Genesis 1:26 | Lee's Birdwatching Adventures Plus

King Penguin (Aptenodytes patagonicus) 5 by Ian

King Penguin (Aptenodytes patagonicus) by Ian

“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.” Genesis 1:26

Penguins are disappearing. Don’t worry – it’s not all of them that are disappearing. But the world’s largest colony of king penguins appears to be only 10% the size it was 50 years ago.

The colony, which lives on Île aux Cochons in the southern Indian Ocean, is quite difficult to count. Nevertheless, surveys over the years have shown that it has shrunk dramatically. Reasons given for the decimation include climate change and outbreaks of diseases such as avian cholera.

Penguins are among our favorite animals. Many of us, when we go to the zoo, will make our way quickly to see the penguins. We love to see the endearing, adorable way they walk and then marvel at their grace as they “fly” through the water. Some species of penguins have remarkable habits. One unsubstantiated urban myth about penguins in the Falkland Islands suggests that they watch the overflying planes of the Royal Air Force so intently that they eventually fall over backwards! One comedian complained about the Emperor Penguins, saying that they have the ability to make us feel complete failures as fathers.

Of course, not all penguins are dying out. We are referring to one colony of one species. But does it matter? The answer must be that, yes, we ought to have a concern. We are used to opposing climate change mythology and, therefore, sometimes go to the other extreme, forgetting that God gave us a stewardship to look after this world and protect it.

Prayer: Thank You, Lord, for the stewardship that You gave the human race over creation. We pray for those involved in conservation, that You would raise up those whose work is guided fully by You. Amen.

Ref: CNRS. “Largest king penguin colony has shrunk nearly 90%.” ScienceDaily, 30 July 2018. <www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2018/07/180730120408.htm>. Image: CC BY-SA 3.0.

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In my last post, Birds of the Bible – Birds of the Air Updated, I mentioned that I was going to search my many versions of the Bible. WELL!! I may just have bit off more than I can chew or have more material for articles than I have years left on this earth. :0)

So far in my searching through the two sources that I am using, [e-Sword and Bible Gateway] I have been busy for the last several days, just trying to find verses with “Birds of the“[in English versions]. Have I ever been surprised! There have been translations with “0” (Zero) verses up to several with over 50 verses.

Mallards flying off by Ian

Before you get too upset with me using so many versions, let me place a disclaimer here. I believe God inspired the original manuscripts, and that they have been preserved through diligent copying of those. He promised: “For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled.” Matthew 5:18, KJV. I use the KJV, but also use a few other Bibles that I believe are very close to those original scripts. I do use other versions occasionally, like this, to find verses about the birds. Some versions today are questionable as to the way it was translated.

Thousands of Snow Geese flying ©Hager Mannwr-moreno

Along with all the “Birds of the”; sky, heavens, heaven, trees, air, mountains, waste land, sky lodge, and hills, some versions use fowl and fowls. My next search is of the fowls, so the verses can be matched.

What are they doing? Why are they there? What lessons can we learn from them, etc.? That is where the Birds of the What?? is heading. Stay turned.

For a starter, almost all of the versions list Genesis 1:26. They all mention God creating man, and then giving them rule over the “birds of the …”

KJV

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.

NASB

Then God said, “Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; and let them rule over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the sky and over the cattle and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.”

NKJV

Then God said, “Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over the cattle, over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.”

AMP

Then God said, “Let Us (Father, Son, Holy Spirit) make man in Our image, according to Our likeness [not physical, but a spiritual personality and moral likeness]; and let them have complete authority over the fish of the sea, the birds of the air, the cattle, and over the entire earth, and over everything that creeps and crawls on the earth.”

Lee's Birdwatching Adventures Plus

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Tag Archives: Genesis 1:26

Penguin Disappearing – Creation Moments

Birds of the Bible – Birds of the What??

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