Dogs are featured on coffee mugs, in tv shows, in movies, campaign ads, social media platforms, books, magazines, news outlets, and are even considered to have a place in the ideal American home. Dogs have a high place in our culture, such that If you don’t like dogs, the culture thinks you’ve got a mental disorder or other. However, was this always the case? Dogs are considered to be “Man’s Best Friend” today, but what about yesterday? Were they not always seen in such a favorable light? I’d like to dive into scripture to paint a dismal portrait for you. You see, prior to the destruction of Jerusalem, during the ebbs and flows of the old covenant, and even the emerging of the new, dogs were paralleled with the gentiles, or unbelievers, and viewed as being outside the covenant. The animal was regularly used as a byword:
“Blessed are they that do his commandments, that they may have right to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into the city. For without are dogs, and sorcerers, and whoremongers, and murderers, and idolaters, and whosoever loveth and maketh a lie.” (Revelation 22:14-15)
You may not realize just what a terrible position it is to be outside the city walls or outside the covenant. It’s hell. It’s to be without protection, provision, and light. This isn’t to say that dogs didn’t have any use, or that people around the world didn’t have dogs. They did, but we are looking at the animal as a fallen creature as a result of original sin.
Jesus compares giving precious wisdom to fools to a dog that is incapable of handling valuable possessions (a good reason why you shouldn’t let your dogs roam freely in your home). He remarks how this kind of person cannot be persuaded, and is ruled by their passions. He likens this to dogs which, when they are set on tearing at you, cannot be persuaded to do otherwise. If you attempt to persuade or distract, what will that do for you? It will do nothing to fix the dog’s behavior problem towards you or someone else:
“Give not that which is holy unto the dogs, neither cast ye your pearls before swine, lest they trample them under their feet, and turn again and rend you.” (Matthew 7:6)
As a side note, let that be a good reason straight from the Word that “positive only” training is foolishness. Mind you, if that’s the case, then that means there is something valuable that they are twisting…
As if this weren’t enough, dogs have been associated with judgement and destruction from the hand of God:
“And I will appoint over them four kinds, saith the LORD: the sword to slay, and the dogs to tear, and the fowls of the heaven, and the beasts of the earth, to devour and destroy.” (Jeremiah 15:3)
I don’t think it’s particularly good for any person or lesser creature to be associated with God’s judgement upon a people. I’ve been bitten plenty of times, but I’ve never been torn into by a dog.
Dogs were also associated with those who practice wickedness, false religions, even those who would crucify Christ:
“Beware of dogs, beware of evil workers, beware of the concision.” (Philippians 3:2)
“For dogs have compassed me: the assembly of the wicked have inclosed me: they pierced my hands and my feet.” (Psalm 22:16)
Many other passages and verses could be given to show just how poorly the animal was spoken of or paralleled with the ungodly: they lack wisdom, and fools are compared to them (see Proverbs 26:11; Isaiah 56:11). But enough has been said on this. Now what? Has anything changed? Well, yes. Everything…has changed. Jesus Christ came to save His creation.
“For God so loved the Kosmos, that He gave His only begotten Son…For God sent not His Son into the Kosmos to condemn the Kosmos; but that the Kosmos through Him might be saved.” (John 3:16-17)
The once ill-spoken of animal now has incredible restorative hope. What’s more, they have seen a massive turn around already. Dogs have been used throughout human history since the garden of Eden for herding and guarding flocks, and controlled aggression, but in large number now are used to save and protect man from serious injury. They’ve always seen action, but this is a serious change, by addition, for the better. You see, animals need Christ. The ravens, of all birds, serve the prophet Elijah. In a restored earth this should be the norm, while we serve them by ruling over them for their benefit and to God’s glory. This is but a glimpse of where we are heading. The New Covenant gives us this trajectory.
Though I am cautious about some of what St. Francis of Assisi has done and said, this particular quote strikes me as interesting:
“Preach the gospel at all times. Use words if necessary.” — St. Francis of Assisi
Now, what’s interesting is that this is said by the one saint in Christian history who was most characterized by his love of the lesser creatures. I’d prefer not to delve into this saints potential other meaning for this quote. Personally, I think it’s silly to preach to animals the word of God (something Francis did regularly), but I don’t think it silly to preach by your actions to them. What does Christ living in you look like to the rest of creation? Creation has been influenced by the kingdom of darkness, and Christ is the light. It’s something like the new dawn rising in the morning East, chasing away the darkness of night.
If the animal belongs to a righteous family, the light of the gospel shines on them. He reaps the benefits of the fruits of the Spirit. In such a fruitful home, the dog begins to have a new vibrancy to him that is more than mere excitement, or happiness. Of course, all of this must be understood and communicated — but that’s why I’m writing this.
Training cannot redeem the animals we own, although it surely has its place in redemptive work. Only faith working through love, constraining the passions and other members to holiness, can redeem animal kind. You must have life in order to give it. You must have fruit in order to plant it. The wage of sin is death. To kill death you don’t use tools or techniques. You must have life. Then you can use tools and techniques.
“For the creature was made subject to vanity, not willingly, but by reason of him who hath subjected the same in hope, Because the creature itself also shall be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God.” (Romans 8:20-21)
“…Into your hand are they delivered.” (Genesis 9:2)
Into our hands, the hands of redeemed men and women, are these animals delivered. This wasn’t just for food, but for the further propagating of their kinds. Remember, back there in Genesis, God is rehashing the dominion mandate and giving a covenant to creation. He is speaking to a righteous man and his household. But now in the new covenant on a much larger scale, rivers of life flow to all the dead places and cause life to spring up (see Ezekiel 47). Sure, in the Romans passage Paul is speaking of the resurrection of the body, but this whole thing, the redemption and restoration of the Kosmos…it’s already started. The redemption of our souls has begun. Christ came as the fulfillment of all promises, including the ones concerning the rest of creation.
Yes, the dog is a lesser creature. Yes these animals are fallen, infected by sin. But Christ has come to reverse the curse. Christ has come to redeem man, who plunged all creation into darkness. Through redeemed man is this lesser creature restored.
But, you might ask: how does this happen? One household at a time. One small kingdom in which righteousness dwells at a time. In that new heaven, and in that new earth, all things are being made new.
May Christ advance His kingdom even here in the dog industry. To God all praise and glory.
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