Biblical Understanding of Endangered Species The Bible records the very first effort of humankind to protect Endangered Species--Noah and his ark. This flood story illustrates and teaches God’s desire for each species on Earth to continue.  After the flood, God reestablishes the covenant with humans and all of creation when God says, "This is the sign of the covenant that I make between me and you and every living creature that is with you, for all future generations" (Genesis 9.12, NRSV). Humans are to repopulate the Earth, but not at the threat to the other species; rather, the bloodlines must be protected at the threat of divine reckoning (Genesis 9.1-7). The word of God emerges out of the text: "Keep them alive with you" (Genesis 6.19). The Noah story teaches sensitivity to other forms of life and the biological and theological forces producing them. What is required is not human prudence but principled responsibility to the Earth, to God.  Humanistic justifications for the preservation of species, such as medicinal uses, although correct and required as part of endangered species policy, fall short of Noah's environmental ethics. The call to protect species, however, lies not in human-centered benefits, but in a biblically centered directive to protect species for the sake of God. The story of the flood is part of the larger biblical principle of fruitfulness.  The principle of fruitfulness along with keeping the Sabbath and earthkeeping constitute the core of our biblical ecological teaching.  We are to till, or serve, creation with the same conviction as Joshua and his family served the Lord (Joshua 24:15); we are also called to keep creation as we would expect God to keep us (Numbers 6:24).  To keep, or Shamar as it is used in the original Hebrew, the garden means we are called to maintain all the creatures under our control and keep them in their proper condition. The blessing of fruitfulness is given to all of creation in Genesis. Humans are called to enjoy the fruit of the Earth, but also have the responsibility to take care of it as well. The Creator blessed the Earth so that all creatures will prosper with great abundance and diversity. Finally, the Sabbath teaches that even the land shall have a year of rest. The Sabbath principle sets behavioral limits on us to prevent the land from reaching its biological and physical limits, allowing for the restoration and prosperity of all life. At the end of the creation story, God looked at all that he had made and saw that it was “very good” (Genesis 1:31).  It wasn’t until all of God’s creation was complete that it was called “very good”. The birds of the air and the fish of the sea along with everything that walks the Earth were finally very good once our role as stewards was in place.  As stewards of creation we need to understand our role as protectors of creation and of species in danger of extinction because of human impact. More about Endangered Species Evangelical Environmental Network Endangered Species Act (1973) NCC Biodiversity Home NCC Endangered Species Home