God’s Love for Animals

A Devotional Series from Genesis

Online Bible Audio/Readings Links (ESV)

6/13 Reading Portions: Deuteronomy 18; Psalm 105; Isaiah 45; Revelation 15

Genesis 7:2-3

“Take with you seven pairs of all clean animals, the male and his mate, and a pair of the animals that are not clean, the male and his mate, and seven pairs of the birds of the heavens also, male and female, to keep their offspring alive on the face of all the earth.”

SPARROWS

There are a few things we can consider from these two verses. The first is God’s great love for the animals He created. Scripture tells us:

“Worthy are You, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power, for You created all things, and by Your will they existed and were created.” Revelation 4:11

The KJV renders it, “for Thy pleasure they are and were created.” Will and pleasure are synonymous in Greek, the original word θέλημα (thel-Ā-ma). The Hebrew word חָפֵץ (cha-FĀTZ), likewise, means will or pleasure. Because God’s pleasure is His will and His will is His pleasure.

God created the animals, both clean and unclean, for His will and good pleasure. He loved them. He ensured that each kind was spared from the flood of judgment. This is not an isolated instance. Jonah was rebuked when YHVH God spared Nineveh, telling the prophet,

“And should not I pity Nineveh, that great city, in which there are more than 120,000 persons who do not know their right hand from their left, and also much cattle?” Jonah 4:11

Jesus also tells us of the Father’s love for the animals He created; that in His love, the Father’s sovereign will upholds them. Jesus said,

“Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? And not one of them will fall to the ground apart from your Father.” Matthew 10:29

Now, let us consider this: only a pair of unclean animals and seven pairs of clean animals entered the ark. The clean animals were known to Noah before they were codified by the Law of Moses some 1,500 years later. But more than that, consider how many clean animals died in the flood of judgment. Those animal sacrifices, as many as there probably were in the world, could not compare with the supreme sacrifice of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ (Heb 10:4, 10).

Again, Jesus said,

“But even the hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear not, therefore; you are of more value than many sparrows.” Matthew 10:30-31

Hallelujah! What a Savior!