Page Suggestions: Bible Facts

What does the BIBLE say about Animal Abuse

Does God hear the cries of those who do not communicate in human language?

Does His heart respond to the fearful mewing of a motherless kitten or the exhaustion of a donkey staggering under a load far too heavy for it? Does He care about the animals that are bred in cramped quarters and exploited for profit?

God was so interested in the welfare of the animal kingdom that He created, that He even commanded Noah, in the time of judgement on the earth, to make the ark big enough to hold two of every kind of animal that existed.

The Bible actually has much to say in regard to animal abuse. In the beginning, God created the earth and all the creatures on it to be under the authority of humanity. He entrusted these beautiful elements of His creation to our care (Genesis 1:26And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth.Genesis 1 verse 26). Our sinful nature causes us to abuse these things, sometimes without even realizing it. Yet, God expects the Christian, above all others, to be sensitive to all of His creation, knowing that exploiting or abusing it shows a disrespect for God Himself. Abuse of anything that God made is not the character of God, but rather of the Evil One.

Domestic Animals

Throughout the Bible, God shows how He expects us to care for our animals in practical ways. In the Law of the Israelites, for example, one of the purposes of the Sabbath year of rest for the land, was to let the land lie fallow--and so that the poor as well as livestock and wild animals could eat from it (Exodus 23:11But the seventh [year] thou shalt let it rest and lie still; that the poor of thy people may eat: and what they leave the beasts of the field shall eat. In like manner thou shalt deal with thy vineyard, [and] with thy oliveyard.Exodus 23 verse 11 and Leviticus 25:7And for thy cattle, and for the beast that [are] in thy land, shall all the increase thereof be meat.Leviticus 25 verse 7). The Sabbath day itself was not only for humans to rest. God also commanded us to give our animals rest on the same day (Exodus 20:10But the seventh day [is] the sabbath of the LORD thy God: [in it] thou shalt not do any work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, thy manservant, nor thy maidservant, nor thy cattle, nor thy stranger that [is] within thy gates.Exodus 20 verse 10). He also commanded the Israelites to help both their friends and enemies when their ox or donkey had fallen over, or was carrying a burden too heavy for it to bear (Exodus 23:5If thou see the ass of him that hateth thee lying under his burden, and wouldest forbear to help him, thou shalt surely help with him.Exodus 23 verse 5 and Deuteronomy 22:4Thou shalt not see thy brother's ass or his ox fall down by the way, and hide thyself from them: thou shalt surely help him to lift [them] up again.Deuteronomy 22 verse 4). In addition, livestock were also allowed to eat as they worked (Deuteronomy 25:4Thou shalt not muzzle the ox when he treadeth out [the corn].Deuteronomy 25 verse 4). Finally, God says to us in Proverbs 27:23:

Part of the reason that God anointed young David to be king over Israel, was that he was a good shepherd and could be trusted with the sheep under his care, even risking his life for them when they were attacked by lions or bears (1 Samuel 17:34And David said unto Saul, Thy servant kept his father's sheep, and there came a lion, and a bear, and took a lamb out of the flock.1 Samuel 17 verse 34). God knew that if David had this sort of heart for his sheep, he would be a faithful shepherd over an even greater treasure--the people of Israel.

Wild Animals

His eye is on the sparrow: In addition to domesticated animals, God also watches over wild animals and commands us to do the same. In Deuteronomy 22:6-7(verse 6) If a bird's nest chance to be before thee in the way in any tree, or on the ground, [whether they be] young ones, or eggs, and the dam sitting upon the young, or upon the eggs, thou shalt not take the dam with the young:

(verse 7) [But] thou shalt in any wise let the dam go, and take the young to thee; that it may be well with thee, and [that] thou mayest prolong [thy] days.Deuteronomy 22 verses 6-7, God promises a long life to those who will watch over wild birds. If we rape the land or the creatures in it, what will sustain us in the future? He allows for the taking of eggs, but commands that we release the mother bird to continue living in the wild and reproducing as He intended. In Job 38:41Who provideth for the raven his food? when his young ones cry unto God, they wander for lack of meat.Job 38 verse 41, God says that He hears the cries of newborn ravens crying to Him for food. Jesus went on to say that God supplies food for the wild birds and that not one of them falls to the ground without Him knowing it (Matthew 6:26Behold the fowls of the air: for they sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feedeth them. Are ye not much better than they?Matthew 6 verse 26, Matthew 10:29Are not two sparrows sold for a farthing? and one of them shall not fall on the ground without your Father.Matthew 10 verse 29).

These small, but kind and practical commands written throughout the Bible give us good insight into how God expects us to treat animals. Surely we will have to answer to Him for any abuse that we have committed against them. God created animals for us to love and to learn from. In them, we see our own dependance upon God illustrated in their dependance upon us. We can also see elements of our foolishness manifested in them (who has not seen a crowing rooster and laughed at the comic caricature of ourselves crowing to all the world in our foolish pride?) In addition, God also tells us to learn from their wisdom:

Although worship of animals as deities is strictly forbidden in Scripture, we are to respect them as a part of God's creation. Some believe that because only humans were created in God's image, they alone are worthy of respect and care. Yet, the Bible tells us that even the angels were not created in God's image, yet we are to respect them! We are to respect all of God's created order, not to worship facets of it, but to see in it the same call that we ourselves have, which is to glorify God. All of God's creation was made with the ability and the power to glorify Him, each in different ways. In this, animals, as well as humans, share a common element with the rest of creation. Perhaps the words from these Psalms say it best of all: