Spiders declare the glory of God

My wife and I had the privilege of watching a spider build her web a few days ago. We were sitting out on our porch, and noticed the spider, a little bigger than a quarter, drawing the third line of what was to be a beautiful, 5x4 foot web on our porch railing. We stayed and watched the whole thing be built. It took over an hour, and we were totally engaged the whole time. (My wife, Michelle commented that it was much better than watching TV!) As we watched the little creature creating this architectural beauty, our hearts were drawn to worship the Architect who created the spider. Here are some of the ways that we saw that spiders declare the glory of God (i.e. reflect God's nature/attibutes) in how they create their webs.

Both spiders and God...

...create with skill

We were amazed with how deftly the spider moved around her web that was hundreds of times the size of her body. The whole system could not have been more efficiently done. It was truly like watching a master artist painting a portrait before our very eyes.

The Psalms have many moments where the Psalmists are motivated to worship God because of the skill with which God has created: " ¹ The heavens declare the glory of God,
and the sky above proclaims his handiwork." (Psalm 19) When considering how amazing and wonderful the things that God has made are, David says in Psalm 18: " ³When I look at your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars, which you have set in place, ⁴ what is man that you are mindful of him, and the son of man that you care for him?" Have you ever taken time to just look at a tree or an animal and just marvel that it was God who carefully crafted it? What about a sunset, or a body of water? Have you ever looked through a telescope at the night sky? God's handiwork makes the soul of man awe at the skill and majesty of the works of God.

...create with purpose

As we were watching the spider, it was not hard to remember that the web had a purpose. The purpose was to catch insects for food. This beautiful design was not merely ornamental. It had a purpose to fulfill; a purpose for which it was created.

Likewise, God had a purpose in creating the universe. This purpose was to glorify God, not by adding to His glory, but by reflecting His glory and by worshiping Him. It should also be remembered that God had no need to create the universe, as seen in Revelation 4:

¹¹ "Worthy are you, our Lord and God,
to receive glory and honor and power,
for you created all things,
and by your will they existed and were created."

God created us to glorify Him, but he also did it in love, so that we could admire His perfections, and thereby be satisfied with overflowing joy forever.

The idea that God created us both for His glory and because He loved us can be seen in Ephesians 1. This is referring to adoption, not creation, but I think the principle applies, "In love ⁵ he predestined us for adoption as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will, ⁶ to the praise of his glorious grace..."

...have total authority over their creation

The spider can do whatever it wants with its web. In fact, the spider that we watched builds it web at about 9 P.M. and then tears it down at around 5 A.M. The web has no rights, nor claims before the spider. The spider is the creator, it is the creation. Distinct, asymmetric roles.

Likewise, the creation has no claims upon God. God may do with His creation as He pleases. A sobering thought is that when Satan and other angels rebelled against God, there was no plan for their redemption. They were never given a second chance: "...God did not spare angels when they sinned, but cast them into hell and committed them to chains of gloomy darkness to be kept until the judgment;" (2 Peter 2:4) Is that unjust of God? No, quite the contrary, under normal circumstances, it is unjust for God to forgive sins! This is why Christ had to die, to take the penalty that our sins deserved. The idea that God would forgive, or "pass over" sins presented a huge theological problem for Paul. How can God forgive sinners and yet be righteous? The answer is given in Romans 3,

"²³for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, ²⁴ and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, ²⁵whom God put forward as a propitiation by his blood, to be received by faith. This was to show God’s righteousness, because in his divine forbearance he had passed over former sins. ²⁶It was to show his righteousness at the present time, so that he might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus."

Because Christ was the propitiation (wrath-bearing substitute) for our sins, our sins were not merely passed over, but were transferred to Him who had no sin. Thereby, God's righteous and mercy were perfectly demonstrated, and he was shown to be "just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus."

So God has the authority to do what He wills with His creation. As the apostle Paul says on the topic: "Will what is molded say to its molder, "Why have you made me like this?" ²¹ Has the potter no right over the clay... ?"

But thanks be to God, that He did give a way for us to be reconciled to Him through Jesus Christ! Under no obligation to the world which He skillfully, purposefully created, God made a way for us to be reconciled to Him, through Christ: "In him [Christ] we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace, ⁸which he lavished upon us," (Ephesians 1:7-8) Amen and amen.



By way of application:

1) The next time you see something in creation that is beautiful or intriguing, ask yourself (or a friend), "How does this declare the glory of God?" It may draw your heart to worship God afresh.

2) Also... the next time you see a spider, consider not killing it. It may just declare to you the glory of God's skill, purpose, and sovereign freedom. It may even remind you of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

He who has an ear, let him hear...