What a week nation-wide and two weeks locally!
As a week closes on a crazy week of weather – where Texans suffered more than anyone else in the United States – I can’t help but hear all the chatter about the climate. Not just Texas though! Many of us in the Midwestern States suffered through rolling blackouts and rolling disruptions in our natural gas service. Sitting in a home or business without power, without gas, and without water while we shiver makes the issue of climate change and climate control come to mind.
On a national level, the new administration rejoined the Paris Climate Accord this week too.
Simple question for reflection today: what role does climate play in our lives? For the follower of Christ, do we disregard our climate, seek to be a steward of our climate, or do we worship climate?
What Does the Bible Say about the Climate?
For the most part, the Bible says very little about the climate. Of course weather plays into several key narratives in the Bible such as Noah’s flood, Elijah’s drought, and Peter’s storm. Yet, on its whole, the Bible seemingly says little regarding the climate. However, the Bible does provide clear instruction to help us with this inquiry.
The Creation Mandate Sets the Standard
At creation, God provided the model for how all mankind should both look and respond to the climate as part of our environment or world. Notice what God says, known as the Creation Mandate:
26 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.” 27 So God created man in His own image; in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them. 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.”
29 And God said, “See, I have given you every herb that yields seed which is on the face of all the earth, and every tree whose fruit yields seed; to you it shall be for food. 30 Also, to every beast of the earth, to every bird of the air, and to everything that creeps on the earth, in which there is life, I have given every green herb for food”; and it was so. 31 Then God saw everything that He had made, and indeed it was very good. So the evening and the morning were the sixth day. (Genesis 1:26-31)
Notice in this mandate, there are three main issues to at least discuss.
Man is a ruler under God.
First, God made mankind in His image and gives them the role of sub-regents over the earth and everything in it. In other words, God is the Supreme Ruler of the universe and mankind functions underneath Him as stewards of the world around us. Mankind as created and mandated by God should have dominion and subdue the earth for the benefit of mankind. God made the world and everything in it. We – as mankind – rule the world.
The climate serves the world’s population along with the animals.
Second, the climate as created keeps the vegetation alive which serves as food for all other life on the planet. Green herbs, herbs that yield seed, fruit, and eventually even all the animals were given to us to sustain our food chain and health (cf., Gen 9:3). God provided food for us through and in the world around us. Animals and plant life of all kind exist at least partially for the food and nutritional benefit of the world’s population.
God saw it all as very good.
Third, as the creation process ended, God made a declaration that it was very good. The world as God gave to mankind was beautiful – its inhabitants, systems, and purpose. Man’s sin destroyed the perfect nature of the world around us; however, it did not destroy the way systems work. After mankind’s sin, God did grant man permission to use animals for food and sustenance. Other than that change, God never changes the purpose of creation, the order of creation, or the mandate of creation.
Now thousands of years after creation, we too remain under the mandate given to Adam for all mankind (Genesis 1-2) and reiterated to Noah (Genesis 9:3-6). Over the years, technology has changed where life looks different than before, but God’s purpose and rules mandating it have not. The planet looks very different than the Garden of Eden; however, the roles of mankind and the environment does not.
What Is the Future of This Planet?
The Bible teaches three principles related to the future of our planet.
God made a covenant with the planet.
First, God made a covenant with our planet. After the flood, Noah made a sacrifice to God where God communicated to Him what Noah and all his posterity could expect from God related to the planet. Here is how Moses recorded it:
20 Then Noah built an altar to the Lord, and took of every clean animal and of every clean bird, and offered burnt offerings on the altar. 21 And the Lord smelled a soothing aroma. Then the Lord said in His heart, “I will never again curse the ground for man’s sake, although the imagination of man’s heart is evil from his youth; nor will I again destroy every living thing as I have done.
22 “While the earth remains,
Seedtime and harvest,
Cold and heat,
Winter and summer,
And day and night
Shall not cease.” (Genesis 8:20-22)
God promised to never again curse the ground, even in spite of man’s wickedness. Further, God makes the promise that I highlighted in bold above. God describes the seasons: seedtime – harvest, cold – heat, winter – summer, day – night. God promises these things shall remain as long as the earth remains. We do not have to fear that somehow we are going to mess up God’s order or the earth’s natural seasonal changes. Why? Because God guaranteed their perpetual nature. We trust God with the seasons. In other words, the rhythm of seasonal changes does not operate under its own power or even as a direct result (or secondary result) of mankind’s efforts. God operates the earth with its seasons. He guarantees as long as the earth remains, these seasons will remain as well.
God made a covenant with Noah.
Second, God made a covenant with Noah. After the flood, God told Noah that the rainbow would be the sign of His promise to Noah and all mankind after him that God would never again destroy all mankind through a flood. Here is how Moses recorded it:
8 Then God spoke to Noah and to his sons with him, saying: 9 “And as for Me, behold, I establish My covenant with you and with your descendants after you, 10 and with every living creature that is with you: the birds, the cattle, and every beast of the earth with you, of all that go out of the ark, every beast of the earth. 11 Thus I establish My covenant with you: Never again shall all flesh be cut off by the waters of the flood; never again shall there be a flood to destroy the earth.” (Genesis 9:8-11)
God promised to not use a flood to destroy all of mankind ever again. How does this help us understand the future of the planet? It helps us because we recognize that God controls the weather. Anything related to weather, God ordains and controls. Weather does not function independently of God’s sovereignty. God can make this promise because God controls it.
Remember when Jesus calms the water with Peter. Again, in this instance, God controls the weather. In a word, Jesus can take a storm and make it cease (Mark 4:35-41). Why? Because the weather functions at the will and under the power of God.
The earth and universe will not last forever.
Third, the number of days for this planet are limited – not because of climate change, but instead, because of God’s plan. Peter describes that in the last days some will come and declare that God is not in control and that they can do whatever they wish. Notice how Peter describes it:
5 For this they willfully forget: that by the word of God the heavens were of old, and the earth standing out of water and in the water, 6 by which the world that then existed perished, being flooded with water. 7 But the heavens and the earth which are now preserved by the same word, are reserved for fire until the day of judgment and perdition of ungodly men. (2 Pet 3:5-7)
He begins by reminding his readers that God is absolutely in control of the planet and its weather – as I just reminded you above. Peter continues:
8 But, beloved, do not forget this one thing, that with the Lord one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day. 9 The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance. (2 Pet 3:8-9)
Just because it has been now over 2,000 years since Peter wrote this, we should not doubt God’s covenant faithfulness. God works His plan. The years since this promise represent just two days in God’s calendar. God does not judge the world because He desires the opportunity for the Gospel message to draw people to Him. Peter continues:
10 But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night, in which the heavens will pass away with a great noise, and the elements will melt with fervent heat; both the earth and the works that are in it will be burned up. 11 Therefore, since all these things will be dissolved, what manner of persons ought you to be in holy conduct and godliness, 12 looking for and hastening the coming of the day of God, because of which the heavens will be dissolved, being on fire, and the elements will melt with fervent heat? 13 Nevertheless we, according to His promise, look for new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells. (2 Pet 3:10-13)
However, the planet will not last forever. In God’s plan and on His timetable, He knows when this planet will be destroyed. Not by flood. Next time, the destruction will be a universe-wide destruction and new creation by fervent heat. God will then make new heavens and a new earth not marred by sin on which we will live for eternity (Revelation 21).
What Does the Bible Teach about Climate by Implication?
- God created and continues to control everything in the universe – including this planet and its climate.
- Nothing will significantly harm this planet until God sends fire to destroy it as He makes a better one for our eternal existence. Until then, this planet functions as a sign of God’s faithfulness.
- Mankind rules under God and is responsible to subdue and have dominion over the earth.
- Therefore, mankind holds a certain responsibility for maintaining what God has gifted to Him as part of the planet around him.
Back to Our Original Question – Climate Stewardship or Climate Worship?
Anytime we take a gift God gives us and serve the gift rather than the Giver of the gift we commit idolatry. In other words, our focus as followers of Jesus Christ must always be on Christ alone. We are to serve no other God. We love Jesus and desire to do exactly that. As those who love Jesus and are devoted followers of Him, we want to obey His commandments. Our obedience to Jesus demonstrates our loyalty and appreciation for Him and His sacrificial gift of His own substitutionary atonement for our sins by His death.
How should we see the climate – and by extension our environment and planet?
We should see it as God’s gift to us. God preserves and protects it. God keeps our planet safe from harm. God determined our planet’s first day; God has also determined our planet’s last day. By His word He created. By His word He will destroy it and make a new, eternal earth.
We should see it as our stewardship. As those who serve with the power God provides and under the mandates He gave, we are stewards of our planet. We each have an individual responsibility to be responsible for the wonderful planet God gave us. Yes, we have dominion. Yes, we subdue the earth. But also Yes, we treat it responsibly. This is a key issue. Responsible use of our planet takes on many looks and is an issue of wisdom. Stewardship takes on many different looks; however, stewardship is much different than worship.
We should see it in its rightful place. The environment serves us – mankind; we do not serve the environment. When we serve the environment and place the environment or climate or climate change over the importance of the good of the people, we essentially worship the gift and not the Giver. The first and second Great Commandments are to 1) love God supremely and 2) love our neighbors sincerely. If we were to add a third commandment based upon the Creation Mandate, we would add 3) love our planet responsibly. Responsible love never places the planet over people. We cannot fear the future planet in such a way that we do not serve the planet’s current occupants first. People are always more important than the environment. However, we must maintain our responsible stewardship.
A sign of the world’s idolatry is whenever one takes the created thing and serves it rather than the Creator (Rom 1). This is true related to the planet. A responsible steward – we must be. Worshippers of the only God of the Universe and not the universe itself – we also must be.
Join the Conversation…
This is a conversation starter. For sure, there are many places to go from here. Here are three questions for you to wrestle with as you think through what the Bible teaches regarding the climate and climate change. What do these truths then mean for how we manage the environment around us personally? What does your personal stewardship look like? In addition, what should the United States be doing as a nation in regard to climate change?
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KevinCarson.com | Wisdom for Life in Christ Together
I would love to see more churches speaking about the Creation Mandate. The world has been controlling the narrative for too long in the field of nature.