Genesis | Mankind Deceived By Pride

Genesis Chapter 3: Verses 1 Thru 7.

Most Recently:

Mankind Is Made In His Likeness.

Mankind Receives Bounty And Boundaries.

Mankind Has A Purpose Thru Worshipful Partnership.

Today: Mankind Is Deceived By Pride.

Genesis Principle #1; Gen 1:1-25;

Chosen in Christ: To have an abundant life now and everlastingly, we must receive the gift of life provided by the all-powerful God who created the universe.

Genesis Principle 2: Gen 1:1-26-2:7;

Body, Soul, and Spirit: 3 part being: 1 Thessalonians chapter 5.

Since we are everlasting beings created by God to inhabit physical bodies, we are to offer our total beings to God in order to glorify Him.

Genesis; Principle #3; Gen 2:8-24;

Marital Union: To grow in openness and unity, we are to follow God's plan regarding a one man-one woman relationship within the bonds of marriage.

SO, THIS IS THE STUDY OF THE BEGINNING OF SIN.

The Snake Was The Most Clever Of All The Wild Animals That The Lord God Had Made.

The Snake Spoke To The Woman And Said, “Woman, Did God Really Tell You That You Must Not Eat From Any Tree In The Garden?”

The Origin And Fact Of The First Human Sin.

INTRODUCTION:

A. The Third Chapter Of Genesis Is One Of The Most Important Chapters In The Bible.

It Tells How Sin Entered The Human Family.

It Offers An Explanation For Tragedy, Suffering, War And Evil.

It Offers An Explanation For The Presence Of Sin.

NOTE.

Chapter Context.

Genesis 3 Tells The Story Of Paradise Lost By The Willfulness Of Human Sin.

Humanity Was Originally Given Every Perfect Thing They Could Need Or Want And Virtually No Restrictions.

Despite That, Adam And Eve Needed Only A Bit Of Prompting From A Talking Serpent To Disobey Their Good Creator.

Immediately Overcome By Shame And Quickly Cursed By God.

The Painful Story Of Human History Begins With Their Exit From The Garden Of Eden.

B. This Chapter Tells Us Some Definite Facts About Sin:

1. God Is Not The Author Of Sin;

2. Sin Came To Mankind From Without.

3. Mankind Was Not Born ORIGINALLY With A Sinful Nature.

PER THEOLOGIAN J. Vernon McGee:

4. Why Temptation? Adam Was Created INNOCENT not RIGHTEOUS.

RIGHTEOUS IS INNOCENCE MAINTAINED IN MIDST OF TEMPTATION.

TEMPTATION WILL EITHER DEVELOP YOU OR DESTROY YOU.

CHARACTER MUST BE DEVELOPED.

IT IS DEVELOPED FACING TEMPTATION.

DANGEROUS CONVERSATION.

1. SATAN'S ATTACK ON THE WISDOM OF GOD 3:1-3:

THE SERPENT'S QUESTION.

1. The Serpent Was A Beautiful Snake.

Satan Is The Evil One Behind The Serpent:

Satan Uses Various Avenues Of Infiltration.

Satan Uses Whatever He Can To Express His Evil Will.

Have You Even Consider Satan Using Someone / Something Beautiful To Accomplish His Evil Will ?

Satan Obviously Enticed Mankind To Sin Against God.

3:1 SERPENT.

Satan's MAIN WAY TO DECEIVE Is Thru Powers and Principalities. Ephesians 6:12:

For We Do Not Wrestle Against Flesh And Blood, But;

Against The Rulers,

Against The Authorities,

Against The Cosmic Powers Over This Present Darkness,

Against The Spiritual Forces Of Evil In The Heavenly Places.

2. Eve Should Have Been Alerted To The Uniqueness Of This Serpent.

IT WAS SPEAKING TO HER.

THAT SHOULD HAVE BEEN THE FIRST SIGN OF TROUBLE.

No Other Animal Had Ever Talked To Her.

3. The Words “HAS GOD SAID” Are Essential.

For The Devil Always Tries To Get People To Deny God's Word.

ALL SIN HAS AS ITS BEGINNING.

A FAILURE TO BELIEVE.

WHAT GOD HAS REVEALED.

TO US IN THE BIBLE.

4. Satan Is Questioning The Wisdom Of God.

He Subtly Does This By Raising A Question; It Is Not A Frontal Attack On Truth.

It Is As Though Satan Said, Is It Wise For Your God To Make A Limitation On This One Tree While Allowing You To Eat Of All The Others?

Would A Good, Wise And Loving God Really Do That??

Satan Implants Within The Mind The Idea That God Is Unduly Strict In, Not Permitting Adam And Eve To Eat From All The Trees.

5. The First Step In Temptation.

What Was The Temptation?

Man Was Created To Be Responsible.

Man Was Created To Glorify, Obey, Serve.

God Is Not Arbitrary. The Condition Was Not Limiting.

God Did Not Plan On Man Starving.

God Gave Man Plenty Of Food.

God Prohibited The Fruit From One Tree.

Note. THE DEVIL IS A LIAR AND A DECEIVER:

• Did God Really Say That?

• OR:

• If He Did Say It, Then God Is Not The Kind Of God You Thought.

GETTING GOD'S WORD WRONG.

“TOUCH IT” Was Added To God's Word.

2. SATAN'S ATTACK ON THE WORD OF GOD (3:4).

Satan Openly Substitutes A Lie For The Truth,

God Said They Would Die But Satan Says They Will Not Die.

Having Implanted A Doubt, Satan Now Is Bold To Advance A Direct Denial Of God's Truth.

Note.

Eve Could Still Resist This Temptation But It Would Be Difficult,

Eve Is Being Lured To Distrust And Reject God In Her Life.

Eve And Adam Must Choose:

On The Side Of God.

On The Side Of The Serpent.

Eve And Adam Must Choose:

Deny The Authority Of God.

Accept Independence Of God.

Eve And Adam Must Choose:

Is God Telling A Lie.

Is Satan Telling A Lie.

God Had Said They Could Freely Eat Of Every Tree (Genesis 2:16);

God Had Said They Should

Not Part Of The Original Prohibition Is An Exaggeration.

Did Eve Secretly Feel The Original Prohibition Was Too Stringent?

These Are The Very Sins God Warned About After His Written Word Was Finally Completed (Revelation 22:18,19).

Doubting God’s Word,

Changing God's Word,

Diluting God's Word,

Rejecting God's Word.

This Was Satan’s Temptation And Eve’s Sin, And This Is The Common Sequence Of Apostasy Even Today.

Note.

This Limitation Was Put There For Man's Good.

God Knew The Consequences Even If Man Did Not.

God Puts Limitations On Men For Their Own Good And When Men Violate God's Moral Law,

The Result Is Always Sorrow, Heartache And Misery.

TEMPTED WITH PRIDE.

3. SATAN'S ATTACK ON THE WILL OF GOD.

3:5 BE AS GODS.

Satan’s Placed The Desire In Eve's Mind To Be As God,

To Question God Or To Change The Word Of God Is Rebellion Against God And Is Evil.

It Is A Sin Against God: To Think You Are God.

It Is A Sin Against God: To Act Like You Are Above His Divine Word.

3:5 KNOWING GOOD AND EVIL.

Satan’s Deceptions: Almost Always Is TRUTH MIXED WITH LIES.

What Does It Take To Make A Lie ? Anything Less Than The Full Truth.

Through Eating The Forbidden Fruit, Adam And Eve Would Indeed Come To “know Good And Evil,” But Not “as Gods!”

For God Said They Would Know Good And Evil.

For It Was NOT HIS WILL To Eat Of The Tree Of Knowledge Of Good And Evil.

For God NEVER Said That That Was A Good Thing.

Satan DECEIVES Them Into Thinking It Would Be A Good Thing.

Eve THOUGHT This Would Be Something Wonderful, Exciting And Glorious.

Eve NEVER Thought Acting On This Temptation Would Be The Worst Thing That Could Happen To Mankind.

SEEING AND EATING (3:6-7).

SAW THE FRUIT WAS GOOD (3:6A).

EATING AND BREAKING GOD’S LAW (3:6B).

SAW THEY WERE NAKED (3:7).

4. THE FALL OF MAN (3:6-7).

3:6 MAKE ONE WISE.

The Threefold Temptation, Appealing To:

Body (good For Food),

Soul (pleasant To The Eyes),

Spirit (make One Wise),

3:6 HE DID EAT.

It Was At This Point That “by One Man Sin Entered Into The World, And Death By Sin” (Romans 5:12).

There Was No Death In The World Before The Sin Of Mankind.

3:7 NAKED.

Recognition Of Their Nakedness Indicates:

Loss Of Innocence.

Paradise Lost.

The Curse Of Sin And Death Would Be Conveyed To Descendants.

 

Genesis | Worshipful Partnership

Fall Study: Genesis 1 Through Genesis 11:

Last Time: Bounty and Boundary.

This Time: The GOD of a Worshipful Partnership

Some of The Topics In The Next Few Weeks:

Mankind is Deceived by Pride

Grace in Judgment

Judgment by Water

Preserving Life and Creation

We are currently in a Study in the Book of Genesis…..The 1^st Book

The Bible has sixty-six Books, and God has Spoken to us through each one of them:

Here is the best introduction to the Bible that I have found:

“This Book contains the mind of God, the state of Man, the way of Salvation, the doom of sinners and the happiness of Believers. Its doctrines are Holy, its precepts are binding, its histories are true, and its decisions are immutable. Read it to be wise, believe it to be safe and practice it to be Holy. It contains Light to direct you, food to support you and comfort to Cheer you. It is a traveler’s map, the pilgrim’s staff, the pilot’s compass, the soldiers sword and the Christians Character. Here paradise is restored, Heaven opened and the gates of Hell disclosed. Christ is its grand object, our good is its design and the Glory of God its end. It should fill the memory, rule the heart, and guide the feet. Read it slowly, frequently, and Prayerfully. It is given you in life and will be opened in judgment and will be remembered forever. It involves the highest responsibility, will reward the greatest labor, and will condemn all who trifle with its sacred contents.”

FAMOUS AUTHOR……”UNKNOWN”

There are 7 quite simple, yet basic, preliminary steps that will guide us for the study of the WORD OF GOD:

1. Begin with Prayer

2. Read the Bible

3. Study the Bible

4. Meditate on the Bible

5. Read what others have written on the Bible

6. Obey the Bible

7. Pass it on to others

The Book of Genesis, that we are currently studying, is one of 2 very IMPORTANT KEY BOOKS of the Bible. The Book that opens the New Testament is Matthew. These 2 BOOKS are viewed as key to understanding the SCRIPTURES.

Our Lesson today is Genesis 2:18-25

An OUTLINE of today’s Study would be:

Section I. No Suitable Partner (2:18-22)

A. Not Good to be Alone (2:18)

B. Searching and Naming (2:19-20a)

C. God Fashions a Partner (2:20b-22)

Section II. A Wonderful Partner (2:23-25)

A. Adam’s Response (2:23)

B. Design for Marriage (2:24-25)

A Good MEMORY VERSE for our Study today is found in Ecclesiastes 4:12

“Though one may be overpowered by another, two can withstand him. And a threefold cord is not quickly broken.”

Man and Woman…. Together…. WITH GOD!

Untwist the cord, and the separate threads….they are easily "broken."

When saints stand fast in one spirit, and strive together for the faith of the Gospel, they stand their ground, withstand the enemy, and maintain truth; and a threefold cord is not quickly broken;

Don’t isolate yourself and try to go it alone!

The Main Idea….God knew from the beginning that it was not good for man to be alone, so He designed marriage as a partnership.

In last week’s study we saw that God placed a “Condition on Man”.

The “TREE OF GOOD AND EVIL”….was a test of Man.

Also mentioned was the “TREE OF LIFE”

Also found in Rev 2:7…..”To him who overcomes I will give to eat from the TREE OF LIFE, which is in the midst of the Paradise of God”

Also found in Rev 22:2….”In the middle of its street, and on either side of the river, was the TREE OF LIFE, which bore 12 fruits, each tree yielding its fruit every month. The leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations”.

So in the garden there was a tree placed as a test…..and a tree for LIFE and healing. A loving GOD provided man with a choice!

Vs 18……”It is not good that man should be alone”.

There was a purpose in God’s putting man in the Garden alone for a period of time.

It wasn’t that man was not good…. It was his circumstance that was not good.

It was to show him that he had a need and that he needed someone to be with him….a partner….a mate!

The Woman is taken from Adam….From the side of Adam. Dr. Matthew Henry said that God didn’t take her from Adam’s head to be his superior, or from his foot to be his inferior….But HE took her from his side to be equal with him.

That is exactly the purpose; she is to be the other half of man. He….Man, is only half without her.

AND believe it or not….They were married at first sight Vs 24-25.

J. Vernon McGee said….”God intended man to take the lead—He created him first—and He created woman to follow. The man is the aggressor—God made him that way even physically—the woman is to be the responder.”

Vs 19-20……”Out of the GROUND The LORD GOD formed every beast of the field and every bird of the air and bought them to ADAM to see what he would call them”.

Genesis 2:7…..”The LORD formed man of the dust of the GROUND”

Genesis 3:19…..”In the sweat of your face you shall eat bread til you return to the ground, For out of it you were taken; For dust you are, And to dust you shall return.”

This speaks about our physical body. Our Soul’s destination is dependent upon our acknowledgment and acceptance of Jesus as Lord of our life!

Vs 20-22…..”And the LORD caused a deep sleep to fall on Adam, and he slept; and HE took one of his ribs……Then the rib which the LORD GOD had taken from man HE made into a woman, and HE bought her to the man.”

Think About this…Why didn’t GOD make Woman from the dust of the ground as man was?

Perhaps the difference is… GOD did not want to create a competitor, or neighbor, or an acquaintance…. instead HE created a Best Friend, a partner, a helper for life, and a MATE!!!

Vs 23….Adam’s response……”And Adam said: And she shall be called WOMAN, Because she was taken out of man.”

Vs 24….The design for marriage…”Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and they shall become one flesh.”

According to J. Vernon McGee…..”In other words, the man is now subject to his wife in the sense that he is responsible for her, and he is no longer under the control of his father and mother.”

Vs 25….Having Nothing to hide…”And they were both naked, the man and his wife, and they were not ashamed.”

Like a little child running naked, they were not embarrassed in their innocence!

No barriers….Nothing to hide by exposing themselves to each other…..THEY ARE MARRIED! And without sin they knew no shame.

Marriage is one of the bands that modern man is trying eliminate.

Satan is at the root of modern man’s effort get rid of God…. because God is the ONE Who established marriage.

From this beginning… in the Book of Genesis, to today, it is believed that the world has been populated by approximately 90 to 110 Billion people.

Today, it is believed that there are approximately 7.7 Billion people in the world.

Lots and lots of people to be saved!!!!

Last week, the Senior Pastor at our local church commented that…

When you go to a sporting event, to a concert, to Thanksgiving Dinner, or to anyplace SPECIAL….you don’t go alone. You just don’t!!!

Instead you invite others….and go with friends and loved ones….and sometimes someone who is down and in need….To share the time and experience. You tell them about the JOY and love that we will all experience together at the special event.

Heaven with Our LORD is the single most special and eternal event of all!

In that same spirit we need to reach out and share Jesus Christ with everyone so that we ALL will enjoy and partake in being together with Our LORD….for eternity!

Genesis | Mankind Receives Bounty And Boundary

Genesis 2: 4 thru 17

Fall Study: Genesis 1 Through Genesis 11:

Previous:

The God Of Beginnings.

The God Of Order and Abundance.

Mankind Is Made In His Likeness.

Today: Mankind Receives Bounty And Boundary.

Some Of The Topics In The Next Few Weeks:

Mankind Has A Purpose Thru Worshipful Partnership.

Mankind Is Deceived By Pride.

Mankind Receives Grace In Judgment.

Antagonistic Unbelief.

Man's Ways Or God's Ways.

We Now Should Know With Full Certainty:

God Is Great:

On The Earth.

In The Heavens.

And He Alone Is GREAT !!

God Is Good Because He Is Majestic:

In His Care. He Is Mindful Of Us. He Seeks Us.

In His Creation. He Created Us. He Sustains Us.

Genesis; Principle #1; Gen 1:1-25;

Chosen in Christ: To have an abundant life now and everlastingly, we must receive the gift of life provided by the all-powerful God who created the universe.

Genesis Principle 2: Gen 1:1-26-2:7;

Body, Soul, and Spirit: 3 part being: 1 Thessalonians chapter 5.

Since we are everlasting beings created by God to inhabit physical bodies, we are to offer our total beings to God in order to glorify Him.

Genesis; Principle #3; Gen 2:8-24;

Marital Union: To grow in openness and unity, we are to follow God's plan regarding a one man-one woman relationship within the bonds of marriage.

THE FIRST MAN:

I. MAN’S ENVIRONMENT (2:5-5).

A. Vs. 5: It Is Obvious That Different Conditions Prevailed On Earth In Those Early Days Than Prevail Now.

There Was No Rain; Yet There Was Lush Vegetation.

Man Was Created To Till The Ground.

B. Vs. 6: There Was No Rain Upon The Earth, But A Mist Watered The Ground (a Water Canopy).

This Condition Probably Remained Until The Days Of The Flood.

The Deluge Is When It Rained For The First Time On The Earth.

II. MAN’S CREATION (2:7):

God Created Adam’s Body First From The Dust Of The Ground.

It Is Not Stated As To How He Did It.

It Is Interesting That The Same Elements That Are Found In The Dust Of The Ground Are Also Found In The Human Body.

The Bible Also Tells Us That Man Returns To The Dust.

Man Is More Than Physical Body.

Man Is Also A Soul (Mind, Will, Emotion) And Spirit.

It Says That God Created The Immaterial Part Of Man And He Became A Living Soul.

Animals Have Souls But This Verse Also States That God Breathed Into His Nostrils The Spirit Of Life.

Man Also Received A Spirit From God, Which Distinguishes Him From The Animal World.

It Is The Spirit In Mankind That Gives Us A Religious Nature.

It Is The Spirit In Mankind That Gives Us The Ability To Communicate With God (Rom. 6:16).

NOTE:

Mankind Is Not A Mere Animal.

Mankind Is A Special Creation Of God.

Mankind Is Designed For The Purpose Of Glorifying God.

BUT:

Mankind Is Marred By Sin.

Mankind Is Born Dead SPIRITUALLY.

AND:
God Intended Man’s Spirit To Communicate With Him.

The Natural Man Will Always Be Restless And Unsatisfied.

The Until He Gets Re-Created Through Christ.

III. MAN’S ORIGINAL HOME (2:8-14).

A. Vs. 8: God Created A Garden (Sheltered, Protected Spot) In The Area Of Eden (Delight). The Name Of The Garden Is Not Given To Us.

The Name Of It Was Not Eden;

It Was A Garden Placed In The Land Of Eden.

Some Have Suggested That This Garden Was In:

(1) The Persian Gulf;

(2) Armenia;

(3) Babylonia.

We Just Cannot Be Sure.

THERE WAS IN THE GARDEN TWO TREES:

Verse 9:

The Tree Of Life.

The Tree Of The Knowledge Of Good And Evil.

The Literalness Of This Account Has Been Questioned But It Should Not Be Difficult To Understand How Partaking Of Fruit Could Affect Mankind.

In The Modern Drug Culture, We Now Know That There Are Drugs And Chemical Agents, Such As Are Present In Fruit And Other Plants, That Can Have An Effect Upon Man.

Perhaps These Trees Were Terribly Potent For Immortality And For Good And Evil.

THE GARDEN OF EDEN WAS PROBABLY SOMEWHERE IN ARMENIA.

Verse 10-14:

Two Of The Rivers Can Still Be Identified.

The Hiddekel River Is The Tigris,

The Euphrates Still Bears That Name.

The Other Two Rivers Are Perhaps Identical With Certain Streams, Which Still Flow, One Into The Black Sea And The Other Into The Caspian Sea;

Both Arise Out Of The Mountain Of Ararat In Armenia.

This Is The Same Area The Ark Rested After The Deluge.

IV. MAN’S WORK (2:15).

From The Very Beginning Man Was Intended To Work.

Work Is One Of The Fundamental Principles Of Man’s Existence.

Man Was Created To Keep The Garden To The Glory Of God.

A Man Who Does Not Work At Something Soon Dies.

V. MAN’S RESPONSIBILITY (2:16-17).

A. Vs. 16: God Gave Man Much Freedom Within The Garden And He Could Eat Of Every Tree Except One.

B. Vs. 17: Adam Was Not To Eat Of The Tree Of The Knowledge Of Good And Evil Or He Would Die (Spiritually And One Day Physically).

Adam was placed in an ideal environment and circumstances, so he had no excuse for rejecting God’s love and authority.

God Placed This Prohibition In The Garden.

God Wanted Adam To Remember He Was A Created Being.

God Wanted Adam To Be Responsible To A Supreme Being.

Mankind Was To Be Limited By Obedience.

God’s Law Was And Is To Be The Standard Of Obedience.

The Future Of The Human Race Centered Upon Adam’s Choice.

NOTE:

Satan Said To Eve That They Shall Be As Gods.

Satan Told Eve That They Would Know Good And Evil.

Satan Told A Truth But Perverted It.

The Deception: Not Just Know But Experience Good and Evil.

Sin Causes Mankind To Have A Perverted View Of Good and Evil.

Good Is Twisted and Rationalized Into Evil.

Knowledge Of Good And Evil Made Mankind Think They Were The Center Of The Universe.

Mankind Thinks They Became Like God.

But It Was Really All A Lie.

Man Is Not The Center Of The Universe And He Cannot Be.

God Is The Center Of The Universe.

Mankind Is Rightly Related To God Understanding That Truth.

NOTE:

The Gospel Teaches That Christ Redeems Man Through Faith.

A Balanced Life Is Maintained And Everything Relates To God.

Through The Gospel, God Is Properly Given All Glory.

Genesis | Mankind Is Made In His Likeness

Genesis 1:26 Thru 2:3

The Beginning Of Earth -- Every Aspect Of God’s Creation Was Judged To Be Very Good By God Himself.

Fall Study: Genesis 1 Through Genesis 11:

Previously:

The God Of Beginnings.

The God Of Order and Fullness.

This Time: Mankind Is Made In His Likeness.

Some Of The Topics In The Next Few Weeks:

Mankind Receives Bounty And Boundaries.

Mankind Has A Purpose Thru Worshipful Partnership.

Mankind Is Deceived By Pride.

Mankind Receives Grace In Judgment.

Antagonistic Unbelief.

Man's Ways Or God's Ways.

We Now Should Know With Full Certainty:

That God Is Great:

On The Earth.

In The Heavens.

And He Alone Is GREAT !!

That God Is Good Because He Is Majestic:

In His Care. He Is Mindful Of Us. He Seeks Us.

In His Creation. He Created Us. He Sustains Us.

THE COMMENCEMENT OF THE CREATION WORK: 1: 1-2.

THE CONTINUATION OF THE CREATION WORK: 1: 3-25.

THE COMPLETION OF THE CREATION WORK 1: 26 THRU 2: 1-3.

QUESTION:

A. The Four Great Questions Of Life Are: Who Am I? Where Did I Come From? What Is My Purpose? Where Am I Going?

Genesis 1:26-31 Gives An Answer To The First Three Questions.

NOTE: These Questions Can Only Be Answered Through God’s Inspired Revelation Of His Creation Of Man On The Sixth Day.

B. The Answer To Mankind's Human-Ness Is Found In His Relationship To God.

Until Man Finds God, Existence Is A Dilemma And Life Is Meaningless.

I. THE IMPORTANCE OF MAN 1:26a.

A. And God Said:

His Creation Was Immediate And Complete.

Man Is The Creation Of A Sovereign God.

The Answer For Man Is Found In His Relationship To God.

B. Let Us Make Man:

The Plural “us” Undoubtedly Refers To The Trinity.

This Is The First Major Revelation In The Old Testament Of The Godhead Is Not A Single Component Part.

Only Mankind Among The Creatures Of God:

Can Understand An Experience With A Triune God.

Can Worship God In Spirit and In Truth.

Can Enter Into A Saving Relationship With A Holy God.

C. In Our Image, After Our Likeness;

What Does It Mean To Be Made In The Image / Likeness Of God?

To Be Made In The Image And Glory Of God:

Shows The Dignity And Glory Of Man.

This Has To Do With Humans:

Made To Have A Specific Role And Purpose In God's World.

Made To Reflect God's Character Out Into The World.

Made To Represent God And Rule This World On God's Behalf.

Made To Harness All Its Potential And To Care For It.

Made To Make It Where Even More Life Can Flourish.

In Biblical Times, The "image of god" Was Understood.

All Lived Under The Rule Of A King As god's image On Earth. Kings Claimed To Have Authority To Carry Out The Will Of gods.

Kings Would Create Idols From Wood, Stone, Metal.

These Handmade Idols Were "images of god" on earth.

Israel Was The One Nation That Did Not View Kings As gods.

It Was Prohibited To Create Idols Or Images Of Their God:

BECAUSE GOD HAD ALREADY MADE IMAGES OF HIMSELF.

In The Beginning Of The Bible, We See God As:

The All-Powerful Creator.

The King Of The Earth.

Having Authority Over Creation.

Giving Humans All Authority To Rule Over Creation.

By Making Humans In His Image.

During These Bible Times Of The Writing Of Genesis:

Elite Kings Ruled And Subdued The Earth

The Bible States It Is The Task Of All Mankind Not Just a Few.

How Are We Expected To Rule The Earth?

Ruling Over The Earth Means To:

Cultivate It,

Harnessing Its Raw Potential,

Developing God's Creation As Planned.

But The Spread Of Sin And Suffering Has Hindered This Purpose.

So, Jesus Is The New Human, The Perfect Image Of God.

Gen 5 states, After The Fall Of Adam, All Are Born In The Likeness Of Adam Not The Likeness Of God.

Born Of The Man Of Dust.

But, Jesus Restores Us To The Image Of God Being Born Of The Man Of Heaven.

Christ Coming To Earth To Live As A Man, God Shows Us What It Truly Looks Like To Live A Life In The Image Of God.

Through Christ's Example, We See That This Life Is One Of Servitude And Goodness To Others No Matter What They Do To Us.

Jesus Even Confronts All Of The Evil And Destruction That We Have Created As Rulers Of The Earth By Taking On The Full Force Of It When He Died On The Cross.

Through His Life, Death, And Resurrection, Jesus Provided:

An Answer To The Question What Is The Image Of God.

A Way By Which All Of Mankind Could Have A New Birth.

A Way To Be Filled With The Love And Goodness Of Christ

A Way To Begin Acting Fully In God's Image.

A Way For All True Believers Rule Over Creation Properly.

A Way For The Images Of God With Christ As Their Salvation.

The Image Is Creativity, Communication And Morality:

Mankind Has Capacity To Communicate In Spirit With God

That Distinguishes Him From The Animal World.

God Is Spirit (John 4:24), And He Can Only Be Known Through The Spirit In Man Rom. 8:16).

It Is The Spirit In Man That Enables Him To Worship.

A. Creativity:In Genesis 1 We Read, “God Created (made).”

This Activity Involves Imagination And The Ability To Think In Conceptual Terms.

Man, Being In The Image Of God, Can Also Make Things, Not To The Same Degree That God Does, For Man Cannot Make Things Out Of Nothing.

Yet Man Can Compose A Symphony, Design A Computer, Paint A Picture, Etc. An Animal Cannot Do This.

NOTE. Man Was Originally Designed To Use His Creativity For God.

B. Communication: Genesis 1 Said That God Speaks And So Does Man.

Man Is The Only Creature That Can Talk.

Animals Make Sounds But They Do Not Convey Ideas Through Verbalizing.

NOTE. Man Was Originally Created To Communicate With God And Man.

C. Morality: In Genesis 1, God Pronounces Many Things Good.

God Is A Moral Being, And Man Shares That Character As Well.

Man Has The Capacity Of Distinguishing Between Good And Evil.

All Men In Every Society Have Some Sense Of Right And Wrong, Which Is Not Found In The Animal Kingdom.

NOTE: Man Was Originally Created As A Moral Creature.

When God Created Man In His Image, The Glory, Dignity And Value Of Man Was Set Forth.

(Psa. 8:5 “For Thou Hast Made Him But A Little Lower Than God”).

If Man Came From Slime Through Chance, As The Evolutionist Says, Then Man Is Faced With A Horrifying Dilemma: He Has No Planned Beginning, No Purpose, No Future.

Only The Bible Makes Man Valuable Because He Is A Creature Of God.

Men Are Not High Forms Of Animals But Are The Creation Of God.

II. THE AUTHORITY OF MAN (1:26b):

Again, Mankind Was Given The Task Of Ruling And Governing The Earth By Exercising Dominion Over Everything Within The Earth.

To Subdue Its Forces,

To Master Them,

Bring Them All Under His Control And Direction.

The Whole Course Of History Is Simply The Record Of Man’s Attempt To Fulfill These Divine Injunctions.

NOTE: The Final Fulfillment Of This Command Will Be In The Millennium.

III. THE DUTY OF MAN (1:27-28):

A. Genesis 1:27 Speaks Of Male And Female, Which Shows That Man Is A Sexual Creature.

Man Was Commanded To Be “fruitful And Multiply, And Replenish (fill) The Earth” (1:28).

B. Genesis 1:28 Says That God Commanded Man To “subdue” The Earth; That Is, Man Was To Have Dominion Over It.

IV. THE NUTRITIONAL SUSTENANCE FOR MAN (1:29-30):

A. Originally All Animals Were Herbivorous (plant Eaters).

Note: Apparently Animals Did Not Become Meat Eaters Until After The Fall. Before The Fall, There Was Abundant Plant Life.

B. Man, In The Beginning, Was Also A Vegetarian.

God Did Not Give Man The Permission To Eat Meat Until After The Flood (Gen. 9:3).

V. THE APPROVAL OF MAN (1:31):

God Saw His Creation Of Man And He Said, “It Was Very Good.”

God Was Pleased With His Creature Man.

VI. CONCLUSION:

A. Man Was Created With Glory, Dignity And Value With The Capacity To Worship God And The Authority To Rule The Earth.

Why Is It That Man Has Not Lived Up To His Potential?

It Is Because Of Sin:

Whatever Else Is True Of Man, It Is Certainly True That Man Is Not What He Was Meant To Be.

NOTE: Sinned Marred Man’s Image But It Did Not Eradicate It. (Gen. 9:6; James 3:9).

Salvation Is All About Restoring To Man In Christ What He Lost In Adam (Col. 3:9-10; Eph. 4:24).

B. The Fall Resulted In The Corruption Of Man’s Will, Mind And Emotion. Sin Is Why Man Can Create, But Everything He Creates Has A Twist Towards Evil.

Sin Is Why Man Can Communicate, But Not Only Does He Communicate Truth And Beauty, But Also Lust And Hate And Filth And Bigotry And Death.

Sin Is Why, Though He Still Knows Moral Values, He Denies Them And Rationalizes Them To Exalt Evil.

Sin Has Devalued And Shamed Man, So That The Image With Which He Was Created By God Has Been Marred By Sin.