The Fifth Commandment: Statutes and Precepts (15)
Deuteronomy 20.19-20
19 “When you besiege a city for a long time, while making war against it to take it, you shall not destroy its trees by wielding an ax against them; if you can eat of them, do not cut them down to use in the siege, for the tree of the field isman’s food.20 Only the trees which you know arenot trees for food you may destroy and cut down, to build siegeworks against the city that makes war with you, until it is subdued.”
Here the principle of conservation is somewhat more broadly elaborated. Not even extreme situations, such as war, sanction the wanton destruction of creation. Not even when that creation belongs to one’s enemies. Trees could be put to proper use in making siegeworks to carry out war against an aggressor, but they must not be wantonly destroyed as a kind of vendetta against one’s enemies. As the text implies, the creation is not at war with us.
Creation is to be used wisely and well; it is to be honored as a work of God’s hand. All creation is God’s servant to accomplish His good purposes (Ps. 119.89-91). As God’s people delight in His Law, they find the wisdom to function as His stewards and regents over all creation and all of life.
T. M. Moore
The Law of God is the soil which, fertilized by the rest of God’s Word and watered by His Spirit, brings forth the fruit of Christian life. If you’d like to understand this process better, and how to make best use of the Law in your walk with and work for the Lord, order the book, The Ground for Christian Ethics, from our online store.
Except as indicated, Scripture taken from the New King James Version. © Copyright 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
