Topical Encyclopedia The relationship between birds and humans is a topic that finds its roots in the early chapters of the Bible. According to the Scriptures, birds, like all animals, were created by God and placed under the dominion of man. This dominion is established in Genesis 1:28, where God commands humanity to "fill the earth and subdue it; rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air and every creature that moves on the ground" . This divine mandate implies a natural order where birds, along with other creatures, recognize the authority of humans.The instinctive fear that birds have towards humans can be seen as a reflection of this divinely instituted order. In Genesis 9:2, after the flood, God reiterates this relationship, saying, "The fear and dread of you will fall on every living creature on the earth, every bird of the air, every creature that crawls on the ground, and all the fish of the sea. They are delivered into your hand" . This passage suggests that the fear birds have of humans is not merely a result of environmental factors or learned behavior but is an inherent part of the post-flood world ordained by God. Throughout the Bible, birds are often used as symbols and teaching tools, illustrating various spiritual truths. For instance, in Matthew 6:26, Jesus uses birds to teach about God's provision: "Look at the birds of the air: They do not sow or reap or gather into barns—and yet your Heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they?" . Here, the natural behavior of birds is used to convey a message of trust in God's care, yet their instinctive fear of man remains a backdrop to their existence. In the Old Testament, birds are also mentioned in the context of sacrifices and offerings. Leviticus 1:14-17 describes the procedure for offering a bird as a burnt offering, indicating that birds were accessible to humans and could be captured for religious purposes. This accessibility further underscores the idea that birds, while free and independent in many ways, are still subject to human authority and influence. The prophetic literature of the Bible also references birds in relation to human activity. In Jeremiah 4:25, the desolation of the land is depicted with the absence of birds: "I looked, and there was no man; all the birds of the air had fled" . This imagery suggests that the presence of humans is a significant factor in the behavior and habitation of birds. In summary, the Bible presents birds as creatures that instinctively fear man, a condition established by God's command and reflective of the broader order of creation. This fear is not merely a survival mechanism but is rooted in the theological framework of human dominion and divine sovereignty. Torrey's Topical Textbook Genesis 9:2And the fear of you and the dread of you shall be on every beast of the earth, and on every fowl of the air, on all that moves on the earth, and on all the fishes of the sea; into your hand are they delivered. Torrey's Topical Textbook Library Thou Art Worthy To the Disciples - Two Events and their Moral. "He Has Trusted Me," Said the Cardinal, -- "I have Found Him... The Magnificat The Long, Rough Road He Trod (And Last): Homeward Bound All the Bells were Ringing the Angelus. ... "Thou Art Now the Blessed of the Lord. " Monos Naparima and Montserrat Resources Were fish and sea creatures also destroyed during the Flood (Genesis 6-8)? | GotQuestions.orgHow can Christian parents deal with empty-nest syndrome? | GotQuestions.org What made some animals clean and others unclean (Genesis 7)? | GotQuestions.org Birds: Dictionary and Thesaurus | Clyx.com Bible Concordance • Bible Dictionary • Bible Encyclopedia • Topical Bible • Bible Thesuarus Subtopics Birds are Hostile to Strange Kinds Birds of Cruel and Rapacious Kings Birds of People of Different Countries Birds of the Devil and his Spirits Birds: (Snaring) Designs of the Wicked Birds: Called: Birds of the Air Birds: Called: Fowls of Heaven Birds: Called: Fowls of the Air Birds: Clean: Offered in Sacrifice Birds: Confinement of, in Cages Alluded To Birds: Created for the Glory of God Birds: Creation of, on the Fifth Creative Day Birds: Differ in Flesh from Beasts and Fishes Birds: Early Distinguished Into Clean and Clean Birds: Have Each Their Peculiar Note or Song Birds: Herb of the Field Given As Food To Birds: Inhabit: Deserted Cities Birds: Instinct of, Inferior to Man's Reason Birds: Lessons of Wisdom to be Learned From Birds: Make Their Nests in Clefts of Rocks Birds: Make Their Nests in Deserted Cities Birds: Make Their Nests in Trees Birds: Make Their Nests: On the Ground Birds: Make Their Nests: Under the Roofs of Houses Birds: Make, and Dwell in Nests Birds: Many Kinds of, Carnivorous Birds: Many Kinds of, Graniverous Birds: Many Kinds of, Migratory Birds: Moses' Law Protected the Mother from Being Taken With the Young Birds: Names Given To, by Adam Birds: No Likeness of, to be Made for Worship Birds: Not to be Eaten With Their Young Birds: Often Remove from Places Suffering Calamities Birds: Often Suffered for Man's Sin Birds: Often Worshipped by Idolaters Birds: Power Over Given to Man Birds: Rapid Flight of, Alluded To Birds: Solomon Wrote the History of Birds: Songs of, at the Break of Day Birds: Taken in Snares or Nets Birds: The Blood of, not to be Eaten Birds: Unclean: Not to be Eaten Birds: What Species Were Unclean Related Terms |
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