(Each Saturday, a faith leader in Franklin County offers a personal perspective in this space. To become part of this series, email religion@recorder.com or call 413-772-0261, ext. 265.)
On May 18, 1980, Mount St. Helens experienced a catastrophic volcanic eruption which devastated that part of Washington and affected many lives. It is regarded as the deadliest and most destructive volcanic event in U.S. history. Many other natural disasters have taken place in our nation’s history, and both sudden and gradual environmental changes have been taking place for thousands of years. Even the Bible addresses the earth’s past, present and future condition.
In the beginning, God created the earth without any corruption, destruction or death. It was a perfect paradise with lush vegetation. That all changed when the first woman, Eve, ate of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil after being deceived by the devil. The first man, her husband Adam, disobeyed God’s command and also ate of that tree. They had complete liberty to eat of every other tree but chose the one that would strip away their innocence and introduce death and corruption into the world.
One of the consequences was that weeds would grow, and harder work would have to be done to get food from the ground. The sin problem initiated by Adam got so bad that, centuries later, God judged the world with a worldwide flood that dramatically changed the earth. Most of the water came from below the surface of the earth, and the earth’s topography was changed in a big way. There is good reason to believe that the climate changed quite a bit, because people’s life spans began decreasing after this event. The changes caused by the flood possibly initiated the ice age. Only Noah and his family survived the flood. After the flood, God put a rainbow in the sky as a symbol of his promise to never again destroy the entire earth with a flood.
Today’s condition of the earth is best understood considering those past events that are recorded in the Bible. The Bible says that the “whole creation groaneth and travaileth until now.” Prophecies recorded in Psalms and Isaiah say that the earth shall “wax old like a garment.” We can see the effects of this through desertification, invasive species, seismic activity, and the amount of labor required in gardening and farming. This is not to suggest that we should be careless about how we treat the earth, because our taking care of the earth and using its resources responsibly is a great way to honor God, the Creator.
The earth’s future is recorded in 2 Peter 3:10 which says, “But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up” and in Revelation 21:1 which says, “And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea.” Because of the overwhelming corruption and sin that plagues the earth, God will replace this earth with a new one which will include the holy city, new Jerusalem.
Thankfully, God has made a way for every person to experience the new earth. Through the death of God’s Son, Jesus Christ, the complete payment for sin has been made. By Jesus Christ’s resurrection, the victory over death was accomplished. When a person believes in Jesus Christ as the only Savior, they are saved from their sins and are given the gift of eternal life.
God’s present patience and faithfulness is reflected by his promise to Noah in Genesis 8. “While the earth remaineth, seedtime and harvest, and cold and heat, and summer and winter, and day and night shall not cease.”
About Greenfield Baptist Church
Greenfield Baptist Church is an independent Baptist church founded in 2015, which meets at 138 Main St. in Greenfield. The weekly Sunday schedule includes a Bible study at 9:30 a.m. and worship services at 10:30 a.m. and 6 p.m. A prayer meeting is held on Wednesdays at 7 p.m. The church’s greatest priorities are to preach the gospel of Jesus Christ and promote the strengthening of lives and homes through the practical teaching of the Bible. For more information, please call 413-356-0150 or visit www.greenfieldbaptistchurch.net.