It was early morning, as I was putting the final touches on an introduction to Creation Care for the GAP students this week when I had a most interesting experience occur. A thump and a chirp caused me to glance over my shoulder and out the window to see a daring and stealthy hawk repeatedly sinking its talons into the breast of a helpless robin pinned down on its back. Looking up at me, peering at it through the window, the hawk quickly flew away, releasing its victim, freed now to hobble to safety.
I thought to myself, “How interesting. Here I am getting ready to teach a biblical theology for Creation Care to the students of GAP when things within creation act from their instincts.” One seeks food, the other seeks safety. Predator and prey. The mysterious dance of survival in a fallen world.
The point I was just about to bring up that sank home to me was that this battle for survival was not the intent of God’s good creation, nor was it to be its final destination.
We are headed toward a place of peace without fear and restoration without scarcity. God’s new heavens and earth will be abundant and cared for by Him.
My text for that morning’s class coincided perfectly with my hope–after seeing the dramatic display of predator and prey– was Isaiah 11:6-9:
“And the wolf will dwell with the lamb,
And the leopard will lie down with the young goat,
And the calf and the young lion and the fatling together;
And a little boy will lead them.
Also the cow and the bear will graze,
Their young will lie down together,
And the lion will eat straw like the ox.
The nursing child will play by the hole of the cobra,
And the weaned child will put his hand on the viper’s den.
They will not hurt or destroy in all My holy mountain,
For the earth will be full of the knowledge of the Lord
As the waters cover the sea.”
The aftermath of the hawk and the robin…
How Does This Apply To Us Today?
- Creation is under the curse of sin (Romans 8:20).
- Creation groans for its release from this bondage (Romans 8:21-22).
- One day, the curse will be lifted, and creation will be freed to exist within God’s good order (Isaiah 65:17-25).
Therefore, we steward creation in hope and anticipation of what is to come!
God help us!
— March 9, 2023