Counsel #2 — Dominion: Exploitation Or Careful Management?

Picture: Counsel #2 — Dominion: Exploitation Or Careful Management?CSI 99.1

The concept of stewardship is woven throughout the Scriptures. In Genesis,^{[147]Genesis 1:26-28} we see dominion, not as unchecked power, but rather a responsibility to manage and care for the Earth's resources. Genesis 2:15 further emphasizes this, placing Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden "to work it and take care of it." These verses establish a foundational principle: humans are accountable to God for the well-being of the Earth.^{[148]https://ssnet.org/blog/monday-privilege-dominion/}CSI 99.2

“Then God said, ‘Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over the cattle, over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth….Then God blessed them, and God said to them, ‘Be fruitful and multiply; fill the earth and subdue it; have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over every living thing that moves on the earth.’” Genesis 1:26, 28 NKJVCSI 99.3

“[Adam] was placed, as God’s representative, over the lower orders of being. They cannot understand or acknowledge the sovereignty of God, yet they were made capable of loving and serving man.” Ellen White in Patriarchs and Prophets, p. 45CSI 99.4

Reflect: Genesis 1:26 mentions God creating humanity in "Our image, according to Our likeness." How might this concept influence our responsibility towards creation?CSI 99.5