What does the Bible say about the environment and my responsibility to care for it?

Genesis 1:26-30God said, “Let us make human beings in our image, to be like us. They will reign over the fish in the sea, the birds in the sky, the livestock, all the wild animals on the earth, and the small animals that scurry along the ground.” So God created human beings in his own image. In the image of God he created them; male and female he created them. Then God blessed them and said, “Be fruitful and multiply. Fill the earth and govern it. Reign over the fish in the sea, the birds in the sky, and all the animals that scurry along the ground.” Then God said, “Look! I have given you every seed-bearing plant throughout the earth and all the fruit trees for your food. And I have given every green plant as food for all the wild animals, the birds in the sky, and the small animals that scurry along the ground—everything that has life.” And that is what happened.

Human beings were created to share responsibility for the earth by being good stewards of the created environment. Reigning over creation includes a responsibility to care for all of it.

Genesis 2:15The Lord God placed the man in the Garden of Eden to tend and watch over it.

The first assignment God gave to the man, Adam, was to tend and care for the Garden of Eden. God expects us to care for our little corners of the earth as well.

Deuteronomy 20:19-20“When you are attacking a town and the war drags on, you must not cut down the trees with your axes. You may eat the fruit, but do not cut down the trees. Are the trees your enemies, that you should attack them? You may only cut down trees that you know are not valuable for food. Use them to make the equipment you need to attack the enemy town until it falls.

Ezekiel 34:18-19“Isn’t it enough for you to keep the best of the pastures for yourselves? Must you also trample down the rest? Isn’t it enough for you to drink clear water for yourselves? Must you also muddy the rest with your feet? Why must my flock eat what you have trampled down and drink water you have fouled?”

Even in wartime, God was concerned about the needless destruction of the environment and how that would impact the people and animals who lived there.

Leviticus 25:5The land must have a year of complete rest.

God’s instructions for the people of Israel to let farmland rest every seventh year was meant to restore nutrients to the soil and allow for the conservation of good, productive land. Wildlife would also benefit from this time of rest.

Psalm 96:11-13Let the heavens be glad, and the earth rejoice! Let the sea and everything in it shout his praise! Let the fields and their crops burst out with joy! Let the trees of the forest sing for joy before the Lord, for he is coming! He is coming to judge the earth. He will judge the world with justice, and the nations with his truth.

God created nature to proclaim his glory. We should do all we can to preserve this testimony to God.