Is the idea of mother nature biblical?

[Les Brewer]

Over the last few days we have had various storms coming through the UK with names like Storm Ciara, storm Dennis and many more - then we get people stating comments like mother nature is or was responsible for the storm and she leaves no mercy where she goes or takes with her. "Wow!"

So, Is the idea of mother nature biblical?

The earliest written and most reliably dated references to Mother Nature are found in Mycenaean Greek transcripts dated in 12 or 13 BC. The term Mother Earth is transliterated as “ma-ga” or “Mother Gaia.” This notion had its roots in the pre-Socratic philosophers who had “invented” Nature, and it was further championed by the Greek philosopher Aristotle. Other cultures have embraced the notion that “nature” had its own spirit and relevancy unique from God the Father. The American Indian is one such culture that believes that there is something called an “Earth Mother” that provides the water of life that gives them the abundant provision of food. In reality, no one but God provides our basic needs of food, shelter, water, and life.

The term Mother Nature is sometimes used in a general way to refer to the environment as a whole. The term is sometimes used in association with political and cultural ideologies such as global warming, environmentalism, and climate change. For some, news reports of rising temperatures, rising sea levels, savage wildfires, earthquakes, tsunamis, hurricanes, the emergence of new and even ancient diseases, and the like demonstrate that "Mother Nature" is a kind of capricious goddess who wreaks havoc throughout the earth.

It is God who controls the forces of nature: “But God made the earth by his power; he founded the world by his wisdom and stretched out the heavens by his understanding. When he thunders, the waters in the heavens roar; he makes clouds rise from the ends of the earth. He sends lightning with the rain and brings out the wind from his storehouses” (Jeremiah 10:12–13). Jesus demonstrated His divine power over nature by calming the raging sea (Matthew 8:26). It is also true that there are natural laws at work in our environment; these are systems God instituted (Genesis 8:22). God created our world; human sin damaged it (Romans 8:19–22). Yet God still holds our world together (Colossians 1:16–17). There is no capricious goddess at play.

Another bizarre idea is that Mother Nature is somehow the wife/consort of God and she rules in heaven alongside Him. This idea of a “mother and father god” is seen in some Roman Catholic traditions that declare Mary to be the “queen of heaven.” The Bible, however, declares that God, in the triune Godhead, rules heaven and earth alone and unaided (Daniel 4:25). Nature is His creation and He alone sustains and protects it and, in doing so, He testifies to His goodness and kindness toward it. “He has shown kindness by giving you rain from heaven and crops in their seasons; he provides you with plenty of food and fills your hearts with joy" (Acts 14:17).

[foxjj]

A very good and timely post Les. It’s about time someone spoke out about the false concept of Mother Nature.

[foxjj]

Les, this is the post that I was inspired to put up on my home forum thanks to your post re. Mother Nature.

The concept of Mother Nature, or Mother Earth, has been around in one form or another for centuries. In Greek mythology Gaia, sometimes pronounced Gaea, was the goddess who personified earth. She was both the mother, and wife of Uranus who personified heaven. The Roman poem “On The Nature Of Things,” addresses Venus as the mother of both Rome, and nature. Throughout Europe, Asia, and North American, Mother Nature/Earth has been worshiped for centuries. In modern times, movies, TV shows, and even commercials portray Mother Nature. With such a history one might be persuaded to say that Mother Nature must be real.

On the other hand, The Bible teaches clearly that it is God who created our world and all that is in it, when it opens with the words: “In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth.”(Genesis 1:1) It continues with the outline of the six days of creation climaxing with the creation of man. In chapter 8 verse 22 of Genesis God made the promise: ”While the earth remains, seedtime and harvest, cold and heat, summer and winter, day and night, shall not cease.”

Came the fall when Eve listened to the deception of Satan in the form of a serpent. She ate of the forbidden fruit and gave some to Adam. Their sin of disobedience brought sin into our world. Where once perfection reigned, now all was changed bringing a curse on creation. Genesis 3:17-19 explains it this way: “And to Adam he said, “Because you have listened to the voice of your wife and have eaten of the tree of which I commanded you, ‘You shall not eat of it,’ cursed is the ground because of you; in pain you shall eat of it all the days of your life; thorns and thistles it shall bring forth for you; and you shall eat the plants of the field. By the sweat of your face you shall eat bread, till you return to the ground, for out of it you were taken; for you are dust, and to dust you shall return.”

However, all was not lost because, while addressing the serpent God made the first promise of a Savior when He said: “I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and her offspring; he shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise his heel.”(Genesis 3:15) In the New Testament Paul makes the promise: “For the creation waits with eager longing for the revealing of the sons of God. For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of him who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself will be set free from its bondage to corruption and obtain the freedom of the glory of the children of God. For we know that the whole creation has been groaning together in the pains of childbirth until now.”(Romans 8:19-22)

Instead of Mother Nature, The Bible portrays the preeminence of Christ: “He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through him and for him. And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together. And he is the head of the body, the church. He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in everything he might be preeminent. For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell, and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, making peace by the blood of his cross.”
(Colossians 1:15-20) So we have a choice, to believe in Mother Nature, or God, as creator and sustainer of our world. I choose to believe in God.

[Les Brewer]

Amen and very good post John, and if you wish to cross-post the one I shared then please do.

What amazes me is the fact people will declare there is no God and yet, they will bow their knee to this sort of nonsense....

[foxjj]

Thanks Les, I will copy and post your post on our site.
John