Fill The Earth And Subdue It !

“Fill the Earth and Subdue It” (Genesis 1:28) Subdue meaning: To put down by force or authority or to hold within limits and control. (Webster Online) This is the first command giving to by our creator. He said “Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth.” (Genesis 1:26) For this reason I believe we will be judged one day for the choices we make towards the earth, and how those choices impacted God’s creation. Subdue, and having dominion are pretty big words in any vocabulary.

To subdue something we must bring it into subjection to the authority. God of course is our ultimate authority, but here we read that God granted us the needed authority over the earth. With our intelligence and our ability to learn God entrusted mankind to govern what he created. Now let us pose this question, if we had to grade ourselves on how well we have done so far, what would you guess it to be? Do you feel mankind has done well in taking care of the earth, and its creatures, or do you perhaps think we need to rethink a little of where we have been and are now possibly going?

Many people speak of how things are on earth and how bad things can be. The problem with what they say is; if we were giving such authority than wouldn’t the blame be ours, and not God. Since the beginning, mankind has been in charge of all we see on earth. Though when problem occur where do most fingers point? Asking questions such as “How would God allow this?” Why won’t God stop this?” perhaps if we as a people could admit our faults, and seek God’s intervention than God could guild us back on track. That of course would mean mankind’s subjection to God, and that there leads to our biggest problem today. Mankind through the years has made choices that strayed outside the boundaries of God’s will. In doing so, we strayed in our own direction without a moral compass to guild us. Even Thomas Jefferson said “To educate a man in mind only, and not in morals is to educate a menace to society.”

In order to learn how to lead, we must first learn to follow. We must start as the student, and then one day teach. God is the teacher that mankind forgot. The student thought they knew all they needed to know, and have fallen flat on their face. But our God and teacher is full of grace and mercy. He waits for us to again ask for his help and guidance. To light the path back to a world that God intended. To show us how to love again, and how to care for our world in a manner that shows that we follow in the example of the one who taught us. In psalm 119: 104-106 we read - I gain understanding from your precepts; therefore I hate every wrong path. Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light for my path. I have taken an oath and confirmed it, that I will follow your righteous laws. May we step back for a moment today, and reflect on what we might be able to do to help get us back on track. May we choose to get behind God, and allow him to lead.

Richard A. Kent