Creation: it’s all around us, and in fact literally is us! We know that God created everything - humans, nature, the sun and moon, the stars. So when He gave us His Word in the Bible, what did He tell us about how we should treat this amazing creation?
Genesis 2:15 says, “The Lord God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and take care of it.” The Hebrew word that’s translated there as “work” can also mean labor or serve. The general idea of it is to work or serve with respect. The word that’s translated there as “take care of” also means to guard or keep watch over. So in that statement, God is showing the man (Adam) and the rest of us that we should treat His creation with respect.
Numbers 35 talks about cities of refuge for the people of Israel where they can be safe, and verses 33-34 say, “Do not pollute the land where you are. Bloodshed pollutes the land, and atonement cannot be made for the land on which blood has been shed, except by the blood of the one who shed it. Do not defile the land where you live and where I dwell, for I, the Lord, dwell among the Israelites.” While that command was specific to the Israelites in that situation, we can take from it the idea that we should treat the land with respect. The Lord does dwell with us, and we should treat His creation well for that reason.
We know from Psalm 24:1-2 that “The earth is the Lord’s, and everything in it, the world, and all who live in it; for he founded it on the seas and established it on the waters.” If someone gives you a gift, especially a person you greatly respect or admire, you would generally treat that gift with the utmost respect. How much more should we take care of this earth that God has given us! It is a gift to us, along with our very lives, from the almighty creator of the universe!
In Exodus 23:10-11, God gave Israel specific instructions regarding the farming of their land: “For six years you are to sow your fields and harvest the crops, but during the seventh year let the land lie unplowed and unused. Then the poor among your people may get food from it, and the wild animals may eat what is left. Do the same with your vineyard and your olive grove.”
Deuteronomy 11:12 is talking about the promised land as the Israelites are about to cross into it. It says, “It is a land the Lord your God cares for; the eyes of the Lord your God are continually on it from the beginning of the year to its end.” Again, that passage was written to that group of people specifically at that time, but the idea behind it is that God does care for the land, so we should treat it with respect.
God created this world for us as humans to inhabit, so simply because of that fact we should take care of it. It brings God glory when we take care of His creation. How are you glorifying God in your life by taking care of creation?
This forum is meant to foster discussion and allow for differing viewpoints to be explored with equal and respectful consideration. All comments are moderated and any foul language or threatening/abusive comments will not be approved. Users who engage in threatening or abusive comments which are physically harmful in nature will be reported to the authorities.
0 comments:
Post a Comment