lesson eight

fEBRUARY 1824

Care
The Lord God took the man, and put him into the garden of Eden to dress it and to keep it (Gen. 2:15).

Creation

sabbath
fEBRUARY 18

Good Morning, World! Or is it?

Introduction

Gen. 2:15

Imagine waking up tomorrow to a world that has forfeited access to Gods creation due to thousands of years of abuse. Without access to any plants, gone are your comfy cotton pajamas and soft sheets. Unfortunately, it gets worse when you look for your morning decaf or tea and realize that those plants are gone too. Dont even bother reaching for the cereal. In fact, without access to plant or animal products, there is virtually nothing to eat. Thats enough to give you a headache, but with such a high

God has given us the solemn responsibility of caring for that which He has entrusted to us.
percentage of medications derived or synthesized from nature, theres not much left for you to take for your malaise. Youll now dress in your wholly synthetic clothing and head out hungry to face a day with limited energy sources and transportation to get to your synthetic desk at your synthetic workplace or school. How depressing! Obviously, a scenario like this will never be a possibility because, without plants and the oxygen they provide, human life would have already expired. However, it certainly makes us think about how truly dependent we are on Gods provisions. It also reminds us that, while we are here, God has given us the solemn responsibility of caring for that which He has entrusted to us. He has given us a planet full of an amazing array of plants and animals. In fact, scientists dont really know just how many species do exist. Estimates range anywhere from 5 million to 100 million, of which only 1.7 to 2 million have even been identified.* Unfortunately, scientists estimate that we also have an extinction rate of between 4 and 24 of those species per day, mostly due to loss of the rainforest. As Christians, we must prayerfully consider how God would have us address this problem. He put us on this planet and instructed us to dress it and keep it. Does that mean we should become political activists? How do we show the world we are concerned about the environment but still demonstrate respect for the Creator above that which He has created? In this weeks lesson we will consider information that might help us answer these questions and achieve a solid balance in our own understanding as well as in our example to others.
____________ * Andrea Thompson, Great Mysteries: How Many Species Live on Earth? Livescience .com, h t t p : / / w w w. l i v e s c i e n c e . c o m / s t r a n g e n e w s / 0 7 0 8 0 3 _ g m _ n u m b e r s p e c i e s .html (accessed December 7, 2010).

Jodi Knotts, Boonsboro, Maryland, U.S.A.

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Gen. 1:2630; 2:15; Rom. 1:25

Do We Have To?

Evidence

fEBRUARY 19

sunday

Genesis 1:28 charged Adam and Eve with helping to create a population of a size that God had designed the earth to support. The remainder of the verse granting humans dominion over the earth demonstrates that the growing population was to care for the vast ecosystem of living creatures God had created for the benefit and enjoyment of humans.

Adam and Eves family . . . found that if they cared for the earth, fruitful harvests would result.
However, with the fall of Adam and Eve, everything changed. Biological systems that previously worked together in perfect harmony now war against each other in competition for survival. Yet out of this catastrophe, God clearly expects fallen humans to manage the earths resources to ensure their survival and to thrive, in so far as sin allows. Adam and Eves family, and all the following generations, found that if they cared for the earth, fruitful harvests would result. The same applied for the well-being of beneficial domestic animals. Maximizing conditions that sustain healthy life also means minimizing the release of toxins into the environment beyond what our worlds biosphere can absorb and render harmless. Clearly, the answer to the question, Is the Christian responsible for the care and management of the environment? is scripturally and scientifically answered with an emphatic yes!1 However, the benefits of managing the environment can become a curse when defending the environment and how it is to be managed is used as a weapon to arbitrarily determine and enforce who the economic and political winners and losers will be.2 Most important, it is the greatest of curses if it leads a person away from the Creator.

REACT
1. What specific responsibilities might Christians today be charged with for caring for the environment? 2. How should the church be involved in the political debate over the care and management of the environment? 3. How might there be a risk of Christians worshiping nature rather than its Creator as they become involved in caring for the earth?

____________ 1. Amanda McConnell and David Suzuki, The Sacred Balance: Rediscovering Our Place in Nature, 2nd rev. ed. (Seattle, Wash.: Mountaineers Books, 2002). 2. James K. Boyce, The Political Economy of the Environment (London, England: Edward Elgar Publishing, 2002).

Shannon Jackson, Rohrersville, Maryland, U.S.A.

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monday
fEBRUARY 20

Our Earth,Our Engine Rev it Up!

Given the Keys (Gen. 1:2628; 2:15)

Logos

Gen. 1:2628; 2:15; Psalm 100; Neh. 13:1619; Rom. 1:25; Heb. 1:13; 2 Pet. 3:1014

Remember when your first set of car keys were handed to you? The car was then yours, and its maintenance became your responsibility. God handed the keys to the earth over to Adam and Eve, and ever since weve been in charge of it. As the Bible says, Fill the earth and subdue it (Gen. 1:28, NIV). Tending the garden was the first task (Gen. 2:15). After sin entered, humans began to spread, and as time passed, the human population increased. That increase, along with the increase in technology, has given us much more influence over the environment. A few nomadic tribes camping near the Jordan River didnt have the same impact that several thousand factories do today. So how should Seventh-day Adventist Christians handle environmental concerns considering that one of our beliefs is that the earth will be destroyed by fire (2 Pet. 3:10, NIV)?

Our care for the environment . . . should spring from our desire to be like the Savior we love.
Caring for the Engine (Neh. 13:1619)
Owning a car is about more than the joy of freedom. You have to pay for gas and maintain its engine. The engine of creation is the Sabbath. It is the final stamp of Gods approval, His signature of completion. It is a day for us to contemplate creation and re-creation, and it is a symbol of the rest we have in the grace of Jesus Christ. As a Seventh-day Adventist Christian, you enjoy a unique perspective regarding the God of creation. The Sabbath is a constant reminder of who created this earth and who continues to re-create us for the new earth. Nehemiah recognized this fact when he undertook the task of trying to rebuild Jerusalem. He called all of the men together to address the fact that they were conducting open market days on the Sabbath. What is this wicked thing you are doingdesecrating the Sabbath day? he asked them (Neh. 13:17, NIV). He understood that the Sabbath was an integral part of a godly environment.

Driving Dads Car (Psalm 100)

When you drove your parents car, you had the responsibility of caring for someone elses vehicle along with the privilege of driving a much nicer auto than you could afford. Arent all of the blessings of this earth much like that car? Just think of the gifts God has given us: fresh air,
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clean water, good food, and beautiful scenery. Shout for joy to the Lord, all the earth (Ps.100:1, NIV). As imperfect as this earth is, it is still our dwelling place until God comes to take us home. So why shouldnt we cooperate with Him as keepers of His creation? He is a restorer, and because we love Him for restoring us through the blood of Jesus Christ, we want to emulate Him. Remember, The Lord is good and his love endures forever; his faithfulness continues through all generations (Ps.100:5, NIV).

Avoiding a Lemon (Rom. 1:25)

I still remember the guys big gleaming teeth that seemed too bright for his face. He slapped the car like it was the progeny of the race horse Secretariat. Yea, Ill let ya steal this beauty from me for $1,500. And with that my dad drove away with the used car. It didnt even make it home before it was belching black smoke as it crawled along the side of the road. Satan always tries to sell us lemons with lots of glitzy promises. Sadly many people buy them. They exchanged the truth about God for a lie, and worshiped and served created things rather than the Creatorwho is forever praised. Amen (Rom.1:25, NIV). There is an environmentalism based on humanism and that is about politics rather than about honoring God. This type of environmentalism worships and serves created things rather than the Creator. Our care for the environment, however, should spring from our desire to be like the Savior we love. It should not be aimed at creation itself. Any concern for the environment that makes a certain class of people a target for our scorn or contempt is a lemon the devil is trying to sell us.

Complete Coverage and the Car Crusher (Heb. 1:13; 2 Pet. 3:1014)
Every car eventually meets the fate of the car crusher. So it is with this earth which will wax old like a garment (Isa. 51:6). Just like our old cars, 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 (2 Pet. 3:10, NIV). Old cars are crushed in order to be renewed. It is like an insurance policy that covers everything. We are covered with such an insurance policy, and so is nature. As the apostle Paul wrote, The creation waits in eager longing for the revealing of the children (Rom. 8:19, NRSV). Salvation is to be enjoyed by all of creation, and the earth will be made new again. Fortunately for us, our insurance policy is issued by Jesus Christ. The Son is the radiance of Gods glory and the exact representation of his being, sustaining all things by his powerful word. After he had provided purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty in heaven (Heb. 1:3, NIV).
Paul Tooley Jr., Boonsboro, Maryland, U.S.A.
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tuesday
fEBRUARY 21

Gods Gift Our Responsibility

Testimony

Gen. 8:22; Rom. 1:21, 25

God hasnt revealed to us just how He accomplished the work of creation. Great intellects have sought to define these secrets of the Most High. But Gods creative power is just as incomprehensible as His existence.1 While the earth remaineth, seedtime and harvest, . . . and summer and winter, and day and night shall not cease (Gen. 8:22). In His teaching from nature, Christ was speaking of things which His

Rightly understood, nature speaks of her Creator.

own hands had made, and which had qualities and powers that He Himself had imparted. In their original perfection all created things were an expression of the thought of God. To Adam and Eve in their Eden home nature was full of the knowledge of God, teeming with divine instruction. Wisdom spoke to the eye and was received into the heart; for they communed with God in His created works. As soon as the holy pair transgressed the law of the Most High, the brightness of the face of God departed from the face of nature. The earth is now marred and defiled by sin. Yet even in its blighted state much that is beautiful remains. Gods object lessons are not obliterated; rightly understood, nature speaks of her Creator.2 God gave to our first parents the means of true education when He instructed them to till the soil and care for their garden home. After sin came in, through disobedience to the Lords requirements, the work to be done in cultivating the ground was greatly multiplied, for the earth, because of the curse, brought forth weeds and thistles. But the employment itself was not given because of sin. The great Master Himself blessed the work of tilling the soil.3 In the days of Christ these lessons had been lost sight of. Men had wellnigh ceased to discern God in His works. The sinfulness of humanity had cast a pall over the fair face of creation; and instead of manifesting God, His works became a barrier that concealed Him. Men worshiped and served the creature more than the Creator. Thus the heathen became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened. Rom. 1:25, 21.4

REACT
____________ 1. Patriarchs and Prophets, p. 113. 2. Christs Object Lessons, p. 18. 3. Selected Messages, bk. 2, p. 355. 4. Christs Object Lessons, p. 18.
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Why would God have secrets that He hasnt revealed to us?

Paul Tooley Sr., Rohrersville, Maryland, U.S.A.

wednesday
Gen. 1:28; 2:15; Psalm 100

Caring for Creation

How-to

fEBRUARY 22

I was 21 years old and had a car full of teenage girls. We were returning to camp from a trip into town, when one of the girls threw her trash out the window. I immediately stopped the car. What are you doing? the girl asked. Im stopping because were not going to leave your trash here, I answered. All the girls dutifully filed out of the car. I dont see what the big deal is, complained the trash thrower. This little bit of trash isnt going to hurt anything.

Nature is Gods first book.

Its the principle of the matter, I responded, as I started picking up stuff. Great! A plastic bag. Now we have something to put other trash in, I yelled triumphantly, waving the bag in the air. After filling every bag we could find, we stuffed them into the cars trunk. Later I wondered about my response to the culprits question. What was the principle of the thing? Why do you put your trash in its proper place? Why do you avoid putting oil and solvents into the water system? Why do you recycle? Why are you concerned about emissions and global warming? Think about these questions before you read what I believe the principles are. I care for the earth because of my respect for the Creator. I believe He created the earth for me as a gift. Through this gift I have the opportunity to know Him better. Nature is Gods first book, and I treat it with respect just as I treat His other Book, the Bible, with respect. I care for the earth because I have respect for other people. They are also Gods created beings purchased with Jesus blood. As such, they have an innate affinity for the natural world. This is called the Biophilia Theory and is supported by much research that reveals how positively people respond to open, grassy landscapes, stands of trees, meadows, water, winding trails, and elevated views.* Out of respect for others, I should do my part to keep these areas clean. I care for the earth because of my own self-respect. I enjoy being in a well-groomed garden. God uses the metaphor of tending our own gardens to remind us of His care for us. By spending time in Gods first book, I sense the joy that comes from communing with my Creator.
____________ * Edward O. Wilson, Biophilia (Cambridge, Mass.: Harvard University Press, 1984).

Rose Gamblin, Smithsburg, Maryland, U.S.A.

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thursday
fEBRUARY 23

God Is Going to Burn It Up Anyway . . . Maybe

Opinion

2 Pet. 3:1014

In 2006, environmentalists told the world that the next ecological crisis would be global warming, as opposed to the major ecological crisis of the 1970sglobal cooling. Then theres always pollution, overpopulation, deforestation, increased carbon dioxide levels in the atmosphere, and saving the whales and all other endangered species.

We are privileged to be stewards of that which God gave us.

Modern environmentalism is a blend of social movement, scientific study, and philosophical discussion about our origins and position in the natural equation. One growing philosophy is Deep Ecology or Deep Environmentalism which suggests that all parts of nature (human and nonhuman alike) are equal.1 The principles supporting Deep Ecology have been with us for a long time and align well with atheism and animism. Atheism is based on the idea of rational thought given to us by Karl Marx, and influences the filters of science which essentially state that to be considered by science, something must be observable. Because God is not observable and no one saw Creation, neither can be considered in science. Bestselling author Michael Crichton recognized modern environmentalism as the religion of choice for urban atheists . . . a perfect 21st century re-mapping of traditional JudeoChristian beliefs and myths.2 Animism views all life as being intelligent. For example, the Gaia theory gives a name to our earthGaiaand suggests that all living things on it are a single living organism with the ability to change and adapt as needed in order to remain alive. While environmentalism offers much in terms of improving the quality of life on earth, people approach it from two opposing cosmologies pointing to one pivotal question: Did God create the earth as the Bible says? This question informs our concept of who we are, our relationship to our environment, and how we understand our future. If we choose not to believe the Bible, then we have a wide variety of theories and ideologies we can use to build our belief system, all of which provide no concrete hope for our future. However, if we choose to believe the biblical account, then we are privileged to be stewards of that which God gave us. Plus, we have a concrete hope for our future and a clear understanding of the earths future.
_____________ 1. A. Naess, Alan R. Drengson, and Bill Devall, Ecology of Wisdom: Writings by Arne Naess (Berkeley, Calif.: Counterpoint, 2008), pp. ix, 339. 2. Michael Crichton, Environmentalism as Religion (speech given to the Commonwealth Club of San Francisco, September 15, 2003).

Richard Tooley, Fairplay, Maryland, U.S.A.

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Gen. 2:15; Rom. 1:24, 25

Keeping Gods Earth

Exploration

fEBRUARY 24

friday

CONCLUDE
All the gods of the people are idols, but the Lord made the heavens (Ps. 96:5, NASB). Over and over in Scripture the Lord points out two things that establish Him as the one true God: He created the world, and He can foresee the future. The name Seventh-day Adventist carries these two attributes that set the Lord apart as the true God. Recent generations of Christians have hesitated to get involved in earth-care because of the heavy politicism and animism woven so tightly into many environmentalist movements. So perhaps its time for Christians, including Seventh-day Adventist Christians, to take back the concept of dominioncaring for this earth from a biblical perspectiveout of respect for the Lord, our Creator. After all, it is a command He gave us (Gen. 2:15).

CONSIDER
Leading a discussion in your Sabbath School class or small group, asking these two questions: (1) How do we show the world we are concerned about the environment while demonstrating respect for the Creator above the creation? (2) How should Christians handle environmental concerns considering that one of our beliefs is that the current form of this earth will pass away (1 Cor. 7:31)? Taking a hike or, better yet, a camping trip to commune with God in His created works. Making a man on the street video asking people what they do to live green. Deciding on two new habits youre going to develop to save energy or reduce waste. Writing out all the verses you can find about God being the Creator. Then meditate on what it means to be a caretaker of His creation. Reading Job 38; 39 and considering how much God loves and enjoys every detail of His creation.

CONNECT
Psalm 95:6, 7; Isaiah 37:16; 40:1828; Jeremiah 10:1116; 32:16, 17. Noah J. Toly and Daniel I. Block, eds., Keeping Gods Earth: The Global Environment in a Biblical Perspective; Rebekah Simon-Peter, Seven Simple Steps to Green Your Church: Starting on the Path to a Cleaner Environment.

Sonia Huenergardt, Chehalis, Washington, U.S.A.

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