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Sooner or later one of the most important things that we
as sportsmen will ever have to do is to give an intellegent answer to a difficult question as to why we hunt. Many of us can
not put into words how much the outdoor experience has meant to us, or how it has changed our life. Today we are often forced
to give an account as to why we hunt to defend off those who believe that preservation is the end all for species management.
The issue of should we hunt or not hunt will not be answered socially because in fact, it is not a social issue at all, but
it is a spiritual matter. The issue should be, and is based on the word from the Creator Himself. Is there biblical evidence
that both proves that the taking of animals is both necessary and approved of God? ABSOLUTLEY !! Let me encourage you to take
the time to read from your own bible as we search and find the truth.
Theres no better place to begin than in
"The Beginning." Genesis 9:2-4 is very explicit of Gods permission to harvest and use animals for food. In the context of
this scripture God has just punished mankind with the great flood because of their sinfulness. After Noah had been protected
and preserved from the wrath of God for a period of over forty days and nights , the ark then came to rest upon dry ground.
Upon exiting the ark Noah immediatly killed and offered animals up to God as a burnt offering which is to say "Lord I have
sinned against thee, Have mercy upon me." God was pleased with Noahs humble and repentent heart and promised to never again
destroy the earth by water. He then made a covenant with man-kind and sealed it with a promise of the rainbow. (Genisis 8:20-22
& 9:8-17}
As God had commanded Noah to replinish the earth, something unusual took place. The "order of fear "
between man and beast was reversed. Genesis 9:2-6 suggest that prior to the great flood, man had reason to fear the beast
of the feild. In this scripture God says " Into thy hands are they delivered." God not only made it more difficult for us
to come in contact with animals but he also was at the same time giving His permission of taking and using these animals for
food, for He said " Every moving thing that liveth shall be meat for you, even as the green plants have I given you all things.
{Genesis 9:3 and Deuteronomy 12:15}. Those who speak out against hunting and the taking of wildlife seem to be unaware of
this truth or choose to ignore it all together.
The only prohibition found in the bible concerning the killing and
eating of animals is that their blood is not to be eaten. [Deuteronomy 12:23, Levitcus 17:13] Why would God forbid the consumption
of blood? For there is life in the blood! Life is not in the flesh of an animal. The flesh itself is the product of the life
which is the blood. Therefore, it is the life-giving blood which emphasizes the only hope we have for redemption in this life
and the eternal which lies ahead. Intrestingly enough, part of this debate as to hunt or not comes from the origins of oriental
religous beliefs in that animals have equallity with mankind.
Is it possible that God does look upon all His creation
as equal ? ABSOLUTLEY NOT !! Nothing could be farther from the truth. It is true that the other creations are a wonder and
a thing a beauty and that God created all things living and non living.{Genisis 1;1-27} However; it was the creation of mankind
that expressed the very likeness of Himself and was His most sacred work. In Genisis 1:26 God said "Let us make man in our
image and our likeness and let him rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air, over the livestock, over all the
earth and over all the creatures that move upon the ground." No other creature was made to bear God's likness or given dominion
over the earth. This scripture should in itself be enough to refute any further claims however; there is even more.
The
uniqueness of our creation also confirms that we were and are not equally created. Salvation was provided for mankind , not
animals.{1 Cor 15: 20-26} Animals do not have the capability or desire to sin. They were not given any "Shalt Nots" therefore,
they can not and do not know the difference between good and evil and were not given a will to choose between the two. The
moral and eternal fact of mankind makes a decisive difference between us and wildlife.
This difference is so great that
an Eternal, Holy God made a provision for mankind in that the shed blood of His beloved Son Jesus Christ would give eternal
life to all who would call upon His name.{John 3:16} We are blessed in that we as Gods creation not only can enjoy a peace
that passes all understanding for what lies beyond, but we are also being used by God in this life to bring about His great
plan for the very heavens that He created. In this lies the greatest responsibility that we have, and that is to show the
world the wonder and the greatness of Almighty God.
B.Stallings 12-11-01
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