Blessing and Dominion

The Role of Israel in God’s Restorative Purpose for Creation

by Mark Lounsbrough

The Bible is a storyline spanning Genesis to Revelation, replete with interactive themes similar to subplots that contribute to the main plot of a novel. Scholars summarize the key theme of God’s story in different ways. The term “restoration” captures the biblical narrative well. The storyline from Genesis to Revelation unfolds God’s plan to restore what Adam’s race lost in disobedience to its Creator. A major theme in the restoration process is the nation of Israel.

Through a series of covenants, God chose Israel to be the channel through whom ultimate restoration would happen. These covenants contain important strands of truth that help us trace God’s purpose to restore all things. This article presents two storylines woven into the Abrahamic and Davidic covenants that highlight God’s ongoing purpose for Israel. They are blessing (Abrahamic covenant) and dominion[1] (Davidic covenant).

PRE-COVENANT BLESSING AND DOMINION

Blessing and dominion originate in the creation account of Genesis 1, long before God made a covenant with Abraham. Both of these storylines are a part of God’s creative purpose for humanity and emerge together in Genesis 1:28: “And God blessed them, and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth.” The blessing of God on humanity included the privilege of exercising dominion over the creation. That is to say, humanity was blessed with the authority to reign as God’s steward or vice-regent.