Beginnings: Given Dominion Over the Earth
God breathing life into Adam and creating the animals. Palatine Chapel, Palermo, 12th century
Genesis 1 v 28
God blessed them and said to them, “Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it. Rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky and over every living creature that moves on the ground.
In Genesis 1, humanity is told to subdue the Earth and to rule over the fish, the birds of the air and over every living creature that moves on the ground.
In other translations, ‘subdue’ and rule’ has been also replaced with:
Govern and reign
Subdue and have dominion
Bring it under control and God is putting you in charge
God’s purpose for humanity, on this Earth, is to function as a steward.
A steward is an official appointment made by a monarch to represent them. We are not monarchs of this Earth, but are ruling on His behalf.
What is a Good Steward?
A good steward is someone who respects those under their control. They take care of the community’s current needs and work to secure its future. They rule with humility and are willing to listen to criticism, but are unafraid to make the difficult decisions.
A good steward knows they are part of the community, but at the same time are in a privileged position.
They take the responsibility for the relationship. And ultimately, they are responsible to the monarch to ensure the kingdom runs smoothly.
Stewards of the Earth
What does it look like to be a steward of the Earth?
Due to our urban life style and technological culture, we may feel separated from the natural world.
Unlike our ancestors, we don’t rely on the Sun, Moon and stars to tell the time of day, month or year.
With light bulbs, we can read all night. Our ancestors would have struggled to read by the dim candle or lamp light. Their work day was dictated strictly by the rising and the setting Sun.
Our food is grown hundreds of miles from where we live and transported to local supermarkets. It is normal to be unaware of the name of the farmer who grew the food.
Even with this, we continue to still be a part of Creation. We are not foreigners or aliens exploiting the Earth. We are of the Earth. Sometimes we forget. And in that forgetting, we miss the fact that we are part of the community of Creation.
Cain’s Rejection of Creation
We see how Cain’s descendants invented technologies, built cities and removed themselves from the natural world. Consequently their lives filled with sin.
These generations ended with the Flood.
As stewards, we need to be aware of Cain and his kin. We should remind ourselves to enjoy this World; take our time as we wander on a woodland walk, look purposefully at a setting sun and embrace the scene of a Summer’s night sky.
But also, we need to show great love and care for our local part of the Creation. The place God has personally given us charge over.
What Creatures Do We Have No Dominion Over?
In Genesis 1 v 21, we see God creates the ‘sea monsters’. The Hebrew word here is ‘tannin’. It is connected to the Hebrew word for Leviathan mentioned in Job 39.
Even though God commands humanity to have dominion over the fish of the sea, this does not include Leviathan and its kind.
I wrote about Leviathan here. But in short, they are similar to the beasts of chaos mentioned in other ancient cultures.
This tells us, we will never control the whole of Creation. This is beyond us. Only God, the Creator, has the authority over these creatures and every aspect of Creation.
Creation is Very Good
Gen 31 v 1
And God looked upon all that He had made, and indeed, it was very good.
God says the Creation was very good. Even though, due to the Fall, we live in the age of decay, we can still see the beauty of it.
Yesterday, at dusk, I heard a blackbird sing. It was beautiful. I paused for a few minutes and listened attentively.
And thanked God for His amazing Creation.