The Need for Creation Care

The earth is the LORD’s and all it contains - Psalm 24:1, NASB

In Genesis 1:26-28, humans are commanded to "rule" (Hebrew, rada) and "subdue", (kabash) creation. Sadly, this has led some to rationalize the exploitation of creation for profit. However, in Genesis 2:15, the Hebrew words abad, "serve", and shamar, "preserve" are used. Serving and preserving creation obviously precludes exploitation. If we put all these commands together, we can see that God intended humans to manage creation wisely. Humans, because of their brain capacity and being made in the image of God, were assigned this responsibility. "Rule" and "subdue" can be understood in things like controlling growth of an invasive species or protecting farm animals from predators. Humans were expected to intervene in nature where necessary, to maintain the health, abundance, and variety of plant and animal life.

God’s love for his creation and human responsibility to take care of it continues well past Eden. Leviticus 25:1-7 commands Israel to give the land a one-year Sabbath rest every seven years to restore the soil. Deuteronomy 25:4 says, “You shall not muzzle an ox when it is treading out the grain,” promoting the humane treatment of animals. Psalm 104 praises God for his good creation and his love for it. He makes “springs gush forth in the valleys” to “give drink to every beast” (vv10-11, ESV). He causes “grass to grow for the livestock and plants for man to cultivate” (v14). God waters the trees, where the birds build their nests. He provides a home for the mountain goat and rock badger (vv16-18). The Psalmist sings out in praise: “O LORD, how manifold are your works! In wisdom have you made them all; the earth is full of your creatures. Here is the sea, great and wide, which teems with creatures innumerable, living things both small and great” (vv24-25). Since we are made in God’s image, and he loves and cares for creation, we should as well.

The creation care theme extends to the Gospel Age and beyond. Jesus teaches that God even cares for and feeds the birds (Matt 6:26). In Romans 8:19-23, Paul writes that creation will be wonderfully renewed. Isaiah 11:6-9 foretells a time when there will be peace even between predators and their prey. Revelation 21:1-4 describes a renewed heaven and earth where God will dwell with his people and there will be no more death or sorrow. In Rev 22:1-5, there is a river “flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb [and] on either side of the river, the tree of life with its twelve kinds of fruit. The leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations.” Paradise, lost in Eden, will be wonderfully restored globally, and God’s people will be required to care for it, as Adam and Eve were commanded to in the original paradise.

Unfortunately, humans in this age have not treated God’s creation kindly. Natureserv.org (February 6, 2023) stated that: “In the first report of its kind, Biodiversity in Focus: United States Edition, reveals an alarming conclusion: 34% of plants and 40% of animals are at risk of extinction, and 41% of ecosystems are at risk of range-wide collapse.” The Guardian (March 20, 2023) reports that, “Scientists have delivered a “final warning” on the climate crisis, as rising greenhouse gas emissions push the world to the brink of irrevocable damage that only swift and drastic action can avert.” Our daily news is full of increasing numbers of floods, droughts, crop failures, famines, forest fires, mudslides, frightening storms, and mass migrations, as more of the earth becomes uninhabitable. And despite the prophecy in Revelation 11:18, that “God will destroy those destroying the earth,” the exploitation of creation continues and even accelerates.

For biblical Christians, however, we recognize that creation belongs to God, and we take our responsibility to care for it seriously, doing what we can in our little corner of the world. We recognize that our behavior now can provide a good Kingdom example to the world and will determine what responsibilities we will have in the future (Luke 16:10; 19:11-27). We grieve creation’s misuse by shortsighted business interests but look forward to that day when all creation will be wonderfully renewed, and God will dwell with his people forever.

G. Coulson