“And God blessed them. And God said to them, ‘Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth and subdue it, and have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over every living thing that moves on the earth.'” Genesis 1:28
August 10, 2023
As Christians we have to be careful not to be drawn into the gloom and doom of secularism’s apocalyptic fear-mongering about the end of our planet. Climate change is not going to be the end of us. This is not to say that man-made harm to the environment cannot happen. Creation has been placed under the stewardship of man. The “subdue” of Genesis 1:28 does not mean the “very good” of creation was hostile, wild, and out of control. The Defender’s Bible says, “it suggests, rather, intensive study of the earth and its features (that is, science) and then application of that knowledge (that is, technology and commerce) for the optimum benefit of mankind and the animals and for the glory of God.” This is not to say that in a post-Garden of Eden world (after the fall of Adam) a groaning creation does not need special efforts to mitigate the problems of a dying planet. But it is to say that creation does not exist as a result of some evolutionary process. We should all want clean air and water and not spew toxic chemicals without accountability. It is a fascinating study to note how nature was subordinated to and served the kingdom-covenant program of Old Testament Israel (the theocracy). The sacrificial system, Israel’s national wealth, the productivity of the land, and conserving natural resources (e.g., trees, Deut. 20:19-20, hunting, Deut. 22:6-7), the sabbatical year (land lay fallow), and sanitation. The creation is God’s handiwork and is to be treated with respect. A suggestion: Take a walk, pray for your neighbors, and pick up trash along the way.
H