There is a term use about a biblical principle that may seem scary to some people. It is called the dominion mandate. It may sound like one of those political doctrines for the abuse of power like the divine right of kings or eminent domain, but the dominion mandate is a term for our Creator's command to understand and care about the world he has given us.
Shortly after God created Adam and Eve, he told them, essentially, "See this nice planet I gave you? Reproduce (critters are to do this also), fill the earth, and get it under control". He did not tell them to run rampant and trash the place so he could be like a modern parent and clean up after his spoiled offspring. No, we are responsible to our Creator for how we care for the world. To do that, we must also learn about and understand many things. It is interesting that Jesus indicated this aspect as well!
 |
| Credit: Unsplash / Dylan Sauerwein |
It’s noteworthy that this was God’s first commandment to the man and woman He’d just made. They were to exercise dominion over the newly created Earth in a responsible stewardship. This would necessarily involve scientific study. If they were to subdue the earth as good stewards, they must first understand its properties and processes.To read the article in its entirety, click on "The Gospels Affirm the Dominion Mandate for Research". To see an example of the dominion mandate being implemented, click on "Ethiopia’s ‘little Edens’".
. . .
While these truths are rooted in the Old Testament Scriptures and have been elaborated on by creationists elsewhere,1 the Lord Jesus Christ also made reference to the need for us to undertake a detailed study of His creation. In Luke 12:27-28 and Matthew 6:28-30, He used the example of lilies to illustrate the providential care of God for His children and how we should trust in Him for our needs.