Sunday School Lesson
September 16
God Creates People
Devotional Reading: Psalm 103:1–5, 11–14
Background Scripture: Genesis 1:26–2:7
Genesis 1:26–31
- And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth.
- So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them.
- And God blessed them, and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth.
- And God said, Behold, I have given you every herb bearing seed, which is upon the face of all the earth, and every tree, in the which is the fruit of a tree yielding seed; to you it shall be for meat.
- And to every beast of the earth, and to every fowl of the air, and to every thing that creepeth upon the earth, wherein there is life, I have given every green herb for meat: and it was so.
- And God saw every thing that he had made, and, behold, it was very good. And the evening and the morning were the sixth day.
Genesis 2:4–7
- These are the generations of the heavens and of the earth when they were created, in the day that the Lord God made the earth and the heavens,
- And every plant of the field before it was in the earth, and every herb of the field before it grew: for the Lord God had not caused it to rain upon the earth, and there was not a man to till the ground.
- But there went up a mist from the earth, and watered the whole face of the ground.
- And the Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul.
Key Verse
God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them.
—Genesis 1:27
Lesson Aims
After participating in this lesson, each learner will be able to:
- Identify aspects of the image of God in humanity.
- Contrast biblical with nonbiblical notions of the nature of humanity.
- Express one way he or she will honor the dominion mandate.
HOW TO SAY IT
Augustine
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Aw-gus-teen or Aw-gus-tin.
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Elohim (Hebrew)
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El-oh-heem.
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euthanasia
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yoo-thuh-nay-zhuh.
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Nyssa
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Nee-sah.
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Rafflesia arnoldii
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Reh-flee-zhuh ar-nol-dee-eye.
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sequoia
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sih-kwoi-uh.
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Yahweh (Hebrew)
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Yah-weh.
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Introduction
- Identity Crisis
In the mid-twentieth century, psychologist Erik Erikson coined the term “identity crisis” to describe a developmental issue that occurs during adolescence. That phrase has since been used to describe the common plight of people wrestling with the questions “Who am I?” and “Why am I here?” The early theologian Augustine of Hippo (AD 354–430) addressed this issue as he prayed, “You have made us for yourself, O Lord, and our hearts are restless until they find their rest in you” (Confessions 1.1).
Augustine’s words reflect the biblical texts we are exploring today. Genesis 1:26–31 and 2:4–7 teach us that God created people in His image at the apex of His creation. As His image bearers, we are precious in God’s sight, having received an extraordinary status and role within creation.
- Lesson Context
The first 25 verses of Genesis 1 narrate concisely God’s forming of the cosmos through His spoken word. In successive days, God created light (1:3–5); the heavenly firmament (1:6–8); the seas and dry land (1:9–13); the sun, moon, and stars (1:14–19); living creatures that inhabit the waters and the heavens (1:20–23); and land animals (1:24, 25). The text’s focus throughout is on the planet Earth, either directly or indirectly.
The recounting of the first through fourth days in Genesis grows longer with successive days. A reversal of sorts occurs with the fifth day of creation, as the narration becomes shorter (Genesis 1:20–23). The narration then lengthens dramatically to relate what happens on the sixth day: creation of land animals and people. By allotting only two verses to the creation of land animals on this day (1:24, 25), the author appears in a hurry to get to his focus: the creation of humanity (1:26–31). Not included in the record are any blessings or commands God gave the land animals to multiply, as He had done to creatures of the air and sea in 1:22; compare 8:17).
The author (Moses) presents God’s seeing the creation of land animals as “good” even though, like on day three, he has not finished describing the creations of the day. God has created some good things during the sixth day, but there is more and greater yet to come.
- Plan for Humans
(Genesis 1:26–31)
The focus of the narrative up to Genesis 1:26 has narrowed from the vast universe God created to things of the planet Earth specifically. The pace of the narrative now seems to slow down as the author narrates the pinnacle of creation.
- God’s Image (vv. 26, 27)
26a. And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness.
Something new and significant is happening as God now speaks in a new manner. Up to this point, His words on each new day have begun with “Let there be …” (Genesis 1:3, 6, 14) or “Let the …” (1:9, 11, 20, 24). But now His creation declaration is more reflective in nature: Let us make man in our image, after our likeness.
Many new-covenant believers have understood these plural pronouns as trinitarian in nature. But the original audience lacked the revelation we have to understand them that way. The Old Testament is essentially silent on the triune nature of God.
It is the New Testament record that ultimately reveals God as being three-in-one (John 1; etc.). That record will make it possible for believers in the first century and later to contemplate a plurality in the oneness of God’s essence (compare Deuteronomy 6:4; Isaiah 44:8; 45:5, 14).
That leaves open the question of how the earliest readers interpret the plural pronouns. One proposal is that God is speaking to angelic beings in His heavenly court. Another view is that the plurals are to be understood as a “plural of majesty” by which God refers to the fullness of His power and identity. An illustration of this type of plural is the quotation “We are not amused,” supposedly uttered by Queen Victoria after hearing a story that was not as funny as the storyteller thought it to be (compare Genesis 11:7; Isaiah 6:8).
An enduring issue is determining what it means to be created in God’s image, after His likeness. That the words image and likeness refer to different things is unlikely. First, there is no and between imageand likeness in the original text. Second, the same Hebrew words translated image and likenessappear in Genesis 5:3 to refer to the same thing. Thus the two words should be seen as synonyms combined to add intensity.
It is problematic to identify the image of God with one of God’s specific qualities. God is complex, so His image must also be complex. But we are able to get a better grasp if we approach the topic from two angles: those of form and content.
The form of the image of God is personhood. This speaks to the intellectual, volitional, moral, creative, and religious capacities that animals do not have. As God exercises His creative will, so also human beings alone among earth’s creatures have the ability to think of complex things that don’t exist, then take deliberate steps to make them a reality. A beaver may go through a sequence of steps to make a dam, but stacking a pile of sticks is not the same as building a hospital!
Content, for its part, speaks to relationship with God (in terms of servants-in-fellowship) and relationship to the world (in terms of dominion-in-stewardship). It is the form part of the image that makes the content part of the image possible.
Regarding the servant aspect, the portrayal of God in the creation narrative highlights a certain correspondence between humans and God that allows us to have a relationship with Him. Regarding the dominion part of the content part of the image, that’s addressed in our next verse.
26b. And let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth.
God bids us to rule over His creation, a task elegantly described as having dominion. David will reflect further on this centuries later in Psalm 8:6–8. In creating, the Lord worked and exercised dominion, and He invites us to participate with Him in exercising that dominion as we ourselves work. This is an issue of stewardship. (On understandings of cattle and creeping thing, see commentary on Genesis 1:24 in lesson 2.)
- So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them.
The image of God in which humanity is created includes male and female. That we exist in community reflects the communal nature of God that we see taught more clearly in the New Testament. The Father, Son, and Spirit are one, yet they are clearly distinct persons. And though male and female together form one humanity, there is a clear, God-intended distinction between male and female.
God’s statement identifying us as being in His image points to humanity’s exalted place. Some students also see the triple-usage of the verb created as significant. The word in the original language being translated thus occurs only eight times between Genesis 1:1 and 5:1, and fully half of those are connected with the final and most significant aspect of creation: the creation of God’s image bearers (three times here and once in 5:1).
It is difficult to overstate the significance of “the image of God” within Judeo-Christian ethics. Without the belief that humans are morally endowed creations of a morally good God, there is nothing to ensure the dignity and value of any and every person—born or unborn, healthy or ill.
Whatever value humans possess comes from the sovereign Creator, to whom we are accountable and responsible. The physical, economic, social, and cultural criteria by which secular humanism establishes and defends personhood are arbitrary, changing, and unreliable. Christians must shape their response to moral issues such as abortion, euthanasia, and racism on the foundation of humanity’s value and special status of being made in the image of God.
What Do You Think? How will being created in God’s image affect how you treat people you dislike?
Digging Deeper Which New Testament passages do you find most helpful in that regard? Why?
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Children of Promise
An online search of “baby names” produces over 33 million results. Expectant parents the world over eagerly hunt for the ideal name for their new arrival (or arrivals). Emma, Olivia, Ava, Caleb, Liam, Noah … To this eagerness is added the anxiety with regard to the various uncertainties that parents-to-be experience.
Given the fact that God has emotions (Numbers 22:22; Psalm 59:8; etc.), have you ever wondered what He was experiencing when He was ready to announce the arrival of His first children, the first humans? Scripture does not give us the backstory details, but the written account of creation does declare the achieved ideal after the fact of creation.
God had hardwired divine values into the first people, and those innate values are passed down to all humans, including us today (see Romans 1:18, 19; 2:15). Christians are “heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ” (8:17). We are the “children of promise” (Galatians 4:28). What a reason to rejoice in the “glory of his inheritance in the saints” (Ephesians 1:18)! —B. L.
- God’s Blessing (v. 28)
- And God blessed them, and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth.
God’s blessing-command spoken over humanity reflects what He has already spoken over creatures of sea and sky (Genesis 1:22). It resembles a number of other fruitfulness-blessing statements found throughout this book (9:1, 7; 17:20; 28:3; 35:11; 48:4). Together these demonstrate that rearing children is an integral part of God’s plan for humanity. God desires that the whole earth be inhabited (Isaiah 45:18) and experience His glory (40:5; 42:10–13).
To the notion of dominion used earlier, God now adds the verb subdue. The word in the original language appears elsewhere in a positive sense in contexts of order and security resulting from the subjugation of enemies (Numbers 32:20–22; 1 Chronicles 22:18; etc.). It also occurs in a negative sense of bondage and enslavement (2 Chronicles 28:10; Jeremiah 34:11). All this suggests that the focus is the idea of control. Those who are granted this control are, naturally, accountable to God for stewardship in ordering and developing the resources available.
What has come to be called “the dominion mandate” forms a basis for science and technology; it should never be thought a license for careless and abusive use of natural resources. We exercise dominion only as the image or representatives of God in the world, not as creation’s owners. Because we don’t own creation (Psalm 95:5), we have no right to exploit it in such a way that brings discredit on God. We should exercise the responsibility toward the environment that God expects (contrast Deuteronomy 20:19, 20 with 2 Kings 3:18, 19; God’s expectations are different because of subsequent uses anticipated for the resources).
The extent to which we are able to exercise this dominion is now limited because of sin (see lesson 5). However, Christ, who is the image of the invisible God (2 Corinthians 4:4; Colossians 1:15), has come as the last Adam to achieve dominion (1 Corinthians 15:22, 45–49; compare Hebrews 2:5–18). In Him we have put on the new self and are growing into the image and likeness of God (Colossians 1:15; 3:9, 10).
What Do You Think? What steps should you take to determine your responsibilities in the stewardship of God’s creation?
Digging Deeper What resources will you consult for understanding those responsibilities?
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- God’s Provision (vv. 29, 30)
29, 30. And God said, Behold, I have given you every herb bearing seed, which is upon the face of all the earth, and every tree, in the which is the fruit of a tree yielding seed; to you it shall be for meat. And to every beast of the earth, and to every fowl of the air, and to every thing that creepeth upon the earth, wherein there is life, I have given every green herb for meat: and it was so.
The repetition of every highlights the fact that God is the faithful and generous provider of sustenance to both man and animals. Humans will eat from seed-bearing plants and fruit trees, and animals will consume every green plant. After the flood, people will receive authority from God to eat animal flesh as well (Genesis 9:3), a new source of protein.
What Do You Think? How will awareness of God’s generosity result in one specific change in the way you live?
Digging Deeper At what times are you more aware of God’s generosity than at others? Why? Explain your answer in light of Proverbs 22:9; Matthew 5:45; 20:1–16; and 2 Corinthians 9:6–15.
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Because God Said
The largest flower in the world, the Rafflesia arnoldii, can reach three feet in diameter. In California’s Sequoia National Park, the giant redwoods stretch up to 280 feet in height. We can trace all the features of our planet’s vegetation back to two words: “God said.”
With an exacting “God said,” sky, land, and seas stood to attention. Plants and trees took root in God’s care. Seed-bearing plants and fruit trees flourished. God had already planned their purposes and futures, including those of the enormous Rafflesia arnoldii and giant redwoods. Better yet, He planned the ideal purpose and future of His children.
When the timeless Creator spoke the world’s first foliage into life, He had already pictured not only their ranges of sizes and features, but ours as well. The Creator knows all the details of each person’s being, having tenderly formed us in our mothers’ wombs (Psalm 139:13). What a joy to know that above all plants and animals, we are precious in His sight!
—B. L.
- God’s Assessment (v. 31)
- And God saw every thing that he had made, and, behold, it was very good. And the evening and the morning were the sixth day.
God had previously assessed elements of creation as “good” (Genesis 1:4, 10, 12, 18, 21, 25). He now evaluates His creation in light of the addition of humanity, and He pronounces it very good. The exclamation behold both expresses God’s excitement and invites the reader also to view creation from God’s perspective. Creation, before the intrusion of human sin in Genesis 3, fully reflected God’s intent. Humanity now awaits the new heaven and new earth, to appear when God’s redemptive purposes, initiated in the work of Christ, are consummated (Revelation 21:1–5).
- Life for the First Human
(Genesis 2:4–7)
The intervening text not included in today’s lesson summarizes what God does on the seventh day: nothing! He rests from His work.
- Absence of Water and Man (vv. 4, 5)
- These are the generations of the heavens and of the earth when they were created, in the day that the Lord God made the earth and the heavens.
We come to what many characterize as a second account of the creation of man. This section, however, is better thought of as a more detailed account of what Genesis 1 described in the format of panorama.
The phrase these are the generations is a formulaic section-header (compare Genesis 5:1; 10:1; 11:10; 25:12, 19; 36:1, 9; 37:2). This introductory statement carries the sense of “This is what happened concerning …”
A feature of the Bible, first occurring in the verse before us, is the use of the divine name Yahweh; this is traditionally rendered, in small capitals, as Lord in our English Bibles. Previously, God has been called only by the Hebrew name Elohim, a title conveying His transcendence and power. The name Yahweh, on the other hand, emphasizes His eternal existence and covenantal presence with His people. The combined name—seen three times in Genesis 2:4–7 and dozens of times elsewhere as “Lord God”—is thus particularly powerful.
What Do You Think? How might the doubled name “Lord God” influence how you relate to Him?
Digging Deeper Does the triple designation “Lord God Almighty” in Revelation 4:8; 11:17; 15:3; 16:7; 21:22 change your answer? Why, or why not?
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- And every plant of the field before it was in the earth, and every herb of the field before it grew: for the Lord God had not caused it to rain upon the earth, and there was not a man to till the ground.
The language here suggests that the writer is not looking back to the creation of vegetation in Genesis 1, but rather is previewing the cultivation that will occur in the Garden of Eden and after the fall. Two features lend support for this view. First, the phrase herb of the field appears again in Genesis 3:18 to designate what humanity will eat after the fall. Second, whereas the rain anticipated in verse 5 will be a blessing, it is an instrument of judgment in Noah’s day (7:4). These verses thus may set the stage for the more detailed account of man’s creation that follows, which complements the general description in 1:26, 27.
- Presence of Water and Man (vv. 6, 7)
6, 7a. But there went up a mist from the earth, and watered the whole face of the ground. And the Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground.
The exact nature of the mist that rises from the earth is unclear. The underlying Hebrew word occurs in the Old Testament only here and in Job 36:27, there translated “vapour.” Taken together, the idea may be that of evaporated water that condenses to a liquid state to water the whole face of the ground. Perhaps the water mixed with dust provides clay the Lord God uses to create man (compare Job 10:9; 33:6; Isaiah 45:9; Romans 9:21).
The sound of the Hebrew word for man, which is Adam (Genesis 2:19), resembles closely the word for ground. Thus the lofty image of being created in God’s likeness (1:26) is now tempered with the reality of what constitutes the human body, its humble origin. “The first man is of the earth, earthy” (1 Corinthians 15:47).
7b. And breathed into his nostrils the breath of life.
Some have proposed that for God to breathe the breath of life into the man is to place a tiny portion of God’s very own essence into a human. This is wrong. When 2 Peter 1:4 speaks of being “partakers of the divine nature,” the meaning is that we share in those attributes of God that He grants us as His image bearers (example: 1 Peter 1:15, 16). No part of our essence as humans is uncreated.
7c. And man became a living soul.
On first reading, this phrase may lead one to believe that it is at this point that the first human receives that element of his nature that sets him apart from the animals: the soul. But the original language behind the translation became a living soul is identical in the descriptions of other creatures in Genesis 1:20, 24, 30; 2:19). We are indeed a combination of physical and spiritual (Matthew 10:28), but that fact cannot be established from this verse.
Conclusion
- Identity Confirmed
The following is attributed to Gregory of Nyssa (AD 335–395):
In this world I have discovered the two affirmations that man is nothing and that man is great. If you consider nature alone, he is nothing and has no value; but if you regard the honor with which he has been created, man is something great.
Christians should view themselves and others as special creations of God and objects of His love and concern. Because all are made in our Lord’s image, all deserve respect, dignity, honor, and care, regardless of social status, accomplishments, etc. Moreover, as God’s image bearers, our work is a cooperative enterprise with Him. Our work is exalted, holy, and spiritual. May we treat it as such!
What Do You Think? What will the expression “of Christ, who is the image of God” in 2 Corinthians 4:4 motivate you to do differently in the week ahead? Why?
Digging Deeper Consider how we are like and unlike Christ as image bearers.
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- Prayer
Father, we praise You as ones having been formed in your image, unique and loved. Grant us to see the value You have already bestowed abundantly on us and others. Give us eyes to see the stewardship we have from You in our work. We pray this in the name of the one into whose image You are transforming us—our Lord Jesus. Amen.
- Thought to Remember
Live up to the meaning of Romans 8:29.[1]
Kid’s Corner
Designed to Reign Over the Earth
September 16, 2018
Genesis 1:26-31; 2:4-7
Genesis 1:26-31; 2:4-7
(Genesis 1:26) Then God said, “Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; and let them rule over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the sky and over the cattle and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.”
When God completed creation on the sixth day, God showed that the creation of people was the goal toward all God had created previously, for people were to rule over all of God’s creatures. As God is Sovereign over all that exists, God intended people to be sovereign over all the living creatures God created. “Us” includes the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit in consultation with one another, which shows the vast importance of their creating people and the fact that despite the consequences all three Persons agreed to create the human race. Furthermore, they created people in their “image and likeness” — two words that emphasize this amazing fact. Jesus is the image of the invisible God in a way similar to the first man God created (Colossians 1:15; Hebrews 1:3). When God who is Spirit takes on human form, God looks like the people He created. When God revealed himself to Abraham, God took on human form as a man (Genesis 18:1). Angels are ministering spirits, but they sometimes appear in human form, so people can entertain angels unawares (Hebrews 1:14 & Hebrews 13:2). God created people with all the intellect, power, physical attributes, and abilities they need to achieve His purposes, and their intellect, power, and abilities are similar to those of their Sovereign God, who created people in their image in miniature.
(Genesis 1:27) God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them.
With the body, mind, and spirit God gave to male and female, God equipped them with the power and intellect to rule over the creatures God had made. Like God rules over us, people rule over the creatures, and people represent the true God on earth. Among other abilities, God gave people the ability to think, to feel, to make decisions, to obey commands, to love, to worship God, to evaluate their work, and abilities that we see God manifesting in the Bible and in nature. As sovereign rulers over the creatures God created, people have finite limitations under the authority of God, their Creator and Sovereign Lord.
(Genesis 1:28) God blessed them; and God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth, and subdue it; and rule over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the sky and over every living thing that moves on the earth.”
When God says the same thing more than once, God does so for emphasis. Just as God commanded the fish, birds, animals, and every other living creature to reproduce, so God said mankind should increase in number, be creative, bear good fruit by their choices, fill the earth, and rule over all the earth and all creatures. Following their Lord’s example, they were to execute a benevolent and wise authority over all God’s creation under the Lordship of God, who would rule over them in ways that would bless them and make them happy, even as people were to serve as God’s blessing and bring happiness to the earth.
(Genesis 1:29) Then God said, “Behold, I have given you every plant yielding seed that is on the surface of all the earth, and every tree which has fruit yielding seed; it shall be food for you;
As we will learn later in Genesis, God gave the living creatures to be companions of man and woman. They did not become the best friends of the man, so God made the woman, then together they could be best friends. Prior to the sin of Adam and Eve, and prior to the great flood in the days of Noah, people were permitted to eat only vegetables and fruits. God did not want people to eat their friends, their companions, or one another. Those who did evil only continually before the great flood in the days of Noah may have eaten many different forbidden meats in rebellion against God (Genesis 6:5).
(Genesis 1:30) and to every beast of the earth and to every bird of the sky and to every thing that moves on the earth which has life, I have given every green plant for food”; and it was so.
“And it was so” — in creating the heavens, the earth, and the first people, everything happened exactly as God planned. Every green plant could include grasses for cattle and plants that God provided in the water and on land especially for all the other creatures God had made. Likewise, the creatures of the earth, the skies, and the water were not to eat one another, or eat the people God had created to rule over them. People and animals changed after Adam and Eve sinned, but people were not permitted to eat meat until after the flood in Noah’s day, and God gave Moses special restrictions on what meats the Hebrews could eat.
(Genesis 1:31) God saw all that He had made, and behold, it was very good. And there was evening and there was morning, the sixth day.
At the end of the sixth day, after God had created the heavens and the earth, and all that God made leading up to God’s crowning achievement, the creation of people in God’s image, for the first time God said all He had done was not just good, but very good. If problems arose later in God’s creation, the reasons were not because God had not made everything very good, but because the people God created with amazing abilities and freedoms misused their authority, their freedoms, and disobeyed God.
(Genesis 2:4) This is the account of the heavens and the earth when they were created, in the day that the LORD God made earth and heaven.
In Genesis 2:1-3, we learn that God rested from all God’s creative work and set an example for people to follow. In the Law that God gave Moses, God set aside one day of every seven for our good, for people to rest and worship God. In Genesis, we sometimes find the writer telling us what he is going to tell us, and then telling us once again in greater detail and with more explanations. Historically, many good sermons or speeches use this same method. Beginning with verse 4, Genesis expands and explains in more detail what God revealed in step-by-step outline in Genesis 1. For example, we learn more about the creation of male and female and the extra effort God used when creating the first man and woman.
(Genesis 2:5) Now no shrub of the field was yet in the earth, and no plant of the field had yet sprouted, for the LORD God had not sent rain upon the earth, and there was no man to cultivate the ground.
God explained again that God did not create everything at once in the blink of an eye as God could have chosen to do. Rather, God created everything in a logical order and sequence over time without leaving out any steps in the process; steps that appear would have taken a long time unless God had created the heavens and the earth and all that exists on and within them. God created shrubs and plants that would need water, so God created the water first. Then, God created many of the shrubs and plants for the future purposes of people who would work the ground. Water and plants were created for people to use; in this verse God restates their purpose.
(Genesis 2:6) But a mist used to rise from the earth and water the whole surface of the ground.
It may be that God did not send rain upon the earth until the days of Noah. Streams watered the whole surface of the ground in ways similar to the Nile River that floods periodically and waters the fields of Egypt, or irrigation projects of today that water fields that get very little rain. God watered the earth with streams to make plants grow and help animals and people who need plants for food and water to drink. Of course, people and animals can also drink water from lakes and streams.
(Genesis 2:7) Then the LORD God formed man of dust from the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living being.
The first man was formed from the dust of the ground by God. Apart from the life that God gives them, people are nothing but dust, just like the animals that the earth produced after God’s command. But God took special interest in the first man by personally forming him from the dust of the ground, not by creating man out of nothing or by commanding the land to bring forth man. God formed man from the earth as someone might make a clay idol, pot, or sculpture, but God breathed life into the man God had made and man became a living being capable of loving, obeying, increasing in numbers on the face of the earth, and worshiping God (unlike the idols that disobedient men would make from the dust of the ground and worship). No idol can make a living being from dust, only the Almighty God has the power to create something from nothing or create a living person from dust. Later, Jesus would breath the Holy Spirit into His followers, which reminds us of how God breathed the breath of life into the first man (John 20:22).
Designed to Reign Over the Earth
September 16, 2018
Genesis 1:26-31; 2:4-7
“Then the LORD God formed a man from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living being” (Genesis 2:7). When God created the animals, He spoke, and the earth brought forth living creatures of every kind (Genesis 1:24). God created the creatures of the land, sea, and air with various abilities, and they all were to breathe, eat, and increase in number. When God created the first man, God made a new beginning. Rather than speak man’s creation into existence, as He had everything else He created, God took the dust of the ground that He had created previously and personally formed the dust into the shape of the first man, a shape God made in His own image. Then, God created man in His image from the inside out by personally breathing the breath of life into him. The Book of Genesis implies that the breath of life coming directly from God to man was far different from the ordinary air that people, animals, birds, and fish would breathe to physically live; for God gave people abilities similar to His; abilities that would enable people to “rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky, over the livestock and all the wild animals, and over all the creatures that moved along the ground” (Genesis 1:26). God gave people abilities that include, and are not limited to, the ability to think, feel emotions, make decisions and judgments, obey God, and love God and others. God gave people all the abilities they would need to rule over creation under God’s Sovereign Lordship. When people obey God as their Lord, they represent God’s wise rule over the earth.
Thinking Further
Designed to Reign Over the Earth
September 16, 2018
Genesis 1:26-31; 2:4-7
Name ___________________________
- Why did God create people in the image and likeness of God?
- What abilities or qualities do you think God gave people?
- What were animals and people to eat on the earth? Why do you think God gave them this food?
- On the sixth day, how did God describe everything He had created? Why might this be important for people to know?
- Name at least two ways the first man differed from the animals.
Questions for Discussion and Thinking Further
- Why did God create people in the image and likeness of God? “So that they may rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky, over the livestock and all the wild animals, and over all the creatures that move along the ground; to fill the earth and subdue it.”
- What abilities or qualities do you think God gave people? The ability to think, the five senses, the ability to know and love God, the power to use our bodies, the ability to love God and one another, the ability to increase and fill the earth, the ability to make choices, the ability to create from the materials God created, the ability to rule or govern, ability to grow in wisdom and understanding, the ability to make plans, set goals, and look toward the future, the ability to evaluate work, the ability to please God and bless others, and the abilities and qualities of God in finite miniature.
- What were animals and people to eat on the earth? Why do you think God gave them this food? “Every seed-bearing plant on the face of the whole earth and every tree that has fruit with seed in it.” For their nourishment and so they would not eat their companions (the fish, birds, animals, reptiles, or one another). Then, animals and people would not be afraid of becoming food for others.
- On the sixth day, how did God describe everything He had created? Why might this be important for people to know? At the end of the sixth day, God said everything He had created was VERY GOOD. So we would know that God created animals and people very good, and any choices people might make later were not because of the way God created the first male and female. God is not responsible for the fact that people sometimes make wrong choices and sin.
- Name at least two ways the first man differed from the animals. God created the first man in His image and likeness. God commanded the land to bring forth the animals, but God personally formed the first man from the dust of the ground and breathed life into him.
Word Search
Designed to Reign Over the Earth
September 16, 2018
Genesis 1:26-31; 2:4-7
Name ___________________________
W S L W V M L U F T I U R F C
I G Q E L U R S X Y W L Y V O
M J L H S I F I L F O S D H G
A E I B I R D S B A S L N Y U
G S V W I L D T V E M X I V X
E U E H N C Z P N W N I K P A
B S S F S W M E D A S U N G Y
L G T N P E K Y I E C H A A I
M E O F M I A C W R O F M N W
I N C D L G D S K G N L U P B
D E K Q E F R I V Y K R I S H
P L N W D X S C M O X F P U T
R W J F B V Z I K A V B Y S X
J D K W Q R U R P Q L M U K I
R S F E M A L E Y M H E N Y S
Mankind
Image
Likeness
Rule
Fish
Sea
Birds
Sky
Livestock
Wild
Animals
Male
Female
Fruitful
Sixth
True and False Test
Designed to Reign Over the Earth
September 16, 2018
Genesis 1:26-31; 2:4-7
Name ___________________________
Circle the true or false answers.
Correct the false statements by restating them.
- God made monkeys in the image of mankind. True or False
- God made mankind in the image of God. True or False
- God rules over mankind. True or False
- God created mankind to rule over the living creatures. True or False
- Mankind includes male and female. True or False
- God gave mankind the livestock to eat. True or False
- Because mankind were not made good, Adam sinned. True or False
- A day was described as “there was morning and there was evening.” True or False
- The livestock worked the ground before God created mankind. True or False
- Man became a living being after God breathed life into him. True or False
True and False Test Answers
Genesis 1:26-31; 2:4-7
- False
- True
- True
- True
- True
- False
- False
- False
- False
10.True
Prayer
Father, we praise You as ones having been formed in your image, unique and loved. Grant us to see the value You have already bestowed abundantly on us and others. Give us eyes to see the stewardship we have from You in our work. We pray this in the name of the one into whose image You are transforming us—our Lord Jesus. Amen.