On 25 Aug 1996 17:08:30 EDT, pdd@gcc.cc.md.us wrote:
PD>Glad to be back with you folks.
>Steve Jones wrote...
>SJ>...Whatever our naive "natural theology" ideas that predation is
>evil, the Bible clearly says it is good. In Psalm 104, the Psalmist
>reflects on the balance of nature maintained by predation as
>expressing the wisgom of God. For example, God makes the cycle of
>darkness and light (and implicitly the advantage that darkness gives
>predators over prey):...The whole cycle of nature (including
>predator and prey) is seen by the Psalmist as demonstrating God's
>wisdom:
>A plain reading of Psalm 104 speaks more to God's creative goodness than
>to "nature's" cycles. It is a praise to God and His works... as in verse
>24 "O Lord, how many are Thy works! In wisdom Thou hast made them
>all;..." and in verse 30 "Thou dost send forth Thy Spirit, they are
>created; And Thou dost renew the face of the ground"
I do not disagree that "Psalm 104 speaks more to God's creative
goodness than to "`nature's' cycles". It is sufficient for my
purpose that it *does* speak of "`nature's' cycles":
"The poet has no selfish view of nature as wholly man's to exploit
and spoil. He would have regarded conservation as an obligation
arising from a divine pattern imposed upon the world. From this
standpoint he can lose even a natural fear of ferocious beasts and
view the lion's roar as akin to prayer (cf. Job 38:41; Jl 1:20)! Beasts
prowling at night are the counterpart of men at work by day, ALL
SHARING IN A DIVINELY PROGRAMMED CYCLE OF ACTIVITY. Human work belongs
to a God-ordained pattern (cf. Gen. 2:15; 3:23). The sun and moon,
far from being deities, as Israel's neighbours imagined, are but God's
clock and calendar for His animate creation (cf. Gen. 1:14)." (Allen
L., "The Psalms", Bruce F.F., Ed., "The International Bible Commentary",
Marshall Pickering/Zondervan: Grand Rapids MI, Second Edition, 1986,
p628. My emphasis).
"104:19-23 THE ORDERLY CYCLES OF LIFE ON EARTH, governed by the moon
and sun." (Stek J.H., in Barker K., ed., "The NIV Study Bible",
Zondervan: Grand Rapids MI, 1985, p896. My emphasis)
And in that overall cycle of nature is the divinely ordained and
maintained balance of "predator and prey".
>SJ>As a result of (not despite) predation: "...the earth is full
>of your creatures" (Ps 104:24)
PD>In verse 104:24, we see that the earth is full of His creatures
>(possessions) because "In wisdom He has made them all"!.... not as a
>result of predation, either in the context or specific wording of the
>verse.
This "all" which God "has made" with "wisdom" includes "The lions"
and "their prey" (Ps 104:21). That is, the predator and his prey are
both manifestations of God's "wisdom"! Hence predation is good.
PD>No natural theology here, just plain creative works and goodness
>by God for the benefit of His creation.
I did not say that Ps 104 *was* "natural theology". I said "Whatever
our naive `natural theology' ideas that predation is evil..."
God bless.
Steve
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| Stephen E (Steve) Jones ,--_|\ sejones@ibm.net |
| 3 Hawker Avenue / Oz \ Steve.Jones@health.wa.gov.au |
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