Did God intend for there to be farms?
In an ever increasing materialistic and technological world, it may be hard to see why plants and animals matter. The more convenient stores become, the more we wonder what the need for a garden is. As we move farther from the ground, however, we move farther from humanity, our moral compass, and God himself.
In Gensis 2 we learn about one of many purposes mankind has: “there was not a man to till the ground.” We continue on to chapter 3: “Therefore the Lord God sent him forth from the garden of Eden, to till the ground from whence he was taken.”
In Proverbs 28:19
it reads, “He that tilleth his land shall have plenty of bread: but he that followeth after vain persons shall have poverty enough.”
In many parables and symbols the Lord uses nature to teach His principles. Yes, perhaps it’s only because that’s what the people at the time could relate to, but it’s more than that. The land, the trees, the plants, the animals are all His creations. “And God said, Let the earth bring forth the living creature after his kind, cattle, and creeping thing, and beast of the earth after his kind: and it was so. And God made the beast of the earth after his kind, and cattle after their kind, and every thing that creepeth upon the earth after his kind: and God saw that it was good” (Genisis 1:24-25).
There are thousands, if not millions of different species the Lord could have mentioned, but he chose cattle. And not only once but twice. And many more times throughout the Bible did He bless His people with cattle.
God's Trust in us.
As the human race, the Lord has entrusted us with His creations, from our children to our land, and every living thing therein. We are to have dominion (Gensis 1:26), which means supreme authority, over the animals and the land. Agriculture is not there for us to abuse, but to respect, cultivate, to “till.”
In a letter to George Washington, Thomas Jefferson said, “Agriculture is our wisest pursuit because it will in the end contribute most to real wealth, good morals and happiness.”
Agriculture is sanctioned by God and farmers and ranchers are some of the most God-fearing men and women you’ll ever find. We are made, like all God’s children, in His image. Through agriculture we are creators, providers, and nurturers just like Him. With the amount of growth, work, tears, and prayers that happen in our fields the ground becomes consecrated. With God’s help, we provide food, materials, and hope for the entire world.
Deuteronomy 28:
“And the Lord shall make thee plenteous in goods, in the fruit of thy body, and in the fruit of thy cattle, and in the fruit of thy ground, in the land which the Lord sware unto thy fathers to give thee. The Lord shall open unto thee his good treasure, the heaven to give the rain unto thy land in his season, and to bless all the work of thine hand: and thou shalt lend unto many nations...”
