Topical Bible: Beasts: Created by God

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The term "beasts" in the Bible refers to a wide array of animals, both wild and domesticated, that inhabit the earth. From the very beginning of Scripture, beasts are depicted as part of God's creation, serving various roles within the divine order.

Creation of Beasts

The creation of beasts is recorded in the Book of Genesis. On the sixth day, God created the land animals, which included both wild beasts and livestock. Genesis 1:24-25 states, "And God said, 'Let the earth bring forth living creatures according to their kinds: livestock, creatures that move along the ground, and wild animals, each according to its kind.' And it was so. God made the wild animals according to their kinds, the livestock according to their kinds, and all the creatures that move along the ground according to their kinds. And God saw that it was good."

This passage highlights the diversity and intentionality in God's creation, emphasizing that each beast was made according to its kind, reflecting the order and purpose inherent in God's design.

Role and Symbolism

Beasts in the Bible often symbolize various attributes and serve as instruments of God's will. For instance, in the account of Noah's Ark, God preserves a remnant of all living creatures, including beasts, to repopulate the earth after the flood (Genesis 7:2-3). This narrative underscores the value and continuity of animal life within God's creation.

In prophetic literature, beasts frequently symbolize nations or empires. The Book of Daniel and the Book of Revelation use beast imagery to convey messages about power, authority, and divine judgment. Daniel 7:3-7 describes four great beasts emerging from the sea, each representing a kingdom. Similarly, Revelation 13:1-2 introduces a beast rising from the sea, symbolizing a powerful and oppressive regime.

Dominion and Stewardship

Humanity's relationship with beasts is characterized by dominion and stewardship. Genesis 1:26 declares, "Then God said, 'Let Us make man in Our image, after Our likeness, to rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air and over the livestock and over all the earth itself and every creature that crawls upon it.'" This dominion is not a license for exploitation but a call to responsible stewardship, reflecting God's care and provision for all creation.

The covenant with Noah further establishes this relationship, as God reiterates the fear and dread of humans that will fall upon all beasts (Genesis 9:2). This covenantal framework underscores the responsibility humans have to care for and manage the animal kingdom.

Beasts in Worship and Sacrifice

In the Old Testament, certain beasts were integral to the sacrificial system, serving as offerings to God. Leviticus outlines various sacrifices involving animals such as bulls, goats, and lambs, which were to be without blemish, symbolizing purity and atonement for sin (Leviticus 1:3-10).

The use of beasts in worship highlights their role in the covenant relationship between God and His people, pointing ultimately to the sacrificial work of Jesus Christ, the "Lamb of God" (John 1:29), who fulfills and transcends the sacrificial system.

Conclusion

Throughout Scripture, beasts are portrayed as integral to God's creation, serving diverse roles from symbols of power to participants in worship. They reflect the creativity, order, and purpose of the Creator, reminding humanity of its responsibility to steward the earth and its creatures with care and reverence.

Torrey's Topical Textbook

Genesis 1:24,25
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.
Torrey's Topical Textbook

Genesis 2:19
And out of the ground the LORD God formed every beast of the field, and every fowl of the air; and brought them to Adam to see what he would call them: and whatever Adam called every living creature, that was the name thereof.
Torrey's Topical Textbook

Library

The World, Created by God, Still Cherished and Protected by Him. ...
... If one falls among robbers, or ravenous beasts; if a ... they are merely instruments,
into which God constantly infuses ... No created object makes a more wonderful or ...
/.../the institutes of the christian religion/chapter 16 the world created.htm

That There was Created at First but one Individual, and that the ...
... become subject to death, and live as the beasts do,"the slave of appetite, and doomed
to eternal punishment after death. And therefore God created only one ...
/.../augustine/city of god/chapter 21 that there was created.htm

It Appears to Me that Celsus Has Also Misunderstood this Statement ...
... of men), being either unbegotten, and not created by God ... changed the glory of the
incorruptible God into an ... and to birds, and four-footed beasts, and creeping ...
/.../origen/origen against celsus/chapter xxx it appears to.htm

Of Religion Towards God, and Mercy Towards Men; and of the ...
... derive our origin from one man, whom God created, we are ... we are all inspired and
animated by one God, what else ... are to be accounted as savage beasts who injure ...
/.../lactantius/the divine institutes/chap x of religion towards god.htm

Why God Has Blessed Men, Fishes, Flying Creatures, and not Herbs ...
... I might say, O our God, that Thou, who hast created us after ... from their own kind,
if I had found it in the shrubs, and the fruit trees, and beasts of the ...
/.../the confessions and letters of st/chapter xxiv why god has blessed.htm

If Adam was not Created of Such a Character as that in which we ...
... It may indeed be said that the beasts were thus created likewise,"nor ... of which Adam
was capable of instruction, and could apprehend God's precept and ...
/.../augustine/anti-pelagian writings/chapter 68 xxxvii if adam was.htm

The Six Days' Work Described.
... And God made the beasts of the earth after their kind, and the cattle after ... And God
created man: in the image of God created He him; male and female created He ...
/.../theophilus/theophilus to autolycus/chapter xi the six days work.htm

The Sovereignty of God in Creation
... distant period before the heavens and the earth were created. ... With whom took God
counsel in the creation and ... as they fly through the air, the beasts as they ...
/.../pink/the sovereignty of god/chapter two the sovereignty of.htm

The Knowledge that God Is, Combined with the Knowledge that He is ...
... Is not he God, the Lord, a living and self being Spirit? Then must he not have
worshippers? Beasts are not created for it, it is you, O sons of men! ...
/.../binning/the works of the rev hugh binning/lecture xi the knowledge that.htm

That Created Nature Differs Infinitely from Uncreated Being; to ...
... of God by comparing him with men, or even with beasts? ... be elevated to a comparison
with that of God, is sincere ... both of dignity and power in created beings, is ...
/.../pamphilius/the life of constantine/chapter xiv that created nature differs.htm