Greetings brethren!

Last week we asked the question about man's place in the universe. We saw that God has an ordained order. At the top of that hierarchy is God the Father, with Jesus Christ at His right hand. The angelic realm, created by God, serves at His behest. We ended with the fact that God has placed mankind beneath the angels and asked the question about exactly what authority is given to us in the world.

Being lower than the angels (at present time) does not mean that we are not without dominion of our own. In continuing in the psalm of David we referenced previously (Psalm 8:5-8), we are told that we have been given dominion over the creation of this earth, including the animals. This was made clear from the beginning of creation. After God had created Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden, He gave them these instructions: "Then God blessed them, and God said to them, "Be fruitful and multiply; fill the earth and subdue it; have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over every living thing that moves on the earth. And God said, "See, I have given you every herb that yields seed which is on the face of all the earth, and every tree whose fruit yields seed; to you it shall be for food. Also, to every beast of the earth, to every bird of the air, and to everything that creeps on the earth, in which there is life, I have given every green herb for food; and it was so." (Genesis 1:28-30).

God created a husband and a wife with the capability to expand their family through the miracle of childbirth. He expected that they would have many children and spread to fill the whole earth. In turn, as the numbers of mankind increased, God instructed that they should subdue the creation and have dominion over it. God created us with intelligence and abilities superior to that of animals. Scripture shows that it is "the spirit in man" that allows us to think and reason in the way we do (1 Corinthians 2:10-16). In the account of Nebuchadnezzar, we find God punished him for failing to glorify God. He became like an animal for seven years (Daniel 4:31-37). He was driven from men and no longer thought or reasoned like a man (verse 36). It seems likely that what occurred was the removal of Nebuchadnezzar's "spirit in man." The removal of such made him just like an animal.

This God ordained dominion is powerful, but also a great responsibility. We are caretakers of the creation that God has made. While we have dominion, it is God who is owns all things (Haggai 2:8, Job 41:11, Psalm 24:1). So, with the authority and gifts God has given us, we must ask the question if we are being faithful stewards? If we see our place in the universe, are we faithfully fulfilling the role our assignment requires?

Despite the magnitude of the responsibility that God has given to mankind, our current place is not equal to the potential that God created within each of us. This weekend we will observe the Festival of Pentecost, which points to the hope of changing our place in the universe. The pouring out of God's Spirit is a vital step in God's plan to bring many sons and daughters to glory. We will look further into this next week, but we can take time this weekend to meditate on these awesome truths.

Have a wonderful Sabbath and Pentecost!

Devin Schulz