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