From the creation account onward the Bible boldly correlates the fortunes of the cosmos with those of man…. God identifies the created gradations of existence that precede man as “good.” The earth was not made for man to manipulate as he pleases. Indeed, he is given the vocation of keeping and dressing the garden (Gen. 2:15).
The fall of man has dire consequences also for nature… Nature becomes embroiled in the sordid aspects of man’s experience (Rom.1:22-32; the whole natural world is drawn into the tragedy of man’s history (Rom. 8: 22-230.
The messianic vision comprehends a restoration of the unity of man and nature… From the birth of Jesus to his crucifixion and resurrection the provision of salvation in him is coordinated with awe and veneration in view of what is happening in nature. The terrible imbalances that man’s inordinate will has introduced into the natural realm can be solved only if the question of existence is once again set in its proper context. Only the knowledge of God and its implications for man’s true self-understanding and for the cosmic implications of redemption can restore order and beauty.
Carl F. H. Henry, God, Revelation, & Authority, II.101.