Getting Started

The way in which we view our world begins with our understanding of our origins. God created the first human beings, Adam and Eve, as male and female, equal in dignity, value, and worth, in order to mirror and reflect God as an act of worship and obedience. Human beings, as image bearers of God, are under God and over lower creation, not to be pulled up like gods or pushed down like animals. Creation is a gift from God and needs to be taken care of.

Something to consider: God made you and creation with a purpose.

God & the world

God makes creation

Romans 1:20
Revelation 4:11
Isaiah 45:18
Psalms 19:1

God's relation with creation

Genesis 1:1, 31  
Nehemiah 9:6
Psalm 104:24-25
Colossians 1:15-16

God owns creation

Deuteronomy 10:14
1 Chronicles 29:11
Job 41:11
Psalm 24:1-2
Psalm 89:11
1 Corinthians 10:26

God loves creation

Psalm 33:5-6
John 3:16
Psalm 145:9, 13, 17

God sustains creation

Job 12:10
Psalm 65:9-13
Hebrews 1:3

God redeems creation

Psalm 104:29,30
Romans 8:19-21
Colossians 1:20
Ephesians 1:10

God & animals

God's covenant with animals

Genesis 9:9-10
Hosea 2:18

God's concern for animals

Genesis 6:19
Exodus 23:12 Deuteronomy 5:14
Deuteronomy 25:4
Luke 12:6
Matthew 10:29

God promise to animals

Isaiah 11:6-9

Human's Relationship to creation

Command to Care for Creation

Genesis 2:15
Leviticus 18:26, 28
Leviticus 25:2324
Leviticus 26:3-4
Numbers 35:33-34

Defiling creation

Jeremiah 2:7
Jeremiah 12:4
Jeremiah 12:11
Ezekiel 34:17-18
Hosea 4:1-3

Consequences for defiling creation

Psalm 107:33-34
Isaiah 5:8-10
Isaiah 24:4

Creation's relationship to God

Creation testifies of the Creator

Job 12:7-10
Psalm 19:1-4 Psalm 97:6
Romans 1:20

Creation praises the Creator

Psalm 96:11-13
Psalm 148:1-6
Psalm 148:7-10
Isaiah 55:12

Questions about Creation

Now that we've looked at a number of verses about creation, we encourage you to explore these questions with your group or in a journal.

• What are the debatable views of creation?
  

• What are the essential views of creation? 
  

• What does the creation indicate about the character of God? 
  

• What effect can a wrong view of creation have on your understanding of God?
  

What does it mean?

Knowledge is good, but knowing how to act on that knowledge is better. Explore some of these questions about how our knowledge affects our lives.

• How does your understanding of creation affect your view of God? 
  

• How does the purpose of creation affect your view of your life and world? 
  

• Why is it important to take care of creation? 
  

• How has Scripture clarified your view of how creation began?