There is a school of thought that is concerned with why animals suffer. They don’t sin like humans, yet they are burdened with living in a predatory world. To set the context for this post, I am a creationist. I believe that #God created the heavens and the earth and all that lives within both. He created the world in a mature state. Trees were full grown and produced food (Gen.1:11-12), and the first man was created as an adult (consider this when you’re trying to decide how old the earth is). I will also add that I believe that humans are just as much a part of creation/nature as plants, trees, animals, and insects; each having a purpose and responsibility to the whole. My reference will be Genesis 1 – 3.
We read about the whole #creation, and then the passage focuses on one area – the garden. The picture is described as lush and abundant with animals, vegetation, Adam and Eve. Man was created last and given the job of caring for the garden. Like all the other creatures, he was given a mate, a partner, Eve, to do life with. At this point, the creation is described by God as “very good.” Adam and Eve were given one rule, don’t eat for the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil.
Genesis 2:17, says “…but from the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat from it you will surely die.” Notice that he doesn’t say that IF you eat of it, he says THE DAY THAT YOU EAT FROM IT. God knew what was going to happen. Did he set us up to fail? What does this have to do with the animals suffering? Spoiler alert – woman and man eat the fruit of the tree. While I’d like to take a deep dive into who’s to blame, let’s stick to our point of how this impacts animals.
God placed in the soul of humans the ability to reason and make choices, otherwise, we’d just be puppets. It’s out of our choices that we journey either toward or away from God. When Eve and Adam ate the forbidden fruit, it set in motion humankind’s separation from God at the same time our journey back to Him. It also began the demise of the world. (Go ahead and hum, it’s the end of the world as we know it…)
When sin entered the perfect creation, it destroyed what was perfect for all of creation. The plants we need to grow for food or beauty must survive dramatic weather along with thorns and thistles in order to produce fruit. Many species of animals will hunt or be hunted. And mankind, well, look around, unfortunately, we don’t have to look far to find depravity.
Remember the warning was that when they ate from the tree, they would die. But they didn’t die immediately. I believe two things happen here. First, the broken rule began the deterioration of man, the ticking biological clock, so to speak. Our lives on earth became finite. The second thing we see God do is shed blood to provide for man and woman clothing (3:21). In the midst of discipline, He shows compassion and makes provision.
He drew the first blood. This began the pattern of shedding blood for the covering of our sins. The cadence of blood sacrifice for forgiveness is threaded through the Old Testament. In the New Testament, God drew the last blood through the sacrifice of His son, Jesus (John 3:16).
In Genesis 3:14 – 19, God doles out the consequences for their disobedience. He begins with the serpent through which the curse of sin is placed on cattle and every beast of the field. (v. 14 NASB). It is my opinion that this is when animals became predatory. Prior to the curse, Genesis 2:30 says the green plants were to be eaten by all. Chapter 3 changes everything – the ground now is cursed with thistles and thorns making Adam’s work harder. Animals are cursed, and the serpent is put on his belly to eat dust. Eve will experience the pain of childbirth, and her relationship with her husband will be challenging. Humans are ashamed (3:10), the first of many emotions that can steal our joy.
Do animals suffer because of humans? I guess it depends on who you blame for the original sin, the serpent or Eve. At this point, does it matter who to blame? God has given us the roadmap for reconnection after sin – be it sinning against each other, or Him. Nowhere in Genesis did God change our job to care for creation. We are still the highest form of creation and still responsible for taking care of it.
Everyone suffered at the fall of creation, animals included. Sad but true.
All the best,
KK
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