Revelation of God
263
in time past unto the fathers by the prophets, hath in these last days
spoken unto us by his Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things,
by whom also he made the worlds; who being the brightness of his
glory, and the express image of his person, and upholding all things
by the word of his power, when he had by himself purged our sins, sat
down on the right hand of the Majesty on high” (
Hebrews 1:1-3
).
The psalmist says: “The heavens declare the glory of God; and the
firmament sheweth his handywork. Day unto day uttereth speech, and
night unto night sheweth knowledge. There is no speech nor language,
where their voice is not heard” (
Psalm 19:1-3
). Some may suppose
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that these grand things in the natural world are God. They are not God.
All these wonders in the heavens are only doing the work appointed
them. They are the Lord’s agencies. God is the superintendent, as well
as the Creator, of all things. The Divine Being is engaged in upholding
the things that He has created. The same hand that holds the mountains
and balances them in position, guides the worlds in their mysterious
march around the sun.
There is scarcely an operation of nature to which we may not find
reference in the Word of God. The Word declares that “he maketh his
sun to rise,” and the rain to descend (
Matthew 5:45
). He “maketh grass
to grow upon the mountains.” “He giveth snow like wool: he scattereth
the hoarfrost like ashes. He casteth forth his ice like morsels.... He
sendeth out his word, and melteth them: he causeth his wind to blow,
and the waters flow” (
Psalm 147:8, 16-18
). “He maketh lightnings for
the rain; he bringeth the wind out of his treasuries” (
Psalm 135:7
).
These words of Holy Writ say nothing of the independent laws
of nature. God furnishes the matter and the properties with which to
carry out His plans. He employs His agencies that vegetation may
flourish. He sends the dew and the rain and the sunshine, that verdure
may spring forth, and spread its carpet over the earth; that the shrubs
and fruit trees may bud and blossom and bring forth. It is not to be
supposed that a law is set in motion for the seed to work itself, that
the leaf appears because it must do so of itself. God has laws that He
has instituted, but they are only the servants through which He effects
results. It is through the immediate agency of God that every tiny seed
breaks through the earth, and springs into life. Every leaf grows, every
flower blooms, by the power of God.