Vol. 04, No. 07

Mt. Baker Beacon - 2025

Steven J. Wallace
02/23/25 - Mt. Baker Beacon - 2025

“INTELLECT” AND “BIRDS’ CLAWS”

Steven J. Wallace

Proverbs 2:6:
"For the Lord gives wisdom; from His mouth come knowledge and understanding." (NKJV)

This verse stresses that true intellect—wisdom, knowledge, and understanding—comes from God. Human reasoning is most reliable when it is grounded in divine truth rather than self-reliance (Prov. 3:5-6).

Our God possesses infinite intellect; He not only knows all things but also searches every heart (1 Chron. 28:9). Scripture reveals that He tests the hearts of men (1 Chron. 29:17), for nothing is hidden from His sight (Prov. 15:11). On earth, only mankind is capable of possessing true intellect, being made in the image of God.

Unlike humans, animals are unreasoning creatures. They do not discern between good and evil, truth and error, or make morally upright choices. As a judgment upon Nebuchadnezzar, God temporarily stripped him of human reasoning and gave him the mind of an animal: “Let his heart be changed from that of a man, let him be given the heart of a beast…” (Dan. 4:16). This punishment drove him away from society, forcing him to live in the wild. His hair grew like an eagle’s feathers, and his nails were like birds’ claws (Dan. 4:33). This discipline taught him—and all people—that God rules over the kingdoms of men.

At the appointed time, Nebuchadnezzar lifted his eyes to heaven and declared, “My understanding returned to me.” A heart without understanding is beastlike. Sin can warp our thinking to the point where we become like unreasoning animals. Peter warned, “But these, like natural brute beasts made to be caught and destroyed, speak evil of the things they do not understand, and will utterly perish in their own corruption” (2 Pet. 2:12).

The gospel restores our minds. Within it, we discover the transformative power of having the mind of Christ (Phil. 2:5ff).

So, what is your mind filled with? Do you have a debased mind filled with wickedness (Rom. 1:28-29)? A puffed-up fleshly mind (Col. 2:18)?

If God judged men today as He did Nebuchadnezzar, would you stand with an upright heart, or would you be driven away, your understanding lost, and your nails growing like birds’ claws?

"With the heart one believes…" (Rom. 10:10). Let God inscribe His law upon your heart and begin developing the mind of Christ through His Word!

SENTENCE SERMONS:

“You cannot find a scriptural way to do an unscriptural thing.”

“Tragedy in the Bible Class…The vacant chair and the unopened Bible.”

“The man who is never very strong against anything is never very strong for anything!”

“A fool tells you what he will do; A boaster, what he has done. The wise man does it and says nothing.”

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“A SIGN FROM HEAVEN”

Matthew 16:1-4

Who tested Jesus, and why is this significant? (Matthew 16:1)
Name some things John teaches us about their unbelief. (John 12:37-41)
Using the chart below, what kind of sign was the prophet Jonah?

Compare and contrast the relationships between Jesus and Jonah.

“MIRACLES ARE EXAGGERATED STORIES”

John 20:30, 31

How are miracles presented in Scripture? Are they portrayed as myths, exaggerations, or eyewitness testimonies?
Fill in the blanks: “Men of Israel, hear these words: Jesus of Nazareth, a Man attested by God to you by ______________, ______________, and ______________ which God did through Him in your midst, as you yourselves also ______________.” (Acts 2:22)
Identify four purposes of miracles in Bible times.
Why is it reasonable to believe in biblical miracles?
Do the sacred writers affirm the existence of natural law? If so, where? Provide at least one scriptural reference.
Does man have the power to create and establish laws that govern the heavens and earth? (Job 38:33)
If God authored the laws governing the material universe, what does this reveal about His power and nature?
What challenge did Paul give to those who stood before him? (Acts 26:8)
What does nature itself cry out for? (Psalm 102:26; Romans 8:22-23)
Who is the answer to mankind’s doomed state, and what law sets us free? (Romans 8:1-2)