A Little Something About Animals (From a Biblical Perspective)

While in a small group setting, several years back, a conversation turned to Noah’s Ark with the focus on human behavior and how humanity was eventually saved. Since we were also among horses, I casually mentioned how important animals are to God because look at what he instructed Noah to build for the sake of the animals and to repopulate the earth. The ark was estimated to be well over 500 feet long, close to 90 feet wide, and approximately 50 feet high. Some say it was close to the size of a football field and had the capacity to accommodate two of every kind of land animal…. or, from another perspective, at least 113,000 of one kind.

 

This immense size and purpose for saving the animals he created. Wow. Of course, with humans he reserved for the best, but he was sorely disappointed in this part of his creation, because we’d proven to be such willful and sinful creatures, and he wanted to start over. A fresh slate. With the animals.

 

Among our group, a couple said, “I never thought about that… yes, there was the ark, and the animals… but the ark for the animals.” It’s not the first time I’d heard this, and I was in a similar scenario only just recently. So I thought I’d share a little more about animals when it comes to Biblical perspectives. I daresay, innocent and remarkable animals. Yet they are often treated poorly, killed inhumanely, and discarded like refuse. But God created them, loves his creation, and even gave animals the fear of man I’m inclined to believe to protect them. They are sentient.

 

~Genesis 9:2: “The fear and dread of you [Noah and his sons/man] will fall on all the beasts of the earth, and on all the birds in the sky, on every creature that moves along the ground, and on all the fish in the sea; they are given into your hands.”

 

I tend to believe that if death, disease, and destruction came with the fall of man, then before the fall, in God’s perfect death-free paradise, Adam and Eve weren’t killing and eating animals. After he created man on the sixth day, he said: “I give you every seed-bearing plant on the face of the whole earth and every tree that has fruit with seed in it. They will be yours for food.” (Genesis 1:29)

 

In fact, this was so for all creatures. “‘And to all the beasts of the earth and all the birds in the sky and all the creatures that move along the ground—everything that has the breath of life in it—I give every green plant for food.’ And it was so.” (Genesis 1:30)

 

It wasn’t until after God flooded the earth that he said to Noah and his sons in Genesis 9:3 “Everything that lives and moves about will be food for you. Just as I gave you the green plants, I now give you everything.” But if you read on, in Genesis 9:4, we were instructed to not eat meat that has its lifeblood still in it. There is value in the blood and sacredness in life. This is why many Jewish mothers still soak and salt meat in a process to draw the blood out of it for proper consumption.

 

During the coming reign of the returning Messiah, I believe the ways will be restored to what was initially intended for us. Like it says in Isaiah 11:6-9: “The wolf will live with the lamb, the leopard will lie down with the goat, the calf and the lion and the yearling together; and a little child will lead them. The cow will feed with the bear, their young will lie down together, and the lion will eat straw like the ox. The infant will play near the cobra’s den, and the young child will put its hand into the viper’s nest. They will neither harm nor destroy on all my holy mountain, for the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the Lord as the waters cover the sea.”

 

God gave us temporary allowance to eat a variety of things that live and move about, but I think there has become a general loss of respect or mindfulness while putting some things in our mouths. The same goes for how we treat anything that moves. Such as a spider. I don’t care for spiders, but once when I stomped on one, I got the startling impression of disregard on God’s handiwork. A lot of people don’t look at spiders as God’s handiwork, yet they are. Who else created them? He is Creator, the only one. And how disrespectful it is to crush something HE MADE for a purpose. Who am I to stomp my foot on it? You might think I’m too sensitive. And you’d be right. So please forgive me (and maybe look the other way) if you see me now capture a spider and relocate it away from the inside of my house. We all have different gauges or levels of sensitivity, and if I continued stomping on spiders with this awareness, I just might be offending the Holy Spirit. It’s not the right thing for me to do, so I act and live in obedience to how the Spirit guides me.

 

A comment was made on one of my YouTube channels about animals recently, and it made me reflect on how difficult it has been for me to eat meat. Ever since I can remember, when I sunk my teeth into flesh, I was very aware it was flesh and that’s horrific to me. Although I’ll occasionally prepare it for another, such as for my son, and it turns my stomach when I do, I’ve personally abstained from eating meat for most of my life. I had to learn to eat it graciously while on the mission field, because it would’ve otherwise been offensive to the families who hosted and prepared meals for or with me. By God’s grace, the dining and fellowship were always full of goodness and love. I’m not a judge of others who eat meat. For God gave us permission and we are also free from the law and living under grace. I’m not a spokesperson for vegetarianism. In fact, I’m a kosher pescatarian (if that doesn’t sound like a religion, lol). It’s just a personal preference of where my line is comfortably drawn. I don’t put in my mouth what I can’t kill. I have appreciation for fish, but I find I can still eat them.

 

I live in a country where I can be selective, and I choose not to eat the creatures that’ve often been communicators, companions, and inspiration in my life - oft times more than people. Sometimes animals have lifted my happiness in life when people have crushed it. I am a joyful and optimistic person because of what Yeshua did for me. Yet when I’ve struggled emotionally at different times, God has always brought an animal into my path, even at unique or unlikely places, often with a memorable impression or message. I’ve enjoyed a special connection and interaction with this part of his creation for which I’m so grateful. I count it as joy to live in a slice of woods that’s small, yet a short trek around the place reveals teems of life daily. Wildlife come and move about freely without much of my interference. They are welcome here, and they seem to know it. It’s a pollinator paradise to boot. An important thing I've learned in life, is that if you learn more about God's creation, you learn more about God.

 

Several years back, somebody sent me a video and said, “This was you!” The video was of a girl crying to her mother upon the realization that meat was of animals and refused to eat it anymore. A friend sent this to me because it reminded them of me crying to my mother about how animals were my friends (sometimes my only friends) and I wouldn’t be a good friend if I ate them now would I? It made me laugh and stirred my heart; it was so relatable. I know exactly how she feels. If it’s not that relevant to you, it’s still warmly amusing. For grins, the link is below, or if you’d rather look it up, the title of the video is "I Won't Eat Animals," Girl Tells Her Mother @ReemMakhoul on YouTube.

 

https://youtu.be/5Npv2Mpbd3w?si=K8vh_mzLdYgzxDvV

 

In Genesis 2:20, Adam was given the important task of naming all the livestock, all the birds of the sky, and all the wild animals. There’s an intentional interactive role God invites us to within his creation. Of course, mankind is his most precious, we are his children, we’re the apple of his eye and he’s devoted to us with utmost focus. But shouldn’t we be as intentional, mindful, and devoted to him by how we treat this world he created, and all the creatures he’s filled it with for our benefit and wonder?

 

Just a little something to chew on.

country road, 1995