|
Genesis Chapter One (Verses 24-31)
Preface
The first verse of this first book of the Bible is unquestionably one of the most important verses in the entire Bible. If a person can accept it, the remainder of the Bible falls into place. Another very important passage, at least as far as man is concerned is the one under present consideration. In this passage, verses 24-31, are the events of the sixth day of Creation. During this day God creates the remainder of animal life, but more importantly He creates man.
In the first chapter of Genesis God paints the Creation sequence in broad strokes with little detail. In chapter 2 He will be more definitive regarding several of His creative acts. J. Vernon McGee has several cogent remarks regarding God’s creative hand, which comes from his extensive commentary series entitled Thru the Bible with J. Vernon McGee. The following is one of them:
That is the reason that I say that God did not “intend” to give us the details concerning the creation of this great universe that we are in or He would have given us another chapter relative to that. But He offers no explanation other than He is the Creator. This puts us right back to the all-important truth which we find in the eleventh chapter of Hebrews: “Through faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that things which are seen were not made of things which do appear” (Heb. 11:3). Things we see today were made out of things which did not even “exist” before. The creation was made “ex nihilo,” out of nothing. Somebody says, “Explain that.” My friend, I can’t explain it. And evolution doesn’t explain it either. Evolution has never answered the question of how nothing becomes something. It always starts with a little amoeba, or with a garbage can, or with a little piece of seaweed, or with an animal up in a tree. Our minds must have something to start with, but the Bible starts with nothing. God created! This is the tremendous revelation of this chapter. Genesis 1:24, 25 Then God said, "Let the earth bring forth the living creature according to its kind: cattle and creeping thing and beast of the earth, each according to its kind"; and it was so. And God made the beast of the earth according to its kind, cattle according to its kind, and everything that creeps on the earth according to its kind. And God saw that it was good.
God turns His attention from the seas to the land, and He speaks forth (creates) all the land creatures of the earth. Does this include the creatures we today call “dinosaurs?” Certainly! The word “dinosaur” was not coined until August 2, 1841, when Sir Richard Owen, England’s pioneer anatomist and paleontologist, in order to describe the fossil bones and teeth of what he then believed were representatives of nine genera of giant reptiles presumed extinct, proposed the name “Dinosauria” (a.k.a. “Archosauri” or “ruling reptiles”) for their taxonomic subclass classification at a meeting of the British Association for the Advancement of Science. The name was officially accepted and later published in the “Proceedings of the British Association for the Advancement of Science” in 1842.
Prior to this event these types of creatures were referred to in the Hebrew Old Testament (25 times) as tannim (plural of tan) or tannin (collective singular), and translated “dragons” (1611 Authorized KJV). Indications of dinosaurs are prevalent in the archeological diggings of many years past. But for the creationist the interesting fact is that human footprints have also been found along side dinosaur tracks in the strata of the Paluxy River during excavation by Dr. Carl Baugh in 1982. Facts such as this decimate the theory by evolutionist that dinosaurs died out around sixty millions ago, which is prior to the “development” (read “evolution”) of man.
Just as in God’s creation of plant life, the reader again sees the repudiation of macroevolution (evolution from species to species) and the affirmation of microevolution (within a species) within the animal kingdom (each according to its kind) in this passage. Genesis 1:26-28 Then God said, “Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over the cattle, over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.” So God created man in His own image; in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them. Then God blessed them, and God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply; fill the earth and subdue it; have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over every living thing that moves on the earth.”
Here are two of the most exciting verses pertaining to God’s Creation. In contrast to plants and animals in verses 11, 20 and 24 where God said, “Let the earth bring forth” and “Let the waters bring forth,” He now says, “Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness.” Whereas God used the existing substance of earth and water to create or fashion plant, marine and animal life; when it came to the creation of mankind, He not only used the dust of the earth (2:7) to form man’s body and soul, he additionally created the spirit (“breath of life” in 2:7) that He “breathed into” man, combining all three parts together. Also, whereas plant and animal life reproduce after “their kind,” man is the only one made in the image of God that reproduces in that image (5:3).
There is a great difference between man and beast. Only man was created in God’s image. Only man is granted self-awareness, immortality, spirituality (ability to connect or relate to God), special powers, reasoning from inference and logical analysis, and individual sovereignty (freedom of choice). Although animals may in fact make decisions, their decisions are habitual emanations of instinct. Man, on the other hand, has complete freedom of choice. He may decide to go either way—toward good or evil—regardless of the circumstances or the outcomes.
The terms “image” and “likeness” are used synonymously, and refer primarily to man’s “spiritual” resemblance (rationally and morally) to his Maker. God placed a great chasm between man and beast, for only man has the capacity for eternal life, fellowship, moral discernment, self-consciousness . . . and worship. Even after the Fall, man retains this image of God (cf. 9:6; James 3:9), though it has been marred.
Man was created in both the image and likeness of God. An image is a representation or replica of one person or thing by another. Illustration: An image may be similar but not necessarily identical to its original. The term “likeness” is used as a gauge of comparison, or analogy. When man fell, he retained an impaired image of God (9:6). Regaining a likeness of God is one of the accomplishments of salvation. Our spiritual likeness is restored in justification. Our character likeness is being continuously developed in the process of sanctification. We will be like Christ physically when we are glorified. Application: God’s purpose in our lives today is to conform us to the image of Christ (Rom 8:29). (First Reference, Gen. 1:26; Primary Reference, Gen. 1:27; cf. Heb. 4:12) (The King James Study Bible, Thomas Nelson Publishers)
God is essentially Spirit (John 4:24). Therefore man, who is similar to God, possesses an immortal spirit. We resemble God in certain respects without being equal with Him (Isa. 40:25). Man’s likeness to God is what truly distinguishes mankind from the rest of creation. Man is a person with the power to think, feel, and decide. He has the capacity for moral choices and spiritual growth or decline. In the beginning man loved God and hated unrighteousness. The fall reversed this. (Greek-Hebrew Key Study Bible)
In brief, man is a triune being, as God is a triune Being. The actuality of the triune composition of God is seen in the plural “Us” and “Our” used by God in this passage. Man is composed of body (material flesh), soul (mental and emotional capacity) and spirit (capacity to link with God). This is mentioned by the Apostle Paul in 1 Thessalonians 5:23. As a tripartite and in contrast to animals, man is a worshiper, a thinker, an articulate communicator, and a creator. The bottom line is that man is very, very special. He is unique. Unfortunately, this often goes to his head and He believes he has no need of God.
I will praise You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made; marvelous are Your works, and that my soul knows very well. (Psalm 139:14)
In the first instance, within this passage, God refers to mankind with the plural pronoun them, then with the singular him, but this is quickly amplified with the following phrase, “. . . male and female He created them.” The point is that both man and woman are meant by God to be a unity (2:24). They were created in one aspect for the mutual comfort and satisfaction of both sexes, but, more importantly, as a picture typifying the coming relationship between Jesus Christ and His bride (the Church—all believers), when by the miracle of the new birth Jesus and the believer/s are eternally unified spiritually. At the resurrection all believers will be eternally unified physically (coexist within His presence) with their resurrected Savior.
These words are not the usual Hebrew words for “man” (‘ish) and “woman” (‘ishah). The words used here specifically distinguish the sexes—male and female. Sexes are only implied with regard to animals, but not here. The reason is that a completely unique relationship was to develop, namely, holy marriage (cf. 2:22-24). (The King James Study Bible, Thomson Nelson Publishers)
Not only did God make man in His image, but God gave man (them) vast responsibility. He said, “let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over the cattle, over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.” Man and woman were to rule (have dominion) over (and subdue) God’s creative world, all elements of it. God doesn’t go into any detail regarding this responsibility of man in this passage, but one may be certain that man was not meant to be just a glorified gardener.
Additionally, God charges man and woman to “be fruitful and multiply and fill” the earth. As stated in the previous commentary on verse 22, God blessed man by allowing him to partnership with God in the creative-procreation process. Genesis 1:29-31 And God said, "See, I have given you every herb that yields seed which is on the face of all the earth, and every tree whose fruit yields seed; to you it shall be for food. "Also, to every beast of the earth, to every bird of the air, and to everything that creeps on the earth, in which there is life, I have given every green herb for food"; and it was so. Then God saw everything that He had made, and indeed it was very good. So the evening and the morning were the sixth day.
It is clear that initially God intended man to be a vegetarian (herbivore). Man and animal were provided various forms of vegetation for food. God, seeing all that He had created, declared it very good. In light of this statement, it is difficult to believe that the earth was already under the control of Satan and his dominions, and that the crust of the earth was populated with the fossils of creatures previously destroyed by God (the Gap theory).
The acts of Creation, and particularly the fact of the creation of mankind, which, let’s face it, involves this writer and you the reader, were all marvelous acts of grace. Because of this, we have the capability to know and appreciate God and to be eternally blessed through His Son when we by faith alone in Christ alone are born (again) into the family of God. |