Earth Day—Principles That Go Back To Genesis?
Biblical Authority Ministries, April 22, 2024
Happy “Dominion over the Earth” Day as it should be
(or simply “Earth Day”). Today is a “holiday” where people use their God-given dominion
to declare a day to honor and consider the way we, as mankind, live on earth.
Whether people realize it or not, this goes back to
Genesis—though the “holiday” itself is new. The principles are found in
Genesis. A ruling God made man in God’s image (Genesis 1:26-27[1]).
Thus, He gave us something to rule over. In Genesis 1:28[2],
God gave man and woman (man collectively) dominion over creation—the earth, the
animals and so on.
Dominion means to look after the earth and care for
it but use it in responsible ways. In the same way, if a parent gives a new
bicycle or vehicle their child, that child now has dominion to rule over it. In
doing that, they take care of it, maintain it, but also use it—for good.
Historically, man broke God’s law and sinned and rebelled
against God (Genesis 3). God cursed the dominion of man which directly resulted
the animals and the ground being cursed (i.e., the earth). Man was also
sentenced to die. The world is broken, which means we have to work extra hard
to work the ground (Genesis 3:17-19[3])
and take care of the earth.
In our culture, sadly, we have people who reject God and
reject that we are made in God’s image and want to replace those concepts with
secular ideas. Like the pagans of old, they want to worship the creation
instead of the Creator (e.g., Romans 1:25[4]).
They want to worship the earth and ourselves instead of God.
Our sin against God, which includes these errors, have eternal consequences—an eternal Heaven or Hell (Daniel 12:2[5])! The earth can’t save you and you can’t save the earth in any eternal way. It is God who can do that (e.g., John 5:24[6], 6:40[7]). He promised to make a new heaven and a new earth (collectively call “Heaven”; Isaiah 65:17[8]; 2 Peter 3:13[9]; Revelation 21:1[10]), but while we remain in this sin-cursed and broken world, we are still to exercise a caring dominion over it.
Do I like clean water, clean air, recycling, using
technology to make cleaner coal,
using technology to make renewable oil,
and blend with clean energy based on new technologies? Of course. However, we
need to make sure we don’t do it at the expense of attacking humanity and
worshipping nature (e.g., the climate cult, environmentalism, etc.). These
false religions can lead many astray. There needs to be a balance when it comes
to using the earth responsibly.
Did you notice that I put “holiday” in quotes earlier in reference
to Earth Day? A holiday is a Holy Day, which is predicated on a Holy God
existing and making things holy (that is, sanctified and pure). So, can
those who reject a holy God really have anything holy? Not consistently! As
image bearers, we mimic a holy God when we develop holidays. For instance,
there is man-made holiday developed between the Old and New Testament (e.g.,
the Festival of Lights/Feast of Dedication/Hannukah). Jesus attended, which
shows us a freedom we have in the Lord to make new holidays.
God prescribed certain holidays in the Bible and one of them
(Passover) happens to start today (on April 22, 2024—FYI Passover tends to move
around a little on our modern Gregorian calendar). Passover is a type and
shadow of the Lord’s crucifixion and resurrection where Jesus Christ was
offered once for all as our unblemished, eternal Passover lamb/sacrifice (1
Corinthians 5:7[11]).
It is only through the blood of Jesus Christ that we can be saved for all
eternity and enjoy a new heavens and new earth in a perfect state enjoying
God’s goodness forever.
I hope you not only ponder how man uses the earth currently;
but seek to understand how this earth is broken due to sin. In light of this, I
would also love for you to consider how we can be saved in Jesus Christ and
thereby look forward to a new earth in a perfect state forever.
[1]
Genesis 1:26-27 Then God said, “Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our
likeness; let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of
the air, and over the cattle, over all the earth and over every creeping thing
that creeps on the earth.” So God created man in His own image; in the
image of God He created him; male and female He created them. NKJV.
[2]
Genesis 1:28 Then God blessed them, and God said to them, “Be fruitful and
multiply; fill the earth and subdue it; have dominion over the fish of the sea,
over the birds of the air, and over every living thing that moves on the
earth.” NKJV.
[3]
Genesis 3:17-19 Then to Adam He said, “Because you have heeded the voice of
your wife, and have eaten from the tree of which I commanded you, saying, ‘You
shall not eat of it’: “Cursed is the ground for your sake; In toil you
shall eat of it All the days of your life. Both thorns and thistles it shall bring forth
for you, And you shall eat the herb of the field. In the sweat of your face you
shall eat bread Till you return to the ground, For out of it you were taken; For
dust you are, And to dust you shall return.” NKJV
[4]
Romans 1:25 who exchanged the truth of God for the lie, and worshiped and
served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever. Amen.
NKJV.
[5] Daniel
12:2 And many of those who sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, Some to everlasting
life, Some to shame and everlasting contempt. NKJV.
[6] John
5:24 “Most assuredly, I say to you, he who hears My word and believes in Him
who sent Me has everlasting life, and shall not come into judgment, but has
passed from death into life. NKJV
[7] John
6:40 “And this is the will of Him who sent Me, that everyone who sees the Son
and believes in Him may have everlasting life; and I will raise him up at the
last day.” NKJV.
[8] Isaiah
65:17 “For behold, I create new heavens and a new earth; And the former shall
not be remembered or come to mind. NKJV.
[9] 2
Peter 3:13 Nevertheless we, according to His promise, look for new heavens and
a new earth in which righteousness dwells. NKJV.
[10]
Revelation 21:1 Revelation 21:1 Now I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the
first heaven and the first earth had passed away. Also there was no more sea.
NKJV.
[11] 1
Corinthians 5:7 Therefore purge out the old leaven, that you may be a new lump,
since you truly are unleavened. For indeed Christ, our Passover, was sacrificed
for us. NKJV.
