Why Did God Allow Some Creatures to Go Extinct?

Answer:

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. . . but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die (Genesis 2:17).

Genesis 1:31; Romans 5:12; Psalm 33:20–22

Ben, we know that some animals are extinct and some are on the endangered list, meaning they may soon become extinct. We need to understand that it is not God’s fault the animals are going extinct. It’s actually our fault because we sinned against God. When God first created the universe, He said it was all “very good.” It was a place with no death or suffering anywhere! But Adam and Eve’s disobedience to God brought death into the world—and the whole universe began to change because of God’s judgment on our sin.

This was a very sad day because the very good universe now began to run down. Sin changed everything. With it came death, sickness, and suffering. Changes occurred in the weather, the food supply, the behavior of people, and the behavior of animals. These (and other) changes have contributed to why many animals have gone extinct.

But remember the good news! God promises to one day restore everything back to a perfect world where animals will no longer go extinct and people will no longer sin against God’s commands.