Uprooted

"Do not be contaminated through any of these;  for through all these the nations that I expel before you became contaminated. The land became contaminated and I recalled its iniquity upon it; and the land disgorged its inhabitants." Lev. 18:24 (Tanach, Hebrew/English Old Testament)

Within the rules and regulations in Leviticus are fascinating tidbits of important information. Lev. 18:24, 28 and 20:22 warn about particular behaviors now becoming socially acceptable. Failure to avoid these actually contaminates the land which, in turn, can react violently to its inhabitants.

I don't think God spoke metaphorically here. The globe is littered with the ruins of past great civilizations who indulged in these practices. Some crumbled under the excesses their societies indulged in; others were completely wiped out by forces of nature. There were some that succumbed to a combination of both. Now they're just ancient history and piles of rubble. Paul addressed creation's predicament in the book of Romans.

"For the creation was subject to frustration, not by its own choice" Rom. 8:20 (NIV).

"We know that the whole creation has been groaning as in the pain of childbirth, right up to the present time" Rom. 8:22 (NIV).

Adam's fall impacted more than our earth. Creation, the whole cosmos was affected and hasn't been right since then. God said that our behavior could become so repulsive to the land that it would vomit the inhabitants up out of it. The thought occurred to me. Could some natural disasters having nothing to do with "God's wrath" but are the land's reaction to our unacceptable lifestyles and practices?

Mature sons of God are mandated to fulfill God's original intent.

"...your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven." Matt. 6:10 (NIV).

Much of what society is willing to give a pass to today (and even in the past) can't be found in agreement with God's Word...ever. Designed to reflect Jesus, Christians have a serious responsibility for the earth and all creation. It's important to be environmentally conscious and wise, but according to Leviticus, that will only do so much. We can consistently recycle, search out and use green solutions and work to keep the environment free from pollutants, but unless there's a corresponding change of behavior, these efforts won't solve the real problem. Our job is to bring all of the cosmos back into alignment with God's original concept. It's a huge task and we have a big God Who has all the resources needed to accomplish this. Are we willing to grow up and do our part?

How about you? What do you think creation would look like if restored to pristine condition? What things on earth (like mosquitoes, roaches, spiders and so forth) might be completely different than the way we know them now? What are you willing to do in order to come to maturity as a son of God? How can you positively impact creation?