The United States Bureau of Labor Statistics enlists “Zookeepers” to be a profession and the American Association of Zoo Keepers (AAZK) is an non-profit volunteer association that is made up of professions that are dedicated to animal care and conservation. But would we be able to view Jesus as a Zookeeper?
In the Genesis account of creation, it is recorded that God created the living creatures (non-human: beasts, cattle and creepy things) on the same day as he created man and saw that it was all good (Genesis 1:24-27). God then established a vegetarian diet for man (Genesis 1:29) and for the other non-human living creatures (Genesis 1:30) as well. This when extrapolated implies that God cared for the animals he created. It was man’s sin that required God to have to sacrifice from his creation of living animals, to hide the shame of man, when God clothed man and his woman with coats of skin (Genesis 3:21). It was also man’s continued sin that brought about condemnation of all living things and a flood as God’s judgment against man, but after the flood during the time of Noah, God’s covenant to never again destroy extended beyond man to animals (living creatures) as well (Genesis 8:21). Only after the flood was man, given the right to also include animals in his diet (Genesis 9:3-4) but in the book of wisdom and poetry, it is written that the righteous man regards the life of his beasts (Proverbs 12:10). How much more then, the only Righteous True God (Jesus is called the RIGHTEOUS BRANCH – Jeremiah 23:5; Romans 5:18), Jesus The Zookeeper, would care for his animals?
Points to ponder:
Interestingly, the book of Jonah, ends with a question, and includes cattle (animals) alongside humans, extending the grace and mercy (care) of God to animals as well. Here God questions – “Should I not spare Nineveh, which has hundred and twenty thousand people and much cattle?” Jesus The Zookeeper cares for all of his creation, including the animals that he created. How much more then would he be caring for you and me? Are you under the care of Jesus, The Zookeeper?
Jonah 4:11 (KJV)
11 And should not I spare Nineveh, that great city, wherein are more than sixscore thousand persons that cannot discern between their right hand and their left hand; and also much cattle?
Genesis 8:20-21 (KJV)
20 And Noah builded an altar unto the Lord; and took of every clean beast, and of every clean fowl, and offered burnt offerings on the altar.
21 And the Lord smelled a sweet savour; and the Lord said in his heart, I will not again curse the ground any more for man’s sake; for the imagination of man’s heart is evil from his youth; neither will I again smite any more every thing living, as I have done.
