5. This use of animals is evidence of God's love to the human race 13. * God's blessings greater than his wrath 13. 6. Whether this use extends to unclean animals 14-15. 7. How man's fear of animals and their wildness and cruelty can exist with this dominion 16-18. * New sins accompanied by new punishments 19-20. * Sodom before and after its destruction 21. * God's punishment of Wittenberg, Bruges and Venice, and the cause 22-23. * God's command not to eat blood. a. Why given 24. b. How to treat this text, which contains God's Word 25. * Meaning of Nephesch and Basar 26. c. Right understanding of the command 27. * The words, "Surely your blood will I require" etc. a. Lyra's and the Rabbis' explanation, 28-29. b. Their true meaning 30-31. B. MAN'S USE OF AND DOMINION OVER ANIMALS. V. 2. _And the fear of you and the dread of you shall be upon every beast of the earth, and upon every bird of the heavens; with all wherewith the ground teemeth, and all the fishes of the sea, into your hand are they delivered._ 6. It would seem that the dominion of man is here increased for his greater consolation. For though after the creation man was given dominion over all animals, yet we do not read that the beasts feared and fled from him according to the description of Moses. The reason is found in the fact that heretofore the animals were not destined to be man's food; man had been a kind ruler of the beasts, not a killer and eater. 7. Here, however, they are subjected to man as a tyrant with unlimited power of life and death. Since the servitude of the beasts is increased and the power of man over them extended, the animals are harassed by terror and fear of man. We see even the tamed ones do not readily allow themselves to be handled; they feel the mastery of man and have a constant instinct of danger. I do not believe that such was the case before this Word of God was spoken. Before that time, men used suitable animals for their work and for sacrifice, but not for food. This increase of power also is a token of God's favor; he confers a privilege unknown to the patriarchs, as a token of his love and interest in man. 8. We must not undervalue this boon authority over the beasts; for it is a special gift of God, of which the heathen knew nothing, because they lack the Word. We are the ones who derive the greatest benefit from this gift. When this revelation was given to Noah, and such a privilege granted, there was really no need of it. A few men possessed the whole earth, so that its fruits were to be enjoyed by them in abundance and it was not necessary to add the flesh of beasts. But we today could not live altogether on the fruits of the earth; it is a great boon to us that we are permitted to eat the flesh of beasts, of birds and of fish.