From The Midwest Review of Books (Reviewed by Diane Donovan)
Creation’s Testimony: His Invisible Attributes Clearly Seen, Understood by the Things that Are Made examines God’s creations with an eye to considering how God’s purpose and wonder is embedded in the fabric of His creations.
Elements of life that appear incomprehensible or invisible are supported by evidence that comes not from human analysis and statements, but by the presence and operations of nature in human lives. This ranges from the sun, moon, and stars to answers embedded in creation and life that thinkers will reflect upon with the help of Jeffrey Weitzel’s survey.
This is not to say that listening to nature in a deeper manner can replace Biblical stories, examples, or insights; but rather that such an approach can add depth and discovery to what has already been written as a well-known narration of human affairs and history.
Readers of Creation’s Testimony should not expect a treatise designed to change the world or link Christian thinking to world affairs. Its lesson in encouraging deeper inspections of personal, historical, and spiritual intentions is more of a guidepost that lends direction into the process of better understanding creation itself:
…if you observe a natural, created thing, it will only do what it was designed by the Creator to do. All created things are consistent in that way, so that we can make observations and learn a thing or two about how they work.
In many ways, this approach results in seeing more clearly. Weitzel considers modern obstacles to this clarity, proposes a course of inspection that circumvents patterns of human affairs that obscure divinity, and creates food for thought perfect for spiritual reading circles or book club discussions:
…we see the beginning of a pattern of man wanting to hide nature and hide from nature—both our own nature, and the nature of creation. Immediately Adam and Eve tried to hide their natural bodies, as guilt had pricked something inside of them that made them ashamed of who they were.
Lest readers think this discourse will focus on Scripture and history alone, it should be mentioned that personal experience weaves through the bigger-picture thinking to create powerful connections. These draw important links between daily experience and bigger-picture thinking:
And somehow, I have been able to function at a remarkably high level for all of this, although it did take time for my brain to make the adjustment. We are truly fearfully and wonderfully made, and God has installed back-up plans in our bodies to compensate when other things go wrong, much like the plan He put in place when sin entered the world.
Weitzel creates a mesh of insights that often pinpoint why modern Christian thinkers may struggle to recognize and acknowledge God’s hand in the most basic of life processes:
It should not be a difficult thing to do, to look at the sky and know where in the day, week, month, and year we are. Yet it is. There are some basic things that have been lost to us since the time of creation. Some has been lost in much the same way that common sense is no longer common, some lost in cultural constructs that have changed over millennia, but there is more as well—difficulties that no common sense or research can account for.
The result is a heady collection of insights that deserves to be part of any serious Christian thinker’s collection and libraries catering to them.
Best used as a focal point for group discussion beyond individual contemplation alone, Creation’s Testimony serves as a vivid connection between Scripture and created things in the world. It reviews how the messages of this creation can be distilled into basic, essential insights into life’s meaning. This focus will absorb and delight Christian audiences interested in harvesting many new insights about God’s intentions and incarnations.
Editorial Review from Reader’s Favorite (readersfavorite.com)
We invent amazing things, create art, and surround ourselves with perfectly and conveniently shaped items. Our modern lifestyle implies living in an artificial world isolated from nature. But is it what God wants for us, his children? What does it take to overcome our inclination toward idolatry and start living according to God’s commandments? How can we understand what the Creator tries to tell us? If we examine the creation closely, we may notice God’s hand and touch in everything. Creation’s Testimony by Jeffrey Weitzel is a meaningful Christian guide that helps us find answers to several burning questions.
Creation’s Testimony is for those ready to explore the deeper layers of Scripture, learn about infinite wisdom, and restore or strengthen their Christian faith. In his captivating book, Jeffrey Weitzel motivates us to reread well-known biblical verses with different eyes. Learning about the correlations between the feast days mentioned in the Old Testament and the prophecies of Revelation is fascinating. The author’s conversational and friendly tone, simple language, and openness are appealing and help us better comprehend the serious and complex topics this book covers. For example, Weitzel explains the necessity of fasting: “But when that food goes away, in our need to fill that space, we become receptive to spiritual nourishment.” Some of Weitzel’s arguments may seem provocative, but he gives us food for the mind and encourages us to draw independent conclusions. After reading this book, we will see the incredible beauty of God’s creation and will become more protective of it.
