I listened and heard, but they do not speak aright. No man repented of his wickedness, saying, “What have I done?” Everyone turned to his own course, as the horse rushes into the battle. Even the stork in the heavens knows her appointed times; and the turtledove, the swift, and the swallow observe the time of their coming. But My people do not know the judgment of the Lord. How can you say, “We are wise, and the law of the Lord is with us”? Look, the false pen of the scribe certainly works falsehood. The wise men are ashamed, they are dismayed and taken. Behold, they have rejected the word of the Lord; so what wisdom do they have? (Jeremiah 8:6-9)

The Stork Is Wiser Than A Man

Animals are amazing creatures. The Arctic Tern is an example of the incredible power of a small bird no larger than 14 inches and weighing no more than 3 to 5 ounces. Each year the migration of the Arctic Tern covers around 25,000 miles flying from one end of the globe to the other. They do not have any roadmaps or GPS to guide them on their way. Their migrations have continued since the beginning of time without the aid and assistance of man. Embedded within their tiny brains is the imprint of God’s creative power to know their appointed seasons and times.

The prophet Jeremiah may not have known what an Arctic Tern was but his comparison of God’s creation and the wisdom of man is clearly evident. Israel had fallen into the darkness of idolatry rejecting the word of God for their own wisdom. Based upon their carnal desires the people of God had rejected the word of the Lord to follow after broken down trees carved into idols. Sin had so consumed the hearts of the people that no one was sorry for doing wrong. There was no remorse for the evil brought through immorality, corruption, wickedness, and false worship. It seems as if the nation was running headlong as fast as they could into everything vile and depraved. The Lord compares the wisdom of birds to the wisdom of men and finds the wisdom of men lacking. Birds may have small brains but they know the time of migration. Men are made in the image of the Divine and show no wisdom in following their Creator.

The law of nature determines the course of the sun, moon, and stars. Oceans and rivers flow around the world according to the divine plan of creation. Animals go about their lives without the aid of man’s wisdom. They know instinctively when to move to warmer climates or when to return to their spawning origins and do so without the guidance of human wisdom. Since the beginning of time, God has given man His word so that he can know and understand the eternal truth of the nature of man. What separates man from animal is that man is an eternal being that will never cease to exist. Animals die and they are no more. Men possess the intellect of eternal wisdom but animals live by instinct. The law of God is given to guide man and give him direction but he refuses to listen. History repeatedly shows the failure of human wisdom. Compared to human wisdom, animals are the wiser species.

Human wisdom is a quagmire of foolishness that has never elevated man to a higher plane. As hard as a man will try, his knowledge will fail him every time. Only when the creation listens to his Creator will the human spirit find the purpose to which they were created. Human wisdom makes man nothing more than an animal with no purpose in life. Animals have a purpose in life and live each day fulfilling the divine pattern of life prescribed by God. The stork is smarter than a man who does not follow the word of God. Men twist the word of God to their destruction and make themselves more foolish before all the animals of the world. Is a man so wise after all when he rejects the word of God? What wisdom do they have? Consider the stork.