Climate and Environment
This chapter contians the scripture text I can find that talk about the climate and/or environment. There is no real structure to it but mainly some notes about this topic.
What I find important to note is that this topic is very small in the Bible. I do not think you could fill 10 pages with it, maybe not even 1. However, the judgment of the rich and the unfairness that is in society is a very much recurring subject. With that perspective, I do not think the goal should be to improve the environment but to be fair and strive to live an honest and fair life. Richess are not a biblical thing, but God does bless the righteous(TODO add note(psalms, Jesaja, Jeremia, Job, Salomon, )).
Climate
The climate and climate change, as the political theme that is used today(2024), does not exist in the Bible. The only references to something like climate is by the time of Noah after the great flood:
“As long as the earth endures,
seedtime and harvest,
cold and heat,
summer and winter,
day and night
will never cease.”
Note
Some note that this means there were no seasons before the time of Noah.
The following text is often used to say that Christians should take care of the environment.
The Lord God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and take care of it.
It should be noted that this text is in a context(the garden of Eden) and that the following verses should be added when reading it:
16 And the Lord God commanded the man, “You are free to eat from any tree in the garden;
17 but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat from it you will certainly die.”
Law of Noah
Genesis 2:16 is used along with Genesis 9:4- for the Laws of Noah.
As quated from Wikipedia:
The seven Noahide laws as traditionally enumerated in the Babylonian Talmud Sanhedrin 56a-b and Tosefta Avodah Zarah 9:4,[21] are the following:[22]
Not to worship idols.[23]
Not to curse God.
Not to commit murder.[24]
Not to commit adultery or sexual immorality.[25]
Not to steal.[26]
Not to eat flesh torn from a living animal.[27]
To establish courts of justice.[28]
Leviticus
Leviticus probably contains the most and best laws and rules about the environment. Here is a list of things I could quickly find:
:caption: Leviticus 19: 19
19 “‘Keep my decrees.
“‘Do not mate different kinds of animals.
“‘Do not plant your field with two kinds of seed.
“‘Do not wear clothing woven of two kinds of material.
:caption: Leviticus 19: 23-26
23 “‘When you enter the land and plant any kind of fruit tree, regard its fruit as forbidden.
For three years you are to consider it forbidden; it must not be eaten.
24 In the fourth year all its fruit will be holy, an offering of praise to the Lord.
25 But in the fifth year you may eat its fruit. In this way your harvest will be increased.
I am the Lord your God.
26 “‘Do not eat any meat with the blood still in it.
Consequences
:caption: Leviticus 19:29
“‘Do not degrade your daughter by making her a prostitute, or the land will turn to prostitution and be filled with wickedness.
:caption: Leviticus 19:35
“‘Do not use dishonest standards when measuring length, weight or quantity.
36 Use honest scales and honest weights, an honest ephah and an honest hin.
I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of Egypt.
Geloof en de Werken
Jacobus 2:14-17