Table of Contents
Volume 41, Number 4
July - August 2010

• Famous Declarations of Independence!

• The Eyes: Marvels of Creation

The Eyes: Marvels of Creation
Pastor John Lineberry

THE EYES:

Marvels Of Creation

by Pastor John Lineberry, M.S.

10550-903 Baymeadows Road, Jacksonville, FL 32256

The human eye is a marvel of God’s creative design. Jesus said, “The light of the body is the eye: if therefore thine eye be single, thy whole body shall be full of light” (Matthew 6:22).

Without the eye to guide and direct our movements, our body would be greatly handicapped in its functions.

The eye is not the result of an evolutionary process but a direct creative act of God for placement in the body. Evolution fails in an attempt to explain the intricate makeup and work of the eye.

It is helpful to notice seven truths that the Bible says in regard to the eyes of God and people.

1. Human eyes and the Fall. At the start of human history, the eyes played an integral role in the Fall. The first couple fell away from God as a result of their disobedience.

The Lord forbade the couple to eat of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil (Genesis 2:17). The couple’s disobedience brought their physical and spiritual death.

When tempted, Eve added to God’s Word the statement “neither shall ye touch it” (Genesis 3:3). Satan, the archenemy of God and man, used the eye gate to seduce Adam and Eve. When Eve saw the fruit, she desired it and took it. She gave some to her husband (v. 6).

2. God’s eyes protected Israel. Israel was and is God’s special earthly people. David knew just how special Israel was to God when he wrote, “Keep me as the apple of the eye, hide me under the shadow of thy wings” (Psalm 17:8).

As a shepherd, David faithfully cared for his sheep by providing for them and protecting them. Sheep imagery is used in John 10:11, which says Christ is our “good Shepherd” who died for His sheep. Hebrews 13:20 says He is the “great Shepherd” who conquered death by rising from the grave in resurrection glory and honor. In I Peter 5:4, He is “the chief Shepherd” who will return for His sheep.

3. God’s eyes signify His control of His world. “For the eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to shew himself strong in the behalf of them whose heart is perfect toward him” (II Chronicles 16:9).

The strategies of Satan against God’s children do not escape the eyes of the Lord. “Behold, the eye of the Lord is upon them that fear him, upon them that hope in his mercy” (Psalm 33:18). The devil may wall us in, but he cannot roof us over.

4. The eyes and Bible study. “Open thou mine eyes, that I may behold wondrous things out of thy law” (Psalm 119:18). The Bible is not a book devoid of value; rather, it is the living Word of God, a treasury of truth, and fountain of water that refreshes the soul (Psalm 42:1).

A person cannot grow in his Christian life without a steady diet of God’s Word (I Peter 2:2; II Peter 3:18). As the body needs sustenance, so the spirit needs nourishment for maturity in the Christian graces (Galatians 5:22-23; II Peter 1:3-8).

The wondrous truths from the Word bless the heart, revive the spirit, and encourage the soul (Isaiah 57:15).

5. The eyes and evangelism. Gospel proclamation is the church’s lifeline. The Master said, “Say not ye, There are yet four months, and then cometh harvest? behold, I say unto you, Lift up your eyes, and look on the fields; for they are white already to harvest” (John 4:35). The eyes play a significant role in evangelism.

The above verse teaches, first, that the harvest is ripe now. One does not have to wait to get started. Going after souls is an urgent matter of life and death. Second, the bearer of good news must use his feet to go into the harvest field. Third, evangelism is energized by heart motivation, for the heart is where compassion lies. Compassion is the teardrop of the heart (Matthew 9:35-38).

6. The eyes and prayer. To experience answered prayer, the Christian believer, like Moses, needs to see God “who is invisible” (Hebrews 11:27). Prayer is communication with God (cf. Matthew 7:7-8). The present imperative in these verses conveys continuous action. Asking brings receiving, seeking results in finding, and knocking sees the doors opening.

One must ask in faith. That God answers prayer is verified by Jeremiah 33:3 and John 15:7. As I considered the beauty of prayer, Revelation 15:3 came to mind: “Great and marvellous are thy works, Lord God Almighty; just and true are thy ways, thou King of saints.”

7. The eyes and the final state. John saw the city of God in the glory, the place of the “no mores.” He wrote, “And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea” (Revelation 21:1). In addition to no more sea, or limitations, John’s list includes the following in verse 4:

(a) No more “tears” means that in Heaven’s fair land the Lord will dry our eyes with His hands of soothing grace. God sees all our tears (cf. II Kings 20:5).

(b) No more “death” means that death cannot enter Heaven, the place of glory, where all believers will be with God forever. Presently, death separates families and friends.

(c) No more “sorrow” means that all sadness will have passed away in the land that is fairer than day.

(d) No more “crying” refers to the elimination of outward expressions of grief.

(e) No more “pain” means that all causes of hurting that bend and break the body will be absent from those in the Father’s house.

What a day that will be!