Connect Leviticus 25:34 with Genesis 1:28 on humanity's role over the earth. Two Cornerstone Texts • Genesis 1:28 — “God blessed them and said to them, ‘Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth and subdue it; rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air and every creature that crawls upon the earth.’ ” • Leviticus 25:34 — “But the pastureland belonging to their cities must not be sold, for it is their permanent possession.” Dominion Defined, Not Redefined • “Subdue” (Hebrew kabash) and “rule” (Hebrew radah) speak of responsible management, not ruthless exploitation. • Adam and Eve are commissioned as vice-regents—entrusted with God’s world, never released from accountability to its Owner (Psalm 24:1; Deuteronomy 10:14). • Dominion is active care: naming animals (Genesis 2:19-20), tending the garden (Genesis 2:15), and multiplying life, not diminishing it. Levitical Limits on Ownership • Leviticus 25 teaches Jubilee economics: land may be leased, never permanently sold (v. 23). • Verse 34 singles out the pasturelands of Levite towns—common space safeguarded for worship and community welfare. • The boundary reminds every tribe that “the land is Mine” (Leviticus 25:23). Stewardship replaces absolute property rights. Harmony of the Two Passages • Genesis 1:28 grants authority; Leviticus 25:34 sets boundaries. • Together they show that ruling creation means serving the Creator’s purposes. • Stewardship includes: – Cultivating fruitfulness (Genesis 1:28) – Allowing the land Sabbaths for recovery (Leviticus 25:2-4) – Protecting generational inheritance (Numbers 36:7) Witness of the Rest of Scripture • Psalm 8:6-8 echoes Genesis—humanity crowned with glory, yet under God. • Psalm 115:16 — “The highest heavens belong to the LORD, but the earth He has given to mankind.” • Colossians 1:16-17 — all things created through and for Christ, holding together in Him. • Romans 8:19-21 — creation longs for liberation, tying human redemption to environmental renewal. Living the Mandate Today • Manage resources with open hands—leasing, lending, and sharing as stewards, not possessors. • Work the land (or any vocation) in ways that allow rest cycles, respect biodiversity, and preserve soil and water health. • Practice economic fairness: avoid perpetual debt traps, honor generational inheritance, and champion policies that keep land accessible. • Treat animals humanely (Proverbs 12:10); see them as part of the household you rule under God. • View technological innovation as a tool for cultivating creation, always evaluated by whether it serves God’s glory and neighbor’s good. The Ultimate Steward • Jesus embodies perfect dominion—exercising authority over wind, waves, sickness, and sin while laying down His life for the world (Mark 4:39; John 10:11). • In Him we regain our original vocation: reigning with humility, serving with love, anticipating the “new heavens and new earth” where stewardship finds its fullest expression (Revelation 22:5; 2 Peter 3:13). |
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