This research paper by Matthew Sparks, submitted to Dr. Richard Belcher Jr. for OT5200 – Genesis–Deuteronomy at Reformed Theological Seminary – Charlotte, explores the ecological and theological significance of Deuteronomy 20:19–20, the command forbidding Israel from cutting down fruit-bearing trees during warfare. Sparks argues that this law was given to distinguish Israel from its Ancient Near Eastern neighbors, who practiced ecological devastation in war, and to demonstrate that divine law values both the preservation of life and the moral order of creation.
Through exegetical and historical analysis, the paper identifies three primary purposes for the command: to separate Israel from pagan warfare customs, to secure covenantal blessing by preserving the land’s fruitfulness, and to reinforce the theological distinction between humanity and nature. Sparks highlights that the rhetorical question “Are the trees of the field human?” (v. 19) underscores human dominion and responsibility rather than environmental egalitarianism. The law, he argues, protects trees not for their own sake but for the welfare of God’s covenant people and the continuity of creation’s purpose under divine rule.
Applying the principle to modern contexts, Sparks contends that the general equity of this law extends to both nations and individuals: warfare should consider environmental consequences, and individuals bear moral accountability for careless destruction of natural resources. He concludes that the command embodies divine wisdom that upholds human dignity while calling for deliberate, responsible stewardship of creation in obedience to God’s moral order.
Course and semester: OT5200 Genesis–Deuteronomy — Fall 2019
