Job 15:23

You shall have a covenant with the stones of the field,

   The wild animals will be at peace with you.

One aspect of the hope I found presented in the life of Native Americans was to be efficient with natural resources. This contrast greatly with the typical American hunter stereo type of the old West of someone who killed everything and only took a small portion to sell it. Like the idiots who kill elephants for their tusks and leave the rest. I have a word picture of this as being at one with nature. This verse reminds me of that hope being at peace with the beasts and the stones.

The most typical suggestion for “have a covenant” was “be in league” closely followed by “have a pact” and finally “be your allies.” Covenant seemed more spiritual than pact, and more permanent that in league or allied with. Only one source used “rocks” in place of “stones”.

Interestingly, several sources have “beasts of the fields” to match “stones of the fields”. I went with the modern wild animals to ensure differentiation from beastly men, and I ignored the “predator” suggestion for the same reason. In place of “be at peace with you”, options included “be your allies”, “yield to you”, and “leagued with you”. I followed the same logic for peace that I did for covenant in the previous stich. I did like “yield to you” as acknowledgment that men are the apex predators, but this carries a viewpoint that men with guns have and men without do not. I am smarter than the average bear, but only when I remember to bring my gun (that I do not own).

One of the many topics in literature and other forms of entertainment is the ability of man to develop something which he does not know how to control or understand (atomic weapons, nuclear energy, the internet, robots…) God called us to subdue and care for the earth. Covering it with concrete and pollution is not exactly the preferred outcome. From this we get the earth being destroyed by our ignorance or evil. The earth will be destroyed, but only when God is ready to do so. It could be from the polar icecaps melting (doubt that kills everyone) or nuclear war (the fear that ran the world for a generation or two). I think it is our job to support better care of the environment, but not without recognizing the place of man and his spiritual needs coming before the pain and poverty associated with some of the dubious science like not eating cows or not using rocks and trees to build houses.

I saw a car last night with a political sticker on the back of it and my mind raced to the conclusion that the driver was an idiot. I gave them extra space and made sure their stupidity did not negatively impact me. Then I thought how sad it was that a simple sticker would put so much emotion into an interaction. I am sure there are people in the country who have such stickers on their cars that are not idiots and that I need not fear. I believe Satan is at work in our country doing everything he can to distract us from living in harmony with our neighbor and the natural world around us. I try not to fall under the influence of this hate and selfishness. God protects me from perils, and He leads me from temptation and delivers me from evil. It is great to remember the blessings He has provided.