Sparrows And Swallows In The Bible – Introduction
Sparrows and Swallows are not frequently mentioned in Scripture. Both are Passerines and part of the Passeriformes Order. These are easily the largest group of birds in Israel and include Flycatchers, Larks, Martins, Nightingales, Robins, Tits, Warblers, Wrens, and of course the Sparrows and Swallows in the Bible. Birds help control the insect population, spread seeds, help pollinate plants, and of course at times provide beautiful music. This post explores the contributions of birds, specifically Sparrows and Swallows, to the Bible narrative.
20 And God said, Let the waters bring forth abundantly the moving creature that hath life, and fowl that may fly above the earth in the open firmament of heaven. 21 And God created great whales, and every living creature that moveth, which the waters brought forth abundantly, after their kind, and every winged fowl after his kind: and God saw that it was good. 22 And God blessed them, saying, Be fruitful, and multiply, and fill the waters in the seas, and let fowl multiply in the earth. 23 And the evening and the morning were the fifth day.
Genesis 1:20-23 KJV
The Creation Of Sparrows And Swallows In Scripture
On the fifth day of God’s restoration of the Earth, He made the ocean creatures, and all the birds on the planet, including the Sparrows and Swallows. They are not mentioned specifically, but being one of the largest groups, and two species widely dispersed over the planet, they surely were included. It is interesting to note the order of creation. The trees and plants were created first on the third day, so that there would be food available for the birds and fish made on the the 5th day.
Science attempts to reason away the diversity of birds with ideas of natural selection, a mechanism of evolution. They are clever ideas, but they are foolishness compared to God’s Wisdom. Each species is well adapted to their home. They know how to build nests, where to hunt, what to eat, how to avoid and/or defend against predators, and when necessary how and where to migrate. And the latter they do with expert navigational skills, generation after generation. (Jeremiah 8:4-7)
Naming The Animals – Sparrows And Swallows In Scripture
18 And the LORD God said, It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him an help meet for him. 19 And out of the ground the LORD God formed every beast of the field, and every fowl of the air; and brought them unto Adam to see what he would call them: and whatsoever Adam called every living creature, that was the name thereof. 20 And Adam gave names to all cattle, and to the fowl of the air, and to every beast of the field; but for Adam there was not found an help meet for him. Genesis 2:18-20 KJV