Seven Innovations from the Bible 

WEEKLY DEVOTIONAL BY PATRICE TSAGUE

Are there examples of innovation in the Bible?
What was the first innovation introduced in Scripture?
What can we learn from the various innovations from the Bible?

Seven Innovations from the Bible

Our God is an innovative God. He is the Creator and the first innovator. 

Scripture is full of examples where He modeled for us how we can innovate as He did. Not only did He create the heavens and the earth with all therein (Genesis 1:1; Psalm 24:1), but He also went a step further and modeled for us how we can make functional and useful things from His creation. Innovation enables us to partner with the Lord in the continued work of creation. 

Here are seven examples of innovation found in the Bible:

1. Clothing (Genesis 3:21)
   Clothing is the first innovative product in the Bible that met a human need. Before God made the first clothes out of animal skin, Adam and Eve covered themselves with fig leaves. God knew they needed something more durable and strong. As a consequence of their sin, the earth was now going to experience extreme weather conditions, wild animals, insects, and other environmental challenges, therefore they needed something that could protect them against the elements and weather various conditions. 
   

2. A different breed of sheep (Genesis 30:37-43)
   Jacob worked for his uncle, Laban, for 20 years caring for his sheep but was treated unjustly by him in return. Desiring his freedom, God gave him an idea about how to create a new breed of sheep that would enable him to build his own business. He did so, and he went on to become a wealthy businessman who was one of those used by God to establish the nation of Israel. 
   

3. The Ark (Genesis 6:14-16)
   The earth was about to suffer judgment from God through a flood, but a remnant needed to be preserved that would be able to rebuild after the flood. God chose Noah and gave him the idea to build a boat that would be completely waterproof and able to transport his family, along with a pair of almost every kind of animal necessary to repopulate the land and the air. Imagine the engineering required for this! This Ark was built to keep Noah’s family and the animals safe until the end of the flood, which is estimated to have lasted about one year. 
   
   

4. Construction
   There are several innovative buildings constructed in the Bible: the Tabernacle of Moses (Exodus 25:8-9) – a portable dwelling place for the Presence of God; the Tower of Babel (Genesis 11:1-4) – which at that time was the tallest structure built by man (an ancient “twin towers”), which was also in the first modern city; and the Temple of Solomon (1 Kings 6:2-38), which used some of the latest technology and did not spare any expense. These constructions were marvels of their day and gave us examples and models that have been used until this day. 
   

5. The Ten Commandments (Exodus 20:1-17)
   The Ten Commandments were laws that were written by God Himself that would address everything from Man’s allegiance to God, to how we should treat each other, and how we should care for ourselves, laid out in ten simple and easy-to-understand commandments. Every other law of the Bible springs from these ten.
   

6. Cleanliness and other medical procedures (Leviticus 11:24)
   Very few people recognize that physicians have been inspired throughout history by the Bible’s procedures of cleanliness to develop life-saving medical procedures. Here are some examples: how to prevent the spread of germs (Numbers 19:11-22); water purification (Numbers 19); quarantine (Leviticus 13:46); and circumcision (Genesis 17:12-14). The fact that the Bible documented the cleanliness procedures that the Jewish people used in those early days showed how far ahead of their time they were. Although they had no idea why God gave them those procedures, following them protected them from the spreading of diseases among them through infection or contamination.
   

7. Love (Matthew 22:37-40)
   Until Jesus began His earthly ministry, no one had ever put such an emphasis on the power of love. His ability to summarize the entire law in one word – love – was revolutionary, especially since during the time that He walked the earth, love was considered to be a weakness, not a strength. Love was a virtue only used with those you cared for intimately or your family, but Jesus took it one step further by encouraging His disciples to love even their enemies. This idea has been used many times to transform cultures, nations, and companies. 
   

As you can see, there are examples of innovation throughout the Scriptures. They are not just limited to creating products, but they also include creating new breeds of animals, major construction projects, guidelines on how to successfully approach life, medical procedures, and even how to bring change in the culture. As King Solomon told us in Ecclesiastes 1:9, truly “there is nothing new under the sun”. 

These 7 innovations represent only a few of the innovations in the Bible. There are many more. As you read the Scriptures, let these innovations inspire you to be like your Father, the first Innovator. Let God use them to give you new innovative ideas so you can grow your business for greater Kingdom impact. 

My prayer for you is that God will give you the wisdom to be more innovative, so that your Kingdom company may grow and become profitable for His glory.