We know that the Garden of Eden existed somewhere in the middle east – an area known as the fertile crescent.
This envelops the current countries of Egypt, Jordan, Israel, Syria, and parts of Iraq and Iran.
Now, I’ve not visited this part of the world [except for an overnight in the Qatar airport – a miserable night], but the pictures, reports and video I’ve seen seems to reveal an area that is desolate, made up of desert and huge areas of wilderness. [My perspective may need to be corrected – feel free to correct me. These thoughts have been ruminating for years and I’m putting them out there today.]
When I’ve read through the Bible, I read repeatedly about the lush forests of Lebanon - so up until that time, apparently at least part of this area was still thriving ecologically. For instance, in I Kings 5, Solomon made arrangements with Hiram, King of Tyre, to cut and transport Lebanon’s cedars to Jerusalem to build the Lord’s Temple!
I have wondered frequently through the years how this region - that was once a paradise of fertility - has become a desert.
In reading Isaiah 10 today, I found myself pondering this again. God is using Isaiah to warn His people that He is bringing His wrath - in the form of the Assyrian army - because the people have become so corrupt. This judgment of God will cause the king of Assyria to sweep through Israel [the northern kingdom] and then Judea [the southern kingdom]. God/Isaiah warns that this destruction will be devastating!
Some of the lines awaken my wonder about the ensuing deforestation of this rich area:
The light of God’s people will
be like a fire that burns up the thorns and briars in a single day. [v.17 - All
quotes from The Voice Bible unless otherwise noted]
God will consume the grandeur
of his forest and fruitful fields [v.18]
So few trees will remain of
his glorious forest that a child could count them. [v.19]
He [the Lord, the Eternal
Commander of heavenly armies (v.33)] will wield the ax and cut down the brushy undergrowth of the forest;
even the cedars of Lebanon
fall before the Mighty One’s blow. [v.34]
I did some light research on the effect of Israel’s return to the ‘Promised Land’ in 1948. Clearly a transformation was begun at that time that continues to this day.
“The Land of
Israel before 1948 was a curious mixture of ancient, slow-moving and
traditional ways of life…Jewish immigration and land purchases were
increasingly changing a seemingly forgotten place. Jewish immigrants rapidly
reinvigorated a land that had barely seen any infrastructure or modernization
during a 400-year rule.
Jewish immigrants rapidly reinvigorated a land
that had barely seen any infrastructure or modernization during a 400-year [Ottoman Empire] rule.
The physical landscape changed as advancements
in water technology – which continued apace during the British Mandate period –
particularly, irrigation and the ability to use even brackish water for
agriculture, showed that even in the desert, human life could be sustained.
In addition, small towns began to grow into
cities and new neighborhoods began to spill out from existing conurbations.” [https://honestreporting.com/land-of-israel-before-1948/]
It echoes God’s frustration with the rebellious people of Noah’s day.
“At that point God’s heart broke, and He regretted having
made man in the first place.” [Genesis 6:6]
Wasn’t the defoliation of the fertile crescent a similar act of an angry and disappointed God who used the Assyrian army to join in the punishment of a people and their land? After all, the people had clearly lost their sense of responsibility for being caretakers of the world God had created.
Then God said, “Let Us make man in Our image, according to
Our likeness; and let them rule over the fish of the sea and over the birds of
the sky and over the cattle and over all the earth, and over every creeping
thing that creeps on the earth.” God created man in His own image, in the image
of God He created them. God blessed them; and God said to them, “Be fruitful
and multiply, and fill the earth, and subdue it; and rule over the fish of the
sea and over the birds of the sky and over every living thing that moves on the
earth.” [Genesis 1:26-28 NASB]
Is it possible that we’ve missed one of the grandest expressions of God’s disappointment with humanity by failing to observe that He not only loves us, but He also loves the world that He created! He gave us direct responsibility for being caretakers of this world He made! The people He made have raped His creation and continue to show a massive disregard for the beauty that was originally produced by His hand.
My deduction – if valid – seems to compel us, as His followers, to be much more engaged in our assigned role of ruling over THIS INCREDIBLY BEAUTIFUL AND FERTILE EARTH!
_____________________________________
Almighty God, Lord Jesus, Holy Spirit,
We observe the chronic negligence of Your people throughout history to appropriately prize, value and care for this spectacular creation You have made and given into our care.
Forgive us!
It affects us every day through litter control, wise use of limited resources, preserving beautiful sites, and careless disregard for our impact on an overwhelmed ecological balance.
Teach us how to truly care for this creation that You love! Help us to responsibly rediscover how to be the caretakers that You intended us to be! May Your people lead the way in this endeavor!
As we fulfill this mission, may we rediscover joy that comes in the process of loving what You made and what You love!
For Your Kingdom’s sake, Amen!
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