God's take on the 'Eight Wonders of the World'

8 WONDERS OF THE WORLD–––GOD'S TAKE ON IT!

WONDER #1 –CREATION – A Beautiful Revelation. Gen 1:1–2:25.
“Thus the heavens and the earth were completed in all their vast array. By the seventh day God had finished the work He had been doing: so on the seventh day He rested from all His work. And God blessed the seventh day and made it holy, because on it He rested from all the work of CREATING that He had done.” Gen 2:1–3.

Things Got Warped fast: Romans 1:18–32.
“For since the CREATION of the world God’s invisible qualities—His ETERNAL POWER and DIVINE NATURE—have been CLEARLY seen, being understood from what has been made, so that
men are WITHOUT EXCUSE.” Rom 1:20.

The BEAUTY OF GOD has been exchanged for hatefulness, selfishness, shamefulness, foolishness, violence and evil,
and, yes, terror, et al.

WONDER #2 – The FLOOD. Gen 6:5–9:17.
“In the six hundredth year of Noah’s life, on the seventeenth day of the second month—on that day all the springs of the great deep burst forth, and the floodgates of the heavens were opened. And rain fell on the earth forty days and forty nights.” Gen 7:11,12.

“On that very day Noah and his sons, She, Ham, and
Japheth, together with his wife and the wives of his
three sons, entered the ark...” Gen 7:13.

“Never again will I curse the ground because of man,
even though every inclination of his heart is evil from
childhood. And never again will I destroy all living creatures, as I have done.” Gen 8:21b.

“Whenever I bring clouds over the earth and the rainbow
appears in the clouds, I will remember My covenant
between me and you and all living creatures of every
kind. Never again will the waters become a flood to
destroy all life.” Gen 9:14,15.

“For if God did not spare the angels when they sinned, but
sent them to hell, putting them into gloomy dungeons to be held for judgment ; if he did not spare the ANCIENT WORLD when He brought the flood on its ungodly people , but protected Noah, a preacher of righteousness, and seven others...” 2 Pet 2:4,5.

The FLOOD was meant to CLEANSE the world. So where do
we measure up today? Did we miss the point?

WONDER #3 – TEN COMMANDMENTS. Ex ch 19,20.
Listed in Ex 20:3–17. Outlawed in public many places, public schools.`

Jesus took the Ten Commandments and crystallized their
meaning. What could be evil about what He stated?

“Hearing that Jesus had silenced the Sadducees, the
Pharisees got together. One of them, an expert in the
law, tested Him with this question: ‘Teacher, which is the
greatest commandment in the Law?’ Jesus replied: ‘Love
the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul
and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest
commandment.’ And the second is like it: ‘Love your
neighbor as yourself. All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.’” Matt 22:34–40.

Jesus made a POSITIVE declaration about the Ten Commandments. Evil does not come from the Ten Commandments.
The Apostle Paul explains it this way: “Before this faith
(in Christ) came, we were held PRISONERS by the Law (we simply could not and cannot obey it in all its points), locked up until faith (in Christ) should be revealed. So the Law was put in charge to LEAD us to Christ that we may be justified by FAITH. Now that FAITH (in Christ) has come, we are no longer under the supervision of the Law.” Gal 3:23–25.

Far from being EVIL, and no matter what the thoughts and
motives of mankind might be, God came up with a WONDER
in unfolding the Ten Commandments in such a way that they
pointed explicitly to one person, the Lord Jesus Christ.
Past, Present, Future.

WONDER #4 – The JUDGES. Jud 2:7–19.
After Moses and Joshua, the Israelites did evil in God’s eyes,
provoked God, turned to Baal worship. For this they were
severely judged.

“Then the Lord raised up JUDGES, who saved them out of
the hands of these raiders” Jud 2:16.

In the Hebrews 11 FAITH chapter many JUDGES are
commended: Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, many
not mentioned by name but described by actions.
Heb 11:32–40.

Men (and women) who submitted to the Will of God—and
were used by God to lead the Israelites into freedom, to
save Israel. The WONDER is how God raised up spiritual
leaders. He still does that today!

WONDER #5 – The PROPHETS – 1 Sam 3:1–4:1.
“The Lord was with Samuel as he grew up, and he let none
of His words fall to the ground. And all Israel from Dan to
Beersheba recognized that Samuel was attested as a
PROPHET of the Lord. The Lord continued to appear at Shiloh
(Where the house of the Lord was...1:24), and there He
revealed Himself to Samuel through His word. And Samuel’s
word came to all Israel.” 1 Sam 3:19–4:1a.

“And what more shall I say? I do not have time to tell about
Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, David, SAMUEL AND THE
PROPHETS...” Heb 11:32–40.

Yes, the PROPHETS: “And we have the word of the PROPHETS
made more certain, and will do well to pay attention to it,
as a light shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the
morning star rises in your hearts. Above all, you must
understand that NO PROPHECY of Scripture came about by
the prophet’s own interpretation. For prophecy never had
its ORIGIN in the will of man, but men SPOKE FROM GOD as
they were carried along by the Holy Spirit.” 2 Pet 3:19–21.

“Concerning this salvation (in Jesus Christ) , the PROPHETS,
who spoke of the grace that was to come to you, searched
intently and with the greatest care, trying to find out the time
and circumstances to which the SPIRIT OF CHRIST IN THEM
was pointing when he (the PROPHET) predicted the sufferings
of Christ and the glories that would follow. It was revealed
to them that they were not serving themselves but YOU,
when they spoke of the things that have now been told you
by those who have preached the gospel to you by the Holy
Spirit sent from heaven. Even angels long to look into
these things.” 1 Pet 1:10–12.

“Brothers, as an example of patience in the face of
suffering, take the prophets who spoke in the name
of the Lord.” James 5:10.

WONDER #6 – The KINGS – 1 & 2 Sam, 1 & 2 Kings, 1 & 2 Chron.
“They ran and brought him out, as he stood among the
people he was a head taller than any of the others. Samuel
said to all the people, ‘Do you see the man the Lord has
chosen? There is no one like him among all the people.’
Then the people shouted, ‘Long live the king!’” 1 Sam
10:23,24.

Searching for Saul’s replacement: “Then the Lord said,
‘Rise and anoint him (David); he is the one.’ So Samuel
took the horn of oil and anointed him in the presence of
his brothers, and from that day on the Spirit of the Lord
came upon David in power. Samuel then went to Ramath.
1 Sam 12b,13.

David’s charge to Solomon his son: “So be strong, show yourself a man, and observe what the Lord your God requires: Walk in His ways, and keep His decrees and commands, His laws and requirements, as written in the Law of Moses, so that you may prosper in all you do and wherever you go...You
(Solomon) are a man of wisdom... So Solomon sat on the
throne of his father David, and his rule was firmly established.” 1 Kings 2:1–12.

The kingdoms of David and Solomon extended all the way
from Egypt to the Euphrates River. A historical WONDER
that critics continually discredit.

WONDER #7 – The LORD JESUS CHRIST.
“But when the time had fully come, God SENT His Son,
born of a woman, born under the Law, to redeem those
under Law, that we might receive the full rights of sons.”
Gal 4:4,5.

Jesus speaking: “For I have come down from heaven not to
do My will but to do the will of Him Who SENT Me.” John 6:38

Jesus speaking: “For God did not SEND His Son into the
world to condemn the world, but to save the world
through Him.” John 3:17.

Jesus speaking: “I tell you the truth, whoever hears My Word and
believes Him Who SENT me has eternal life and will not be
condemned; he has crossed over from death to life.” John
5:24.

“This is how God showed His love among us: He SENT His
One and Only Son into the world that we might live
through Him.” 1 John 4:9.

“After His suffering , He showed Himself to these men
and gave many convincing proofs that He was alive. He
appeared to them over a period of forty days and spoke
about the Kingdom of God.” Acts 1:3.

“After He said this, He was TAKEN UP before their very
eyes, and a cloud hid Him from their sight. They were
looking intently up into the sky as He was going, when
suddenly two men dressed in white stood beside them.
‘Men of Galilee,’ they said , ‘why do you stand here
looking into the sky? This same Jesus, Who has been
taken from you into heaven, will COME BACK the same way
you have seen Him go into heaven.” Acts 1:9–11.

Paul’s gospel: “For what I received I passed on to you
as of first importance: that Christ died for our sins according
to the Scriptures, that He was buried, that He was raised on
the third day according to the Scriptures, and that He
appeared to Peter, and then to the Twelve. After that, He
appeared to more than five hundred of the brothers at
the same time, most of whom are still living, though some
have fallen asleep. Then he appeared to James, then to
all the apostles, and last of all He appeared to me also
(road to Damascus, Acts ch 9), as to one abnormally born.”
1 Cor 15:3–8.

How it all started: “In the BEGINNING was the Word, and
the Word was WITH God, and the WORD was God. He was WITH
God in the BEGINNING. Through Him all things were made;
without Him nothing was made that has been made. In Him
was life, and that life was the light of men. The light shines
in the darkness, but the darkness has not understood it.”
John 1:1–5.

“The Word became FLESH and made His dwelling among us.”
John 1:14.

The Lord Jesus Christ: the WONDER of all wonders!

WONDER #8 – The Holy Spirit.
Jesus speaking: “And I will ask the Father, and He will give you
another Counsel to be WITH YOU forever—the Spirit of
truth. The world cannot accept Him, because it neither
SEES Him nor KNOWS Him. But you know Him, for He
lives WITH YOU and will be IN YOU.” John 14:16,17.

Jesus speaking: “But the Counselor, the Holy Spirit, Whom the
Father will SEND in My name, will teach you all things and will
remind you of everything I have said to you.” John 14:26.

Jesus: “When the Counselor comes, Whom I will SEND to you
FROM the Father, the Spirit of truth Who goes OUT FROM
the Father, He will testify about Me.” John 15:26.

“But when He, the Spirit of truth, comes, He will guide
you into all truth.” John 16:13a.

“In the same way no one knows the thoughts of God
except the Spirit of God.” 1 Cor 2:11b.

“This is how you can recognize the Spirit of God: Every
spirit that acknowledges that Jesus Christ has come in
the flesh is from God...” 1 Jn 4:2.

The Triune Godhead: God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is at work in our world today. Another WONDER of wonders.

Altogether, eight WONDERS in God's economy!