Hi, I’m wildlife photographer and nature writer William Wise. I was saved under a campus ministry while studying wildlife biology at the University of Georgia. My love of the outdoors quickly turned into a love for the Creator and His works. I’m currently an animal shelter director and live in Athens, Georgia with my wife and two teenage daughters, who are all also actively involved in ministry. Creation Speaks is my teaching ministry that glorifies our Creator and teaches the truth of creation. — “What a wildly wonderful world, God! You made it all, with Wisdom at Your side, made earth overflow with your wonderful creations.” Psalms 104, The Message.
Self-isolation blues, financial troubles, loved ones fallen ill, fear of contracting coronavirus… these weights are burdening many. On top of that, we may be unable to congregate in our churches or visit our favorite birding spots. Although a pale substitute for both, I pray you are uplifted by this short series of Words and Birds of Encouragement. For what can be more encouraging than the birds of this world and words of the world to come! William
“Jesus answered him, ‘Truly I tell you, today you will be with me in paradise.’” Luke 23:43
What will paradise be like? Let your imagination roll… sunsets without haze and smog; rivers and lakes without floating trash; streets filled with smiling people free of anger and worry; and clear, wide blue skies filled with the flight of birds… and no window strikes! And even better, we will walk in the cool of the garden with our Lord and Savior whose blood re-opens the door to Eden. It will be paradise for all! It may not be today (but then again, it may!). Even so, come, Lord Jesus.
Hi, I’m wildlife photographer and nature writer William Wise. I was saved under a campus ministry while studying wildlife biology at the University of Georgia. My love of the outdoors quickly turned into a love for the Creator and His works. I’m currently an animal shelter director and live in Athens, Georgia with my wife and two teenage daughters, who are all also actively involved in ministry. Creation Speaks is my teaching ministry that glorifies our Creator and teaches the truth of creation. William Wise Nature Notes is my wildlife and birding photo blog documenting the beauty, design and wonder of God’s creation. — “What a wildly wonderful world, God! You made it all, with Wisdom at Your side, made earth overflow with your wonderful creations.” Psalms 104, The Message.
Self-isolation blues, financial troubles, loved ones fallen ill, fear of contracting coronavirus… these weights are burdening many. On top of that, we may be unable to congregate in our churches or visit our favorite birding spots. Although a pale substitute for both, I pray you are uplifted by this short series of Words and Birds of Encouragement. For what can be more encouraging than the birds of this world and words of the world to come! William
“’What no eye has seen, what no ear has heard, and what no human mind has conceived’—the things God has prepared for those who love Him—these are the things God has revealed to us by His Spirit.” 1 Corinthians 2:9-10
Think of the breathtaking joy you experienced upon spotting a new, beautiful life-bird. That was me when taking my first photo of a vibrant Painted Bunting. I could barely hold the camera still and nearly fumbled for the shutter button in excitement! Now, imagine the joy as you open your eyes in the hereafter and get your first glimpse of heaven! Breathtaking amazement and vibrant color beyond compare; unending joy and delight; eternal fellowship with our Savior! True, nobody here has seen it. But God has revealed it by His Spirit… and by His creation. If a birders first spotting of a bunting can be so breathtaking, imagine heaven!
Hi, I’m wildlife photographer and nature writer William Wise. I was saved under a campus ministry while studying wildlife biology at the University of Georgia. My love of the outdoors quickly turned into a love for the Creator and His works. I’m currently an animal shelter director and live in Athens, Georgia with my wife and two teenage daughters, who are all also actively involved in ministry. Creation Speaks is my teaching ministry that glorifies our Creator and teaches the truth of creation. William Wise Nature Notes is my wildlife and birding photo blog documenting the beauty, design and wonder of God’s creation. — “What a wildly wonderful world, God! You made it all, with Wisdom at Your side, made earth overflow with your wonderful creations.” Psalms 104, The Message.
Great Blue Heron standing in the water at Brevard Zoo
While at the Brevard Zoo last week, I was able to watch a wild Great Blue Heron standing in the river there. His feet, provided by our gracious Creator, caught my attention.
Great Blue Heron’s Feet – [wild] Brevard Zoo
This brings to mind several verses that has to do with “standing firm.”
“So then, brethren, stand firm and hold to the traditions which you were taught, whether by word of mouth or by letter from us.” (2 Thessalonians 2:15 NASB)
“Put on the full armor of God, so that you will be able to stand firm against the schemes of the devil.” (Ephesians 6:11 NASB)
Over the years, I have been fascinated with the feet of birds. Especially the larger birds that have more height or weight to support in water, land, or on Lilly pads.
Black-bellied Whistling Duck Feet by Lee at PB Zoo
“So then, brethren, stand firm and hold to the traditions which you were taught, whether by word of mouth or by letter from us.” (2 Thessalonians 2:15 NASB)
Emu (Dromaius novaehollandiae) Feet Brevard Zoo by Lee
“Therefore, take up the full armor of God, so that you will be able to resist in the evil day, and having done everything, to stand firm. Stand firm therefore, HAVING GIRDED YOUR LOINS WITH TRUTH, and HAVING PUT ON THE BREASTPLATE OF RIGHTEOUSNESS, and having shod YOUR FEET WITH THE PREPARATION OF THE GOSPEL OF PEACE;” (Ephesians 6:13-15 NASB)
“for now we really live, if you stand firm in the Lord.” (1 Thessalonians 3:8 NASB)
All of these birds were given feet that are meant to meet their needs. The Lord has given us the “Armour of God,” Traditions/teachings of Godly preachers and teachers, preparations, etc. Then He tells us to Stand Firm, because He has provided just the right training for us, just as He has provided just the right feet for the bird’s situations.
“Thou crownest the year with thy goodness; and thy paths drop fatness. They drop upon the pastures of the wilderness: and the little hills rejoice on every side. The pastures are clothed with flocks; the valleys also are covered over with corn; they shout for joy, they also sing.” (Psalms 65:11-13 KJV)
“The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom: and the knowledge of the holy is understanding. For by me thy days shall be multiplied, and the years of thy life shall be increased.” (Proverbs 9:10-11 KJV)
Great Blue Heron Viera Wetlands – Bad Hair Day
“For all our days are passed away in thy wrath: we spend our years as a tale that is told. The days of our years are threescore years and ten; and if by reason of strength they be fourscore years, yet is their strength labour and sorrow; for it is soon cut off, and we fly away.” (Psalms 90:9-10 KJV)
Song Sparrow in white flowers by Daves BirdingPix
“I have considered the days of old, the years of ancient times. I call to remembrance my song in the night: I commune with mine own heart: and my spirit made diligent search.” (Psalms 77:5-6 KJV)
Northern Long-eared Owl
“But, beloved, be not ignorant of this one thing, that one day is with the Lord as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day. The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.” (2 Peter 3:8-9 KJV)
“And let the beauty of the LORD our God be upon us: and establish thou the work of our hands upon us; yea, the work of our hands establish thou it.” (Psalms 90:17 KJV)
Lord willing, we shall all have a blessed and prosperous year. Happy New Year from all of us.
** Keep an eye out for your first bird spotted/heard in 2018 **
African Fish Eagle (Haliaeetus vocifer) by Africaddict
Wilt thou set thine eyes upon that which is not? for riches certainly make themselves wings; they fly away as an eagle toward heaven. (Proverbs 23:5)
Using e-Sword’s search for just the word “fly,” there are 15 verses in the AMP, 16 in the ESV, and 25 in the KJV. They can’t all refer to a bird flying around, so let’s see how many actually refer to the birds.
Here are the verses from the KJV:
And God said, Let the waters bring forth abundantly the moving creature that hath life, and fowl that may fly above the earth in the open firmament of heaven. (Gen_1:20)
Wherefore then didst thou not obey the voice of the LORD, but didst fly upon the spoil, and didst evil in the sight of the LORD? (1Sa_15:19)
And he rode upon a cherub, and did fly: and he was seen upon the wings of the wind. (2Sa_22:11)
Yet man is born unto trouble, as the sparks fly upward. (Job_5:7)
He shall fly away as a dream, and shall not be found: yea, he shall be chased away as a vision of the night. (Job_20:8)
Doth the hawk fly by thy wisdom, and stretch her wings toward the south? (Job_39:26)
And he rode upon a cherub, and did fly: yea, he did fly upon the wings of the wind. (Psa_18:10)
And I said, Oh that I had wings like a dove! for then would I fly away, and be at rest. (Psa_55:6)
The days of our years are threescore years and ten; and if by reason of strength they be fourscore years, yet is their strength labour and sorrow; for it is soon cut off, and we fly away. (Psa_90:10)
Wilt thou set thine eyes upon that which is not? for riches certainly make themselves wings; they fly away as an eagle toward heaven. (Pro_23:5)
Above it stood the seraphims: each one had six wings; with twain he covered his face, and with twain he covered his feet, and with twain he did fly. (Isa_6:2)
And it shall come to pass in that day, that the LORD shall hiss for the fly that is in the uttermost part of the rivers of Egypt, and for the bee that is in the land of Assyria. (Isa_7:18)
But they shall fly upon the shoulders of the Philistines toward the west; they shall spoil them of the east together: they shall lay their hand upon Edom and Moab; and the children of Ammon shall obey them. (Isa_11:14)
Who are these that fly as a cloud, and as the doves to their windows? (Isa_60:8)
For thus saith the LORD; Behold, he shall fly as an eagle, and shall spread his wings over Moab. (Jer_48:40)
Behold, he shall come up and fly as the eagle, and spread his wings over Bozrah: and at that day shall the heart of the mighty men of Edom be as the heart of a woman in her pangs. (Jer_49:22)
Wherefore thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I am against your pillows, wherewith ye there hunt the souls to make them fly, and I will tear them from your arms, and will let the souls go, even the souls that ye hunt to make them fly. (Eze_13:20)
Yea, whiles I was speaking in prayer, even the man Gabriel, whom I had seen in the vision at the beginning, being caused to fly swiftly, touched me about the time of the evening oblation. (Dan_9:21)
As for Ephraim, their glory shall fly away like a bird, from the birth, and from the womb, and from the conception. (Hos_9:11)
Their horses also are swifter than the leopards, and are more fierce than the evening wolves: and their horsemen shall spread themselves, and their horsemen shall come from far; they shall fly as the eagle that hasteth to eat. (Hab_1:8)
And to the woman were given two wings of a great eagle, that she might fly into the wilderness, into her place, where she is nourished for a time, and times, and half a time, from the face of the serpent. (Rev_12:14)
And I saw another angel fly in the midst of heaven, having the everlasting gospel to preach unto them that dwell on the earth, and to every nation, and kindred, and tongue, and people, (Rev_14:6)
And I saw an angel standing in the sun; and he cried with a loud voice, saying to all the fowls that fly in the midst of heaven, Come and gather yourselves together unto the supper of the great God; (Rev_19:17)
How many do you think directly relate to birds? Some refer to their speed of flying. How many birds were actually named?
Red-tailed Hawk (Buteo jamaicensis) by Daves BirdingPix
I trust you enjoy digging into God’s Word more than just reading it. If you have a program like e-Sword (free) or something similiar or a good concordance, you can do these type of searches.
Back to the questions – which verses have birds mentioned?
fowlthat may fly above the earth (Gen_1:20)
hawk fly (Job_39:26)
dove! for then would I fly away, and be at rest. (Psa_55:6)
fly away as an eagletoward heaven. (Pro_23:5)
fly as a cloud, and as the doves to their windows? (Isa_60:8)
shall fly as an eagle, and shall spread his wings over Moab. (Jer_48:40)
fly as the eagle, and spread his wings over Bozrah (Jer_49:22)
their glory shall fly away like a bird, (Hos_9:11)
fly as the eaglethat hasteth to eat. (Hab_1:8)
two wings of a great eagle, that she might fly into the wilderness (Rev_12:14)
all the fowls that fly in the midst of heaven (Rev_19:17)
The Bible tells us:
But now ask the beasts, and they will teach you; And the birds of the air, and they will tell you; (Job 12:7 NKJV)
If you had never watched a bird fly, would any of those verses above make sense to you? The Lord not only has given all the numerous birds for us to enjoy, but also to teach us lessons.
Would you understand “…for riches certainly make themselves wings; they fly away as an eagle toward heaven. (Proverbs 23:5) if you had not seen how fast an eagle flies? How fast can we waste our riches?
Thinking about how birds fly, reread the verses above, even the ones that do not mention birds and see if that doesn’t help explain parts of the verse.
So what else can be found out about that verse? Those of you that follow this blog know that I enjoy digging into the Bible with my e-Sword program. It is a free program that can be downloaded. It has different versions of the Bible that can be downloaded free or some with a small fee. Also available are dictionaries, commentaries, maps, notes, references and STEP additions. For the price, FREE, it is hard to beat. There are also links to other sites to get even more add-ons. Check out their LINKS page. Two favorites of mine are the ESS and the Bible Support sites.
The Bible tells us to study the Bible and we should. I try to read several chapters every day and meditate on what I read. Then along with that I like to dig deeper into Scripture and mine some great promises and truths out. Then other times, like this article, I am just digging out the birds mentioned in the different versions of this verse. I don’t endorse every version I have loaded on my e-Sword, but I do like to compare all of them.
But continue thou in the things which thou hast learned and hast been assured of, knowing of whom thou hast learned them; 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, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: That the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works. (2 Timothy 3:14-17 KJV)
Well, back to Jeremiah 8:7. Here’s the verse:
Yea, the stork in the heaven knoweth her appointed times; and the turtle and the crane and the swallow observe the time of their coming; but my people know not the judgment of the LORD. (Jeremiah 8:7 KJV)
Using the “Compare” mode, let’s see which birds are mentioned. Most mention the Stork, Turtle or Turtle-dove, Swallow, and the Crane. It is referring to them having the knowledge to know when to migrate, but “but my people know not the rules of the LORD.” (ESV) See the other articles for more details.
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Black-necked Stork (Jabiru) (Ephippiorhynchus asiaticus) by Ian
The H####’s are from Strong’s Hebrew and Greek Dictionaries. Using the KJV+ for the numbers.
H2624 חסידה
chăsı̂ydâh
khas-ee-daw’
Feminine of H2623; the kind (maternal) bird, that is, a stork: – X feather, stork.
Stork or storks – every version except two – DRB (kite), MSG (see bottom)
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H8449 תּר תּור
tôr tôr
tore, tore
Probably the same as H8447; a ring dove, often (figuratively) as a term of endearment: – (turtle) dove.
Dove, Turtle, Turtle-doves, Mourning Doves – same family, no problem
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Welcome Swallow (Hirundo neoxena) by Ian
H5693 עגוּר
‛âgûr
aw-goor’
Passive participle (but with active sense) of an unused root meaning to twitter; probably the swallow: – swallow.
Swallow – most versions
Swift – instead of Swift – ERV, NASB, NAS77, NIV, NIrV
Swift and Swallow – NKJV The Swift and the Swallow both behave alike in some ways even though they are not in the same family. I even confuse them at times.
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Crane Migration over Israel
H5483 סס סוּס
sûs sûs
soos, soos
From an unused root meaning to skip (properly for joy); a horse (as leaping); also a swallow (from its rapid flight): – crane, horse ([-back, -hoof]). Now we see where two different birds could be used. From here on the different versions begin to differ.
Crane – Most use Crane, but here are some of the differences
Sparrows – APB, Brenton
Thrushes – CEV, ERV, ECB, GNB, LITV, NAS77, NASB Quite a difference in the birds here.
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Eastern Bluebird (Sialia sialis) by S Slayton
I saved the most interesting translation till last. Actually, it is a paraphrase and not a true translation. It does give me three more named birds. So far I haven’t seen them anywhere else, so for now they will not get their own page.
Cranes know when it’s time to move south for winter. And robins, warblers, and bluebirds know when it’s time to come back again. But my people? My people know nothing, not the first thing of GOD and his rule. (Jeremiah 8:7 MSG)
Does it matter if there is a difference in these versions? Yes and no. Yes, the Bible should be translated as close to the original as possible. No, in the sense that all these birds were given the knowledge to migrate by the Lord. And the truth of people not knowing the truth about God and what He wants for their lives. The birds obey, man doesn’t.
The method I used to study this verse can be applied to any verse or passage you wish to dig into. I used the Strong’s Hebrew and Greek because, of course, I have no clue as to what those word are. But using those help me/you understand the meaning of the word as it was originally written or as close as we can get to it. As our language has changed over the years, our meanings have also changed. It helps to read other versions when studying the Bible. I know some don’t agree and I won’t go there. The Lord has many truths to find in His Word. Maybe you like plants or animals, or like to study one person at a time, or a promise and the different ways it is presented, whatever. Study.
And I said, Oh that I had wings like a dove! [for then] would I fly away, and be at rest. Lo, [then] would I wander far off, [and] remain in the wilderness. (Psalm 55 6-7)
These days, we don’t have to wait very long before we hear some nonsense about how flight or – more recently – space travel are but stages in human evolutionary development. As Christians, we know that when Adam, the first man, is described as perfect, he is perfect in every way – spiritually, morally and intellectually. This probably explains why Scripture says that within the first few generations of human existence on Earth, the arts and sciences were flourishing.
In 1898, an object that was thought to be a small wooden model of a bird was discovered in Egypt. The “unremarkable” find was tossed into a box marked “wooden bird models” and was rediscovered in more recent times. The Egyptian Ministry of Culture set up a special panel to study the object. As a result of that study, the object is on display at the Cairo Museum today as the centerpiece of a special exhibit. It is now officially labeled as a model airplane.
The plane’s design shows that it is an excellent glider, and with a small engine it could carry huge loads because of the unique design of its wings. This 2,200 year old model airplane had wings that angle slightly downward at the ends—exactly the same improved wing design that was first used in modern times on the supersonic Concorde!
Everyone agrees that humans have always been interested in flight. But now it appears that we creationists were right – we have always been smart enough to do something about our interest in flight as well!
Prayer:
Lord, help people understand that they are not simply glorified animals but are Your creations. Help us all to see that You made each one of us for a purpose, and help me to live for Your purpose.
In Jesus’ Name. Amen.
Notes:
Photo: Courtesy of Dawoudk and licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported license.
Australasian Figbird (Sphecotheres vieilloti) by Ian
Birds get scared
only when the scarecrow
has human smell on it…
But,
after the rain,
the smell vanishes
and
the birds are not
scared anymore…
Come all ye people,
get wet and let
the Holy Spirit rain
and scare the scare away…
My beloved spake, and said unto me, Rise up, my love, my fair one, and come away. For, lo, the winter is past, the rain is over and gone; The flowers appear on the earth; the time of the singing of birds is come, and the voice of the turtle is heard in our land; The fig tree putteth forth her green figs, and the vines with the tender grape give a good smell. Arise, my love, my fair one, and come away. (Psalm 2:10-13)
Apollo 8 is the first time man orbited the moon. As the astronauts are orbiting the moon on Christmas Eve, 1968 they took take turns reading from the Book of Genesis. I remember watching this on TV that evening.
Lee's Birdwatching Adventures Plus 