Adam’s Dominance Over God’s Creation

*”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.“
‭‭Genesis‬ ‭1‬:‭28‬ ‭KJV‬‬

Merriam Webster dictionary defines dominion as: law; supreme authority; sovereignty
//having dominion over the natural world

In this verse in Genesis, from the creation of man, God gives Adam that sovereignty over the animal kingdom, he is their king of the kingdom.

When I was very young and heard this verse, I couldn’t understand why my dog wouldn’t roll over and play dead when I told him to. Didn’t I have “rule” over him that God was describing here? As I grew older and more mature I realized God didn’t mean for us to order animals around but to be superior to them by His natural order.

Having this dominance over creatures doesn’t mean that Adam (or anyone) should treat them cruelly. Animals domesticated for farming or pets should be treated lovingly, meeting their natural need for nutrition and shelter. Wild animals should be given respect for their natural environments. Certain animals may be hunted or fished to provide man’s nourishment.

So I conclude with these three points:
Wild animals: treat them with respect
Domestic animals: treat them supportively
Household animals: treat them with love