What Does the Bible Say About Taking Care of Our Environment?

Freepik

The profound study of the Bible for an answer to mankind’s relationship with the Earth emphasizes stewardship, reverence, and deep responsibility toward creation. From the first chapter of Genesis to the last chapter of Revelation, the Holy Scriptures do not visualize creation as an object for exploitation but keep it as a holy trust, a gift from God to be taken care of, loved, and wisely shared.

1.    Creation as God’s Gift

The first two chapters of Genesis lay down the theological perspective of the care of the environment. He made the heavens, the earth, and the seas, and every living creature therein — and He saw that it was very good (Genesis 1:31). Adam, made in the image of God (Genesis 1:26), received the “dominion” over the creation here on earth. “Dominion”: The phrase, often translated from the Hebrew “radah”, does not imply that the earth is there to be dominated or destroyed. On the contrary, it means to take up responsibilities of caring for, almost in the sense of a shepherd caring for a flock or a gardener working to foster that which grows.

This call to dignity and rule is a call from God for stewardship. Creation belongs to God. Humans, therefore, have a responsibility to undertake their care, but not as owners; rather, they are to care for it as stewards who, through love, will undertake wise management of God’s creation.

2.    Sabbatical Year and Jubilee

Some of the earliest examples of sustainable environment, given in the biblical laws in Leviticus are concerning the Sabbath year and Jubilee. Here, God commands in Leviticus 25 that every seventh year the land must be given a rest — a Sabbath to the Lord. The farmers shall not sow their fields or prune their vineyards. This practice ensured a period of recuperation for the land and guaranteed its long-term productivity.

Furthermore, every fiftieth year — the Year of Jubilee — land was returned to its original owners, slaves were freed, and debts were forgiven. The Jubilee was not only a call for social justice but also an ecological reset, focusing on the link between land, people, and economic systems. It recognizes that neither the Earth nor its resources are ours to hoard or exhaust.

If you are heading to Rome this Jubilee year 2025, make sure the religious products or items you buy are ethically sourced or are environmentally friendly, such as a carrying bag with Jubilee official logo or a natural fabric bag instead of a plastic bag.

3.    Stewardship and Responsibility

In Genesis 2:15, God put man into the Garden of Eden to work it and take care of it. In this regard, it is very clear that humanity is to take care of the Earth. The two verbs “to work” (which is from the verb abad) and “to keep” (which is from the verb shamar) both envisage an active working and a protective watching.

The idea of stewardship recurs throughout the Scriptures. Psalm 24:1 asserts, “The earth is the Lord’s, and everything in it.” This powerful verse gives the believer the understanding that while we live in and benefit from creation, we do not possess it. We are, rather, answerable to God for how we have treated creation: the tenant who must answer to the landlord.

4.    Caring for Creation as an Act of Worship

Environmental care is basically spiritual. From Romans 1:20, God’s invisible qualities, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made.” Nature is one of God’s uses to reveal Himself. Any time we protect the environment, we are honoring that revelation.

Revelation 11:18 places a stern warning: God will destroy those who destroy the earth. To many theologians, it sounds like a direct call for environmental duty, stressing that ecological destruction is not just plain wrong but actual rebellion against God.

The teachings of the Bible regarding the environment are as lucid and urgent as possible. Creation is not disposable; it is sacred. Christians are called to delight themselves with the beauty of God’s handiwork and at the same time protect and preserve it for future generations. As we step into Jubilee 2025, this is, therefore, a fitting time to reflect on how we, personally and as a worldwide Church, can live out that calling of stewardship over God’s creation.

May this Jubilee thus not merely be the celebration of mercy and renewal but the very moment for all of us to turn the tide together in the stewardship of our relationship with the Earth, an affirmation that caring for creation is indeed caring for one another and honoring the Creator.