The highest heavens belong to the Lord, but the earth has been given to mankind.
Psalm 115:16
The verse quoted above is an interesting verse that may explain a lot. The Passion Translation words it this way: “The heavens belong to our God; they are his alone. But he has given us the earth and put us in charge.”
One of the primary meanings of the Hebrew word translated as “given” is “to transfer possession of a thing.” In Genesis 1:28, the text says that after creating the earth and man, God blessed Adam and Eve and told them to fill the earth and subdue it, and to rule over the fish, the birds and the animals. The psalmist declared, “You made them (mankind) rulers over the works of your hands; you put everything under their feet” (Psm.8:6). In other words, God created the earth. Called it good, and them put man in charge.
Now, we weren’t put in charge to rule as we want to rule, but to rule as his representatives on the earth – to do what he would do if he were physically present. Rulership in the kingdom is not about perks and power but about responsibility and stewardship. He made us responsible to rule over the earth with care and good stewardship of both culture and the environment. Jesus summed up the principle of representation by saying, “If you have seen me, you have seen the Father.” The idea Is that we would care for the earth and one another just as God would do.
It seems that most people who believe in God seem to hold a theology that God is solely in charge of things on the earth. When bad things happen, we accuse God of being angry, harsh, and vindictive. When school shootings occur or when tsunami’s kill thousands, we point at God. However, if we are in charge, then we must take responsibility for most of those things. The fact that God could control everything that happens on the earth is not the same as saying that he does control every event. It is true that God wields his power and sovereignty over nations and kings and people but he does not do so capriciously or at his whim. It is in response to a people or nations’ choices.
Think of it this way: If God has given us authority over the earth, then he is compelled to honor our choices and the consequences of our choices. For example, if a father spends a lifetime building a business based on integrity, customer care, and quality products and then signs it over to hIs children, it is up to them to continue his good business practices or not. If they do, the business will continue to thrive. If not, it will dwindle. Even if he is available to help them out and give sage advice, it is up to them to involve him or leave him out. In essence, God has given mankind the family business of operating the earth.
In Deuteronomy 28, God assembled Israel and declared that they could choose blessings or curses as the atmosphere in which they would live. God promised that If they involved him and were careful to obey his commands, then he would bless then in every way. If, however, they chose to exclude him and live in disobedience to his commands, then curses would be released as the consequence of their choices. God plead with them to choose blessing, but if they chose curses, he would honor that choice.
If you read the chapter, some of those curses are financial failures, war, disease, mental illness, crime, natural disasters, etc. When Kane killed Abel, the Bible says that the blood of Abel cried out from the ground and that the earth would no longer produce crops for him because of that sin. That text and others suggest that the creation itself will respond to our sin. The more that sin prevails on the earth, more natural disasters will occur, more disease will afflict the planet, and more war will ravage mankind. We may blame natural disasters on coal plants or car emissions, but the truth is that our sin contributes heavily to these disasters.
Paul declares in Galatians 6:7 that God will not be mocked. Whatever a man sows he will reap. If he sows to the Spirit, he will reap life. If he sows to the flesh, he will reap destruction. Our sin does not affect us alone but contributes to an atmosphere of curses because our sin gives Satan the right to kill, steal, and destroy. It is not God’s desire for man to suffer, but he will honor our choices. How can we shake our fist at God for earthquakes, forest fires, tornadoes, polar vortexes, famine, and outbreaks of devastating disease when the world is bent on disobedience? The blood of every aborted child cries out. Sexual sin and perversion flood the airways. The word of God is removed from schools and places of government. The heavens belong to God but he has given us the earth and we are in charge.
It has always been God’s intent to rule though his people and, as the church, he has given us authority in the earth. If we, then, as believers are in charge, then we should take charge – not through violence or religious tyranny, but first of all by obedient living ourselves…then, by evangelizing the world, being a true leaven for righteousness, standing against unrighteousness, and inviting God back into the business through massive amounts of prayer.
God is willing to get involved if we ask. God is waiting to bless the nations through his people and through his Messiah. Because he has put us in charge, he will do all of this with us, but not without us. God has called us to subdue the earth and rule over the works of his hands with an outpouring of love, truth, and the supernatural power of heaven to bless rather than curse. God is not angry, he is just a God of his word and if we are in charge, then we should act like it.
