The Mighty Elephant

From: Messages of God's Love: 1995

• 3 min. read • grade level: 6

“Behold now [the elephant], which I made. . . . He eateth grass as an ox. . . . His bones are like bars of iron. . . . The shady trees cover him. . . . He drinketh up a river. . . . His nose pierceth through snares.”
Job 40:15-24¹⁵Behold now behemoth, which I made with thee; he eateth grass as an ox. ¹⁶Lo now, his strength is in his loins, and his force is in the navel of his belly. ¹⁷He moveth his tail like a cedar: the sinews of his stones are wrapped together. ¹⁸His bones are as strong pieces of brass; his bones are like bars of iron. ¹⁹He is the chief of the ways of God: he that made him can make his sword to approach unto him. ²⁰Surely the mountains bring him forth food, where all the beasts of the field play. ²¹He lieth under the shady trees, in the covert of the reed, and fens. ²²The shady trees cover him with their shadow; the willows of the brook compass him about. ²³Behold, he drinketh up a river, and hasteth not: he trusteth that he can draw up Jordan into his mouth. ²⁴He taketh it with his eyes: his nose pierceth through snares. (Job 40:15‑24)

Except for whales, African elephants are the largest creatures on earth. They may weigh five or six tons, while those in Asia are smaller.

When a baby elephant is born, the excited herd groups around the mother to protect her, and one of the females becomes an “aunty” to help with the baby. The 250-pound baby cannot walk immediately after it is born. It has to be helped to its feet over and over again, until it can stand alone. It grows to full size in about 20 years and may live to be 60 years old or more.

The elephant is a friendly and curious animal. It eats leaves, grass, roots, water plants, and other vegetation. Sometimes it will shake a fruit tree and eat the fruit that falls to the ground. Each day an adult eats at least 400 pounds of food and drinks 50 gallons or more of water. The Lord God, in His care over all He has created, placed them where there is plenty of food for them to eat.

Although an elephant has thick skin, it is very sensitive to touch. An elephant trainer will demonstrate this by lying down and allowing an elephant to place a foot on his chest. The elephant can do this gently, although its enormous weight could easily crush him to death. Its ivory tusks are often several feet long and may weigh 200 pounds or more. God compensated for the weight of the tusks by lightening the head bones with numerous air pockets. The tusks can push heavy objects out of the way, dig for roots and even become weapons when the elephant is angry.

An elephant’s trunk is an amazing structure. It has 2500 muscles and is actually a stretched-out nose and lip. With it the elephant can pluck a single blade of grass, uproot a large tree, and pick up water, dust or mud to spray on itself when it is hot or bothered by insects. The trunk is also used as a trumpet to call its companions. When needed, it becomes a weapon and sometimes is used for spanking a baby.

An African elephant’s ears are three times the size of its Asian cousin’s ears. When the elephant is angry its ears stand out threateningly, but they have also been given a more practical use by the Creator. An elephant is not cooled by perspiring like most other animals. Instead, it cools itself by waving these big ears back and forth. An entire herd doing this is an impressive sight.

The elephant not only follows its God-given instincts, but it is also very intelligent. However, no matter how smart these and other creatures are, it is only man to whom God has given a never-dying soul: “[Man’s] spirit shall return unto God who gave it” (Ecclesiastes 12:7⁷Then shall the dust return to the earth as it was: and the spirit shall return unto God who gave it. (Ecclesiastes 12:7)). A person will either go to heaven or hell, depending on what that person’s decision is concerning the Lord Jesus Christ. The Bible tells us, “He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him” (John 3:36³⁶He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him. (John 3:36)).

Which group are you in?

DECEMBER 24, 1995

“By one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned.”
Romans 5:12¹²Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned: (Romans 5:12)

ML-12/24/1995

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