Biodiversity in the Bible
‘Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the skies and seas.' With this blessing in Genesis 1:22, God filled the sky, land, and sea with abundant and diverse life! ‘How many are your works Oh Lord! In wisdom you have made them all; the earth is full of your creatures' (Psalm 104:24). And responding, all creatures pour out their praises to God (Psalm 148).
Read John 3:16 and Psalm 104
- How much does God care about the world he has created?
Read Genesis 6-9
What did God do when Creation was threatened?
Later he promises eternal life to those who truly follow Jesus (John 3:16), but he warns of destruction to those who destroy the earth (Revelation 11:18). God wants us to conserve Creation's fruitfulness.
Read Ezekiel 34:17-19
- What does this passage reveal about how we should treat God's creation? How should we consider the needs of other people and other creatures?
Because God made all things and holds all things together through Jesus (Colossians 1:15-20), everything belongs to him. While God leads us to green pastures and pure water (Psalm 23), the earth belongs to God alone (Psalm 24:1). His are gifts we do not own. His are gifts that must never be taken from us or the other creatures!
What are we doing to care for creation and God's creatures? Do we resist the desire to be greedy? (Matthew 6:33). Do we provide places for flowers and birds on our land or in our communities? Do we preserve the diversity of our food and medicinal plants? Keeping our places fruitful for all God's creatures brings praise to God, the creator and owner of all things!
Calvin B DeWitt is Director of Au Sable Institute of Environmental Studies and Professor of Environmental Studies at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
