Articles
God Offers the Creation Hope

Chances are you have seen the suffering of the protesters in Syria and the response or lack of it from Syrian authorities including President Bashar al-Assad. Some television stations regularly show the pitiful situation of the Syrian mothers and children and other protesters who are getting little support or encouragement from the west. While it is terrible that this is the case, it is highly unlikely that the west will prop up Syrian revolters as long as any of them are likely to support Islamic terrorism.
 
When Libya was fighting for its freedom from the Gaddafi regime, many in the west were cheerleaders of Libyan protesters. Little did they imagine that the country would become more the supporters of some radical Muslim sects. In fact western observers never imagined that the Libyans would do anything other than become far more free and westernized. At last check the Libyan Muslim Brotherhood stated they will contest this June’s coming election.
 
Many people have been praying and even saying that Egypt is written about in the Bible as becoming a Christian nation. It is a well known fact in the west that radical Muslim leaders around the world are hoping for a worldwide takeover by Islam with Sharia Law following. Nobody including Muslim’s would be happy when others are forcing them to believe something they choose to reject. People aren’t going to join with people or ideas they cannot believe in. Is this why some of the killers of God’s creatures only believe animals were placed here to be killed and slaughtered and have no hope…because they choose to reject God’s Word?  
 
Praying for and hoping for the betterment of all people and other life on the planet, I went to my Bible to see what it said about its final thoughts on Syria. This is what I read in Amos 1:5, “ I will break also the bar of Damascus, and cut off the inhabitant from the plain of Aven, and him that holds the scepter from the house of Eden: and the people of Syria shall go into captivity unto Kir, says the Lord.” (KJV)  A beloved friend and I were talking about these Syrian protesters being so hopeless and then I read this scripture. As we asked one another, “When will this hopelessness end?” I answered my own question by saying, “This scripture sounds like possibly never.” I don’t know many Syrians, but I am sure many of them are lovely people. Many famous Americans are Syrian. My intention is not to offend any of them, but to express sorrow that so many people are having such a difficult time today.

Countless numbers of Americans are also disturbed about another situation which may not affect human beings except those observing it and are not actually hopeless at all. Perhaps you believe or know nothing about this. Romans 8:20 says of trees and waterfalls, butterflies and bluebirds, “For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of Him who subjected it, in hope.” (NASB) The King James Bible says virtually the same thing. Millions of people both here and abroad carry the hedgehog out of the road, refuse to eat bush meat, subject their lives to danger by stopping a poacher or track down those who trap and sell endangered species. Every time I hear rifle fire, I want to weep because I know someone may be wounding a doe or killing a fawn.
 
The owner of a nursery growing field not far from here massacred more than 200 deer legally, from what I understand, all at one time for chewing on the growing tips of trees. The Bible says that any sort of gardens need to be either hedged about or even fenced about. Any less protection than that to the botany of the world is self-deception. In fact, even the word garden as in Garden of Eden is “gan” from the Hebrew and itself means “fenced or hedged about.” One of my neighbors once had a pasture full of white thorn bushes which his dairy cows grazed upon regularly. They had turned these thorn bushes beautiful free formed topiaries which could easily fence in the wiliest wildlife. No animal would pass through them into a danger zone and they were cost effective.
 
I want all of my readers to notice that this scripture from Romans 8:20 makes it clear that all animals have hope. A word study in chapter 8 will put you with a group of people who know that animals have the hope of, as some translations say, liberty from death and destruction and entrance into the glorious liberty of the children of God. This is wonderful news to the dying buck by the streamside that has gangrene from his bullet wounds and watches for coyotes to come and make a feast on his carcass. This is great news to the American kestrel or sparrow hawk that eats a poisoned meal from a roadside or the house cat which has been left to die in the evicted homeowners vacated house.  I have seen the poisoned lawns of everglade resorts being feasted upon by noble flocks of Ibises and a coastal lawn with a Monterey pine and White Tailed Kites feasting on lethally poisoned rodents. I know for all of you hunters who hold on to your tradition as though it was more important than the word of God that you will love the following scripture. It is a millennial promise from the Creator. You will find it in Isaiah 14:7, “The whole earth is at rest, and is quiet: they break forth into singing.”
 
Right now State Game Commissions and wildlife managers with the federal government are encouraging the young people to keep the traditions of hunting and trapping alive. They make it sound so important that these activities are pursued even though the younger generation is a lot wiser to the cruelty that is being carried out in actuality. Don’t tell me that the Creator desires to see such things as hunting for sport and killing pods of porpoise’s right up until the thousand year reign begins. Suddenly is everything supposed to go quiet and the earth shall be at rest? The earth will be at rest and quiet long before that, because too many people around the world are nauseated and heartbroken by the ongoing warfare against the least of these.
 
We long to hear the sound of silence and the continuing flights of water fowl over our land where no invading power boats disturb the marshland and no sweet grain feeds the bear so he can catch the impact of a weapon meant to maim and to kill. God has expressed His desire and He has given a hope to all of these creatures. If you read the Bible and only believe the part of it that suits your taste you will be eating the animals that millions love and cherish. If you express God’s hope for all the wild creatures and domestic, by showing your concern and care for them, you might consider the diversity of wondrous foods God planted. You surely will not harm one of His creatures.
 
Non-violence is a far better word to bring about co-existence on this planet.  The Lord says, “Let us reason together.” Chances are if you will not believe what God has written there is no common ground to be found but as long as we are those who love His Word we are carriers of this hope and may, as He has directed, “Preach the gospel to every creature.” If you look the word “creature” up as you are supposed to be studying His Word, you will discover that it means far more than “person.”
 
I will sign out with this slogan: “God loves you and all the animals too.”
 
P.S. When it comes to studying the Word of God we are to rightly divide the word of truth. (2Timothy 2:15) On the one hand, God tells us to treat animals with love and even care for our forests and flora. On the other hand we are to have no idols before Him. Romans 1:25 KJV says, “Who changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshipped and served the creature more than the Creator, who is blessed for ever. Amen.” “Worship” means to honor spiritually or to adore, respect or idolize. God doesn’t say we are to worship our Seeing Eye dog which we love. He never tells us to be totally devoted to a flying squirrel that takes nuts from our hand but that we are to keep them in proper perspective compared to Him and never worship them to the highest esteem we reserve for God alone. That’s what the King James Bible says: We are to worship Him more than the creation. (Romans 1:25) I am supposed to feed my Yaks more hay than I feed llamas. This does not come close to implying I am not to feed my llamas but only my Yaks. Do you see the analogy? I know a lot of people who care deeply for every creature yet they do not pray to goats or sing praises to antelope or shout Hallelujahs to polar bears. They reserve all their things for the Most High God. Idolatry caused some of the people in Amos to disappear from history.  Unless we learn to walk in God’s love, many more nationalities and species may vanish!
 
Our heart, when rightly focused, belongs to Jesus and our spirit is joined to God who even feeds the birds when they cry to Him. Exodus 20:5 says, “I am a jealous God.” Do not worship anything or anyone except for the Creator: to do so is idolatry. The word “served” in Romans 1:25 means to be a hired menial. This implies that compared to the boss we are very insignificant and that we should hold what He says far above any other obligations. For example, if He calls you to bring someone to your home to recuperate from an illness and this person lives far away, you find someone else to feed your dog so you can take care of what He instructs you to do. You only care for the dog as a steward of Christ. Don’t underestimate the danger of exalting anything above the Lord.
 
My dear friend told me that one of the best teachers about God’s Kingdom told them that King Agrippa (Herod Agrippa l) was called a god and that he accepted the worship. Immediately the worms ate him! The angel of the Lord had smitten him because he did not give God the glory. You can read about this in Acts 12:23.
 
Let us give God the glory that all of His creatures have been subjected to the same hope we have in Christ and let us hope that all of God’s children will manifest His commitment to them as sons and daughters of the God of Glory, in Jesus’ name. Amen
 
Minister David Prather  

 

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