Is there a difference between humans and animals?
- The Bible clearly teaches that God made both animals and humans on the fifth day of creation.
- Genesis 1:24-31, “And God said, Let the earth bring forth the living creature after his kind, cattle, and creeping thing, and beast of the earth after his kind: and it was so. 25 And God made the beast of the earth after his kind, and cattle after their kind, and every thing that creepeth upon the earth after his kind: and God saw that it was good. 26 And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth. 27 So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them. 28 And God blessed them, and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth. 29 And God said, Behold, I have given you every herb bearing seed, which is upon the face of all the earth, and every tree, in the which is the fruit of a tree yielding seed; to you it shall be for meat. 30 And to every beast of the earth, and to every fowl of the air, and to every thing that creepeth upon the earth, wherein there is life, I have given every green herb for meat: and it was so. 31 And God saw every thing that he had made, and, behold, it was very good. And the evening and the morning were the sixth day.”
- Even though God made both the animals and mankind on the sixth day of creation, He still makes a distinction between them.
- Verses 24-25 cover the creation of animals.
- Verses 26-29 cover the creation of men and women.
- To further show the distinction, God gave man dominion over the fish of the sea, over the fowl of the air, over the cattle and over every creature and creeping thing that creepeth upon the whole earth.
- Dominion = to subjugate, to bear rule
- God did not give man rule from the perspective that he is at the top of the animal kingdom.
- God gave man rule, as in he is above the animal kingdom, made in the image of God, not animals.
- The Bible teaches a twofold nature in animals, and a threefold nature in man.
- In Ecclesiastes 3:21, both man and beast are said to have a spirit.
- Ecclesiastes 3:21, “Who knoweth the spirit of man that goeth upward, and the spirit of the beast that goeth downward to the earth?”
- But no where in the scriptures does it say that beasts have a soul.
- But it does say that man has a soul.
- Genesis 2:7, “And the LORD God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul.”
- This triune nature of man is collectively stated in 1 Thessalonians 5:23, “And the very God of peace sanctify you wholly; and I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.”
- But it does say that man has a soul.
- This is needed to be stressed, because the scripture puts a higher value on man, than it does the animals.
- Luke 12:6-7, “Are not five sparrows sold for two farthings, and not one of them is forgotten before God? 7 But even the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear not therefore: ye are of more value than many sparrows.”
- God cares for the animals greatly, but animals were not made in His image, man was.
- God loves you so much, that He came to earth to give His life a ransom for you, so that you could be forgiven of your sin, and made right with Him.
- John 3:16-17, “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. 17 For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.”
- For more study on how to be saved, see the section titled, “How can I be forgiven of my sin and gain Christ as my Saviour?”
- John 3:16-17, “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. 17 For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.”
- Luke 12:6-7, “Are not five sparrows sold for two farthings, and not one of them is forgotten before God? 7 But even the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear not therefore: ye are of more value than many sparrows.”
- In Ecclesiastes 3:21, both man and beast are said to have a spirit.
- Even though God made both the animals and mankind on the sixth day of creation, He still makes a distinction between them.
- Genesis 1:24-31, “And God said, Let the earth bring forth the living creature after his kind, cattle, and creeping thing, and beast of the earth after his kind: and it was so. 25 And God made the beast of the earth after his kind, and cattle after their kind, and every thing that creepeth upon the earth after his kind: and God saw that it was good. 26 And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth. 27 So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them. 28 And God blessed them, and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth. 29 And God said, Behold, I have given you every herb bearing seed, which is upon the face of all the earth, and every tree, in the which is the fruit of a tree yielding seed; to you it shall be for meat. 30 And to every beast of the earth, and to every fowl of the air, and to every thing that creepeth upon the earth, wherein there is life, I have given every green herb for meat: and it was so. 31 And God saw every thing that he had made, and, behold, it was very good. And the evening and the morning were the sixth day.”