Flora & Fauna

The Lord God took the man and put him in the garden of Eden to work it and keep it. - Genesis 2:15

One of the first responsibilities humanity had was to take care of the environment.

And God blessed them. And God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth and subdue it and have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over every living thing that moves on the earth.” Genesis 1:28

Something to remember is that every time someone is to be a leader or in a dominant position in the Bible, their utmost task is to serve those in submission to them (See my post "The Christian Dirty Word - Submission"). We are, as those in dominion over all of nature, responsible for the environment just as it's the responsibility of anyone given any gift to use it for the good of God's kingdom.

Whoever is righteous has regard for the life of his beast, but the mercy of the wicked is cruel. - Proverbs 12:10

But ask the beasts, and they will teach you; the birds of the heavens, and they will tell you; or the bushes of the earth, and they will teach you; and the fish of the sea will declare to you. Who among all these does not know that the hand of the Lord has done this? In his hand is the life of every living thing and the breath of all mankind. - Job 12:7-10

You shall not muzzle an ox when it is treading out the grain. - Deuteronomy 25:4

For six years you shall sow your land and gather in its yield, but the seventh year you shall let it rest and lie fallow, that the poor of your people may eat; and what they leave the beasts of the field may eat. You shall do likewise with your vineyard, and with your olive orchard. - Exodus 23:10-11

When you besiege a city for a long time, making war against it in order to take it, you shall not destroy its trees by wielding an axe against them. You may eat from them, but you shall not cut them down. Are the trees in the field human, that they should be besieged by you? - Deuteronomy 20:19

There are numerous instances in the Bible where God shows concern over the plants and animals and our treatment of them. We were made stewards of the world, and this includes the environment. The world is not ours. It's still God's. One thing I know, it's if anyone loans you something, you should return it in the same condition or better. If you read Matthew 25:14-30, you'll learn that when God gives you gifts, He gives them to you for the prosperity of His kingdom.

To those who use well what they are given, even more will be given, and they will have an abundance. But from those who do nothing, even what little they have will be taken away. -Matthew 25:29

We are made to tend God's massive garden called Earth. If it's within our power to take care of it in any way, it's our duty to do so.