Introducing Day 6 of creation and all the creepy crawlies…

Creation, Part 8: Creatures of the Land

Hi Holy Ghost Stories listeners! JL (your HGS manuscript editor) here with a few of my favorite moments from today’s cavalcade of life:

That bull.

As I listened to Justin’s description of Yahweh’s creation of the first bull, I couldn’t help thinking of two particlar bulls in Scripture:

1. The golden calf “created” (fashioned?) by Aaron beside Sinai

   When I think of Aaron worshiping the thing he made I’m heartbroken, because it’s the opposite of his destiny. As a son of God and image bearer he was made to rule over the bull, but instead he bows down, mastered by it. The bull, meant to be a blessing and helper, becomes a curse. What a devastasting inversion of kingdom order.

2. The (perhaps) bull He kills to clothe Adam and Eve as they leave the garden in our HGS telling of Eve’s story

   Was the first bull God made also the first life God took? If you’ve ever looked into the lashed eyes of a trusting cow you know, that can’t have been easy. God doesn’t offer bulls up as sacrifices, because it’s easy to kill them. Just the opposite. He made them, and He loves them.

Beetles!

When I first heard Justin say the line, “He really likes the beetles” at a live show, I just lost it. Why cry about the beetles? I don’t know. I think it was just the intimacy of discovering/realizing something about the God I love. He’s a Being with preferences, Someone who delights in things like color and shape. Yahweh isn’t a force. He’s like your seven year old son in the backyard with a magnifying glass. He loves the beetles. Which is adore-able, right?

Also—here’s some beetle art I love from the incomparable nature artist Christopher Marley:

All the verbs

“Leaping, skittering, flying, crawling, creeping, lumbering, slithering, loping, cantering, waddling, swinging, flitting, buzzing, strutting, trotting, fluttering, bounding, scampering, prowling, gliding, and hopping”—This is no statue garden. All of this motion reminded me that God’s not painting or sculpting “objects.” He’s not even creating robots—programmed, coded. No. Every single one of these creatures comes with volition, their own entirely individual processes for making decisions. They have preferences and capacities. Yahweh creates and then lets these creatures loooooose.

Side note: This catalogue of ambulation comes directly from the Noah episode of HGS (Season 1: Episode 10)—this is how the animals enter the ark. :)

Babies

I’ll admit it. He got me with the babies. I bet God just loves babies. And watching His creatures parent—the chance to invite them into the Fatherhood and caretaking that’s at the heart of His identity. Like He’s saying—Nurture this. It’s wonderful and so hard and you’ll love it. Plus, look! It’s cute!

The word “piglet” is the cutest word. Also this:

All Yours

As you listen, may you see Him more clearly and love Him more deeply.

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Thanks for following along with this series on Creation. If you’re enjoying it, consider leaving a quick review over on Apple Podcasts, won’t you?

Gratefully,
JL