Everyone who is “anyone” must write a book, right? And the ultimate is to be on the New York Times Best Seller List. I beg to differ, however. Some of the greatest books have never been written, but would contain stories of feats and experiences of God’s servants that would challenge the best on “The List.” Of course, we know the best and greatest Book of all time has been published, and it is simply God’s Book, The Holy Bible. I am sure it goes without saying, but I will say it, “The Bible is my favorite book!”
When the God-breathed, God-inspired Book was written, it did not need a foreword to establish the expertise of the Author. God plunged right into His Story of Creation, an object lesson proving the Author to be the Almighty Creator of all things. Just listen to that first verse, “In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth,” (Genesis 1:1). From there, He brings into view His object lesson of light, day, night, the sky, the land, the seas, grass, trees, sun, moon, stars, sea life, fowl, every kind of animal and beast of the earth, and finally mankind.
It is amazing how this story of Creation permeates so many books of the Bible. An interesting and exciting Biblical exercise is to mark in the Bible each time the story of Creation is invoked in the pages of God’s Word to drive home to our hearts the love, mercy, power, wisdom, etc., of God. So often, God used an object lesson to teach, encourage or place a call on the life of a Bible character.
When the earth was destroyed by the flood as recorded in Genesis 7, God protected and delivered Noah and his family. God made a promise to Noah (and to us) that He would never destroy every living thing again as He had done and He would prove it by the perpetual changing of the seasons that we visually enjoy four times a year (Genesis 8:21-22). He, also, made a covenant with mankind that, “The waters shall no more become a flood to destroy all flesh,” (Ch. 9, V. 15). How interesting that He left us another object lesson when He set His rainbow in the clouds as a token of this covenant. The songwriter Rev. Andrew Jenkins worded it so well, “When it looked like the sun wouldn’t shine anymore, God put a rainbow in the clouds.”
Then came the time for God to call a people to Himself, a nation that would bring forth the Savior of the world. He chose a man named Abraham to be the father of Israel. To confirm His promise to Abraham, God had another object lesson in mind described in Genesis 15:5, “And He (God) brought him (Abraham) forth abroad, and said, ‘Look now toward heaven, and tell the stars, if thou be able to number them:’ and He said unto him, ‘So shall thy seed be.’” Abraham got the object lesson, “And he believed in the Lord; and He (God) counted it to him for righteousness,” (V. 6).
Israel, however, would experience much history before the coming of the Savior which included 400 years of living in Egypt and eventual bondage and slavery. There came a day, though, when God saw all the affliction of His people that He would tolerate. It was time to send a deliverer. He prepared another object lesson just for Moses. He set a bush on fire to get Moses’ attention, but the bush was not consumed. When Moses approached the scene, God said, “The place whereon thou standest is holy ground.” There God placed a call on the life of Moses that would change the course of history.
Today, however, God has spoken to us through the sacrifice of His Son, the Lord Jesus, bringing eternal salvation and life to all who believe on Him.
— Randy Zinn is pastor of Russell Missionary Baptist Church, Russell, Ark.; formerly of Okmulgee.
