Birds: Fly Above the Earth
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In the Holy Scriptures, birds hold a significant place within the created order, often symbolizing freedom, divine provision, and spiritual truths. The account of their creation is found in the Book of Genesis, where God commands their existence: "And God said, 'Let the waters teem with living creatures, and let birds fly above the earth in the open expanse of the sky'" (Genesis 1:20). This divine command highlights the role of birds as creatures designed to inhabit the skies, showcasing the Creator's intricate design and purpose.

Birds are frequently mentioned throughout the Bible, serving as symbols and teaching tools in various contexts. In the Old Testament, they are often associated with God's provision and care. For instance, in the Book of Job, the wisdom of God is illustrated through the natural instincts of birds: "Does the hawk take flight by your understanding and spread his wings toward the south?" (Job 39:26). This rhetorical question emphasizes God's sovereignty and the innate knowledge He imparts to His creation.

The Psalms also reflect on the significance of birds, using them as metaphors for trust and refuge. Psalm 84:3 states, "Even the sparrow has found a home, and the swallow a nest for herself, where she places her young near Your altars, O LORD of Hosts, my King and my God" . Here, the imagery of birds finding safety and rest near God's altars serves as a powerful reminder of the security and peace found in the presence of the Almighty.

In the New Testament, Jesus Himself uses birds to teach about God's provision and the futility of worry. In the Sermon on the Mount, He instructs His followers: "Look at the birds of the air: They do not sow or reap or gather into barns—and yet your Heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they?" (Matthew 6:26). This teaching underscores the care and attention God gives to all His creatures, encouraging believers to trust in His provision.

Furthermore, birds are used in prophetic and apocalyptic literature to convey messages of judgment and hope. In the Book of Revelation, birds are depicted as agents of divine retribution: "And I saw an angel standing in the sun, who cried out in a loud voice to all the birds flying overhead, 'Come, gather together for the great supper of God'" (Revelation 19:17). This imagery serves as a stark reminder of the ultimate triumph of God's justice.

Throughout the Bible, birds are portrayed as integral parts of God's creation, reflecting His glory and serving as instruments of His teaching. Their ability to "fly above the earth" symbolizes the transcendence and freedom that comes from living in accordance with God's will. As such, they remain a powerful testament to the Creator's wisdom and care, inviting believers to observe and learn from their example.
Torrey's Topical Textbook
Genesis 1:20
And God said, Let the waters bring forth abundantly the moving creature that has life, and fowl that may fly above the earth in the open firmament of heaven.
Torrey's Topical Textbook

Library

The Story of Creation
... And God said, "Let the waters bring forth many living creatures and let birds fly
above the earth and in the sky." And God made large sea-monsters and all ...
//christianbookshelf.org/sherman/the childrens bible/the story of creation.htm

Concerning the Heaven.
... stars set they make a circuit round the earth from west ... air also as heavens, because
we see it above us. ... not the heaven that is the region in which birds fly. ...
/.../john/exposition of the orthodox faith/chapter vi concerning the heaven.htm

Concerning the Living Soul, Birds, and Fishes (Ver. 24) --The ...
... Chapter XXI."Concerning the Living Soul, Birds, and Fishes (Ver ... the earth, which
Thou hast founded above the waters ... have life, and the fowls that fly under the ...
/.../the confessions and letters of st/chapter xxi concerning the living soul.htm

The Creation of Fowl and Water Animals.
... abundantly moving creature that hath life and fowl that may fly above the earth
in the open firmament of heaven." Why do the waters give birth also to birds? ...
/.../basil/basil letters and select works/homily viii the creation of.htm

Whether There is Only one Heaven?
... For Chrysostom means by the one heaven the whole body that is above the earth and
the water, for which reason the birds that fly in the air are called birds of ...
/.../christianbookshelf.org/aquinas/summa theologica/whether there is only one 4.htm

The Beginning of Things. Away Back in the Beginning of Things God ...
... seas were gathered together by themselves, and the dry land rose above them, and ...
swim in the seas, and rivers, and for all kinds of birds that fly in the ...
/.../lathbury/childs story of the bible/chapter i the beginning of.htm

On the Words, Maker of Heaven and Earth, and of all Things visible ...
... was to be tilled, He made the heaven above of water ... From one and the same earth come
forth creeping things ... former swim in the waters, so the birds fly in the air ...
/.../cyril/lectures of s cyril of jerusalem/lecture ix on the words.htm

Against the Platonists, who Argue from the Physical Weight of the ...
... granted to the earthly bodies of birds that they ... The earthly animals, too, which
cannot fly, among which ... live in the second element next above earth, while it ...
/.../augustine/city of god/chapter 11 against the platonists who.htm

The Glorious Master and the Swooning Disciple
... thoughts of him who is high above all things. ... of omnipotence, awe and reverence
prostrate us to the earth. ... and distress will vanish as night birds fly to hide ...
/.../spurgeon/spurgeons sermons volume 18 1872/the glorious master and the.htm

Psalm 148
... 10Beasts, and all cattle, creeping things,. and all ye birds that fly. ^11Kings
of the earth, all nations,. ... alone is excellent: His glory reacheth far above. ...
/.../christianbookshelf.org/anonymous/scottish psalter and paraphrases/psalm 148.htm

Resources
Were fish and sea creatures also destroyed during the Flood (Genesis 6-8)? | GotQuestions.org

How can Christian parents deal with empty-nest syndrome? | GotQuestions.org

What made some animals clean and others unclean (Genesis 7)? | GotQuestions.org

Birds: Dictionary and Thesaurus | Clyx.com

Bible ConcordanceBible DictionaryBible EncyclopediaTopical BibleBible Thesuarus
Subtopics

Birds

Birds are Hostile to Strange Kinds

Birds of Abomination

Birds of Cruel and Rapacious Kings

Birds of Hostile Nations

Birds of People of Different Countries

Birds of Prey

Birds of the Devil and his Spirits

Birds of Unsettled Person

Birds: (Snaring) Death

Birds: (Snaring) Designs of the Wicked

Birds: Appointed for Food

Birds: Cages of

Birds: Called: Birds of the Air

Birds: Called: Feathered Fowl

Birds: Called: Fowls of Heaven

Birds: Called: Fowls of the Air

Birds: Called: Winged Fowl

Birds: Can all be Tamed

Birds: Clean: Cock and Hen

Birds: Clean: Crane

Birds: Clean: Dove

Birds: Clean: Offered in Sacrifice

Birds: Clean: Partridge

Birds: Clean: Pigeon

Birds: Clean: Quail

Birds: Clean: Sparrow

Birds: Clean: Swallow

Birds: Clean: To be Eaten

Birds: Clean: Turtle

Birds: Confinement of, in Cages Alluded To

Birds: Created by God

Birds: Created for the Glory of God

Birds: Creation of, on the Fifth Creative Day

Birds: Differ in Flesh from Beasts and Fishes

Birds: Divine Care of

Birds: Domesticated

Birds: Early Distinguished Into Clean and Clean

Birds: Figurative

Birds: Fly Above the Earth

Birds: Furnished With Claws

Birds: Given As Food to Man

Birds: God Provides For

Birds: Habits of

Birds: Have Each Their Peculiar Note or Song

Birds: Herb of the Field Given As Food To

Birds: Inhabit: Deserted Cities

Birds: Inhabit: Deserts

Birds: Inhabit: Marshes

Birds: Inhabit: Mountains

Birds: Instinct of, Inferior to Man's Reason

Birds: Instinctively Fear Man

Birds: Instincts of

Birds: Lessons of Wisdom to be Learned From

Birds: Make Their Nests in Clefts of Rocks

Birds: Make Their Nests in Deserted Cities

Birds: Make Their Nests in Trees

Birds: Make Their Nests: On the Ground

Birds: Make Their Nests: Under the Roofs of Houses

Birds: Make, and Dwell in Nests

Birds: Man's Dominion Over

Birds: Many Kinds of, Carnivorous

Birds: Many Kinds of, Graniverous

Birds: Many Kinds of, Migratory

Birds: Migrate

Birds: Moses' Law Protected the Mother from Being Taken With the Young

Birds: Names Given To, by Adam

Birds: Nests of

Birds: No Likeness of, to be Made for Worship

Birds: Not to be Eaten With Their Young

Birds: Often Remove from Places Suffering Calamities

Birds: Often Suffered for Man's Sin

Birds: Often Worshipped by Idolaters

Birds: Power Over Given to Man

Birds: Propagated by Eggs

Birds: Rapid Flight of, Alluded To

Birds: Rest on Trees

Birds: Solomon Wrote the History of

Birds: Solomon's Proverbs of

Birds: Songs of, at the Break of Day

Birds: Symbolical

Birds: Taken in Snares or Nets

Birds: The Blood of, not to be Eaten

Birds: The Property of God

Birds: Unclean: Bat

Birds: Unclean: Bittern

Birds: Unclean: Cormorant

Birds: Unclean: Cuckoo

Birds: Unclean: Eagle

Birds: Unclean: Gier Eagle

Birds: Unclean: Glede

Birds: Unclean: Great Owl

Birds: Unclean: Hawk

Birds: Unclean: Heron

Birds: Unclean: Kite

Birds: Unclean: Lapwing

Birds: Unclean: Little Owl

Birds: Unclean: Nighthawk

Birds: Unclean: Not to be Eaten

Birds: Unclean: Osprey

Birds: Unclean: Ossifrage

Birds: Unclean: Ostrich

Birds: Unclean: Owl

Birds: Unclean: Peacock

Birds: Unclean: Pelican

Birds: Unclean: Raven

Birds: Unclean: Stork

Birds: Unclean: Swan

Birds: Unclean: Vulture

Birds: What Species Were Unclean

Related Terms

Nest (22 Occurrences)

Chance (78 Occurrences)

Fowler (3 Occurrences)

Tread (60 Occurrences)

Eggs (7 Occurrences)

Dam (5 Occurrences)

Marking (11 Occurrences)

Pinion (4 Occurrences)

Brood (19 Occurrences)

Biri (1 Occurrence)

Stroke (26 Occurrences)

Sparrow (4 Occurrences)

Subapostolic

Sub-apostolic

Ostrich (9 Occurrences)

Exploration

Day (17670 Occurrences)

Road (155 Occurrences)

Across (172 Occurrences)

Hen (7 Occurrences)

Either (152 Occurrences)

Cyrus (20 Occurrences)

Birds (125 Occurrences)

Genealogy (29 Occurrences)

Literature (2 Occurrences)

Jesus (10891 Occurrences)

Atonement (112 Occurrences)

Christ (573 Occurrences)

Palestine (1 Occurrence)

Tree (245 Occurrences)

Birds: Figurative
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