thinking bible.

You asked

how does this passage challenge or affirm modern ideas about technological progress and resource extraction?

The passage, plainly, with room to sit with it.

Genesis 2:15

Yahweh God took the man, and put him into the garden of Eden to cultivate it and to keep it.

This verse from the book of Genesis describes the initial role of humanity in the created world. It comes after God forms the man and places him in the Garden of Eden, a place of abundance and life, before the introduction of Eve or the story of the forbidden fruit.

What responsibility does this ancient description of 'cultivating and keeping' suggest for how we engage with the world's resources today?

Keep thinking

Read alongside it

  • Genesis 1:28

    This earlier verse speaks of humanity's role to 'be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth, and subdue it,' providing a broader context for dominion.

  • Deuteronomy 20:19

    This law prohibits destroying fruit trees even in wartime, showing a specific ancient concern for sustainable resource use.

  • Revelation 11:18

    This prophetic passage speaks of God judging 'those who destroy the earth,' offering a stark warning about environmental impact.

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