What did God have in mind for us? “Let Us make man in Our likeness and image, and let them rule…over all the earth.”
Dr. Albert Wolters, in, “The Foundational Command: ‘Subdue the Earth,’” says it is “almost impossible to overemphasize the importance of this first and fundamental command of God to humans.” He calls it, “the first and fundamental law of history.”
This first mention of purpose, which Wolters says “all subsequent revelation presupposes,” is called, "The Cultural Mandate," or, "The Dominion Mandate." I call it, The First Commission.
What purpose did God have in mind for humans when He created Adam and Eve? What purpose did He have in mind for your parents? For you? For your children? Wonder no more! The Bible tells us human beings were created with this astounding purpose in mind: to rule [have dominion] over Planet Earth!
This is probably why Wolters says it is almost impossible to
overemphasize the importance of this command. It has profound implications
for all human work, and all human learning.
Dr. Wolters says: “…man is to be fruitful in order to multiply, he must multiply in order to fill the earth, and he must fill the earth in order to subdue it.” And then he adds
that we were created in God’s likeness and image in order that we may have dominion.
Selah. Think about this! We were created to rule over all the Earth!
This includes water (salty and fresh varieties), air, electricity,
sound waves, light, lead, uranium, silver, rubber, maple trees, money, fish, birds,
cows, carrots, copper, fingers, thumbs, feet, real estate, sweet
potatoes, soybeans and every derivative thereof, including plastic and
dyes [thank you Dr. Carver], as well as digital images, smart phones, e-books, ships, cars, airplanes, glue, paper,
antifreeze, pencils, ice cream and cake!
We were made to rule over whole systems, too. Because without systems,
rulership cannot happen: civil systems, domestic systems and economic systems. To be an Earth-Ruler includes city-making!
Wow. I'm in awe. We were made to rule over the whole Earth. That’s wholism 202.
