From the Start - Part 4 (A Genesis Sermon Series Part 5)

This morning we will be in, you guessed it, Genesis chapter 1.

Genesis 1 · chapter mention

Go ahead and turn there if you would.

We've been looking at the creation days and here we are on

the last day, if you will, of creation of the Creative act.

So we'll be finishing Chapter 1 and then in a couple weeks we

will jump into Chapter 2. We will be finishing, we'll be

up through Chapter 3 before we get to the Advent season.

So, so we'll we'll pick it up a little bit here.

Now when we look at pictures, they immediately take us

somewhere. So when I look at this picture,

for example, I'm immediately transported back to one of my

most favorite places in all the world.

The ocean is there on the near side of the bridge in the Bay is

passed it on the far side and you see the city San Francisco

in the background there. And I remember the drive across

the Golden Gate that was to happen a few minutes after this

picture was taken. I remember later that afternoon

when when just Aria and I went to the Art Museum, the Legion of

Honor, just daddy and daughter. Just a wonderful time and we

enjoyed looking at the arts. I remember how what should have

been an hour drive from where we were staying to this location

ended up being hours as we sat on 80 in a lot of traffic on a

Saturday morning, not a weekday morning.

The picture isn't the experience, but but the picture

points back to to an experience and all the memories that are

attached to it. This morning as we as we

continue in our study, we'll consider how how we're like God.

No, we aren't actually God, but we like that photo.

We are representations of something.

So if you're able, would you stand as we read from Genesis

Genesis 1 · chapter mention

chapter 1, We'll begin at verse 26.

Then 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

birds of the heavens, and over the livestock, and 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, and God bless them and, and God said to them,

be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth and subdue it,

and have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of

the heavens, and over every living thing that moves on the

earth. And God said, Behold, I have

given you every plant yielding seed that is on the face of all

the earth, and every tree with seed in its fruits.

You shall have them for food, and to every beast of the earth,

and to every bird of the heavens, and to everything that

creeps on the earth, everything that has the breath of life, I

have given every green plant for food.

And it was so. And God saw everything that He

had made, and behold, it was very good.

And there was evening, and there was morning.

The 6th day you may be seated. Here in the creation account,

the phrase and God said is always followed by let there be

or or let's this happen each time this happened, God is

speaking by order of what we call divine Fiat, his spoken

word issuing A decree, God speaking into nothing and

created something simply through decree, commanding it to be.

But when we come to humanity, however, it's a little

difference. After declaring all the

creatures of the earth good, verse 26 changes it up as the

text deviates from the previous literary structure.

And this should be a clue to pay attention.

God said let us make man. The text is suddenly moved out

of the realm of the impersonal, if you will, and into the

personal. The previous commands weren't to

anybody in particular and and involved a sort of distance

between God and and his creation.

God would speak and and something would happen.

Something would come into existence.

But now God says, let's make humanity.

Now, if you're paying attention, this might cause you to seek

assurance. There's only one God, right?

If there's one God, then why is he using the first person plural

and saying, let's us? When it comes to this creative

act, it's important for us to start from the right

perspective. So we begin by defining us.

We're going to define what US means.

Over the millennia, a number of explanations have been offered

regarding the usage of the first person plural us, rather than

the first person singular me. A few weeks ago, I mentioned

first of all that the word Elohim, the word for God, is

plural in form. This plurality along with the

use of us has led to various different interpretations.

Some suggestions have been that the use of us as a remnant of

polytheistic religions. Or perhaps God is calling to his

creations the heaven and the earth and saying let's make

humanity more popular notion is the idea of divine honor and

majesty. A king might say something like

let us go and do this or perhaps God is deliberating with himself

self. What would you like to do today?

Well self, let's go make humanity.

Others have proffered the notion of addressing A heavenly court

of angels, the spiritual beings. However, all these explanations

have issues and and some of them frankly have no basis in what

Scripture is trying to communicate.

The best understanding of the usage of the first person plural

is that it is actually referring to the Godhead, the Trinity.

I believe it's referring to the Trinity.

Some will argue this passage doesn't clearly communicate the

doctrine of the Trinity, and you're not wrong.

This passage doesn't explicitly spell out the Trinity.

But when we consider other passages of Scripture, we're

able to arrive at this conclusion.

The Godhead exists in in three Co equal but distinct persons,

Father, Son and spirit, and all three of these persons were

complicit in creation. First, God the Father is found

all throughout this narrative. It, it opens up and says in the

beginning, God create the heavens and the earth and then

and then each time there's a creative act that says God said

and God said and God said so on. So we see God the Father all

throughout this. Then verse 2 we saw that the

Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters and then

to determine Jesus part in creation we go to John's gospel.

So we jump all the way to the New Testament, John 11.

There it reads in the beginning was the Word and the Word was

with God and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with

God, that is the Father. All things were made through him

and without Him was not anything made that was made.

John opens up one of the most powerful Christological passages

in all of Scripture by saying Jesus.

Jesus is the word that we see there in John 1.

Jesus was there at the beginning, and not only that,

but He was involved in creating the world and nothing was made

apart from Him, it says. So when we take all these verses

into consideration, the logical conclusion is for us to

interpret the plural us as referring to the Godhead,

Father, Son, and Spirit. So this is who did the creating.

Now we're going to look at what the creation was and Simply put,

the creation was human. Verse 26 read Then God said, let

us make man in our image after our likeness and let them have

dominions. So God created man in his own

image, in the image of God. He created him male and female.

He created them. The word for man found here in

verse 26 is is a Dom. And yes a Dom does become

eventually that specific human's name, Adam as as we would say.

But here it doesn't refer specifically to A to a single

entity, a single person. Rather it refers to humanity.

This is further corroborated by the fact God refers to them a

couple times here. Here in these verses he he uses

the word them. So how did God do this?

Genesis 27 tells us that the Lord God formed the man of dust

from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the

breath of life, and the man became a living creature.

So God has an intimate connection with this new

creation. This connection is deeply

personal and it feels like the relationship perhaps of of a

Potter with his clay. And nowhere else does this

relationship between God and his creation exist.

Not with the sun, moon, stars, fish, birds, not even with the

land animals, the the other nefeshis, the other soulish

beings. As as we learned last week,

verses 26 and 27 refer to humanity being in God's image.

They were made in his image after his likeness.

So what does it mean to be an image of God and bear his

likeness? As we consider this, we'll now

turn our attention to the question, what is special about

humanity? Because some will have you

believe that there's nothing special about being humans.

It was just enough time transpired for humanity to

evolve. But that is not what we believe

because Scripture tells us otherwise.

So there's a lot that could be said regarding what it means to

be created in God's image, but there are four primary areas I

want to highlight this morning. The first thing of note is this

phrase specifically that we are image bearers, we are image

bearers, we we bear God's image. Now in the ancient Near East,

regular people like like you and I weren't thought to be in the

image of God. The idea of the image of God

referred primarily to an idol like a king or, or to the image

of that king. Idols would be set up around

around cities and towns and, and this was viewed as as that God's

presence was, was there in that idol on earth.

And then so because of that, the places where these idols were

set up would become, would become sacred.

They would become hallowed ground and and people would

flock to these locations so that they could worship that God,

that idol there rulers would also sometimes be referred to as

images of God. Ramses the second was worshipped

as the very image of RA, the sun God.

He was Raz representative on Earth, viewed as equal with him

along with the entire pantheon of the Egyptian deities.

The Pharaoh or or king acted to ensure the well-being of his

people on behalf of the God or or gods as it were.

All rulers of the ancient Near East enjoyed an elevated status

and were considered sons of God, intermediaries between God and

man. And the king was worthy of

worship, so the temple would often be connected to his house,

to his palace, as as he was that nation's priest.

So it's a radical thing when Moses writes, God made humanity

in his very own likeness, in God's likeness.

In a single verse, value had been added to all of God's

creation. Everyone, regardless of wealth

or or status, is a child of God in the sense that they are made

in his image. However you might choose to

organize society, all of it is in a sense placed on the same

level. This clearly has nothing to do

with a person's contributions to society or their perceived value

or intellect, rather has everything to do with the

creator and the assigned value that he gives his creation.

He's the one who confers value on all of his creations, but

most especially humans. Rich, poor, powerful, weak,

male, female, young, old, moral and immoral.

Everyone is a child of the Creator and loved by him.

What actually is the image of God?

The word used here is is Salem, that is TSELEM Salem and and

this word almost always refers to an idol to to a carved image.

In fact, only a few times in Genesis does does it is it

translated as something other than or meaning something other

than an idol. But here Yahweh is going to use

this word to 1st establish something about human.

Human is apparently a sort of Salem human is made to represent

God on earth. So we image God in that, in that

we represent him and, and his character to to all of the

world. And this happens when when we

exhibit Yahweh's communicable, communicable attributes.

His communicable attributes are those attributes which are gods,

but which we can also live out. These are attributes like love,

mercy, goodness, wisdom, justice, creativity.

All of these attributes are found in God, but also found in

humanity as well. So each of us represents God

here on earth. And the first part we find here

in Genesis 1 is that humanity is to rule.

Humanity's job is to rule, to have dominion is what the text

says. One way humans are set apart

from all other creatures is they're told to subdue the

earth. In verses 26 and 28 we find the

command to have dominion. This command has been much

perverted and misinterpreted over the years.

I get the sense that when people hear this word, sometimes they

think of someone who has no regard for the land and the

creatures of this world. Someone see the command to have

dominion as permission from God, to clear cut forest, to kill all

the bison that roam the Midwest, or to exploit people, enslave

them for the purposes of prophets.

But that's not what God has in mind when He calls humans to

rule. The first component to

humanity's rule is in relationship to the land.

So first of all, it's in relationship to the land.

Adam was made chief gardener. In chapter 2, verse 25, we see

Adam was placed in the garden to work it and to keep it.

His role as as head gardener is to maximize the land, to make

the most use of it so so that it too could be fruitful and

multiply and then in turn feed all the inhabitants of the land.

All you gardener types. We got lots of those in his

body. You're being just like Adam and

Eve were in the garden. You are doing what God told them

to do. Good job, somebody's got to do

it. I would not be good at it.

Now. It should be said that Adam's

job, it was a lot easier than the way you have it now.

After that day. When?

When he and the woman took a bite of the forbidden fruits,

everything changed. And before that, before that

there were no weeds, no no thistles.

The weather was perfect for farming and and the crops were

were responsive and would just grow so easily.

These were ideal conditions for developing and farming the land.

Now in recent years, the word sustainability has gained

popularity. Sustainability seeks to look at

our products and resources and and provide these products that

we've come to love, whether it's clothing, food or other products

in a way that is sustainable. It is the practice of meeting

the needs of this present of the present without compromising the

ability of future generations to meet their own needs for this

product. This is all about using

resources in a responsible manner in order to maintain

ecological balance and ensure the long term well-being of both

humans and the earth. And when you do this, you take

into consideration factors like the economy, the environment,

and there's lots of social dimensions that go into this as

well. But at the heart of this

movement is the notion that if I keep using this product in a

negligent manner, then it's possible someday there will be

no more of this product and it'll disappear from the face of

the earth, or at least be more difficult to come by.

While while current use of the word sustainability may have

been rooted in in climate alarmism and doomsday theories

about our planet, sustainability does jive with what God teaches

us here in Genesis 1. Taking care of our planet makes

sense and it confers respect on both the planet and God's

creatures, which is the second aspect of exercising dominion.

The second component of ruling is in relationship to the living

creatures. Verse 30 reveals to us that God

gave living creatures every green plant for food.

This means all the sustenance of the earth wasn't just for the

humans, it was for the living creatures as well.

First of all, this tells us there's enough food for all the

creatures, both human and animal, and humans aren't to

subdue the earth in a way that leaves no room and no sustenance

for the other creations we share the earth with to them.

Also, God is given the right to live off the soil, and that

means our rights to land do have some limits, if you will.

Now, I believe it's apropos for us to pause here to look at the

only Torah reference to a King's behavior in Israel.

God knew the people would one day desire a king, so he

preemptively gives them permission to place a king over

them in in the Promised Land. However, God has stipulations

for for how a king should rule over the people of God.

Deuteronomy 17 says only he must not acquire many horses for

himself or cause the people to return to Egypt in order to

acquire many horses. Verse 17 and he shall not

acquire many wives for himself, lest his heart turn away, nor

shall he acquire for himself excessive silver and gold.

Then verse 19 tells the king to follow the law and fear the Lord

so that his heart may not be lifted up above his brothers.

Here God is laying out his vision for royal rule.

God's expectations of his king are different than than the

other cultures. The king is one among his

brothers and sisters, his fellow Israelites.

He's not to accumulate wealth or arms.

That is the that was found in the going back to Egypt to to

accumulate horses. He's not to indulge himself in

any of the ways that kings would normally be accustomed to by

accumulating wives or or massive amounts of wealth.

And it's only through humility and solidarity with his people

that the king is able to rule for the benefit of the people.

So the task for humans is to adopt this royal rule that that

God has set out. Only when humans live in a way

that benefits the king will they be able to exercise their

authority over the creation in a manner that benefits the

creation. Were God's images placed in this

world as representatives of the one true king, as a king might

erect an image of himself in the land in order to remind people

of his rule and his claim to dominion, his claim, his power

over them. So humanity is placed on this

earth in God's image as God's representatives of his rule.

We aren't the actual rulers per SE.

We're representatives of the ruler acting as ambassadors

tasked with maintaining and forcing God's claims to dominion

here on earth. Now before we move on, it's not

unusual for someone to ask well I get to see my dog in heaven.

Well guess what? Scripture doesn't tell us that

not even not even sure what our relationships with our spouses

will be in heaven as we won't be married when we're in heaven,

but as as we eventually return back to a garden like state.

It seems to me, and I think scripture communicates that,

that animals will be very present in heaven as as I read

last week in the When the wolf lays down with the lamb, the

leopard chooses to not eat the goats, the child is able to pick

up a serpent without fear. Animals will be very present and

parts of the new creation. So whether that includes Fluffy

or Fido, I don't know, but I think it will be a very

enjoyable time for us for sure as we return back to light, back

to that garden like state as we continue.

So we're image bearers and and we adopt God's royal rule in

exercising dominion over land and creatures.

Humans are also meant to reproduce.

We're meant to reproduce, to propagate life and help it

flourish on the earth. It's possible you hadn't noticed

a little detail here. I hadn't noticed it until my

research. Previously, when God created all

other creatures, he created them in mass.

He didn't just create a single Organism or even 2 of them.

Allah the ark. No, God created them in

abundance. The sea swarmed with fish, the

skies were filled with birds. The land brought forth all kinds

of living creatures. However, human Adam was created

initially alone at first one man and all the animals.

Then chapter 2. I know most of us know this.

Chapter 2 tells us there wasn't a a helper for for a Dom.

There wasn't a counterpart to the human.

So God created a helper for him. We'll go into that more in a few

weeks, but here we are. The beginning of humanity starts

with just a single pair in the command.

Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth.

Now obviously you it takes a while for this to happen, right?

With a gestation period of nine months and the fact most humans

don't typically produce litters of children.

Some do, but most don't. The command to be fruitful

begins here, but it doesn't stop here.

These words are are then repeated after the flood and

then if we think Genesis 22, God's promise to to Abraham

echoes this same sentiment. I will surely multiply your

offspring is what God says. So here we get a glimpse into

God's heart. God gave humanity the ability to

create more humans, the ability to reproduce image bearers.

Not only that, but God wants a world full of them.

We live in a sad time where pregnancy and children are are

seen as barriers to living life. Liberalism has so demeaned

motherhood and children that it now sees these things as

weakness and burdens. Increasingly, certain sectors of

women decry marriage and men, They're so fiercely independent

that they hate men, literally hates men.

And they find the thought of someday having children

absolutely repulsive. They believe is so much so that

late last year hysterectomies and tubal ligations, that is,

having your tubes tied, began to surge simply in protest against

conservative values. This is sad.

And I will say this was one thing to be commended, another

thing I should say to be commended about Charlie Kirk.

He was not ashamed to speak to God's design.

He did not say women had to be at home.

That's not what he said. But he was very unashamed to say

one of your greatest joys in life is your children.

Our society can't grasp the truth that children are a

blessing, the truth of Psalm 127.

Behold, children are a heritage from the Lord, the the fruit

from the fruit of the womb. A reward like arrows in the hand

of a warrior are the children's of 1's youth.

Blessed is the man who fills his quiver with them.

I am curious how many arrows went into a quiver, like 2-3,

six, or was it some of you I know come from 10's and stuff

like that? I don't know, but the point is

people with lots of children are blessed.

Lastly, humanity is a recipient of God's divine blessing.

We receive His divine blessing. God made humanity and the first

thing we see after this creative act is in verse 28.

God bless them. It says we were created to be

the recipients of joy and blessing from God's hand.

He made us so He could then pour out His goodness on us.

God wants us to find enjoyment in life.

Ecclesiastes 518 reads Behold what I've seen to be good in

fitting is to eat and drink and find enjoyment in all the toil

with with which one toils under under the sun the few days of

his life that God has given him. God saying, find enjoyment in

your work, in what you do. Then Paul even writes in First

Timothy 6 As for the rich in this present age, charge them

not to be haughty or proud, nor to set their hopes on the

uncertainty of riches, but on God, who richly provides us with

everything to enjoy. All the enjoyments of life come

from God. All the plants and and fruit

trees were intended not only for the humans use and enjoyment

before the animal Kingdom as well.

As best as I can tell animals and man were initially

vegetarian. This is the ideal that that

Genesis 1 sets up and I think we have reason to believe we'll

we'll see that coming back into view in the new Earth.

Human had all he could ever want right there in the garden.

It was a perfect environment, perfect climate, the perfect

partner with whom with whom human could fully enjoy life.

God says be fruitful and multiply.

It was at that moment God looked upon all of his creation,

everything that he had made and he says it was very good.

Everything was just as he wanted it to be.

The birds were flying, the the fish were swimming, trees and

plants growing, and animals and humans flourishing.

Life was easy as they lived in the fullness of God's blessing.

I close with John MacArthur summation of the creation up to

this point. As he conveyed in his book

Battle for the Beginning, the creation of the human race was

the central object of God's creative purpose from the

beginning. In an important sense,

everything else was created for humanity, and every step of

creation up to this point had one main purpose, to prepare a

perfect environment for Adam. The human race is still at the

center of God's purpose for the entire material universe.

The unfolding of creation establishes a theater in which

the great redemptive saga can be played out.

Man is the main character. God's own son even becomes a man

in the climax of Redemption's drama.

And this is the purpose for which the entire universe was

created, so that God's grace, His mercy, His compassion could

be lavished on this creature whom God had created in his own

image. Let's bow our heads and close

our eyes. God, it's humbling to to

consider the task that you have set out for humanity to rule

this world in in a way that is befitting of you, to be your

representatives, your ambassadors, your image bearers

here in the world. What is man that you are mindful

of him? We are just humbled to consider

that you would seek to put your qualities, your nature in US.

Thank you for your love, your care, your concern for us and

may we in part show that to other humans that we come across

each day as we go about our lives.

It's in Jesus name we pray, Amen.