“Thou madest him to have dominion over the works of thy hands; thou hast put all things under his feet: All sheep and oxen, yea, and the beasts of the field; The fowl of the air, and the fish of the sea, and whatsoever passeth through the paths of the seas.” (Psalm 8:6-8)
The commission to rule over Earth was never withdrawn from mankind by the Creator. That Dominion Mandate implies authorization for the following human enterprises:
- Discovery of truth—science, research, exploration
- Application of truth—agriculture, engineering, medicine, technology, etc.
- Implementation of truth—commerce, transportation, government, etc.
- Interpretation of truth—fine arts, literature, theology
- Transmission of truth—education, communication, homemaking
When that authority was first delegated by the Creator, Earth was “very good” (Genesis 1:31). However, Adam’s failure in his first assignment created an ongoing conflict with mankind’s efforts on every front. Now, the “whole creation groaneth” (Romans 8:22) as the very ground from which all things are made (Genesis 3:17-19, 23-24) conflicts with the environment. “Thorns also and thistles” erupt from our efforts to cultivate (Genesis 3:18). Sin and death are the conditions of existence (Romans 5:12), and ignorance of God’s ideas, apart from God’s revelation, is rampant (1 Corinthians 2:14). Humanity’s drive is to serve ourselves, not God or others (Ephesians 2:1-3), and the ability to obey comes only through God’s new creation (Ephesians 4:17-24).
One day, all these wrongs will be righted with the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. Until that day, our mandate remains as stewards over Earth. HMM III
