Sunday, December 5, 2021
“What is man that You are mindful of him, and the son of man that You visit him? For You have made him a little lower than the angels, and You have crowned him with glory and honor. You have made him to have dominion over the words of Your hands; You have put all things under his feet, all sheep and oxen – even the beasts of the field, the birds of the air and the fish of the sea that pass through the paths of the seas.” (Psalms 8:4-8)
Following the statement that God created man in His own image and likeness (Gen. 1:26) comes the specific command differentiating the human being from nonhuman creatures; “Have dominion over … that earth” (Gen. 1:28). Man has a responsibility that the rest of creation does not and holds a critical role in the affairs of the Earth (Gen. 3:17). Every government and every individual should be concerned about the natural resources of the Earth an the other species of life that inhabit it. The dominion given to man over the Earth makes us as human beings accountable for it.
The world literally stands or falls based on the actions and stewardship of human beings. The continued sinfulness of mankind, for example, caused the Flood (Gen 6:12-13). For this reason we should never be satisfied to dwell on a mere lower level of creaturely existence, but strive to live at the highest and fullest level of our human nature God designed for man a more noble destiny than creation could ever bestow. We should continue to explore what it is to be human, made in the image and likeness of God and given dominion (stewardship) over all the earth.
You are loved, Pastor Don
Cornerstone Worship Center 