By ROTIMI ASHER
[dropcap]N[/dropcap]othing is new under the heaven. Though witnessing things that happen every day in our environment or the entire world, one may be tempted to think otherwise. But, in reality, nothing is original. The fact becomes more evident while driving through the book of Ecclesiastes in the Holy Bible. The following verse emerges: “That which is has already been; and what is to be has already been, and God requires an account of what is past”. We must all align to this wonderful discovery.
It is only an ignoramus, who does not believe in the authenticity of the Scriptures, because whatever God does is everlasting. No one can add to what he has altered. Neither can anyone take from it. The quote above confirms my assertion. For instance, looking at fashion trend, you would realise that it is a record of ancient patterns.
On a visit to my friend’s place, a man’s photograph was sighted in the latest three-button suit on a television set. Asked who the man was, my friend said, “That’s my father!” This exclamatory remark ensued: Three and four-button suit cannot really be new fashion after all. We have only experienced rotation of things from different generations. That is the world for you, the whole thing repeating itself, though with modifications.
Compulsorily, every human being should have revelation understanding of this great truth: “That which has been is what will be, that which is done is what will be done; and there is nothing new under the sun”. Is there anything of which it may be said, “SEE, THIS IS NEW?” It has already been in ancient time before us. All scientific discoveries could have been necessitated by circumstances, hence the saying, “Necessity is the mother of invention.”
It is true that God lives in a timeless world. But he cannot do anything on earth until it is time. We live in a world of time and God recognizes it. His dealing with mankind is based on time. He does not exceed the ordained time. In the 18th century, when no one knew about such automobiles as Mazda, Peugeot, Honda, Toyota and many more, these cars were already existing in the spiritual realm. For God had the foreknowledge of these cars before their time.
Today we are in a generation where motor industries breed exotic cars like babies. In fact as we approach the end of this age, we would see many elegantly modernized automobiles on roads. They are not new. It is just classical metamorphosis. What we call automobile today was in the very old days, referred to as chariots: a stately vehicle with four-wheel carriage and back seat only meant for kings and important personalities pulled by beasts. Its existence dates back to the days of Joseph in the land of Egypt.
The then Egyptian monarch had chariots as his stately royal vehicles, beautifully built for him as the king of the most advanced nation of that generation. The second best of his chariots was given to Joseph, his Prime Minister as an official car.
“And he had him ride in the second chariot, which he had: and they cried out before him, ‘Bow the kneel’. So they set him over all the land of Egypt”. Thus Joseph rode in the second chariot of Pharaoh.
At inception, the chariots used to have horse(s) dragging it with horsemen(driver). While the king would sit at the back. The more the number of horses attached , the more the force generated for acceleration. But there is a limit to horses, depending on the size of a chariot(vehicle). The horses served as an engine, which propelled a vehicle (chariot). This was the kind of technology in vogue, during the ancient days.
Due to advancement, they began to build chariots for different purposes. Some were built for pleasure. Others with iron for war, what we tag armoured car in modern society.
“But the children of Joseph said the mountain country is not enough for us, all the Canaanites, who dwell in the land of the valley have CHARIOTS OF IRON, both those who are of Beth shear and its towns and those who are of the valley of Jezreel”.
The tribe of Joseph did not have ‘sophisticated’ war vehicle to confront the Canaanites and other surrounding nation at that time. It became impossible to drive out the Canaanites. Same applied to the tribe of Judah, who could not drive out inhabitants of the lowlands, because they had chariots of iron. So the Lord was with Judah. And they drove out the members. But they could not drive out the inhabitants of the lowlands, because they had Chariots of Iron, the most advanced auto machine of war in those days. Nations who had them were super powers.
It is so amazing how God operates. His ways are unfathomable. When Elijah was to be taken up into heaven, it was a Chariot God used, though a Chariot of fire. And what has man made today? Rockets shot up by fore into the moon or even farther than.
The chariot carried by wind flew to heaven. Interestingly, the chariot was made of fire. While man makes Chariots of Iron, God has Chariots of Fire. It occurs to me that inventions by man are God-inspired. He is fulfilling God’s purpose by inventing combustible mechanism. Consequently the industry has been going through periods of technology metamorphosis. To be continued.
ROTIMI ASHER is Motoring World’s Senior Correspondent, Lagos
