The Bible’s Viewpoint
ANIMAL life is in peril. Many scientists
believe extinction of animal species is taking place at an accelerated rate.
Animals are suffering the devastating consequences of human encroachment.
Industrial food production, cruel blood sports, and callous abandonment of pets
add to this grim picture.
Some feel, however, that such a picture is
the inevitable price of human progress. But is that what God intended? Has he
abandoned animal creation to suffer at the hands of humans? How do we know that
God cares about animals?
Care Evident From
the Start
After God’s creation of fish, birds, and land
animals, God was pleased. The Bible says that he “got to see that it was good.”
(Genesis 1:21, 25) All those creatures, from the smallest to the largest,
had the Creator’s loving concern. God not only created them “instinctively wise”
but also made provisions for them to flourish in their environment. As a Bible
writer aptly stated: “All of them—for you they keep waiting to give them their
food in its season. What you give them they pick up. You open your hand—they
get satisfied with good things.”—Proverbs 30:24; Psalm 104:24, 25, 27, 28.
True, God made animals subject to the first
man, Adam. They were not designed with reasoning ability or the capacity for
spirituality. (2 Peter 2:12; Jude 19) In contrast, Adam was a higher
life-form, created “in God’s image.” He was able to reflect the personality of
his Creator, Jehovah. (Genesis 1:27; Psalm 83:18) But this did not give humans
license to exercise authority over animals independent of their Creator.
For example, Adam began naming the animals
because Jehovah extended that privilege to him. Moreover, Jehovah assisted Adam
by “bringing [the animals] to the man to see what he would call each one.”
(Genesis 2:19) Only by working under his Creator’s direction could man be
successful in caring for the animals.
God Really Does
Care!
Sadly, Adam rebelled against his Creator. His
rebellion brought devastating consequences to the human family and to all life
on earth. The Creator, however, made clear how animals were to be treated.
Although man was eventually permitted to use them for food and other practical
purposes, God never sanctioned cruel treatment of them. The Bible says: “The
righteous one is caring for the soul of his domestic animal, but the mercies of
the wicked ones are cruel.”—Proverbs 12:10.
God even gave the ancient nation of Israel
laws that addressed the welfare of animals. The arrangement for a Sabbath, a
day of complete rest each week, benefited the Israelites’ animals in that they
too could rest. (Exodus 23:12) Significantly, although no work was allowed on
this sacred day, people were to come to the aid of a distressed animal. (Luke
14:5) God further directed that cattle were not to be deprived of food while
they worked, and animals were not to be put under an extreme burden. (Exodus
23:5; Deuteronomy 25:4) Yoking a bull and a donkey together was prohibited,
preventing injury to either animal. (Deuteronomy 22:10) Clearly, the Bible
teaches that animals were to be treated with propriety, respect, and compassion!
Though many people focus on their own
concerns and ignore any consequences to animals, God compassionately considers
them. When the prophet Jonah reacted unmercifully when the inhabitants of
Nineveh repented and were spared God’s judgment, Jehovah stated: “For my part, ought
I not to feel sorry for Nineveh the great
city, in which there exist more than one hundred and twenty thousand men who do
not at all know the difference between their right hand and their left, besides
many domestic animals?” (Jonah 4:11) Yes, the Creator felt
pity even for the animals!
Future Care Is
Assured
Clearly, God is not insensitive to how
animals are treated. His beloved Son, Jesus, even said that a single sparrow
does not fall to the ground without his Father’s knowledge. (Matthew 10:29) In
contrast, even with the best of intentions, humans do not fully understand how
their actions influence the environment. Managing human society in a way that
shows regard for wildlife requires a change in mankind’s thinking.
Happily, the Bible describes the time when
under God’s Kingdom rule, “the earth will certainly be filled with the
knowledge of Jehovah.” (Isaiah 11:9) Such knowledge will provide obedient
humans with the education and training they need to manage the earth properly.
The Creator’s influence will then ensure that harmony prevails between man and
beast, thus restoring the conditions on earth that God originally purposed.
The Bible describes the transformation that
will then take place, explaining: “The wolf will actually reside for a while
with the male lamb, and with the kid the leopard itself will lie down, and the
calf and the maned young lion and the well-fed animal all together; and a mere
little boy will be leader over them. And the cow and the bear themselves will
feed; together their young ones will lie down. And even the lion will eat straw
just like the bull. And the sucking child will certainly play upon the hole of
the cobra; and upon the light aperture of a poisonous snake will a weaned child
actually put his own hand.” What a glorious prospect to contemplate!—Isaiah
11:6-8.
HAVE YOU WONDERED?
● Does God care how animals are treated?—Proverbs
12:10; Matthew 10:29.
● Is complete harmony between man and animals
possible?—Isaiah 11:6-9.
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