Save the Trees

"It's all going to burn anyway." I don't know how many times I said that as a kid. Usually as I threw a candy bar wrapper on the ground and sinned by littering. Overall, for the most part I grew up with little understanding that God actually cares about the earth. Truly, for me, it was all going to burn. This is a sinful attitude. Now don't get me wrong, things are going to burn (see 2 Pe. 2:10) but, more importantly, God is making all things new.

I caught a whiff of this new creation by a simple word from God in Deuteronomy this morning. God is speaking through Moses about how the people of Israel are to spare women and children in the cities that they besiege. Basically he tells them to kill all the men but spare the kids, the women, and the animals. Oh, and also the trees.

"When you besiege a city a long time, to make war against it in order to capture it, you shall not destroy its trees by swinging the axe against them; for you may eat from them, and shall not cut them down. For is the tree of the field a man, that it should be besieged by you?" Dt. 20:19

God says, save the trees. Don't cut them down. He does this because of two reasons, creation is good and creation is meant to bless humankind. The fruit trees, specifically are saved, because they are a blessing, as they feed and nourish man.

Creation is never to be abused. The earth is God's and the earth and God's earth was made for humankind. For whatever reason we get the notion that because something is made for us it means we can abuse it. No, it means you nurture it; you cultivate it; you bless it.

God is making all things new, and one day, when the curse is lifted, righteousness will permeate all things and God's people will worship Him in a new heaven and a new earth where trees will clap their hands.