Using Nature as an Illustration of God's Truth in Teaching
The use of nature as an illustrative tool for teaching divine truth is a recurring theme in biblical and theological thought. This approach leverages observable natural phenomena to explain spiritual realities, making abstract concepts more accessible.
The Bible itself frequently employs natural imagery to convey profound truths. For instance, the book of Job highlights God's unparalleled teaching ability, asking, "what teacher is like him?" [1]. This divine instruction often comes through the created world. The natural world is depicted as being under God's authorship and preservation, with "life... in the hand of God" [3]. Similarly, light, a fundamental aspect of nature, is described as originating solely from God [6]. The structure and function of the human body, such as the eye and ear, are attributed to God's design, serving as "learning senses" that testify to His goodness [8].
Jesus frequently used parables, which are illustrations of one subject by another, often drawn from everyday life and nature, to teach spiritual lessons [4]. This method of teaching aligns with the idea of finding "delightful sayings and to record accurate words of truth" [2]. The Thanksgiving Hymns from the Dead Sea Scrolls also reflect this perspective, with the speaker thanking God for being placed "as an overflowing source in a desert, a spring of water in a dry land," and for having "placed in my mouth a teaching" [5]. This suggests an understanding that God's truth can be embodied and communicated through natural metaphors.
Theologians have also recognized the power of nature in illustrating spiritual truths. John Calvin, for example, noted how Paul used the sowing of corn as a likeness of the resurrection, a daily occurrence in nature, to confirm spiritual grace [9]. This approach suggests that when "we see the spiritual grace of God in the very order of nature, we are strongly confirmed" [9]. Matthew Henry, a Nonconformist commentator, emphasized that David, despite having access to prophets and wise men, still prayed for God himself to be his teacher, "as knowing that none teaches like him" [7]. This divine teaching often incorporates the natural world, allowing individuals to understand and apply God's statutes to their lives [7].
Sources
- Job “Job 36:22 (Geneva1599) — Beholde, God exalteth by his power: what teacher is like him?”
- Ecclesiastes “Ecclesiastes 12:10 (BSB) — The Teacher searched to find delightful sayings and to record accurate words of truth.”
- Torrey's Topical Textbook “Torrey's Topical Textbook: Life, Natural — God is the author of -- Ge 2:7; Ac 17:28. God preserves -- Ps 36:6; 66:9. Is in the hand of God -- Job 12:10; Da 5:23. Forfeited by sin -- Ge 2:17; 3:17-19. Of others, not to be taken away -- Ex 20:13. Described as Vain. -- Ec 6:12. Limited. -- Job 7:1; 14:5. Short. -- Job 14:1; Ps 89:47. Uncertain. -- Jas 4:13-15. Full of trouble. -- Job 14:1. God's loving-kindness better than -- Ps 63:3. The value of -- Job 2:4; Mt 6:25. Preserved by discretion -- Pr 13:3. Sometimes prolonged, in answer to prayer -- Isa 38:2-5; Jas 5:15. Obedience to God, tends to p”
- Smith's Bible Dictionary “Smith's Bible Dictionary: Parable — (The word parable is in Greek parable (parabole) which signifies placing beside or together, a comparison, a parable is therefore literally a placing beside, a comparison, a similitude, an illustration of one subject by another.--McClintock and Strong. As used in the New Testament it had a very wide application, being applied sometimes to the shortest proverbs, (1 Samuel 10:12; 24:13; 2 Chronicles 7:20) sometimes to dark prophetic utterances, (Numbers 23:7,18; 24:3; Ezekiel 20:49) sometimes to enigmatic maxims, (Psalms 78:2; Proverbs 1:6) or metaphors expand”
- Dead Sea Scrolls “Thanksgiving Hymns (Hodayot) (1st century BCE), section 3: thank You, O Lord, for You have placed me as an overflowing source in a desert, a spring of water in a dry land, a waterer of the garden and a pool [...] a plantation of cypress and elm together with cedar, for Your glory." "You have placed in my mouth a teaching, and on my tongue You have set understanding, and You have given me lips of knowledge to respond with understanding and to rebuke those who choose their own desire." "These things I know through the understanding which comes from You, for You have opened my ears to wonderful m”
- Torrey's Topical Textbook “Torrey's Topical Textbook: Light — God the only source of -- Jas 1:17. Created by God -- Ge 1:3; Isa 45:7. Separated from darkness -- Ge 1:4. Sun, moon, and stars appointed to communicate to the earth -- Ge 1:14-17; Jer 31:35. Divided into Natural. -- Job 24:14; Isa 5:30. Extraordinary or miraculous. -- Ex 14:20; Ps 78:14; Ac 9:3; 12:7. Artificial. -- Jer 25:10; Ac 16:29. Communicated to the body through the eye -- Pr 15:30; Mt 6:22. Described as White and pure. -- Mt 17:2. Bright. -- Job 37:21. Shining. -- 2Sa 23:4; Job 41:18. Diffusive. -- Job 25:3; 36:30. Useful and precious. -- Ec 2:13. Ag”
- Psalms (Nonconformist/Puritan) “Matthew Henry on Psalms 119:33: Here, I. David prays earnestly that God himself would be his teacher; he had prophets, and wise men, and priests, about him, and was himself well instructed in the law of God, yet he begs to be taught of God, as knowing that none teaches like him, Job 36:22. Observe here, 1. What he desires to be taught, not the notions or language of God's statutes, but the way of them - "the way of applying them to myself and governing myself by them; teach me the way of my duty which thy statutes prescribe, and in every doubtful case let me know what thou wouldst have me to d”
- Proverbs (Nonconformist/Puritan) “Matthew Henry on Proverbs 20:12: Note, 1. God is the God of nature, and all the powers and faculties of nature are derived from him and depend upon him, and therefore are to be employed for him. It was he that formed the eye and planted the ear (Psa 94:9), and the structure of both is admirable; and it is he that preserves to us the use of both; to his providence we owe it that our eyes are seeing eyes and our ears hearing ears. Hearing and seeing are the learning senses, and must particularly own God's goodness in them. 2. God is the God of grace. It is he that gives the ear that hears God's ”
- CCEL (Reformed) “Calvin, Commentary on Isaiah, Vol. 1, section 12.30: season. So in it shall be substance. This is the application of the metaphor, which is exceedingly forcible; for when we see the spiritual grace of God in the very order of nature, we are strongly confirmed. As Paul holds out a likeness of the resurrection in the sowing of corn, which is a daily occurrence, ( 1 Corinthians 15:36 ,) so in like manner Isaiah in this passage describes the restoration of the Church, by taking a metaphor from trees, which wither at the end of autumn, but again blossom at the return of spring, and put forth new le”