What the Bible Says About the Environment

The latest controversy surrounding the new Green Bible has renewed the debate concerning God's perspective on the earth and whether or not he places any responsibility on people to take care of it.

What a meaningless debate.

The Bible is as pro-environment as you can get. Anyone who tells you otherwise either doesn't know his Bible or is injecting her political perspective as more important than what God's Word says.

So what does the Bible say about the environment?

God Created the Heavens and the Earth

You would think that if God is going to speak to us, we would listen up to his very first word. What was the very first detail written in God's word? "In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth" (New International Version [NIV], Genesis 1:1). The first piece of information we learn about God is that he created the earth we were born onto.

Don't forget the part where God completed his creation and said that it was "very good" (NIV, Genesis 1:31).

God Commands Men and Women to Take Care of the Earth

If God created it, doesn't it follow that he would care for it? And wouldn't he want the people he created to inhabit it to care for it? In fact, in Genesis 1 God said, "let us make humankind in our image, according to our likeness; and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the birds of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the wild animals of the earth, and over every creeping thing that creeps upon the earth" (New Revised Standard Version [NRSV], Genesis 1:26).

To have dominion means to be in charge of. Thus, God has put us in charge of caring for his creation: earth, people, animals, plants - all of it.

God is the ultimate environmentalist. He made it and he charged us with the stewardship of taking care of the earth.

God Cares for and Nurtures the Earth and All of Creation

God not only made the earth, but he is the ultimate provider and caretaker of it. The Apostle Paul traveled the Middle East, Asia, and southern Europe proclaiming the gospel after his conversion during the mid part of the first century. Did Paul preach only about sin, forgiveness, righteousness, love, and holiness?

Not at all. In the city of Lystra, in modern Turkey, Paul told the citizens how God nurtures them and their environment. "... he has not left himself without a witness in doing good - giving you rains from heaven and fruitful seasons, and filling you with food and your hearts with joy" (NRSV, Acts 14:17).

Clearly, a key part of the gospel is that God provides for his creation.

The Earth Belongs to God

"The earth is the Lord's and all that is in it..." (NRSV, Psalm 24:1). He made it. It belongs to him. He calls the shots. We take our orders from God.

The Earth is a Reflection of God's Glory

"Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts; the whole earth is full of his glory" (NRSV, Isaiah 6:3b,c). The very earth itself is a witness to God's existence: "the heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands" (NIV, Psalm 19:1).

We honor God by taking care of the creation that teaches us about his very nature. "Ever since the creation of the world his eternal power and divine nature, invisible though they are, have been understood and seen through the things he has made. So they are without excuse..." (NRSV, Romans 1:20).

God Inhabits the Earth

This is amazing. God tells us that he inhabits the earth. "Am I a God near by, says the Lord, and not a God far off? Who can hide in secret places so that I cannot see them? says the Lord. Do I not fill heaven and earth? says the Lord" (NRSV, Jeremiah 23:23-24). David wrote that he cannot escape God's presence. Wherever he goes, God is there (Psalm 139).

The Lord must be distraught that as we ignore his presence we ignore his creation. As a result, we ignore what is best for us.

We Should Not Worship the Earth

While some worship the so called "mother earth" the Bible teaches us not to worship anything but God. Read Isaiah 44 to see how man cuts down a tree, makes an idol out of it, and worships it, to his own destruction. We should neither worship the earth or anything of it, including its stars, heavens, and moons. Worship is reserved for the creator God alone.

The Earth Will Pass Away

Not only should we not worship the earth, we also should not prioritize care for the earth above those aspects of God's creation that are eternal. The earth is vital, but it is not more important than people, who are eternal.

"But the day of the Lord will come like a thief. The heavens will disappear with a roar; the elements will be destroyed by fire, and the earth and everything in it will be laid bare" (NIV, 2 Peter 3:10). Later in the passage we are promised a new heaven and a new earth, and exhorted to live holy and godly lives.

We Should Be Thankful for the Earth

"You shall eat your fill and bless the Lord your God for the good land that he has given you" (NRSV, Deuteronomy 8:10). One way to be thankful for our temporary home called earth is to keep it clean, to manage the resources well, and to preserve it as best as we can for future generations. These are all godly actions. What else can we do to show our gratitude?

Environmentalism Not a Liberal Position

So we see that God created the earth, told us to be good stewards of it, and shows us how to take care of it. God inhabits the earth that belongs to him and which reflects his glory. We should be thankful for this gift of God called earth.

So go ahead and buy the Green Bible. Go ahead and take care of this planet. Go ahead and be an environmentalist. Environmentalism is not a liberal or conservative issue. The very heart of God compels us to take care of his precious creation.

Scripture references from the New International Version and the New Revised Standard Version.