Tuesday: Creation Care
The issue of the environment, and taking care of the environment, isn’t specifically and openly addressed in the Bible. Of course, there are a lot of specific issues that the Bible doesn’t address. What the Bible does do, and does again and again, is give us principles that should be applied to all areas of life, which include the question of the environment.
Think about Matthew 22:37–40. In what ways could the principles taught here impact our attitude toward environmental concerns, especially when misuse of the environment can have some very detrimental effects on others?
Early on in the Bible, we are given some indication of humanity’s call to be a steward of what God had given Adam on the earth. Though the context is very specific, it’s hard to see why the principle shouldn’t continue.
Genesis 2:15 reads, “And the Lord God took the man, and put him into the garden of Eden to dress it and to keep it.” In what way does this reveal how humankind was originally to relate to the earth?
Notice the reciprocal relationship here. God created this beautiful environment for the man; it was given to him as a gift. And yet, see how Adam was to relate to it. He was to work it and to keep it. The word translated “keep” comes from the Hebrew root, smr, which means “to watch” or “to preserve” or “to protect.” Thus, right from the start, even in the pre-Fall world, Adam was called to be a steward of the environment in which he was placed. God didn’t tell him to exploit it, to use it for his own selfish means, and to get out of it all that he could. Instead, he is told to work it and protect it.
What reason could we have for believing that this principle has changed? In fact, if this is what Adam was called to do in a world before sin entered, how much more important would good stewardship of the world be after it has been damaged by sin?
How conscious are you of environmental concerns? How much do you really even care about them? How important or unimportant is it to you? Bring your answer to class on Sabbath.?
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I like the idea of the earth being given to us as a "gift." We generally appreciate and cherish a gift.
So, as Christians, who appreciate God's gift, we will take care of the environment around us, not polluting it with garbage or with chemicals that destroy the wonderfully complex life in the soil which makes the soil fertile.
By the virtue that man highly depend on the earth's produce he has to take care of it. Love your neighbors as you love yourself, I believe no one would wants to die and so to the neighbor.
If we don't take care of earth were are not appreciating the life that God gave us as a gift and He may take it away from me.
GOD KINDLY TEACH HOW TO APPRECIATE YOUR CREATION IN HONORING YOU
Yes, God did create the earth for man. Think of this great love for humanity, He placed everything necessary, He did not want us to be in need of nothing. So as Christians knowing this truth should share it with those who are ignorant of these facts and with respect for our Father Creator take care as not to distroy our environment as to affect others, such being a testimony for all to see.
Amen
Yes, all Christians must be willing to be an example to the rest of the world in how to take care of the planet. I second that amen.
Dear friend Kim shay,what have you planned to do to your area near your home in order to beautfy it? praying for you.
Glory to God because of his love on us. We are supposed to keep our environment clean and not misuse it, God will ask everyone of us to give account on how we used it. Take care friend.
In giving us everything we needed including the ability to discern between right and wrong, God already provided us with an internal compass to tell us if we were caring for or abusing the environment. Only after the curse of sin, did greed cause us to misuse God's property. This is yet another reason to return to the original plan that God has for us.
I believe that creation and nature is God's first book to humankind, if we destroy his creation we effectly destroy Him, which is exactly what Satan wants. Every Christian should take pride in their environment. If God did not care,because He will eventually destroy it, there would be no brilliant blooms every Spring, we would have no seasonal changes that display His glory. Sin makes this necessary but praise God He will do it even better the second time around.
I believe the Scripture Gen. 1:27 is a clue. We are created in God's image > God is the Creator > He creates, therefore we should be creative, not destructive. Yes, there were no synthetics or other man-made things back then, but Adam & Eve were still given the rules orally, because it would be needed especially later on. I'm sure they even had things to throw away back then.
My grandparents were landlords, and when I'd visit them, my grandma would always tell me to save the fruit peels, egg shells, etc. I asked why, and she said it was to put in the garden in the back yard. So, she didn't just throw it away-- there was a use for it: it had nutritional value & helped replenish the soil. It didn't make her an extremist or weird, she was just using knowledge & common sense. If you talk to a person in their 60s or older, they'll always tell you in their stories how these things were done on an everyday basis.
As I often do, I really look at God's creation, the variety of plants and animals and the intricate detail of the human body. This reflection keeps me humble and in awe of my Lord and Savior.
Also, I see the deterioration of the earth. We are seeing earthquakes in places that have never experienced them. It snowed in Hawaii.
We have summer temperatures one day. The next day we have winter temperatures. Sink holes engulfing homes and vast crakes in the earth surface across our planet. Numerous cases of fish, dolphins and whales washing ashore dead.
Days come and go so quickly. I often find myself wondering where have the hours and minutes gone. Everything in nature is out of sequence or balance.
I'm not saying that we should abuse God's creation. More so, we should be mindful of the bigger picture. This earth is not our home.