Sunday
And God said, “Let the water teem with living creatures, and let birds fly above the earth across the expanse of the sky.” So God created the great creatures of the sea and every living and moving thing with which the water teems, according to their kinds, and every winged bird according to its kind. And God saw that it was good. God blessed them and said, “Be fruitful and increase in number and fill the water in the seas, and let the birds increase on the earth.” And there was evening, and there was morning – the fifth day.
And God said, “Let the land produce living creatures according to their kinds: livestock, creatures that move along the ground, and wild animals, each according to its kind.” And it was so. God made the wild animals according to their kinds, and all the creatures that move along the ground according to their kinds. And God saw that it was good.
Then God said, “Let us make man in our image, in our likeness, and let them rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air, over the livestock, over all the earth, and over all the creatures that move along the ground.”
So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them. God blessed them and said to them, “Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it. Rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air and over every living creature that moves on the ground.”
Then God said, “I give you every seed-bearing plant on the face of the whole earth and every tree that has fruit with seed in it. They will be yours for food. And to all the beasts of the earth and all the birds of the air and all the creatures that move on the ground – everything that has the breath of life in it – I give every green plant for food.” And it was so.
God saw all that he had made, and it was very good. And there was evening, and there was morning – the sixth day.
Thus the heavens and the earth were completed in all their vast array.
(Genesis 1:20-2:1, NIV)
The creation account in Genesis 1-2 portrays a beautiful picture of the Garden of Eden where Adam and Eve lived in harmony with their natural surroundings and with the animals God had created. On the fifth day, God created “every living and moving thing with which the water teems” and “every winged bird” in a splendid display of originality and diversity. God created the birds of the air and the creatures of the sea and “saw that it was good.” Then, Scripture tells us, God blessed them all and offered a benediction in which he commanded them to multiply and fill the air and the sea.
On the following day, Genesis records God’s creation of land animals, including livestock, insects and “wild animals” and again it is noted that “God saw that it was good.” The beauty and harmony of nature was clearly evident in God’s unfolding activity during the first five days of creation.
On the sixth day, God created “man in his own image… male and female he created them.” Verse 28 describes God’s special blessing on his human creations and summarizes their responsibility to “fill the earth and subdue it.” This instruction from God has been called the “cultural mandate.” It is interesting that God first gave humanity instructions about work, before he gave instructions about worship. He gave a hoe before he gave a candle.
Genesis 2:15 tells us that God placed Adam in the Garden of Eden “to work it and take care of it.” God then instructs Adam to name all the animals in the garden. This act of naming the animals establishes Adam’s dominion and ownership over the animals, in the same way that God’s naming of “day” and “night” on the first day of creation (1:5) establishes his ownership over the universe. Dominion and ownership did not mean the right to exploit or to abuse the animals, but to care for them as a trustee of God. Peace with the created order was God’s original intention and is an essential part of the Biblical vision of shalom.
Prayer
Creator God, we praise you for the variety and richness of your creation. We praise you for your benediction and blessing on the birds, fish and animals you created. Help us to understand your desire that we live in harmony with the world of nature in which you have placed us. Teach us to be good stewards of “our Father’s world.” Amen.