One application of yesterday's study on God's creation of "nephesh" on the 5th Day of creation week focuses on the righteousness of our being kind to animals (see Proverbs 12:10). It is a wicked person who mistreats animals or who trains them to display the evil that is in their own heart.
But what about eating meat? Our study yesterday raises the question of whether it is acceptable to kill animals and then eat them, seeing that they possess "nephesh", which God so clearly values. It is a fascinating question for a number of reasons.
The first is the impact of sin, not just on the human race, but on the entire creation, including the animals with "nephesh". Romans 5:12 teaches us that death entered the world through the sin of Adam in the Garden. After Adam and Eve sinned, the first to actually experience physical death were the animals God killed and then used to make coverings for them. Genesis 3:21 tells us: "The Lord God made garments of skin for Adam and his wife and clothed them." Obviously, the animals had to die in order for their skin to become "garments".
The deaths of animals became an ordinary feature of life on earth after the Fall, as did their "wildness" and violence toward humans and each other. It is important to realize how much of a departure this was from what God had intended in the beginning. We read in Isaiah 11:6 how someday "the wolf will live with the lamb", etc., and we think, "Isn't that something!" We forget that what is "unusual" is the current situation, which is the result of sin and the curse.
As I prepared for Sunday's lesson on Day 5 of creation week, I found myself wondering if Moses and the Israelites ever stopped to reflect on the "groaning" of the animal kingdom (see Romans 8:18-25) as a result of the Fall. Adam sinned, and "nephesh" became one of the first casualties.
More tomorrow, as I continue tracing the impact of the Fall on "nephesh". I'll keep moving toward an answer for the question of whether it is right to eat meat...
2 comments:
In response to your comment on Gen 2:21, did the T-Rex with it's 12 inch razor sharp teeth specifically designed for tearing flesh graze on grass? What about the death of the plants and grass when the other nephesh animals ate them? Was there some death or no death before Adam and Eve fell? Did the fish only eat plankton in the seas? How do you view the death of the plankton? What did the Great White shark eat in the ocean? What had to die before the fall in order to sustain the incredible variety of life God created?
These are great questions! Let me begin by correcting a typo in my post. The verse I referred to is Genesis 3:21, not 2:21.
Yes, I believe the T-rex, along with other animals with nephesh (such as the Great White Shark) ate plants prior to the Fall. Genesis 1:30 specially states that God gave to the animals "every green plant for food." The presence of sharp teeth by itself does not necessarily indicate design for meat-eating. I understand, for example, that panda bears have sharp teeth. Yet, they feed on bamboo.
It's important to keep in mind that plants do not possess nephesh, neither do insects or lower forms of so-called animal life. Therefore, these do not die in the same way that animals and humans with nephesh do as a consequence of the Fall.
My understanding of Romans 5:12 is that there was no death before Adam. It's precisely the point Paul makes. He says in effect, don't be surprised that one person (Jesus) could do something (die on the cross) that would impact everyone. It's the same as when Adam (one person) did something (ate the fruit in disobedience) and impacted everyone (sin entered the world, an death by sin, all died).
Some good people, who love the Lord and his Word, see this differently. For example, author Hugh Ross believes that God superintended over creation for billions of years prior to the arrival of the animals on Days 5 and 6. He understands the days as referring to long periods of time, not 24 literal hours. Ross explains that during these billions of years, life was built-up in the biosphere to prepare it to sustain creation as time moved on. I take a different view, since I believe in the days of creation as literal 24 hour days. In my understanding of the text, there was no death (as explained above) until after the Fall of Adam.
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