One wonders WHY God created the raven with an intelligence which they often use manipulatively over other animals.
But since nothing is by accident where the Creator is concerned, let's look closer:
The insulting term "bird-brain" would never fit the raven. When that shiny black, bold bird with the wedge-shaped tail is an adult, it measures about 2 feet in length, has a 4-foot wing spread--and it has one of the largest brains (with more brain cells) than any feathered animal in God's creation. Neurologist Cobb found that these birds are able to perform synonymous functions! The raven is just plain "smart."
This bird is also a member of God's "garbage collector" scavengers of the natural world—and it is surely not by accident that the raven uses his brain to get at the food he wants to eat—even if he has to take advantage of other creatures to do so! You see his bill is large and stout—but it is not suitable for ripping open hides in certain situations. So it's not-by-accident that ravens have been given sharp eyesight as well as the ability to imi¬tate other creatures' vocalizations. When a raven spots a frozen carcass for example, and he can't get at the meat—he uses his brain to find a solu¬tion. What would you do? Seeing potential prey, the raven will imitate the call of other creatures (such as coyotes with sharp teeth) who then, oblig¬ingly, come to the feast! The raven has also been known to find prey and by his calls, lead a pack of wolves to the carcass! Once the other creatures have done the work of tearing open the hide, the raven swoops in, grabs what he wants, and flies off. It's amazingly not by accident: the raven has pondered from cause to effect, and acted accordingly!
The raven (a solitary bird) hovers, soars, or does barrel rolls in mid-air—apparently just for fun. Surely our Creator enjoys watching these exuberant flying machines playing in the air currents. The raven is found all over North America—intelligently adapting to all types of weather conditions. Ravens learn quickly, with juvenile ravens intensely interested in anything new and shiny, while the adult ravens are wary—sometimes taking up to three days to study a carcass before actually approaching it. Again, and not by accident, the wiser mature bird uses its mind to consider its meal and any possible dangers before plunging into the food it enjoys.
The raven is the only bird Messiah specifically told us in Scripture to "consider-as an example of the way God provides for His creatures. These birds were given intelligence. Yet we humans are given far more intelligence than they. While God expects us to use our intellect, we're still to remember it is He who provides for us. Let's not forget His words, "Of how much more value are you than birds?"
"NOT BY ACCIDENT" (c) Juanita Kretschmar is used by permission and was first published in the book "Not By Accident" page 29.
Picture originally found here
