as distinct from God, yet instrumental in the world's governance, with some interpretations identifying this wisdom with Christ [12]. The Geneva Bible translation of Ephesians 3:10 states that "the manifold wisedome of God" is made known to "principalities and powers in heauenly places" through the Church [2]. However, 1 Corinthians 1:21 notes that the world, through its own wisdom, failed to know God, highlighting a distinction between human and divine wisdom [3].
God's goodness is a perfection of His character, exercised towards His creatures in various ways [4]. This goodness is manifested as benevolence, mercy, pity, compassion, and long-suffering patience, even towards impenitent sinners [4]. When communicating favor to the unworthy, it is called grace [4]. The psalmist encourages the wise to consider "the mercies of the Lord" [7]. This loving-kindness is described as great, excellent, good, marvelous, multitudinous, and everlasting [9]. It is through Christ that this loving-kindness is fully realized [9]. Josephus, in Antiquities of the Jews, suggests that contemplating God's operations in the natural world allows humans to imitate the divine pattern and promotes virtue [10]. The consideration of God's dealings in the world can lead to a deeper knowledge of His loving-kindness [9].
Sources
- 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. ”
- Ephesians “Ephesians 3:10 (Geneva1599) — To the intent, that nowe vnto principalities and powers in heauenly places, might be knowen by the Church the manifolde wisedome of God,”
- 1 Corinthians “For seeing that in the wisdom of God, the world through its wisdom didn’t know God, it was God’s good pleasure through the foolishness of the preaching to save those who believe. -- 1 Corinthians 1:21”
- Easton's Bible Dictionary “Easton's Bible Dictionary: Goodness of God — A perfection of his character which he exercises towards his creatures according to their various circumstances and relations (Ps. 145:8, 9; 103:8; 1 John 4:8). Viewed generally, it is benevolence; as exercised with respect to the miseries of his creatures it is mercy, pity, compassion, and in the case of impenitent sinners, long-suffering patience; as exercised in communicating favour on the unworthy it is grace. "Goodness and justice are the several aspects of one unchangeable, infinitely wise, and sovereign moral perfection. God is not sometimes ”
- Job “God thunders marvelously with his voice. He does great things, which we can’t comprehend. -- Job 37:5”
- 2 Peter “seeing that his divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and virtue; -- 2 Peter 1:3”
- Psalms “Psalms 107:43 (BBE) — Let the wise give thought to these things, and see the mercies of the Lord.”
- Easton's Bible Dictionary “Easton's Bible Dictionary: Providence — Literally means foresight, but is generally used to denote God's preserving and governing all things by means of second causes (Ps. 18:35; 63:8; Acts 17:28; Col. 1:17; Heb. 1:3). God's providence extends to the natural world (Ps. 104:14; 135:5-7; Acts 14:17), the brute creation (Ps. 104:21-29; Matt. 6:26; 10:29), and the affairs of men (1 Chr. 16:31; Ps. 47:7; Prov. 21:1; Job 12:23; Dan. 2:21; 4:25), and of individuals (1 Sam. 2:6; Ps. 18:30; Luke 1:53; James 4:13-15). It extends also to the free actions of men (Ex. 12:36; 1 Sam. 24:9-15; Ps. 33:14, 15; ”
- Torrey's Topical Textbook “Torrey's Topical Textbook: Loving-Kindness of God, The — Is through Christ -- Eph 2:7; Tit 3:4-6. Described as Great. -- Ne 9:17. Excellent. -- Ps 36:7. Good. -- Ps 69:16. Marvellous. -- Ps 17:7; 31:21. Multitudinous. -- Isa 63:7. Everlasting. -- Isa 54:8. Merciful. -- Ps 117:2. Better than life. -- Ps 63:3. Consideration of the dealings of God gives a knowledge of -- Ps 107:43. Saints Betrothed in. -- Ho 2:19. Drawn by. -- Jer 31:3. Preserved by. -- Ps 40:11. Quickened after. -- Ps 119:88. Comforted by. -- Ps 119:76. Look for mercy through. -- Ps 51:1. Receive mercy through. -- Isa 54:8. Are ”
- Project Gutenberg “Flavius Josephus, Antiquities of the Jews, CHAPTER 11, section 4: life well, and give laws to others, in the first place should consider the Divine nature; and, upon the contemplation of God's operations, should thereby imitate the best of all patterns, so far as it is possible for human nature to do, and to endeavor to follow after it: neither could the legislator himself have a right mind without such a contemplation; nor would any thing he should write tend to the promotion of virtue in his readers; I mean, unless they be taught first of all, that God is the Father and Lord of all things, a”
- Proverbs (Protestant academic) “Tyndale House on Proverbs 8:27: 8:27-29 God used his wisdom to establish the created order, so wisdom can tell us how the world works and testifies to God’s greatness.”
- Job (Presbyterian) “Jamieson, Fausset & Brown on Job 28:12: Can man discover the Divine Wisdom by which the world is governed, as he can the treasures hidden in the earth? Certainly not. Divine Wisdom is conceived as a person (Job 28:12-27) distinct from God (Job 28:23; also in Pro 8:23, Pro 8:27). The Almighty Word, Jesus Christ, we know now, is that Wisdom. The order of the world was originated and is maintained by the breathing forth (Spirit) of Wisdom, unfathomable and unpurchasable by man. In Job 28:28, the only aspect of it, which relates to, and may be understood by, man, is stated. understanding--insigh”
- Psalms (Presbyterian) “Jamieson, Fausset & Brown on Psalms 65:6: God's great power and goodness are the grounds of this confidence. These are illustrated in His control of the mightiest agencies of nature and nations affecting men with awe and dread (Psa 26:7; Psa 98:1, &c.), and in His fertilizing showers, causing the earth to produce abundantly for man and beast.”