Example of God's Manifold Wisdom and Power
Clarke. Ephesians 3:10-11 To the intent that now to the principalities and powers in heavenly places might be known by the church the manifold wisdom of God,… And God said, "Let the waters bring forth abundantly the moving creature that hath life." There is a meaning in these sublime words which is seldom noticed. Innumerable millions of animalculae are found in water, which are never noticed by the unaided sight from their minuteness. Eminent naturalists have discovered not less than 30,000 in a single drop! How inconceivably small must each be; and yet each a perfect animal, furnished with the whole apparatus of bones, muscles, nerves, heart, arteries, veins, lungs, viscera in general, etc. What a proof is this of the manifold wisdom of God! But the fruitfulness of fishes is another point intended in the text; no creatures are so prolific as these. A tench lays 1,000 eggs, a carp 20,000, and Lewenhock counted in a middle-sized cod, 9,384,000! Thus, according to the good purpose of God, "the waters bring forth abundantly." And what a merciful provision is this for the necessities of man! Many hundreds of thousands of the earth's inhabitants live for a great part of the year on fish only. Fish afford, not only a wholesome, but a very nutritive diet: they are liable to few diseases, and generally come in vast quantities to our shores, when in their greatest perfection. In this also we may see that the kind providence of God goes hand in hand with His creative energy; while He manifests His wisdom and His power, He makes provision for the sustenance of man through all his generations. (Clarke.) Parallel Verses KJV: To the intent that now unto the principalities and powers in heavenly places might be known by the church the manifold wisdom of God, WEB: to the intent that now through the assembly the manifold wisdom of God might be made known to the principalities and the powers in the heavenly places,