‘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 1:26-31).’
In this study we come to the crown of God’s creation, man. Do we pronounce man the crown of God’s creation because we are the dominant species upon the earth, as though we have by our own ability risen to the top of the food chain? No. We claim this because no other creature was made in the image of God and placed at the head of the created order. This is the place that God has given to man. He prepared the earth to display His glory and for man to live.
NOTE: INDIVIDUAL DISCOVERY QUESTION HERE: In the remainder of Genesis 1, is there any evidence to be found of the evolution of man from the lower species? Explain your answer.
Verses 26,27: Here in verse 26 we discover something totally different to what has so far been seen in the creation account. Here God speaks as an individual, yet in the plural. It is God having a discussion within Himself concerning the creation of man. There is no definite information on the exact nature of the plurality of God, only that He is plural, yet one. Though we believe in the Trinity, this early passage does not declare the Trinity, just that there is indeed a plurality within the Godhead.
What we have here then is an intimate insight into the creative process of God in the creation of man. There is an indication of great care and purpose in what is about to unfold. Man is to be the climax of creation. God is here making that clear to man. He is the special creation of God.
How was man created? Was it by an evolutionist model? No, for the Scriptures nowhere give that indication. Again we are brought to the place where God speaks and it is done. More information on the creation of man is of course given in Genesis 2:7, telling us that man was created from the dust, etc. Yet it remains plain from the Scriptures that the creation of man was an instantaneous act of God through the Word of God.
Yet there is more information regarding the creation of man than what was given for the creation of all other creatures. Man alone is described as being created in the image of God, being made after His likeness. But what does this actually mean? The first thing to be noted is that the use of the two words ‘image’ and ‘likeness’ is not to distinguish two different things, but are used as synonymous terms (Gen 5:1,3; 9:6; 1 Cor 11:7; Col 3:10; Jam 3:9). They mean exactly the same thing, that man was to be created in the image of God, that he might be like God. That is simply what being made in the image of God means, that we might be like God or be a replica of God (Num 33:52; 1 Sam 6:5,11; 2 Kings 16:10; 2 Chron 4:3; Is 13:14; Ezek 7:20; 10:1). In other words we are in some manner a shadow of what God is.
QUESTION: What features or characteristics of man reflect what God is in fullness? Can these be described as being part of the image of God created within us? Explain.
We see also that man was to reign over creation, this also being part of the image of God which we bear, resembling the sovereign rule of God over all (9:6; Ps 8:5,6; 104:14ff; Is 42:5; Amos 4:13; 1 Cor 11:7,8; 15:49; 2 Cor 5:16,17; Jam 3:19).
Also expressed in verse 27 is a clear statement of the equality of both male and female, for they were both created in the image of God.
Verse 28: In this verse we see the blessing and direction of God to humanity in the persons of the first man and woman. He created humanity with the capability of propagating the species in order to fill the earth and to rule over it as the crown of creation. More on the manner of propagating the species is to be seen in Genesis 2:18-25, namely within the bond of marriage.
Again the thought of verse 26 is repeated, that man is the crown of creation, being the ruler under God of it. Genesis 2:19 indicates what part of this rule involved, even the naming of the creatures that God had created. This rule involved not a despotic domination, but more of a stewardship-like role, as Genesis 2:15 indicates.
QUESTION: Explain how God blessed the first man and woman as described in verse 28?
Verses 29,30: In the verses now under consideration we see the purpose of God in creation revealed a little more fully. All that God has done in creation, even the very order of creation in the six days had been to prepare the earth as a dwelling for those creatures yet to be created later in the week of creation. Man as the crown of creation has been granted a specially prepared home, with all that he needs to survive. So too the various animals for they also have had a home prepared with all that they need.
It’s interesting to note the provision of food for all the created creatures in this passage. It would appear as though all the creatures were originally created ‘vegetarian,’ for there is no mention of any other food provided than that of plant originated foods. Yet there is a great bounty provided, for which man is to rejoice. The only plant from which man was not to eat is mentioned in Genesis 2:9,16.QUESTION: Discuss the place of meat or animal foods in the diet of the first humans created by God. Was it lawful for man to kill and eat animals prior to the flood?
Verse 31: At the end of the sixth day God once again pronounces that what he made was good. Not just that which was made on the sixth day, but what was made throughout the entire creation week is pronounced by God as good, as very good. The entire work of creation is now complete and free of all fault and impurity. Indeed, creation in fact achieved exactly what creation in planning desired in the mind of God. It was perfect.
INDIVIDUAL DISCOVERY
What is the significance of the seventh day as mentioned in Genesis 2:2,3 for man today? Explain.
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To assist in the study of Genesis Aussie Outpost is developing The Outpost Study Bible and other Bible Study Aids. Links to these further resources are listed below:
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23/06/2007
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