What Does The Bible Say About Admiring God's Creation?

What Does The Bible Say About Admiring God’s Creation? Genesis 1:1 says, “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.” Likewise, Exodus 20:11 says, “For in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that is in them, and rested on the seventh day. Therefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and made it holy.” In addition, Genesis 1:26 says, Then God said, “Let us make man in our image, after our likeness. And let them have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over the livestock and over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.”
As Christians, Scripture clarifies to us the fact that the Lord God created the Heavens and the Earth as well as everything that exists in them. And behold, the Lord God admired the beauty of His creation and declared it good. Genesis 1:31 says, “God saw everything that He had made, and behold, it was very good and He validated it completely. And there was evening and there was morning, a sixth day.“

To admire is to regard with respect or warm approval. For example, I admire your courage. In other words, to admire is to look at (something impressive or attractive) with pleasure. For example, we were just admiring your beautiful garden. In the same light, the Lord God was pleased with His creation and declared it good. That’s He found pleasure in His beautiful creation, thereby approving of it. Likewise, Genesis 1:27 says, “So God created mankind in his own image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them.” With this in mind, it’s clear that we were all created in the beautiful image of God. And as such, we reflect this astonishing beauty, not just in the superficial meaning of beauty, but most importantly, in the inward appearance of beauty.

What Does The Bible Say About Admiring God’s Creation?

God loved us so much that He created us in His image to be representations of Himself (Genesis 1:27). Brethren, we reflect the beauty of God’s creation. This is not just in the superficial meaning of beauty, but most essentially, the inward appearance of beauty. The light shines from within, clearly giving a glow that radiates to everyone around. The world is drawing our focus on what we look like on the outside rather than on what we look like on the inside. It’s important to note that the Lord God focuses on what we look like on the inside. But the Lord said to Samuel, “Do not look on his appearance or on the height of his stature, because I have rejected him; for the Lord does not see as mortals see; they look on the outward appearance, but the Lord looks on the heart” (1 Samuel 16:7).

Nevertheless, our outward appearance also has a magnificent quality that outstands us as God’s masterpiece of creation. Psalms 139:14 says, “I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well.” With this in mind, taking care of our external appearance through a healthy and holistic lifestyle has great benefits as well. The body is the temple of the Lord, and taking care of it is important. 1 Corinthians 6:19-20 says, “Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your bodies.”
Philippians 4:8 says, “Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.”
This Scripture encourages us to see ourselves as God sees us, and to see things from God’s point of view. We are to feed our spirits with what God says and not what Satan and/or the world are saying. Our minds should be filled with good, positive, and godly things. Behold, we are who God says we are and not what the Devil or the world is saying. We are beautifully created and acknowledging this brings glory to God’s name.

Biblical Facts About Admiring Beauty

Admiring God’s Creation

Scripture teaches us that the Lord God Almighty created the heavens and the earth together with everything in them. The Lord God Himself admired the beauty of His creation and called it good (Genesis 1:31). Today, admiring God’s creation means to regard His creation or the works of His hands with respect or warm approval.
Psalms 50:2 says, “From Zion, perfect in beauty, God shines forth.“
Psalm 8:3-6 says, “When I consider your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and stars, which you have set in place, what is mankind that you are mindful of them, human beings that you care for them? You have made them a little lower than the angels and crowned them with glory and honour. You made them rulers over the works of your hands; you put everything under their feet.”
Romans 1:20 says, “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 people are without excuse.”
Ephesians 2:10 says, “For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.“
Isaiah 60:1 says, “Arise, shine, for your light has come, and the glory of the Lord rises upon you.”
Ezekiel 16:14 says, “And your renown went forth among the nations because of your beauty, for it was perfect through the splendor that I had bestowed on you, declares the Lord God.”

Admiring A Woman’s Beauty

Admiring a woman’s beauty has to do with regarding her with respect or warm approval. In other words, it’s about being pleased with her. And as such, the problem is not actually appreciating or admiring a woman’s beauty. The problem or the sin steps in when you start lusting after her. By lusting, we mean having a strong sexual desire for her. Matthew 5:28 says, “But I say to you that everyone who looks at a woman with lustful intent has already committed adultery with her in his heart.”
Proverbs 6:25 says, “Do not lust in your heart after her beauty or let her captivate you with her eyes.“
Song of Solomon 4:7 says, “You are altogether beautiful, my darling, beautiful in every way.”
Proverbs 31:30 says, “Charm and grace are deceptive, and [superficial] beauty is vain, But a woman who fears the LORD [reverently worshiping, obeying, serving, and trusting Him with awe-filled respect], she shall be praised.“
1 Timothy 2:9 says, “I also want the women to dress modestly, with decency and propriety, adorning themselves, not with elaborate hairstyles or gold or pearls or expensive clothes.”
1 Peter 3:3-4 says, “Your beauty should not come from outward adornment, such as elaborate hairstyles and the wearing of gold jewelry or fine clothes. Rather, it should be that of your inner self, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is of great worth in God’s sight.“

Is It A Sin To Look At A Woman’s Body?

Lust is a strong, passionate, or overmastering desire, or craving for something. Following this, sinful lust is a strong desire for something that God has forbidden. Looking lustfully at a woman’s body is likely going to lead to lustful actions, and lust acted upon always leads to devastation. Remember how Eve lusted for the delicious fruit from the tree about which the Lord God had said, “You must not eat from it” (Genesis 2:16–17). Her disobedient act of eating and giving some to her husband opened the pathway for sin to enter God’s perfect world. In the same way, King David lusted for Bathsheba, another man’s wife, and immediately he acted upon that lust, it led to murder and the death of his infant son as part of the Lord God’s judgment for his sin (2 Samuel 11:2–4, 14–15; 12:13–14).

As observed in the case of King David and Bathsheba, wicked actions can easily begin with just looking with lust at a woman’s body, and that’s why it’s important for us to get rid of such thoughts as soon as they come to our minds. Notice that sin is in the heart (Matthew 7:20–23). In fact, actions are just manifestations or indications of what was already present in the heart. Generally, we cannot always control what our eyes see, what our ears hear, or what our noses smell. It’s the heart that actually determines whether that which the senses perceive becomes sin. In the course of observing, evaluating, and working to keep women healthy, medical professionals can look at women’s bodies all day and not sin. Heterosexual females can look at a woman’s body and not necessarily sin because what they are doing is simply an observation.
Therefore, the act of looking at a woman’s body is not necessarily a sin. It’s actually what the mind does with that sensory input that determines whether or not it is sin.

More Biblical Facts

Notice that modesty is a natural instinct for human beings. After the first sin or the Fall of Man in the Garden of Eden, Adam and Eve immediately made garments to cover their nakedness (Genesis 3:7). As a matter of fact, no one told them to do that. The moment they became sinners, they immediately recognized the shame associated with public nakedness. Sadly, the world in which we live likes to defy that natural modesty and parade nakedness publicly trying to make it look natural. Clothing manufacturers target girls at young ages while pre-teen magazines encourage them to show off their bodies in seductive ways. In fact, sexual images assault our eyes everywhere we go. Even the youngest of children easily come across photographs of immodestly dressed women. These innocent children are not sinning; mere viewing is unavoidable and, in their case, does not incite lust.

However, when the human heart awakens to lust, many people start seeking ways to look at naked bodies for the sake of sexual fantasizing. Notice here that seeking is itself a sin because it arises from sinful intent (see Matthew 5:28). As a matter of fact, the Bible links evil purposes with sin: “Each person is tempted when they are dragged away by their own evil desire and enticed. Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin” (James 1:14–15). Thus, looking at a woman’s body, clothed or unclothed, with a heart of lust, is a sin. Proverbs 6:25 says, “Do not lust in your heart after her beauty or let her captivate you with her eyes.” Romans 8:6 says, “The mind governed by the flesh is death, but the mind governed by the Spirit is life and peace.”

The importance of keeping our minds and hearts pure

Psalms 24:3-4 says, “Who may ascend the mountain of the LORD? Who may stand in his holy place? The one who has clean hands and a pure heart, who does not trust in an idol or swear by a false god.” Notice that Psalms 24:3 asks, “Who may ascend the mountain of the Lord? Who may stand in his holy place?” Psalms 24:4 gives the answer: “The one who has clean hands and a pure heart.” It’s clear that in order to have fellowship with God, we must have “a pure heart.” This happens when we trust in Jesus Christ to take away our sins thereby sincerely repenting by confessing and abandoning our sinful ways. And as such, our hearts are devoid of lust and desirous of purity.

The sexual urges that may come with seeing a woman’s body are not sin in themselves. They are merely part of being human. But what we actually do with those urges determines whether we start down a path of sinful lust or a clear path of integrity, self-control, and purity. However, when clearly motivated by lust or stocking the fires of lust, it’s without a doubt that looking at a woman’s body is sinful. Wise people who are serious about keeping their minds and hearts pure know their own areas of temptation and take clear steps to avoid having them exploited (Ephesians 4:27). And as such, wise people who struggle with lust learn to take precautions to avoid situations that call for compromise.
Just as it’s wise for recovering alcoholics to stay away from bars and clubs, it’s also wise for those who cannot look at a woman’s body without lust to stay away from beaches, pools, and entertainment that invites looking. Behold, this is not weakness but strength. It’s not foolishness but wisdom as we can read from Proverbs 2:16–19:
Wisdom will save you also from the adulterous woman, from the wayward woman with her seductive words, who has left the partner of her youth and ignored the covenant she made before God. Surely her house leads down to death and her paths to the spirits of the dead. None who go to her return or attain the paths of life.

What Does The Bible Say About Admiring God’s Creation?

John 4:23-24 – “But the hour is coming, and is now here, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for the Father is seeking such people to worship him. God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth.”

1 Samuel 16:7 – But the Lord said to Samuel, “Do not look on his appearance or on the height of his stature, because I have rejected him. For the Lord sees not as man sees: man looks on the outward appearance, but the Lord looks on the heart.”

Matthew 5:28 – “But I say to you that everyone who looks at a woman with lustful intent has already committed adultery with her in his heart.”

Ephesians 4:24 – “And to put on the new self, created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness.”

John 15:12-15 – “This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends. You are my friends if you do what I command you. No longer do I call you servants, for the servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all that I have heard from my Father I have made known to you.“

Genesis 2:18 – Then the Lord God said, “It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him a helper fit for him.”

James 1:15 – “Then desire when it has conceived gives birth to sin, and sin when it is fully grown brings forth death.“

Proverbs 31:30 – “Charm is deceitful, and beauty is vain, but a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised.”

1 Peter 3:4 – “But let your adorning be the hidden person of the heart with the imperishable beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which in God’s sight is very precious.”

1 Corinthians 13:1-13 – “If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. And if I have prophetic powers, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. If I give away all I have, and if I deliver up my body to be burned, but have not love, I gain nothing. Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; ...”

Group 1 – What Does The Bible Say About Admiring God’s Creation

Acts 5:29 – But Peter and the apostles answered, “We must obey God rather than men.

John 5:19 – So Jesus said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, the Son can do nothing of his own accord, but only what he sees the Father doing. For whatever the Father does, that the Son does likewise.

John 20:17 – Jesus said to her, “Do not cling to me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father; but go to my brothers and say to them, ‘I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.’”

Luke 10:17-18 – The seventy-two returned with joy, saying, “Lord, even the demons are subject to us in your name!” And he said to them, “I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven.

John 5:31-32 – “If I alone bear witness about myself, my testimony is not deemed true. There is another who bears witness about me, and I know that the testimony that he bears about me is true.”

John 17:11 – “And I am no longer in the world, but they are in the world, and I am coming to you. Holy Father, keep them in your name, which you have given me, that they may be one, even as we are one.”

John 8:14 – Jesus answered, “Even if I do bear witness about myself, my testimony is true, for I know where I came from and where I am going, but you do not know where I come from or where I am going.

Group 2 – What Does The Bible Say About Admiring God’s Creation

John 7:16 – So Jesus answered them, “My teaching is not mine, but his who sent me.

Luke 10:17 – The seventy-two returned with joy, saying, “Lord, even the demons are subject to us in your name!”

John 5:30 – “I can do nothing on my own. As I hear, I judge, and my judgment is just, because I seek not my own will but the will of him who sent me.“

John 6:32 – Jesus then said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, it was not Moses who gave you the bread from heaven, but my Father gives you the true bread from heaven.

Luke 18:18-19 – And a ruler asked him, “Good Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?” And Jesus said to him, “Why do you call me good? No one is good except God alone.

Luke 24:18-19 – Then one of them, named Cleopas, answered him, “Are you the only visitor to Jerusalem who does not know the things that have happened there in these days?” And he said to them, “What things?” And they said to him, “Concerning Jesus of Nazareth, a man who was a prophet mighty in deed and word before God and all the people,

Matthew 28:18 – And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.

Group 3 – What Does The Bible Say About Admiring God’s Creation

Psalm 90:2 – “Before the mountains were brought forth, or ever you had formed the earth and the world, from everlasting to everlasting you are God.”

Isaiah 45:22 – “Turn to me and be saved, all the ends of the earth! For I am God, and there is no other.”

John 10:29 – “My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all, and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father’s hand.“

John 7:28 – So Jesus proclaimed, as he taught in the temple, “You know me, and you know where I come from? But I have not come of my own accord. He who sent me is true, and him you do not know.

John 7:29 – “I know him, for I come from him, and he sent me.”

John 1:1 – “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.”

Mark 5:22-23 – Then came one of the rulers of the synagogue, Jairus by name, and seeing him, he fell at his feet and implored him earnestly, saying, “My little daughter is at the point of death. Come and lay your hands on her, so that she may be made well and live.”

Matthew 18:18 – “Truly, I say to you, whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.”

Group 4 – What Does The Bible Say About Admiring God’s Creation

John 1:18 – “No one has ever seen God; the only God, who is at the Father’s side, he has made him known.”

Luke 19:11-21 – “As they heard these things, he proceeded to tell a parable, because he was near to Jerusalem, and because they supposed that the kingdom of God was to appear immediately. He said therefore, “A nobleman went into a far country to receive for himself a kingdom and then return. Calling ten of his servants, he gave them ten minas, and said to them, ‘Engage in business until I come.’ But his citizens hated him and sent a delegation after him, saying, ‘We do not want this man to reign over us.’ When he returned, having received the kingdom, he ordered these servants to whom he had given the money to be called to him, that he might know what they had gained by doing business. …“

Psalm 2:7 – I will tell of the decree: The Lord said to me, “You are my Son; today I have begotten you.

Isaiah 45:1 – “Thus says the Lord to his anointed, to Cyrus, whose right hand I have grasped, to subdue nations before him and to loose the belts of kings, to open doors before him that gates may not be closed:“

Matthew 9:35 – “And Jesus went throughout all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues and proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom and healing every disease and every affliction.”

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Group 5 – What Does The Bible Say About Admiring God’s Creation

Luke 23:46 – Then Jesus, calling out with a loud voice, said, “Father, into your hands I commit my spirit!” And having said this he breathed his last.

Luke 5:16 – “But he would withdraw to desolate places and pray.“

Luke 4:18 – “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim liberty to the captives and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed,“

Luke 3:21 – “Now when all the people were baptized, and when Jesus also had been baptized and was praying, the heavens were opened,“

Luke 3:23 – “Jesus, when he began his ministry, was about thirty years of age, being the son (as was supposed) of Joseph, the son of Heli,“

Mark 16:19 – “So then the Lord Jesus, after he had spoken to them, was taken up into heaven and sat down at the right hand of God.”

Mark 12:29 – Jesus answered, “The most important is, ‘Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one.

Mark 12:28-29 – And one of the scribes came up and heard them disputing with one another, and seeing that he answered them well, asked him, “Which commandment is the most important of all?” Jesus answered, “The most important is, ‘Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one.

Group 6 – What Does The Bible Say About Admiring God’s Creation

Mark 8:35 – “For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake and the gospel’s will save it.“

Mark 10:17-18 – “And as he was setting out on his journey, a man ran up and knelt before him and asked him, “Good Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?” And Jesus said to him, “Why do you call me good? No one is good except God alone.“

Mark 10:46-47 – And they came to Jericho. And as he was leaving Jericho with his disciples and a great crowd, Bartimaeus, a blind beggar, the son of Timaeus, was sitting by the roadside. And when he heard that it was Jesus of Nazareth, he began to cry out and say, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!”

Mark 10:18 – And Jesus said to him, “Why do you call me good? No one is good except God alone.

Mark 11:1-2 – “Now when they drew near to Jerusalem, to Bethphage and Bethany, at the Mount of Olives, Jesus sent two of his disciples and said to them, “Go into the village in front of you, and immediately as you enter it you will find a colt tied, on which no one has ever sat. Untie it and bring it.“

Mark 11:13 – “And seeing in the distance a fig tree in leaf, he went to see if he could find anything on it. When he came to it, he found nothing but leaves, for it was not the season for figs.”

Group 7 – What Does The Bible Say About Admiring God’s Creation

Mark 6:46 – “And after he had taken leave of them, he went up on the mountain to pray.“

Mark 10:6-9 – “But from the beginning of creation, ‘God made them male and female.’ ‘Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and hold fast to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh.’ So they are no longer two but one flesh. What therefore God has joined together, let not man separate.”“

Mark 6:7-8 – “And he called the twelve and began to send them out two by two, and gave them authority over the unclean spirits. He charged them to take nothing for their journey except a staff—no bread, no bag, no money in their belts—“

Matthew 27:46 – And about the ninth hour Jesus cried out with a loud voice, saying, “Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?” that is, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”

Mark 1:35 – “And rising very early in the morning, while it was still dark, he departed and went out to a desolate place, and there he prayed.“

Matthew 27:5 – “And throwing down the pieces of silver into the temple, he departed, and he went and hanged himself.”

Matthew 26:42-44 – “Again, for the second time, he went away and prayed, “My Father, if this cannot pass unless I drink it, your will be done.” And again he came and found them sleeping, for their eyes were heavy. So, leaving them again, he went away and prayed for the third time, saying the same words again.”

Group 8 – What Does The Bible Say About Admiring God’s Creation

Matthew 24:36 – “But concerning that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but the Father only.”

Matthew 26:39 – And going a little farther he fell on his face and prayed, saying, “My Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as you will.”

Matthew 26:74-75 – “Then he began to invoke a curse on himself and to swear, “I do not know the man.” And immediately the rooster crowed. And Peter remembered the saying of Jesus, “Before the rooster crows, you will deny me three times.” And he went out and wept bitterly.”

Matthew 19:13 – “Then children were brought to him that he might lay his hands on them and pray. The disciples rebuked the people,“

Matthew 20:29-30 – “And as they went out of Jericho, a great crowd followed him. And behold, there were two blind men sitting by the roadside, and when they heard that Jesus was passing by, they cried out, “Lord, have mercy on us, Son of David!”

Matthew 21:1-2 – “Now when they drew near to Jerusalem and came to Bethphage, to the Mount of Olives, then Jesus sent two disciples, saying to them, “Go into the village in front of you, and immediately you will find a donkey tied, and a colt with her. Untie them and bring them to me.”

Group 9 – What Does The Bible Say About Admiring God’s Creation

Matthew 14:23 – “And after he had dismissed the crowds, he went up on the mountain by himself to pray. When evening came, he was there alone,”

Matthew 15:21-22 – “And Jesus went away from there and withdrew to the district of Tyre and Sidon. And behold, a Canaanite woman from that region came out and was crying, “Have mercy on me, O Lord, Son of David; my daughter is severely oppressed by a demon.”“

Matthew 13:13 – “This is why I speak to them in parables, because seeing they do not see, and hearing they do not hear, nor do they understand.”

Matthew 16:19 – “I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.”

Matthew 18:23-34 – “Therefore the kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king who wished to settle accounts with his servants. When he began to settle, one was brought to him who owed him ten thousand talents. And since he could not pay, his master ordered him to be sold, with his wife and children and all that he had, and payment to be made. So the servant fell on his knees, imploring him, ‘Have patience with me, and I will pay you everything.’ And out of pity for him, the master of that servant released him and forgave him the debt. ...”

Group 10 – What Does The Bible Say About Admiring God’s Creation

Matthew 9:18 – “While he was saying these things to them, behold, a ruler came in and knelt before him, saying, “My daughter has just died, but come and lay your hand on her, and she will live.”“

Matthew 10:5-10 – “These twelve Jesus sent out, instructing them, “Go nowhere among the Gentiles and enter no town of the Samaritans, but go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. And proclaim as you go, saying, ‘The kingdom of heaven is at hand.’ Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse lepers, cast out demons. You received without paying; give without pay. Acquire no gold nor silver nor copper for your belts, ...”

Matthew 5:17 – “Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them.”

Matthew 5:18 – “For truly, I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not an iota, not a dot, will pass from the Law until all is accomplished.”

Matthew 1:16 – “And Jacob the father of Joseph the husband of Mary, of whom Jesus was born, who is called Christ.”

Jeremiah 31:9 – “With weeping they shall come, and with pleas for mercy I will lead them back, I will make them walk by brooks of water, in a straight path in which they shall not stumble, for I am a father to Israel, and Ephraim is my firstborn.”

Group 11 – What Does The Bible Say About Admiring God’s Creation

Isaiah 43:11 – “I, I am the Lord, and besides me there is no savior.“

Isaiah 14:1-32 – “For the Lord will have compassion on Jacob and will again choose Israel, and will set them in their own land, and sojourners will join them and will attach themselves to the house of Jacob. And the peoples will take them and bring them to their place, and the house of Israel will possess them in the Lord’s land as male and female slaves. They will take captive those who were their captors, and rule over those who oppressed them. When the Lord has given you rest from your pain and turmoil and the hard service with which you were made to serve, you will take up this taunt against the king of Babylon: “How the oppressor has ceased, the insolent fury ceased! The Lord has broken the staff of the wicked, the scepter of rulers, …“

Isaiah 42:8 – “I am the Lord; that is my name; my glory I give to no other, nor my praise to carved idols.“

Isaiah 1:1-31 – “The vision of Isaiah the son of Amoz, which he saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem in the days of Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah, kings of Judah. Hear, O heavens, and give ear, O earth; for the Lord has spoken: “Children have I reared and brought up, but they have rebelled against me. The ox knows its owner, and the donkey its master’s crib, but Israel does not know, my people do not understand.” Ah, sinful nation, a people laden with iniquity, offspring of evildoers, children who deal corruptly! They have forsaken the Lord, they have despised the Holy One of Israel, they are utterly estranged. Why will you still be struck down? Why will you continue to rebel? The whole head is sick, and the whole heart faint. …“

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Group 12 – What Does The Bible Say About Admiring God’s Creation

Job 37:14 – “Hear this, O Job; stop and consider the wondrous works of God.”

2 Chronicles 22:2-12 – “Ahaziah was twenty-two years old when he began to reign, and he reigned one year in Jerusalem. His mother’s name was Athaliah, the granddaughter of Omri. He also walked in the ways of the house of Ahab, for his mother was his counselor in doing wickedly. He did what was evil in the sight of the Lord, as the house of Ahab had done. For after the death of his father they were his counselors, to his undoing. He even followed their counsel and went with Jehoram the son of Ahab king of Israel to make war against Hazael king of Syria at Ramoth-gilead. And the Syrians wounded Joram, and he returned to be healed in Jezreel of the wounds that he had received at Ramah, when he fought against Hazael king of Syria. …“

2 Chronicles 36:9-18 – “Jehoiachin was eighteen years old when he became king, and he reigned three months and ten days in Jerusalem. He did what was evil in the sight of the Lord. In the spring of the year King Nebuchadnezzar sent and brought him to Babylon, with the precious vessels of the house of the Lord, and made his brother Zedekiah king over Judah and Jerusalem. Zedekiah was twenty-one years old when he began to reign, and he reigned eleven years in Jerusalem. He did what was evil in the sight of the Lord his God. He did not humble himself before Jeremiah the prophet, who spoke from the mouth of the Lord. He also rebelled against King Nebuchadnezzar, who had made him swear by God. He stiffened his neck and hardened his heart against turning to the Lord, the God of Israel. …“

Group 13 – What Does The Bible Say About Admiring God’s Creation

1 Chronicles 21:1 – “Then Satan stood against Israel and incited David to number Israel.”

1 Chronicles 21:11-12 – So Gad came to David and said to him, “Thus says the Lord, ‘Choose what you will: either three years of famine, or three months of devastation by your foes while the sword of your enemies overtakes you, or else three days of the sword of the Lord, pestilence on the land, with the angel of the Lord destroying throughout all the territory of Israel.’ Now decide what answer I shall return to him who sent me.”

2 Kings 24:8 – “Jehoiachin was eighteen years old when he became king, and he reigned three months in Jerusalem. His mother’s name was Nehushta the daughter of Elnathan of Jerusalem.“

1 Chronicles 18:9-10 – “When Tou king of Hamath heard that David had defeated the whole army of Hadadezer, king of Zobah, he sent his son Hadoram to King David, to ask about his health and to bless him because he had fought against Hadadezer and defeated him; for Hadadezer had often been at war with Tou. And he sent all sorts of articles of gold, of silver, and of bronze.”

Group 14 – What Does The Bible Say About Admiring God’s Creation

1 Kings 7:26 – “Its thickness was a handbreadth, and its brim was made like the brim of a cup, like the flower of a lily. It held two thousand baths.”

2 Kings 8:26 – “Ahaziah was twenty-two years old when he began to reign, and he reigned one year in Jerusalem. His mother’s name was Athaliah; she was a granddaughter of Omri king of Israel.“

1 Kings 5:15-16 – “Solomon also had 70,000 burden-bearers and 80,000 stonecutters in the hill country, besides Solomon’s 3,300 chief officers who were over the work, who had charge of the people who carried on the work.“

2 Samuel 24:1 – “Again the anger of the Lord was kindled against Israel, and he incited David against them, saying, “Go, number Israel and Judah.”“

2 Samuel 24:9 – “And Joab gave the sum of the numbering of the people to the king: in Israel there were 800,000 valiant men who drew the sword, and the men of Judah were 500,000.“

2 Samuel 24:13 – “So Gad came to David and told him, and said to him, “Shall three years of famine come to you in your land? Or will you flee three months before your foes while they pursue you? Or shall there be three days’ pestilence in your land? Now consider, and decide what answer I shall return to him who sent me.”“

Group 15 – What Does The Bible Say About Admiring God’s Creation

2 Samuel 10:18 – “And the Syrians fled before Israel, and David killed of the Syrians the men of 700 chariots, and 40,000 horsemen, and wounded Shobach the commander of their army, so that he died there.”

2 Samuel 21:8 – “The king took the two sons of Rizpah the daughter of Aiah, whom she bore to Saul, Armoni and Mephibosheth; and the five sons of Merab the daughter of Saul, whom she bore to Adriel the son of Barzillai the Meholathite;“

2 Samuel 8:4 – “And David took from him 1,700 horsemen, and 20,000 foot soldiers. And David hamstrung all the chariot horses but left enough for 100 chariots.”

2 Samuel 8:9-10 – “When Toi king of Hamath heard that David had defeated the whole army of Hadadezer, Toi sent his son Joram to King David, to ask about his health and to bless him because he had fought against Hadadezer and defeated him, for Hadadezer had often been at war with Toi. And Joram brought with him articles of silver, of gold, and of bronze.“

2 Samuel 6:23 – “And Michal the daughter of Saul had no child to the day of her death.”

Group 16 – What Does The Bible Say About Admiring God’s Creation

Exodus 33:20 – But,” he said, “you cannot see my face, for man shall not see me and live.”

Numbers 23:19 – “God is not man, that he should lie, or a son of man, that he should change his mind. Has he said, and will he not do it? Or has he spoken, and will he not fulfill it?“

Deuteronomy 18:18 – “I will raise up for them a prophet like you from among their brothers. And I will put my words in his mouth, and he shall speak to them all that I command him.”

Exodus 4:22 – “Then you shall say to Pharaoh, ‘Thus says the Lord, Israel is my firstborn son,”

Numbers 4:1-49 – “The Lord spoke to Moses and Aaron, saying, “Take a census of the sons of Kohath from among the sons of Levi, by their clans and their fathers’ houses, from thirty years old up to fifty years old, all who can come on duty, to do the work in the tent of meeting. This is the service of the sons of Kohath in the tent of meeting: the most holy things. When the camp is to set out, Aaron and his sons shall go in and take down the veil of the screen and cover the ark of the testimony with it. …“

Group 17 – What Does The Bible Say About Admiring God’s Creation

Genesis 11:11 – “And Shem lived after he fathered Arpachshad 500 years and had other sons and daughters.“

Genesis 1:26 – Then God said, “Let us make man in our image, after our likeness. And let them have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over the livestock and over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.”

Genesis 32:30 – So Jacob called the name of the place Peniel, saying, “For I have seen God face to face, and yet my life has been delivered.”

Genesis 6:3 – Then the Lord said, “My Spirit shall not abide in man forever, for he is flesh: his days shall be 120 years.”

Genesis 6:6-7 – “And the Lord was sorry that he had made man on the earth, and it grieved him to his heart. So the Lord said, “I will blot out man whom I have created from the face of the land, man and animals and creeping things and birds of the heavens, for I am sorry that I have made them.”“