Two not one sparrow friends and contributors happened to each post meaningful reflections in recent months on Noah's ark and what the biblical story means for animals, beyond the two-by-two brought on board we tend to think of.  I'll preview both, but I hope you can read the rest at their respective blogs.

From Scott Williams of Creation Hope's "Rainbows & Promises":

This idea that the whole ark story was only about God saving mankind pervaded throughout my life.  We like to talk about the 2×2’s in Sunday school because it shows God’s power and, frankly, kids think animals are cute.  So we put them up on the flannelboard and play up the cuddly and exotic animals.  Good thing God had this afterthought to bring them along because I’m just not sure I could be a vegetarian. ...

More recently though I have re-read the story of the ark with an eye for detail.  I have to tell you that a lot has changed for me and my view on creation care as a result of this story.  If you have the time I encourage you to read Genesis 9:1-17 before going on.  This section takes place after they have disembarked from the ark.  Here we see God establishing His covenant. ...

Six times here God covenants with the living creatures or the earth.  When I first grasped this, it shook me.  I had thought the rainbow was only a sign of God not flooding the earth to destroy man.  But now I saw that it was so much more.  It was the sign of the covenant between God and His creation.  That was so much bigger, so much grander than I had thought.

You see, God’s love, care, and even His covenant extend to ALL of His creation.  We have developed such an anthropocentric (human-centered) view that we have missed that God loves, cares for, and covenants not just with people but with the woodpecker, the beagle, the snow leopard, the poison dart frog, the honey pot ant, the sloth, the spider monkey, and even the earth itself.  What an incredible value He has placed on His creation.

Keep in mind that this was not a short term agreement.  There were no “if you ______, then ______” stipulations.  No, this was an everlasting covenant (9:16).  And if you know anything about God and His covenants, you know that God is faithful to His covenants.  The psalms say that His covenant faithfulness endures forever (Psalm 136).

And Dean Ohlman The Wonder of Creation touches on the same theme of God's covenant faithfulness with both humans and animals in "The Great Intensity":

Human adjustment to these natural forces, that have gone on for eons according to God’s plan and promise, are a good reminder that He created the natural world we occupy for His pleasure (Revelation 4:11)—but accruing to the benefit of all things living.

It was not just Noah and his family that disembarked and it was not just Noah’s family that received the covenant of blessing.  Our accommodating to and adjusting for the rest of His creation has always been and always will be our duty, for, as the apostle Paul reminded us, God the Son will one day—perhaps soon—be reconciling “all things” to God the Father.  The gospel is good news for “every creature under heaven” (Colossians 1:19-23).  Therefore we celebrate the great creation, the great preservation, and the coming great restoration along with the natural world: “Praise God from whom all blessings flow, Praise Him all creatures here below!”

(thanks to both Scott and Dean for making these posts available, please check out more of their respective work at Creation Hope and The Wonder of Creation; artwork copyright Lorelyn Medina/123rf.com, and by Aegidius of Roya courtesy of Museum Meermanno Westreenianum, The Hague/Wikimedia Commons)