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God Blessed Them First
As the engineers seek to contain the gusher in the Gulf of Mexico, how do we get our hearts around what’s happening there?
An ancient take on the world around us might help. Few people seem to notice that in the creation account of Genesis, chapter one, God blessed the sea creatures and the birds of the air—the very creatures affected by the British Petroleum oil spill—first.
Yes, before any other blessing had been uttered over this blessed planet, God blessed them first. “Let the water teem with living creatures, and let birds fly above the earth….God blessed them and said, ‘Be fruitful in number and fill the water in the seas, and let the birds increase on the earth.’ “ (Genesis 1: 20, 22-23, TNIV)
Anyone familiar with the Hebrew concept of blessing knows that any subsequent blessing cannot impinge on this first blessing. The second blessing, of course, is ours: “God created human beings in his image…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 sky” (Genesis 1: 27-28)
For better or worse, we are the dominant and dominating species on this planet. For better or worse, we rule. Increasingly, the other creatures thrive, survive or suffer, in the space we allow them.
Our rule over the sea creatures and the flying birds in the Gulf of Mexico has missed the mark of our calling. We were the ones chanting “Drill Baby Drill” when the price of oil started to rise. We were the ones looking out for our own interests first, the blessed interests of the other creatures be damned.
Maybe it’s time for us to take a step back from the shrill voices of the culture war and consider the wisdom of the ages. What does it mean that God blessed them first?
Tags: BP, BP Oil Spill, flying birds, genesis, Gulf of Mexico, sea creatures
June 1st, 2010 at 10:57 am
What does it mean that God made them and blessed them? It means that they are sacred. It means that they first and foremost have God’s sign on them, his name on them, his maker’s distinctive touch on them. God makes them and blesses them first because they are semantically first. He gives earth meaning through them. He gives us a biological foundation through them. A semantic possibility because of them.
June 1st, 2010 at 10:38 pm
You do realize some human beings died in this situation as well, right? While lamenting the problems this situation causes the birds and fish, it might be appropriate to at least give a mention to the loss of human life.
Since this situation is a result of an accident that no one wanted to happen, to suggest those who were in favor of drilling had an attitude of ‘let the blessed interests of the other creatures be damned’, might itself qualify as shrill.
You are perpetuating the culture wars you claim to dislike so much when you write in that way about people with whom you have disagreements.
June 2nd, 2010 at 1:04 am
What does it mean that God blessed the animals first? Probably only a chronological significance: they were created first, hence blessed first. It is quite likely that the blessing upon the animal kingdom to “fill the earth” was in anticipation–and for the benefit of–what was to follow: humankind.
What does it mean that Jesus came and died for humankind and humankind alone? Humans are the only beings made in His image. Humans are the only sentient beings in this world. Humans are the only creatures endowed with a spirit. Humans are the only creatures whose decisions in this world affect their eternal destiny. Humans are the crown of creation–the only ones that Jesus weeps for. God created humans to “rule over” the animals–without any “for better or worse” misgivings.
Because humans are the crown of creation–made of the “best stuff” (in His image)–we are capable of the worst. Remembering our role as a steward (“the earth is the Lords and everything in it”) is a significant key to gaining the proper perspective when it comes to our handling of all of the earth’s resources.
This would include the natural resource of oil, which has provided humans with a wonderful opportunity for improving the lives and lifestyles of untold billions the world over.
Also: “He gives us a biological foundation through them” sounds very “Darwinian.” Certainly this cannot be the case since death did not enter creation until after humans sinned and, as a result, God cursed all of creation.
June 2nd, 2010 at 12:01 pm
Brian and Trevor have some good points.
I think that mere order of creation has no bearing on degree of blessedness. If so, then dirt is more blessed than living things and man more blessed than woman.
I do think, though, that ruling over the earth and animals, etc needs to be done with greater care that mankind has shown in history. Likely a result of the fall.
Bringing it down to my simplistic level, I see it like ruling over my car. I can rule over it like man has ruled over the earh by never washing it, never doing maintenance on it, and driving it like Bo and Luke in Dukes of Hazzard. In about a year, I would no longer have a running car.
Or I can rule over it, but being thankful for it, washing it, polishing it, maintaining it and driving it gently and thus having a car to rule over for decades.
I personally love modern technology, especially oil (recently saw a license plate that said ‘ILUVOIL’). The current fad is to malign oil as an evil thing, yet, just about everything around us is made from oil, not just fuel. The key board you are typing on right now, the Ipods everyone loves, cell phones, plasma TV’s, water bottles, chairs, medicines, houses, contact lenses, clothing, etc etc etc.
We can freak and ban oil, but then let’s go back to the caves and kill our own food, but we’ll still have to pollute because our open fire pits to keep us warm will emit lots of black smoke, with, oh no!, CO2!!!!
Let’s be thankful for oil, but be careful with its usage. I say drill as needed, but be more careful, learn from mistakes and punish those who have been careless and neglectful in the name of the dollar.
Factoid: This current spill is not even the worst the Gulf has experienced, that happened in 1980 thru Pemex, Mexico’s state oil company. Apparently the Gulf was not destroyed in 1980.
June 2nd, 2010 at 9:50 pm
Trevor makes a great point about stewardship, but I disagree with his idea that Jesus died only for humankind.
God’s story is bigger and better than that. Jesus’ incarnation, death, and resurrection restore *the entire creation*, including but not limited to oceans, birds, jellyfish, and humans, who are, without question, the apple of God’s eye.
June 3rd, 2010 at 9:03 am
“He gives us a biological foundation through them” is meant to be very Darwinian. It is also factual–not just theoretical. The source of a large fraction of the earth’s oxygen–needed for our biology–is furnished by plant-life in the sea. Many of our diets are agumented by or are made up largely (depending on culture, where we live, and preference) of birds and fish. The health of the ocean ecosystems and of the creatures in the oceans and of the birds that fly over them are important to our biology and our longevity as a species. Destroy our ocean ecosystems and you put humans in peril.
June 3rd, 2010 at 10:27 am
Christina is spot on to say “God’s story is bigger and better than that.” I think Trevor under-plays the significance of the 5th day blessing. Man’s rule is not autonomous, but the rule of a steward, the image of God bearer. We are held to a high standard; homo-sapien means “man the wise”; we are to use our God given wisdom to make sure that the blessing given to the rest of creation is not something we run roughshod over. If the current gulf oil situation is not an example of our lack of wisdom, of our running roughshod, then well….
June 3rd, 2010 at 1:01 pm
I agree completely that man’s rule is that of a steward. However, I would disagree strongly that the death of Jesus was for anything other than the redemption of humankind. The focus of God’s wrath and His redemption has always been human beings. Note the account of the Flood in Genesis. As a result of “how great man’s wickedness on the earth had become…Every living thing that moved on the earth perished—birds, livestock, wild animals, all the creatures that swarm over the earth, and all mankind.”
Jesus’ message of the “kingdom of heaven” was aimed solely at his fellow man (and woman).
Let me add: I, along with my wife and four children, love and greatly enjoy all of God’s creation. We camp, fish, go to the beach, mountains, etc. We recycle paper, plastic, glass, aluminum, etc. I personally take our recyclables about every two weeks and appropriately discard them. We use reusable shopping bags. Along with my parents, we garden and grow corn, beans, potatoes, tomatoes, peaches, grapes, blueberries, etc. We can and freeze much of this to eat throughout the year. We are truly blessed through God’s wonderful creation, even in its fallen state.
However, we must always remember that the earth and all that it contains was made for humankind, not the other way around. (“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.’”)
June 3rd, 2010 at 1:30 pm
Trevor, Yes, Jesus was incarnate as a human, not a fish. The fish do not need forgiveness. But his saving work touches all of creation, which groans inwardly for the revealing of the children of God. In particular it touches all of creation by making his image bearers/stewards better at their job. Which means caring for the creatures as he does. Respecting the blessings that he gives them and not running roughshod over those blessings. While humans have a dignified and high role in creation, the creation is not for us, it is for God. This is his temple to inhabit, after all and we are part of it.
June 9th, 2010 at 7:01 pm
Much of the scope of this disaster is because of resistance to off-shore drilling closer to the shoreline. This kind of accident would not have happened had they drilled as they normally do; closer to the shores. The call for ecological responsibility caused a compromise that was nothing short of ridiculous. “No, you cannot drill close to the shore”. “However, you may drill miles out where you will have to drill farther down than man has ever done”. This was stupidity on the deepest level.
Oil rigs have been off the shores of our waters for decades. Accidents like this come from hypocrisy by those who claim to want to protect the environment, when it all actuality it put the creation in greater danger. That is hardly responsible stewardship.
June 10th, 2010 at 8:33 am
Happylad, Can you send a resource for that? The idea that the deep sea drilling was a result of a “call for ecological responsibility?” Never heard that. Would like to check your source. It’s just curious to me that you seem to want to lay blame on those who “claim to want to protect the environment.” Of course maybe you are refering to BP, one of the oil companies that advertised their green concern quite a bit, even while being the most reckless in drilling. Almost sounds like you want to blame those who are concerned about offshore drilling as primarily responsible for this disaster? As though, the corruption in the MMS, and the irresponsibility of BP in drilling without adequate back up plans is a side issue? As if our lack of an adequate energy policy, which leaves us simply more dependent on oil has nothing to do with this disasteer, and no plan to wean ourselves. Tell me I’ve misunderstood you, please!