Part Two:  Does God Love and Value Animals As Much As He Does People?

Today’s blog lays the theological foundation for the rest of this series. It demonstrates from Scriptures that God loves and values the animals He created, independent of His even greater love for humans.

I’ll begin by answering the question posed in the title: No, God does not love and value animals as much as humans. Only people are created in God’s image (Gen. 1:27). We are the “crown” of creation (Ps. 8:4-6) and of more value to God than animals (Matt. 12:11-12; Luke 12:6-7). However, as the Psalmist points out in Psalm 26:6, God preserves both man and beast. (The NRSV says, “You save humans and animals alike, O Lord”). And Jesus said that not a sparrow falls to the ground that God isn’t aware of it (Matt. 10:29).

The Psalmist writes in 24:1, “The earth is the Lord’s and everything in it. ” This passage is key to understanding God’s perspective on non-human life. People do not own the earth; God does—and everything else He created. This is clear from in other passages in the Bible. Centuries before David penned Psalm 24, Moses wrote in Deuteronomy, “To the Lord your God belong the heavens, even the highest heavens, the earth and everything in it” (10:14). Everything means everything, and everything includes animals. Indeed, God specifically emphasized his ownership of the animal kingdom: “Every animal of the forest is mine, and the cattle on a thousand hills. I know every bird in the mountains, and the creatures of the field are mine” (Ps. 50:10-11).

The Bible mentions dozens of animals by name, and even in antiquity, King Solomon “taught about animals and birds, reptiles and fish” (1 Kings 4:33). Job told his accusers that people could learn from fish, birds, and other animals (12:7–8). Furthermore, God often used animals for His own purposes. When He instructed the prophet Elijah to go into hiding, He used ravens to bring him food (1 Kings 17:1–6). God used a great fish to save Jonah’s life (Jon. 1:17) and a small fish to provide the money for Jesus and Peter to pay the temple tax (Matt. 17:24–27). Jesus used the sparrow and raven to illustrate spiritual lessons (Luke 12: 6-7, 24). Perhaps most remarkable of all, wild animals accompanied Jesus during His temptation in the wilderness (Mark 1:13). We’ll examine this remarkable passage in a later blog.

All this implies God likely has more in mind for the animal kingdom than purely instrumental value to humans—including a place in Heaven, as later blogs will demonstrate.

Next week, I’ll provide specific examples of how God oversees and provides for animals and observes all that occur in the lives of wild animals.

Note: The blog articles in this series are adapted from my book Will Dogs Chase Cats in Heaven? People, Pets, and Wild Animals in the Afterlife. To review the book, Go to my home page and click on “description” below the cover photo.