Bible Plants and Animals Act Like People

I grew upwards in the city, without pets. My appreciation for animals adult much later in life. In fact, if it weren't for a Golden Retriever named Rusty that I got for my children in 2004, I might never take made my journey toward animals. Rusty was the canis familiaris everyone should have—loving, playful, and eager to please. He was no Lassie, merely he was plenty smart. Soon, Rusty was part of the family.

Rusty made a catechumen out of me. He taught me that there are no bad dogs, only bad owners who make dogs, and many other animals, bad. Animals do what they do. They are innocent fifty-fifty in their cruelty because they have no concept of morality. Morality is the territory of humans. Nosotros have the cognition of good and evil, and we can choose betwixt the 2.

Rusty taught me that animals deserve my respect and care. He helped me sympathise that animals are also uniquely God's creatures. When I considered the teaching of the Bible about animals from the perspective of my relationship with Rusty, I gained a new appreciation for all animals.

The Bible teaches the states that God created animals. They aren't the product of happenstance or fortuitous natural processes any more than humans are. Genesis ane:24-25 says God created the animals, from the beasts of the earth to the creeping insects. Scripture even tells u.s. that the breath of life resides within them (Gen. 7:15). By virtue of our creation in the paradigm of God, we humans are uniquely special in comparison to all of creation, merely that does non mean the rest of creation has no value to God or that he doesn't enjoy information technology.

When God created animals, he alleged their creation to be "expert" (Gen. 1:25). At the decision of the creation account in Genesis 1, God looked at "all he had made" and alleged it "very good" (5. 31). Creation was "very practiced" when considered in its totality, not just in reference to humans. Humans are the crowning achievement of God'due south creative activity, and as his epitome bearers, we possess something of the divine that nothing else in cosmos possesses, but we should not let that truth cloud our appreciation for the residue of creation or diminish our responsibilities toward it.

Here, I offer x biblical truths about animals that should bear upon how we call back most them and how nosotros treat them.

1. God communicates with animals

This is the best explanation for the migration of the animals to Noah'south ark. In Genesis, God told Noah to build an ark in club to save himself, his family, and the country-dwelling creatures from the coming flood. Even so, he didn't tell Noah to go out and round up the animals. He told him to bring them into the ark (Gen. vi:19), which meant to but receive them. When it was time for the flood to begin, the text says the animals "went into the ark to Noah" (Gen. 7:9). The but explanation for the actions of the animals is that God drew them to the ark. God communicated with them directly, and they responded.

Another case of God communicating with animals can exist found in the experience of the prophet Elijah. When Elijah fled from Ahab, king of Israel, he went to an area due east of the Hashemite kingdom of jordan River. The Bible says God commanded ravens to bring him nutrient while he was at that place, and they did (1 Kings 17:iv-6).

These examples don't tell us that God is in regular communication with the animals, but they brand clear that such communication has occurred. Information technology is certainly plausible that God interacts with animals more than than we realize.

2. God cares nearly the well-beingness of animals

We often quote Matthew 10:29-31 to emphasize God's business organisation for humans. In this passage, Jesus helped his listeners grasp the extent of God'southward concern for them: If God cares about the death of a mutual bird, he certainly cares nigh the needs of humans. That isn't all we learn from this passage, nonetheless. Jesus also gave u.s.a. insight into God's attitude toward animals. True, humans are "more valuable" than a common little bird, but Jesus didn't say that animals have no value to God. In comparison to humans, the fiddling sparrow has little value, but God even so values the life of that little sparrow enough to be moved by its death.

It isn't just that God notices the sparrow's death, like ane might notice that the wind is blowing. Jesus wanted his listeners to sympathize that God is emotionally invested in that sparrow. He cares near what happens to it; he but cares more than about what happens to people. Once we acknowledge that God is emotionally invested in birds, i.eastward., animals, as well every bit humans, nosotros are now talking only nigh a difference in the degree to which he is, not whether or not he is.

The story of Jonah also offers insight into God'southward concern for animals. Later on Jonah preached and the people of Nineveh repented, Jonah expressed his displeasure at God'southward decision not to send destructive judgment on the people. In confronting Jonah almost his hard-hearted attitude, God reminded Jonah that not only accept 120,000 people been spared, "many animals" were also spared (Jonah 4:11). The well-being of these animals mattered to God.

In add-on, Scripture teaches that God is personally involved in feeding the animals. Psalm 104:fourteen is instructive here. It says God "causes" the grass to grow for the cattle. The Hebrew text uses the causative form of the verb "to grow" to reveal this. God isn't simply passively watching nature take care of its ain. Poesy 21 continues this theme when it says the immature lions "seek their food from God." Pulling these private examples together, the psalmist speaks of animals in full general, saying, "They all wait for You lot (God) to give them their food in due flavor" (v. 27).

3. God enjoys animals

In Psalm 104:31, the psalmist declared, "Let the Lord be glad in his works." Clearly the argument speaks broadly of all that God has created, but it is preceded by a long description of God's interaction with animals—wild goats, rock badgers, beasts of the forest, young lions, animals both pocket-sized and slap-up (see vv. 18-30). In a few more verses, the psalmist used this same give-and-take translated "glad" to describe his own joy in God. He said emphatically, "I shall be glad in the Lord" (Ps. 104:34).

It isn't difficult to fathom that animals bring God joy when we consider the joy nosotros become from watching our ain children. Nosotros even relish watching animals with whom nosotros have no artistic connection. Given that, it is understandable that the one who created all things would enjoy them.

four. Animals reveal God's sovereignty

When Job complained that God had mistreated him, God pointed to cosmos to help Job sympathize his sovereignty. Animals figure prominently in his response to Job'southward attempted indictment. God reminded Job that information technology is he who provides for the animals (Job 38:39-41). He appointed them their identify in cosmos (Job 39:6). God also pointed out that he is more powerful than the feared Behemoth and Leviathan by the very fact that he is their creator (Chore 40:nineteen; 41:ten). While they may exist beyond Task's reach, they are not beyond God'due south.

In response, Task acknowledged God's sovereignty. He said, "I take dorsum my words and repent in grit and ashes" (Job 42:6). The fact God used examples from the animal world to convince Job of his sovereignty suggests strongly that this is part of God'southward intended purpose for his cosmos of animals. God has built wonder into animals, and by blueprint, they point humanity to him as the bang-up and merely sovereign.

5. Animals bring celebrity and praise to God

In Psalm 148, the psalmist called on everything to praise the Lord. He included in this call bounding main monsters, beasts, cattle, creeping things and birds (vv. 7, 10). The final verse of the final psalm of the unabridged psalter reads: "Let everything that has breath praise the Lord. Praise the Lord!" (Ps. 150:6). Even though they don't exercise and so with words, animals withal bring glory and praise to God.

By their very existence animals: (ane) Point to God as creator. Animals are as much the product of God'due south artistic energy as any other part of creation. (2) Point to God as honey. God loves life so much he creates it in seeming endless diversity. (3) Point to God as designer. Animals fill a crucial part of the symbiotic relationship between all of cosmos. (4) Indicate to God every bit creative person. Animals are a living display of the natural beauty God has built into creation.

6. Animals are reasoning creatures

Some deny that animals are capable of reasoning. They adopt to credit instinct for their determination making skills. They believe that animals are "equally smart equally they need to be" to survive. I believe this is simply non accurate. Animals are smarter than they need to exist. I have witnessed my dogs on many occasions trying to communicate with me. They make up for their lack of language by finding other ways through their reasoning abilities to communicate their will.

In the Bible, God reveals animal intelligence through the unusual come across of Balaam with his donkey (Num. 22:21-33). In that incident, the donkey saw the Angel of the Lord standing in the way and moved aside. Balaam became angry with the donkey because information technology wouldn't obey him. Yet the Angel of the Lord credited the ass's quick thinking for Balaam'southward deliverance. He declared, "The donkey saw me and turned aside from me these three times. If she had not turned bated from me, I would surely have killed you lot" (5. 33). The donkey recognized the danger and fabricated a decision to get out of the mode of the Angel, whom Balaam couldn't even see.

Furthermore, we have all seen animals utilise tools to get food. They don't need to use tools to consume. They accept sources that don't crave the use of tools, but they have the reasoning capacity to know that a tool will help them get food. Also, we accept all seen animals run from danger. How does an animal know it's in danger? Information technology must understand something most life in order to seek to protect itself. Nosotros credit reason for human responses to fugitive danger. Why wouldn't we credit animals with reason when they do the same thing?

Nosotros cannot completely eliminate the concept of instinct as we remember about animals, just at the same time, nosotros shouldn't rule out the evidence that animals are also capable of reason.

7. Animals may have a more astute awareness of spiritual reality than we realize

The incident of Balaam and his ass brings into focus another insight virtually animals. It reveals that it is possible for animals to see angels (Num. 22:21-33). In that incident, Balaam was spared decease at the hands of the Angel of the Lord because Balaam'due south ass "turned aside" when it saw the angel. The text does not say the Angel of the Lord revealed his presence to the ass. It tells united states of america simply that the donkey saw the Angel.

Humans come across angels when the angels desire to reveal themselves. The donkey saw the Angel of the Lord without his self-revelation. In fact, judging from the Angel's comments to Balaam (see v. 33), the ass was actually acting reverse to the Angel'southward intentions. We could understand it if the Angel said he wanted the donkey to help Balaam avoid the fate he had planned for him. Merely the text does non say that. A plainly reading of the text suggests that the ass was actually frustrating the plan of the Angel. The donkey saw the Angel without the Angel's assistance.

This decision gains further back up when nosotros see that the Lord had to empower the ass to speak (five. 28). If Moses recognized the need to tell the reader the Lord empowered the donkey to speak, he could just every bit hands accept said the Lord enabled the ass to meet the Affections of the Lord. Withal, he doesn't tell us that.

While we should not attempt to develop a major doctrine effectually this unmarried event, it still raises meaning questions almost our understanding of the relationship of animals to the spiritual world.

8. Animals have the capacity to enjoy life

The psalmist was lighthearted when he described the joy animals feel. In Psalm 104, he said God formed the sea animate being Leviathan "to play" in the sea (v. 26). The Hebrew word translated "play" occurs adequately regularly in Scripture. King David used this word to describe his celebration as the ark of God was beingness brought to Jerusalem (two Samuel 6:21). He was ecstatic. The psalmist said this beast of the sea can also be ecstatic.

The book of Task supplies additional insight. There, God, himself, described the joy animals feel. He mentioned the ostrich flapping its wings "joyously" (Chore 39:13), and the beasts of the field "playing" in their environs (Job twoscore:20).

This isn't some foreign concept to us. We accept all seen animals playing. The testimony of Scripture and our own feel remind u.s. that animals are more than automatons driven by instinct. They are beings with the capacity for joy.

9. Animals teach usa well-nigh the nature of justice

In Robert Bolt's play, A Man for All Seasons, Sir Thomas More delivers a bright summation of God's purpose for creating the angels, animals, plants, and humanity. Regarding animals, he observes God created them "for their innocence." It is difficult to find a amend clarification of animals than this. Animals appear to lack the chapters for moral reflection. They simply do what they do. Scripture supports this understanding. It was humans who ate from the tree of the knowledge of skillful and evil, non animals (Gen. three:one-7).

This observation of animal innocence is non only important for our understanding of animals. It likewise helps united states of america understand our sense of justice. When we inquire why nosotros are offended by cruelty to animals, we recognize we are reacting to an innate sense inside united states of america that is repulsed by wanton violations of their innocence and vulnerability. This recognition helps usa sympathize some of our motivations for our criminal justice system. When we punish acts of assailment against our fellow humans, we are responding to violations of their innocence and vulnerability. Such violations should be punished. Our sense of justice demands information technology.

Furthermore, we larn about divine justice from animals. Israel'south biblically mandated exercise of substitutionary atonement provides this lesson. Scripture teaches that rebellion confronting God is sin. God'south holiness demands a penalty in response to this rebellion. In other words, God requires justice. Either the guilty person or an acceptable substitute must answer for homo sin. God created the sacrificial organisation in State of israel to help his people empathise this reality. He commanded that this system regularly kill innocent animals in order to satisfy the demands of his divine justice (Lev. 16:one-34). The innocent animals would bear the sin of the people. This bloody display served every bit a symbol for what was yet to come up—when the innocent Son of God would offering himself as the true, eternal, substitutionary sacrifice for the sin of all humanity (Rom. 3:21-26; ii Cor. 5:21; Heb. 10:ane-eighteen).

10. Animals vest to God

Psalm 24:1 states without reservation—"The globe is the Lord'south, and all it contains." This fact is repeated regularly in Scripture. While God commanded the start human and woman to "dominion over" every living thing (Gen. one:26), He was not relinquishing ownership of every living thing.

In fact, God did not relinquish ownership of anything (Col. 1:16; Rom. 11:36; Heb. 2:10). He put the man and the adult female in the Garden to "cultivate it and keep it" (Gen. 2:xv). He even gave humans authorization over information technology, and afterwards the Flood, he gave u.s.a. all of the balance of creation for food. But none of this assignment of authority and power included a transfer of buying. Humans serve a stewardship function toward creation, non an buying role (Gen. 2:15). This stewardship pertains to everything and is intended to include an mental attitude of respect (Lev. 25:3-five; Num. 35:33). The animals are subject to humans, but they are not ours to do with as nosotros will. They vest to God (Job 41:11; Ps. 50:10-xi).

Conclusion

The reader volition no doubt notice that most of my biblical references are from the Hebrew Scriptures. When i looks to the New Testament for evidence of the place of animals in God's creation, there is less to piece of work with. There are good reasons for this dearth. Start, the New Testament is congenital on the revelation earlier it. It assumes the foundation of the Hebrew Scriptures. So, there is no need to repeat what has been previously stated. Unless the New Testament affirms that its teachings supplant the teachings of the Hebrew Scriptures, we are to accept their infallible guidance and truth as we do those of the New Attestation. 2nd, the New Testament is dealing principally with the institution of the church. The writings that comprise it are mostly related to the firsthand demands of this endeavor.

Drawing from this entire biblical witness, we can make some important conclusions about how to recollect about animals. First, we must recognize that animals may very well be co-inheritors with us of the new creation. When we consider that animals were part of God's original design for his creation, it is plausible that they are part of his eternal design, as well. In his letter to the church at Rome, the Apostle Paul said all of creation was subjected to the corrupting effects of the Fall and that the mean solar day is coming when it as well shall exist freed from this corruption (Rom. 8:18-22). There is no reason to suspect that animals are non part of this vision of a redeemed creation. The prophet Isaiah saw a day when humans and animals would alive once more in perfect harmony (Is. 11:6-9). The Apostle Paul may be telling united states this is a vision of eternity, non only of the millennium.

I'll confess that I am non i who believes that animals go to heaven when they die. I don't see any biblical testify for this. But given these statements from Isaiah and Paul, we should give more consideration to the place of animals in eternity. They may not be the aforementioned animals we accept come up to love in our lifetimes, simply it seems they have a futurity beyond the Fall. Whether we are talking but about the millennium or about all of eternity, animals deserve to be treated with the dignity such a future bestows.

2nd, we must lose some of our anthropocentric view of creation and replace it with a theocentric view, where God is engaged with all of creation, not but humanity. While a theocentric view of cosmos should not cause us to equate humans with the residuum of creation, it should cause u.s.a. to treat the residuum of cosmos with more than respect. God is interested in all of creation, not only humans. After the Flood, he covenanted with all mankind on the earth, including the animals, never again to destroy the globe with a flood (Gen. nine:11-17). The fact that God would enter into a covenant with the animals tells us something of his dearest for them. We, therefore, should be more concerned nearly all of creation, including animals, as well.

Third, these biblical truths nigh animals mean we should exist engaged in activities that assist the rest of cosmos fulfill God's design and involvement in it. Peradventure, we don't know all that means. For instance, who would have guessed that God would use the ravens to feed his prophet? He might very well be doing like things in some role of the earth today. Consequently, we should aid to empower creation, non as its slaves or its equals, simply as its caretakers.

Fourth, we must carelessness unbiblical notions nearly animals and embrace a more biblical view of our animal co-inhabitants. The Bible compels united states of america to develop a amend appreciation and respect for them. I'thou glad scientific discipline is revealing many enlightening truths about the animal world. But information technology is clear that Scripture has already revealed much of what scientific discipline is discovering. Animals are much more complex than they at first appear to be. We should practise all we can to better sympathise them and their identify in God's creation. It will not simply exist proficient for them, but us too.

God put animals on the planet and gave them a mandate too. Part of the homo calling is to help them fulfill this mandate in a manner that enables them to reach their total potential in creation. They non only enrich our lives. They point to the creator of all things. Animals are not only worthy of our respect. They deserve it.

Barrett Duke

Barrett Duke is now the executive manager of the Montana Southern Baptist Convention. He is the former vice president for Public Policy and Research at the Ideals & Religious Liberty Commission. Read More by this Author

David Waythe