This enormous animal, sometimes called the River Horse, is native of various parts of Africa, and is always found either in the water or in its near vicinity.
The skin is covered with a vast number of pores from which comes a thick oily liquid, which effectually protects him from the injurious effects of the water in which he is so constantly immersed. Thus we see God made him fit to live in water. He has also prepared him with teeth which have a terrific appearance, but are only intended to cut grass, which he can do as neatly as if it were mown with a scythe: and he is also able to sever, as if with shears, a tolerably stout and thick stem.
Its stomach is capable of holding five or six bushels of food. So we see the wisdom in the whole design—the mouth and teeth suitable for the stomach, and the stomach suitable to digest enough food to support such a large body.
We have seen God’s power and wisdom as Creator in our sketch of the Hippopotamus; but many of our readers can tell us, His love was shown to us when He gave His only begotten Son to die on the cross in our stead, to deliver us from the wrath and judgment we deserved for our many sins. So the Scripture says, “IN THIS WAS MANIFEST THE LOVE OF GOD TOWARD US, BECAUSE THAT GOD SENT HIS ONLY BEGOTTEN SON INTO T H E WORLD, THAT WE MIGHT LIVE THROUGH HIM.” 1 John 4:9.
ML 05/12/1940