Birthday and Baby

Today is my Darling's 22nd birthday!!! I made him breakfast in bed, a tradition I brought with me from the Hoffman family (my folks!). We had fun taking the morning slow and spending time together. Yesterday we had gone hunting with two of his brothers, Isaac and Phillip. The boys got up sometime between 4-5 am, I personally waited until the last minute and then jumped out of bed, ate and dressed. We were out there and in position by, I forget, 6:30 or so? Jon and Isaac both got deer; Jon got a 5 point buck and Isaac got an 8 point buck.

Since we didn't get home and in bed until 11pm we slept in today =)

Also, today marks the 12th week of pregnancy!!!

Jon and I have a little one due in June. The baby weighs approximately 1/2 oz and is the size of a large plum (about 2 1/2 inches!) Almost all of his systems are formed and just need time to mature. He already has teeth buds in his gums, a heartbeat, sexual organs, bones, cartilage, white blood cells, muscle, hair and finger nails! According to a site I was looking at, the baby can already move around: doing stretches, somersaults, and forward flips.

". . . Thou hast covered me in my mother's womb. I will praise Thee for I am fearfully and wonderfully made: marvelous are Thy works, that my soul knoweth right well. My substance was not hid from Thee when I was made in secret, and curiously wrought in the lowest parts of the earth. Thine eyes did see my substance, yet being unperfect; and in Thy book all my members were written, in continuance were fashioned, when as yet there were none of them.

How precious are Thy thoughts to me, O God! How great is the sum of them." Psalm 139:13-17

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Subdue the Earth?

"And God blessed them and said unto them, "Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth and subdue it. And have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the air and over every living thing that moves on the face of the earth."

~Genesis 1:28

Jasmine posted a wonderful entry on her blog, "The Environment" and along those lines I had a thought to share. I was reading a book on theology recently when I came across this comment, "(during the time of the Noahic covenant). . . The command to subdue the earth (cf. Gen.1:28, 9:1) is no longer present; that was forfeited through sin." The word 'subdue' means: 1) to conquer and bring into subjection. . . 3)to bring under cultivation. Some synonyms for subdue are:
1)tame
2)subjugate
3)discipline

Keep that in mind as we continue.

Another word used along side subdue in Gen. 1:28 is dominion. Dominion means, 1)domain (i.e. a sphere of influence or activity) 2)supreme authority. Synonyms for dominion are:
1)power
2)authority
3)control
4)command

Now then, according to the author of the theology book I was reading we (mankind) no longer are commanded by God to subdue the earth and exercise dominion over it as His representatives. I think he draws this conclusion based on the fact that when God is talking with Noah after the flood, He commands Noah to 'fill the earth' but does not reaffirm the task to subdue or exercise dominion. Does this really mean that we have forfeited the responsibility and priviledge of being representative caretakers of the earth?

I don't think so. Psalm 8:3-8 clarifies this:

"When I consider Your heavens, the work of Your fingers,

The moon and the stars, which You have ordained;

What is man that You are mindful of him, and the son of man that You visit him?

Yet You have made him a little lower than the angles,

and You crown him with glory and majesty!

You make him to rule over the works of Your hands;

You have put all things under his feet,

All sheep and oxen, and also the beasts of the field,

The birds of the heavens and the fish of the sea,

Whatever passes through the paths of the seas."

So, why did God not reiterate His command to subdue and have dominion? I think it was because it was understood that is was a command already given to mankind and God had not given any reason for man to think that it was no longer his duty.

This task of taking dominion and subduing is truly an awesome one! Think of all that we have learned in the process of harnessing some of the forces of creation: electricity, nuclear power, medicine, gardens, air conditioning, paper, pens and ink. . . Science is a facinating study of creation and ways that we are and can exercise our dominion for the glory of God and the good of mankind! We cannot be wasteful of this creation if we truly understand that we derive the responsibility/authority to care for creation from God and if we opperate in a true fear of Him.

And yet, I love that in the midst of all we have learned and all we can do, God is still ultimately soveriegn over His creation. Think of the wonder and terror of hurricanes and tsunamis, volcanoes and ice storms and think of the wonder of the One who can calm a storm (Matt. 8:26-27) and cares for His children (Matt. 6:25-34). Think of the blessing of being redeemed and loved by the God of Creation!