Results 1 - 6 of 6
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Results from: Answered Bible Questions, Answers, Unanswered Bible Questions, Notes Ordered by Verse | ||||||
Results | Verse | Author | ID# | |||
1 | Do animals know God? | Job 12:7 | Parable | 51486 | ||
Given the following verses, what can be said about a) the awareness of God or b) the relationship with God that animals may have? Job 12:7-10 "But now ask the beasts, and let them teach you; And the birds of the heavens, and let them tell you. Or speak to the earth, and let it teach you; And let the fish of the sea declare to you. Who among all these does not know that the hand of the LORD has done this, in whose hand is the life of every living thing, and the breath of all mankind?" Col 1:23b "...the gospel that you have heard, which was proclaimed in all creation under heaven,..." Parable |
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2 | Do animals know God? | Job 12:7 | Mommapbs | 51498 | ||
Greetings Parable! All creation is a testimony to THE Creator! But only man can KNOW God in the relational, intimate sense of the word. So often I find truths from God's Word illustrated in the world around me! It is indeed an exciting adventure. Here is what I have learned from God's Creation: "The Graveyard" Jesus said, "I am the light of the World. He that follows me will not walk in darkness but have the light of life!" John 8:12 We moved into our house during the summer and were delighted with the view of the woods in the back yard. In the fall, the changing colors of the leaves made the scene spectacular, so we didn't even have to "take a drive" into the countryside to enjoy Autumn's palette. But as the leaves were shed, a rather ugly sight came into the picture. In an adjacent lot behind us there is a lumberyard with a huge protective roof over the boards and timbers. Aside from spoiling the pristine scene, it seemed so ironic to have a lumberyard in the middle of the "woods!" If trees had emotions, they would probably all shudder as they surveyed their "graveyard." I consoled myself with the thought of winter's shortened days. We wouldn't be able to see the ugliness in the dark. But even these hopes evaporated when the owner of the lumberyard installed a huge security light! We have a constant reminder of this unsightliness even when the woods are in full leaf; the light dispels the darkness even in the summer! As I was thinking about this, I realized that although we enjoy the loveliness of our stand of trees, they are much more useful and have more potential in their "milled state." Think of all the things that are made of wood; think of all that wood can become in the hands of a carpenter! We too are like the stand of trees overlooking a "graveyard", and the light that shines for us is also a "security light", a light of warning and protection. It is a constant reminder of what WE can become in the hands of the MASTER CARPENTER! And now one called "The Truth about Cats and Dogs" Most people have an opinion about cats and dogs. Our late Pastor was a dog lover; he did not like cats and he was not inhibited or ashamed to admit this even in the company of cat people. (His wife, in fact, had a cat!) Now, I don’t have anything against cats in particular, but there is one attribute of their personality that does tend to put me off – they are aloof; they will pay attention to you only on their terms! A dog, on the other hand, is responsive; it will pay attention to you even when it doesn’t want anything from you. A dog is just content to be with the one he loves. I think this is why we refer to a dog a “man’s best friend!” I think God is a dog lover too. (In fact, even His name spelled backward indicates this!) I believe that God is deeply grieved and disappointed when people ignore Him, or when they approach Him with their “gimme” lists. God is looking for people who just want to be with Him; to love and adore Him for who He is, not for what He can do for them! When we are content to just sit at His feet, we will find that He lovingly cares for all our needs. (For He knows what we need before we even ask! Matthew 6: 24-33) We can learn a lot from a dog . . . Blessings! Mommapbs |
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3 | what understanding DO animals have? | Job 12:7 | Parable | 51506 | ||
Mommapbs, Thanks for sharing. I can relate to both things you have learned from Creation and I agree with you that "all creation is a testimony to THE Creator." However, my question relates more to another remark you made, i.e. "but only man can KNOW God in the relational, intimate sense of the word." Do you have any biblical references that support this exclusivity of knowing? In terms of your remark, my question may be restated in two parts, "if Creation is a testimony to the Creator, to whom is this testimony directed?" and "if all creatures are witness to this, what does that imply about their awareness and/or relationship with the Creator?" The verses I cited seem to suggest that at least some kinds of animals know that God is responsible for Creation, e.g. "Who among all these (beasts, birds, earth, fish) does not know that the hand of the LORD has done this?" -- Job 12:10 What else does the Bible say about animals and God? Parable |
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4 | what understanding DO animals have? | Job 12:7 | Mommapbs | 51529 | ||
Greeting Parable! Of all God's creation, only MAN was made in His image. Also, man is the only creation of God that possesses a soul (Gen 2:7) Since God is relational, so are we. Note how God said in Gen 2:18 "It is not good for the man to be alone so I will make him a companion . . ." We know that since the Fall,God is actively seeking to restore His love relationship with man that was lost in the Garden. (God's quest begins in Gen 3:8!) Re: awareness and relationship Numbers 22:21-34 tells that a donkey is aware of the presence of the angel of God. But our awareness of God is different - note that although the donkey saw, the LORD had to open Balaam's eyes to see the angel.(v 31)It is also interesting to note that the angel would have killed Balaam and spared the donkey if the animal had proceeded! The donkey knew an obstacle was in the way and acted instinctively. Note how Balaam responded when he learned the truth! Animals react, people "respond relationally." We (not animals) are aware of God because God sets eternity in OUR hearts (Ecc.3:11) There is indeed a future to hope for with a God who loves us and just longs to have us return His love! You asked:"if Creation is a testimony to the Creator, to whom is this testimony directed?" Romans 1:18-20 has the answer. "For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen, being understood through what has been made, so that they (MANKIND) are without excuse." v 20 What else does the Bible say about animals and God? 1. Man was made to be a master over the animals.(Gen 1:26) 2. Adam was charged with naming them. (Gen 3:19-20) 3. God used animals to "clothe" Adam and Eve (Gen3:21) It's interesting to note that the first substitutional sacrifice parallels God's desire to provide a suitable companion for man. The blood of animals was not "suitable," and thanks be to God, just as He provided Eve as a suitable companion for Adam, He came Himself- Jesus, the ONLY PERFECT sacrifice- to pay the penalty for our sin!)Boy that was a tangent! 4. Might we infer that God loves his creatures as He spared animals from the flood as well as Noah and his family? (Gen 6:19-20) 5. Jesus is called the LAMB of God. (John 1:36) 6. A horse is seen by John in Heaven (Rev 19:11) Well, this is about all I have time for. Perhaps others would like to add to this so why not re-post your question? Blessings! Mommapbs |
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5 | God as creator should be obvious | Job 12:7 | Parable | 51547 | ||
Thanks for your thoughtful reply. I agree with what you have said about Man being made in the image of God and having the breath of life. I think the situation with the donkey in Numbers may be a special case because the Lord appeared to the donkey but not to Balaam until his eyes were opened. This accomplished the Lord's purpose in bringing Balaam to recognize his sin. It demonstrates at least that when God chose to show himself, the donkey did in fact see Him. Yet, its not clear if the donkey knew He was the Lord. Job 12 suggests a more general situation with the animals, i.e. that they know God is the Creator. I am fascinated by this idea because it would seem then that mere animals have knowledge that many people reject! Also, isn't Romans 1:20 saying pretty much the same thing, that the truth of God and Creation is obvious? |
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6 | God as creator should be obvious | Job 12:7 | Mommapbs | 51572 | ||
Aren't you glad God has made His truth so plain that even a mere child can believe? Childlike faith was affirmed by Jesus.(Mt 18:3;19:14) Perhaps this is because a small child trusts so completely. We train an animal to trust; yet too often our children grow up and learn to doubt. |
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