CHAPTER 2

The Creator’s Two Books

 

How can we learn about the Creator? How can  man (the creature) learn about God (the Creator)? How has the Creator revealed Himself to us, so that we might know Him?

Because God wants to make Himself known and reveal Himself to men, He has written 2 BOOKS. These TWO BOOKS tell us about the Creator! God wants men to read BOTH of these books, so that they will come to know Him! All men read Book One, but very few people really read Book Two. Let us now learn about the Creator’s two books!

Book One -- The Creator's Work (Creation)
(Psalm 19:1-6)

Book One

–

CREATION

"The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament sheweth his handywork" (Psalm 19:1).

"When I consider thy heavens, the work of thy fingers, the moon and the stars, which thou hast ordained...All sheep and oxen, yea, and the beasts of the field; the fowl of the air, and the fish of the sea, and whatsoever passeth through the paths of the seas. O LORD our Lord, how excellent is thy name in all the earth!" (Psalm 8).
 

The Creator has given Book One to all men! And EVERYONE is able to read and understand this wonderful book!

Most books that we read are filled with WORDS so that a person is unable to read the book until he learns how to read! This is one of the reasons you went to kindergarten and first and second grade--to learn how to read words! But there are some books that even a very young child can read and understand. These are called PICTURE BOOKS! These are books that have no words but only PICTURES.

Book One is a PICTURE BOOK--there are no words (look again at the previous illustration). God's book of CREATION is not a book that a person must open and read. He only needs to LOOK and SEE: "For the _________________ things of Him (we cannot see God!--1 John 4:12) from the ________________ of the world are clearly ________ (we can see God’s CREATION!--Psalm 8:3), being ______________________ by the things that are __________ (All men understand Book One)--ROMANS 1:20.

A baby begins to read Book One when he first opens his eyes to explore and to discover the world around him. The baby cannot read words, and certainly he could never read and understand the Bible, but he is able to read God’s Book of Creation!

Millions of people (even adults) all over the world are unable to read words. They are ILLITERATE (they cannot read or write). They have never been to school and no one has taught them how to read! One of the important jobs of the missionary is to teach illiterate people how to read so they can begin to read and understand God’s Word, the Bible. But even illiterate people can read Book One "Day unto day (see previous picture, the left-hand side) uttereth speech, and night unto night (see previous picture, the right-hand side) sheweth knowledge" (Psalm 19:2).

There are some books that we are unable to read because they are written in a foreign language. When David, wrote Psalm 19:1 he wrote in the Hebrew language:

Are you able to read and understand those words? This is why the Bible must be TRANSLATED into English: "THE _____________ DECLARE THE ____________ OF GOD" (PSALM 19:1). On the other hand, Book One never needs to be translated! God wrote His BOOK OF CREATION in a language that people everywhere could understand: "There is no ______________ nor _________________ where their voice is not heard. Their line is gone out through  ______   ______   ____________" (PSALM 19:3-4).

Book One teaches us wonderful things about the Creator! We can learn many things about an author by reading his books! Who was the human author of Romans, 2 Corinthians, Philippians and 2 Timothy? _____________ As we read these books we can learn many things about this man! For example, in Romans 1:1 we learn that this author's name was P_________ and that he was an A_______________. This is why we call him the A_____________   P________. As we read many of the Psalms we learn many things about the author who was DAVID! So also, as we read God’s BOOK OF CREATION, we can learn about the AUTHOR of this book, THE CREATOR!

The CREATION teaches us about the CREATOR! Read Job 12:7-9. According to these verses, who teaches us about the CREATOR?   1. The B____________   2. The F__________ of the _______ (Birds)   3. The E____________   4. The F____________ of the ________.

Let us think about Mount Rushmore in South Dakota, where there is a huge sculpture of the heads of four Presidents (Washington, Jefferson, Lincoln and Roosevelt), with each head being 60 feet high! About one million people visit this interesting national memorial each year. Suppose Jimmy Jones visited this mountain for the very first time and no one told him anything about how the heads were formed. What would Jimmy think? Choose the correct answer:
 

  1. He would think that the heads were formed by CHANCE. It just happened that way!
     
  2. He would think that all the forces of nature (winds, rains, snow, storms, etc.) had their effect upon this mountain for thousands and thousands of years until finally the rocks were accidentally shaped in just the right way. (THOUGHT QUESTION: What is the difference between Mt. Rushmore and former Old Man in the Mountain in New Hampshire?)
     
  3. He would realize that men must have formed and carved out such a massive sculpture.


By simply looking at Mt. Rushmore, Jimmy could learn much about the men who formed and carved it:


 

  1. These men must have had INTELLIGENCE to be able to plan and design such a monument.
     
  2. These men must have had WISDOM to be able to carry out such a great project. Indeed it took six and a half years to complete!
     
  3. These men must have had POWER to be able to carve into hard granite (using dynamite, etc.).
     
  4. These men must have had SKILL to be able to transform a rugged cliff into an artistic masterpiece.

In the same way, by simply looking at Creation (Book One), we can learn many things about the Creator, the God who created and formed the heavens and the earth. Here are ten things that we can learn about God from looking at GOD’S BOOK OF CREATION:

A.  The Creator’s POWER

B.  The Creator’s INTELLIGENCE

C.  The Creator’s ARTISTRY (He is the DIVINE ARTIST.)

D.  The Creator’s GOODNESS

E.  The Creator’s FAITHFULNESS

F.  The Creator’s CARE

 G.  The Creator’s GREATNESS (GOD’S BIGNESS)

H.  The Creator’s CREATIVITY (God’s unlimited ability to create and design with amazing variety and originality)

I.  The Creator’s ORDERLINESS (He is a God of LAW AND ORDER.)

J.  The Creator’s WISDOM (The All-Wise God created the world in the very best way.)

In the preceding table, we have a list of 10 things that we can learn about the CREATOR by reading Book One. These were numbered A-J. Now you are to MATCH these to the following 10 statements. For some of these more than one answer may seem correct. But you are to look for the answer that best fits:

1. _______ The law of gravity, the law of freezing (water will always freeze at 32 degrees Fahrenheit ) and the other unchangeable laws of nature. Without these laws there would be utter chaos and confusion.
2. _______ Beautiful sunsets, the feathers of a peacock, the colors and designs on tropical fish.
3. _______ Thunderstorms, earthquakes, tornados, giant tidal wave which is called a tsunami (Romans 1:20).
4. _______ Rain from heaven, fruitful seasons, sunshine enjoyed by all men (Acts 14:17; Matthew 5:44-45).
5. _______ The vast dimensions of our universe (solar systems, galaxies). Our galaxy, the Milky Way, contains 300,000,000 stars or suns (our sun is one of them)! There is an unbelievable distance between stars (in terms of light years), and even scientists are unable to count the stars because the number is too vast (Psalm 8:3-4; Genesis 15:5; Jeremiah 31:37; 33:22; Psalm 147:4).
6. _______ The human brain which is far more complex and far more complicated than any computer that man has ever made! And computers are made by very intelligent men! See Psalm 139:14.
7. _______ Every snowflake is a six-sided crystal and yet science has never found any two snowflakes exactly alike! Though there are billions of people in the world and though all men have common features (two eyes, a nose, a mouth, ears, etc.), yet there are no two people who look exactly alike! Differences can even be found among identical twins!
8. _______ The sun is not too far from the earth (lest we should freeze) and not too close to the earth (lest we should burn). Our planet has plenty of water (without which we could never live) and plenty of oxygen (without which we could never breathe). We would never survive on the moon or on Mars or Venus! God in His wisdom knew what He was doing when He prepared the earth for man (Isa. 45:18; Psalm 104:24; 136:5; Jeremiah 10:12; 51:15).
9. _______ Birds feeding; the lily clothed; the chick protected and nestled by the hen (Matthew 6:26-30; 23:37).
10. _______ The day-night cycle; the seasonal cycle (summer, fall, winter, spring)-see Genesis 8:22; Jeremiah 31:35-36; 33:20.

We can learn many things about the Creator by simply looking at GOD’S BOOK OF CREATION (which we have called "Book One").  We can see God's Book of Creation all around us--whether we look at the complex worlds of creation through a microscope or whether we look at the vast universe through a telescope! But it is not enough to know about God; we need to KNOW GOD--in a real and in a personal way! Book One only helps us to know about God--that He exists and that He is a POWERFUL, FAITHFUL, INTELLIGENT, AND ALL-WISE CREATOR. But if we are going to really KNOW OUR CREATOR then we must read another book--BOOK NUMBER 2.

Book Two--The Creator’s Words (The Bible).
(Psalm 19:7-11)

Book Two

–

THE BIBLE

"The law of the LORD is perfect, converting the soul: the testimony of the LORD is sure, making wise the simple. The statutes of the LORD are right, rejoicing the heart: the commandment of the LORD is pure, enlightening the eyes. The fear of the LORD is clean, enduring for ever: the judgments of the LORD are true and righteous altogether.: More to be desired are they than gold, yea, than much fine gold: sweeter also than honey and the honeycomb. Moreover by them is thy servant warned: and in keeping of them there is great reward" (Psalm 19:7-11).

"And that from a child thou hast known the holy scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus. All scripture is given by inspiration of God [all Scripture is "God-breathed"], and is profitable for doctrine [teaching], for reproof [rebuke], for correction, for instruction in righteousness: That the man of God may be perfect, throughly [completely] furnished unto all good works" (2 Timothy 3:16).

Book Two is not a picture book. As you can see from the illustration, Book Two is filled with WORDS! The ILLITERATE cannot read Book Two because they do not know how to read WORDS. People in far off lands cannot read Book Two unless it is TRANSLATED into their own language. GOD THE CREATOR has given us Book Two so that we might come to KNOW HIM (John 17:3)! God has given us a WRITTEN RECORD (1 John 5:11) that tells us about His Son and the SO GREAT SALVATION that is found in His Son!

The words that we read in Book Two are not mere human words (although God used men to write them down), but they are WORDS OF THE CREATOR! God has SPOKEN and HIS WORDS have been written down: "for the ____________ of the __________ hath ______________it" (Isaiah 40:5). As we look at Book One we see what the Creator has made! As we read Book Two we see what the CREATOR has said!  As we read Book Two we can learn things that we could never learn by observing Book One. For example, in Book Two we can learn about:

  1. SALVATION--read John 3:17; Acts 4:12.
    You will never learn about salvation by looking at a sunset!
  2. FORGIVENESS--read Psalm 103:12; Hebrews 10:17.
    You will never learn about forgiveness by star gazing!
  3. PEACE--read Romans 5:1; Colossians 1:21 (those at war with God were reconciled).
    You will never learn how a sinner can find peace with God by watching a peacock!
  4. ETERNAL LIFE--read John 10:10; 1 John 5:12.
    You will never learn how to have eternal life by watching a thunderstorm!
  5. RIGHTEOUSNESS--read 1 Corinthians 1:30; 2 Corinthians 5:21.
    You will never learn how to be in a right relationship with God by studying the law of gravity!

ONLY IN BOOK TWO CAN YOU LEARN ABOUT THE SAVIOR!!!!

Here are 20 questions. If the answer to the question is Book One, then write the number 1 before the question in the blank provided. If the answer to the question is Book Two, then write the number 2. You are now ready to answer these 20 questions:

1.______ Which book shows us the heavens (Genesis 1:1)?
2.______ Which book teaches us about how to get to heaven (John 14:6)?
3.______ Which book teaches us about the third heaven (2 Corinthians 12:2-4)?
4.______ Which book do all scientists read?
5.______ Which book do most scientists not read?
6.______ Which book do evolutionists reject?
7.______ Which book will pass away (Matthew 24:35)?
8.______ Which book will never pass away (Matthew 24:35)?
9.______ Which book contains 66 books?
10.______ Which book is clearly understood by all men (Romans 1:20)?
11.______ Which book is never understood by the unsaved man (1 Corinthians 1:18; 2:14)?
12.______ Which book can make a person wise unto God’s power and greatness and glory (Romans 1:20; Psalm 19:1)?
13.______ Which book can make a person wise unto salvation (2 Timothy 3:15)?
14.______ The Hymn, THE SPACIOUS FIRMAMENT ON HIGH, is about which book? See words at the end of this chapter.
15.______ Psalm 119 is about which book?
16.______ Psalm 19:1-6 is about which book?
17.______ Which book is able to convert the soul (Psalm 19:7)?
18.______ Psalm 139:14 is about which book?
19.______ Which book do the HEATHEN (uncivilized people in far off lands) understand?
20.______ Which book contains the gospel (GOOD NEWS)?  See1 Corinthians 15:1-4.

QUESTIONS FOR YOU

WHAT DOES BOOK TWO MEAN TO YOU? DO YOU READ BOOK TWO? DO YOU LISTEN TO THE CREATOR’S WORDS? HAS BOOK TWO MADE YOU WISE UNTO SALVATION?

REMEMBER: It is not enough just to know about the Creator. You must KNOW THE CREATOR!! And to know Him is to have life eternal (John 17:3)!

The Spacious Firmament on High

1) The spacious firmament on high,
With all the blue ethereal sky,
And spangled heavens, a shining frame,
Their great Original proclaim.
The unwearied sun from day to day,
Does his Creator's power display,
And publishes to every land
The Work of an Almighty Hand.

2)  Soon as the evening shades prevail,
The moon takes up the wondrous tale,
And nightly to the listening earth
Repeats the story of her birth:
Whilst all the stars that round her burn,
And all the planets in their turn,
Confirm the tidings as they roll,
And spread the truth from pole to pole.

3)  What though in solemn silence all
Move round this dark terrestrial ball?
What though no real voice nor sound
Amidst their radiant orbs be found?
In reason's ear they all rejoice,
And utter forth a glorious voice;
Forever singing, as they shine,
"The hand that made us is divine."  Amen.

Joseph Addison (based on Psalm 19)

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