Jonathan Edwards on the Images of Divine Things
Once I had an experience on my back porch when we were still living in Center Point, AL. I was watching wasps, and other critters, feeling the cool breeze blowing, and the warmth of the sun upon my skin. In my prayerful reflections, it dawned upon me that all these physical realities are pointing to something much greater, namely, God Himself. As the Scriptures indicate, there are physical, material realities that are but shadows of the substance (Col 2:17; Heb 8:5; 10:1).
Recently, I have been spending time with Jonathan Edwards, digging into his writings. One of them is his list of notes called “Images of Divine Things.” I don’t think Edwards meant for this list to be published and widely known (perhaps he was using this research to write a book on the topic one day), but still, reading his thoughts on this matter soon becomes an act of worship.
Perhaps Edwards stretches the idea of a type / shadow a bit too far, and perhaps there will be endless debate about the interpretations of exactly what the physical shadows are meant to signify spiritually, but nevertheless Edwards does make you think. Did God create the physical world in such a way, that everything in it points to something greater?
Well, you can read Edward’s list at the Jonathan Edwards Center and come to your own conclusions. Enjoy!