Genesis 1 Verses 26 to 27 Seal of Life October 13, 2024, Lesson 2
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· 4 viewsGod placed His image on humanity sealing the value and dignity of everyone.
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Genesis 1 Verses 26 to 27 Seal of Life October 13, 2024, Lesson 2
Sacred Life God’s Plan for Us Class Presentation Notes AAAAAa
Background Scriptures:
Colossians 1:15-28 (NASB)
15 He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation.
16 For by Him all things were created, both in the heavens and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things have been created through Him and for Him.
17 He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together.
18 He is also head of the body, the church; and He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, so that He Himself will come to have first place in everything.
19 For it was the Father'sgood pleasure for all the fullness to dwell in Him,
20 and through Him to reconcile all things to Himself, having made peace through the blood of His cross; through Him, I say, whether things on earth or things in heaven.
21 And although you were formerly alienated and hostile in mind, engaged in evil deeds,
22 yet He has now reconciled you in His fleshly body through death, in order to present you before Him holy and blameless and beyond reproach—
23 if indeed you continue in the faith firmly established and steadfast, and not moved away from the hope of the gospel that you have heard, which was proclaimed in all creation under heaven, and of which I, Paul, was made a minister.
24 Now I rejoice in my sufferings for your sake, and in my flesh I do my share on behalf of His body, which is the church, in filling up what is lacking in Christ's afflictions.
25 Of this church I was made a minister according to the stewardship from God bestowed on me for your benefit, so that I might fully carry out the preaching of the word of God,
26 that is, the mystery which has been hidden from the past ages and generations, but has now been manifested to His saints,
27 to whom God willed to make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.
28 We proclaim Him, admonishing every man and teaching every man with all wisdom, so that we may present every man complete in Christ.
Main Idea:
God placed His image on humanity sealing the value and dignity of everyone.
Study Aim:
To see how the image of God solidifies the dignity of human life.
Create Interest:
· Genesis is not so much a history of man as it is the first chapter in the history of the redemption of man. Although Genesis does not directly name its author, and although Genesis ends some three centuries before Moses was born, the whole of Scripture and church history are unified in their adherence to the Mosaic authorship of Genesis. Moses had been providentially prepared to understand and integrate, under the inspiration of God, all the available records, manuscripts, and oral narratives.
o 2 Timothy 3:16-17 (NASB)
16 All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness;
17 so that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work.
· As we study this lesson let us keep in mind what the Bible Contains😊
This Book Contains:
· The mind of God, the state of man, the way of salvation, doom of sinners, and 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 the traveler’s map, the pilgrim’s staff, the pilot’s compass, the soldier’s sword and the Christian’s charter. There Paradise is restored, Heaven opened, and the gates of hell disclosed. Christ is its Grand Subject, our good 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, prayerfully. It is a mine of wealth, a paradise of glory, and a river of pleasure. It is given you in life, will be open at the Judgment and be remembered forever. It involves the highest responsibility, rewards the greatest labor, and condemns all who trifle with its holy contents. (Author of this quote is unknown but appreciated) 😊
Lesson in Historical Context:
· Christ the Creator. Jesus, the Word, was present when creation was spoken into existence. The Scriptures are explicit. John’s Gospel begins, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through him, and without him was not anything made that was made. In him was life, and the life was the light of men” (1:1–4). Nothing was made without Christ! Paul likewise affirms, “yet for us there is one God, the Father, from whom are all things and for whom we exist, and one Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom are all things and through whom we exist” (1 Corinthians 8:6, italics added). All things came at once, from God the Father and God the Son, the Lord Jesus Christ. And again, Paul says of Jesus, “For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through him and for him” (Colossians 1:16). And then hear the twenty-four elders as they cast their crowns before him: “Worthy are you, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power, for you created all things, and by your will they existed and were created” (Revelation 4:11).[1]
· Before undertaking the next act of creation God took counsel. This unique reference to God’s reflecting in community of his Son, Jesus, and Holy Spirit before making something underscores both the importance and the uniqueness of what God was about to create. That community is either the plurality of the deity or the heavenly council that is witnessed in several texts (1 Kgs. 22:19–22; Job 1:6–12). God considered making humans in God’s image and likeness. Image (tselem)and likeness (demut) are used in similar ways in the Old Testament. “Image” refers to a copy or a close representation (it is also used infrequently for an idol; Num. 33:52; Ezek. 7:20; 16:17). “Likeness” emphasizes the comparison of one object with another or the correspondence between two objects. Each word tempers the other. The use of two terms for the comparison of humans with God, coupled with God’s use of plural pronouns in taking counsel, guards against the belief that humans are divine. Humans, bear the image of God, therefore are truly like God, but they are not identical to God and are not “gods”.[2]
Bible Study:
Genesis 1:26-27 (NASB)
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."
27 God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them.
· God’s Word created man. Man exists because God spoke man into existence. God used the power of His Word to create man. God simply spoke and man came into being. God spoke and the laws that caused man to form went into operation. God spoke, and the basic elements—the atoms, molecules, protons, neutrons, electrons, genes, DNA, and whatever basic element is ever discovered that makes up human life—came into being. God spoke, and the power of His Word formed and created man.
· The creation of the first man is seen as a very special occasion, for there’s a “consultation” prior to the event. “Let Us make man in Our image” sounds like the conclusion of a divine deliberation among the Persons of the Godhead. God couldn’t have been talking with the angels about His plans because angels weren’t made in God’s image (“Our image”) and angels had nothing to do with the creation of Adam.
· In 1:26–30 we find “Man Made in God’s Image.” Consider the following:
o A spiritual being capable of immortality, 26ab;
o A moral being bearing God’s likeness, 27;
o An intellectual being with capacity for reason and rulership, 26c, 28–30 (G. B. Williamson).[3]
· “Like the first man, the animals were formed out of the dust of the ground (2:7), which explains why the bodies of both humans and animals go back to the dust after death (Ecc. 3:19–20). However, humans and animals are different. No matter how intelligent some animals may appear to be, or how much they are taught, animals are not endowed with the “image of God” as are humans.
· according to Our likeness: This phrase draws attention to the preceding figure of speech. Since God is Spirit (John 4:24), there can be no “image” or “likeness” of Him in the normal sense of these words. Indeed, image-making was later strongly prohibited because of the clear ties that has with idolatry (see Ex. 20:4–6). We may not make images of God for He has already done so! We are His images; it is we who are in His likeness. This is the reason God values people so much: we are made to reflect His majesty on earth. have dominion: Rule as God’s regent. That is, people are to rule as God would—wisely and prudently—over all that God has made (fish, birds, cattle, and so on).[4]
· There are several points in this verse.
o First,because Jesus Christ revealed the Trinity to us (Jn. 14:16–17, 26). God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit do exist. All three exist in perfect unity. They are all of one mind and purpose. Therefore, they are bound to discuss and decide things together just as any unified family does.
o Second, because Scripture reveals that all three Persons of the Godhead were involved in creation(Ge. 1:1; 1:2; Jn. 1:3; Col. 1:16; Heb. 1:1–2). The Godhead would have certainly discussed the plans and work of creation while they were creating the earth. It is illogical to think they would not discuss their work.
o Third, because God uses the plural here in Genesis. God says, “Let us make man in our image, after our likeness.” God is not telling angels nor any other heavenly creature that they are to work together in creating man. God, not heavenly beings, is creating man. Man is the creation of God and of God alone the complete Godhead, all that God is—created His crown and glory: man.[5]
o Fourth, because God made man in His own image. Unlike the angels and the animals, humans can have a very special relationship with God. He not only gave us personality—minds to think with, emotions to feel with, and wills for making decisions—but He also gave us an inner spiritual nature that enables us to know Him and worship Him. The image of God in men and women has been marred by sin (Eph. 4:18–19), but through faith in Christ and submission to the work of the Holy Spirit, believers can have the divine nature renewed within them (2 Peter 1:4; Eph. 4:20–24; Col. 3:9–10; Rom. 12:2; 2 Cor. 3:18). One day when we see Jesus, all of God’s children will share in the glorious image of Christ (1 John 3:1–3; Rom. 8:29; 1 Cor. 15:49).
o Fifth, we were created to have dominion over the earth (Gen. 1:26, 28). Adam and Eve were the first regents over God’s creation (Ps. 8:6–8). “The heaven, even the heavens, are the Lord’s; but the earth He has given to the children of men” (Ps. 115:16, nkjv). But when Adam believed Satan’s lie and ate of the forbidden fruit, he lost his kingship; and now sin and death reign over the earth (Rom. 5:12–21).
§ When Jesus Christ, the last Adam (1 Cor. 15:45), came to earth, He exercised the dominion that the first Adam had lost. He demonstrated that He had authority over the fish (Luke 5:1–7; John 21:1–6; Matt. 17:24–27), the fowl (26:69–75), and the animals (Mark 1:13; 11:3–7). When He died on the cross, He conquered sin and death, so that now grace can reign (Rom. 5:21) and God’s people can “reign in life” through Jesus Christ (v. 17). One day, when He returns, Jesus will restore to His own the dominion that was lost because of Adam (Heb. 2:5ff).
§ Both Adam and the animal creation were vegetarians until after the Flood (Gen. 1:29–30; 9:1–4). Isaiah 11:7 indicates that the carnivorous beasts will return to this diet when Jesus Christ returns and establishes His kingdom on earth.
o Sixth, this wonderful Creator deserves our worship, praise, and obedience. When God surveyed His creation, He saw that it was “very good” (Gen. 1:31).Contrary to what some religions and philosophies teach, Creation is not evil, and it isn’t a sin to enjoy the good gifts God shares with us (1 Tim. 6:17).
§ David surveyed God’s creation and asked, “What is man that You are mindful of him, and the son of man that You visit him?” (Ps. 8:4, nkjv) The earth is but a tiny planet orbiting in a vast galaxy, and yet “the earth is the Lord’s” (24:1). It’s the one planet He has chosen to visit and to redeem!
§ The heavenly creatures before God’s throne praise Him for His creation, and so should we. “Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honor and power; for Thou hast created all things, and for Thy pleasure they are and were created” (Rev. 4:11). When we bow at meals to thank Him for the food He provides, when we see the sunshine and the rain provided at no expense to us, and when we watch the progress of the seasons, we should lift our hearts to praise the Creator for His faithfulness and generosity.
o Seventh and finally, we must be good stewards of creation.This means we should respect our fellow human beings who are also made in the image of God (Gen. 9:6). It means appreciating the gifts we have in creation and not wasting or exploiting them. It’s worth noting that we can’t honor the God of creation if we dishonor His creation. We must accept creation as a gift, guard it as a precious treasure, and invest it for the glory of God. Isaac Watts said it beautifully:[6]
§ I sing the goodness of the Lord, that filled the earth with food;
He formed the creatures with His word, and then pronounced them good.
Lord, how Thy wonders are displayed, where e’er I turn my eye;
If I survey the ground I tread, or gaze upon the sky.
“The Lord is good to all, and His tender mercies are over all His works”
(Ps. 145:9).
Genesis 1:27 (NASB)
27 God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them.
· In truth it is the plural of deliberation, here divine deliberation. Henri Blocher explains: “God addresses himself, but this he can do only because he has a Spirit who is both with him and distinct from him at the same time. Here are the first glimmerings of a Trinitarian revelation.”
o The reference to “the Spirit of God” in 1:2, hovering over the waters, demonstrates a co-participant in creation.
o And the New Testament gives the full meaning (the sensus plenior) when it teaches the radical involvement of Christ in creation (cf. John 1:1–3; 1 Corinthians 8:6; Colossians 1:15–18; Hebrews 1:1–3; Revelation 4:11).
· So now we see that an awesome declaration about man is made by God in consultation with himself (Father, Son, and Holy Spirit):
o So God created man in his own image,
in the image of God he created him;
male and female he created them. vs. 27
· Verse 27 is the first poetry in the Bible, consisting of three lines, each with four stresses and three repetitions of the verb bara(“created”). This is the high point toward which God’s creativity from the opening verse is directed. So, consider this, you will never see anything equal to the birth and wonder of a human being. For a tiny baby girl or boy is the apex of God’s creation! But the greatest wonder of all is that the child is created in the image of God, the Imago Dei. The child once was not; now, as a created soul, he or she is eternal. He or she will exist forever. When the stars of the universe fade away, that soul shall still live.[7]
· Hebrew terms for “male” (zākār) and “female” (nĕqēbâ), as opposed to man and woman, particularly express human sexuality (and animals; e.g., Gen 5:2; 6:19; 7:3, 9, 16). Absence of any reference to the sexual distinction in land animals is probably so as not to detract from the privileged role of human life whereby procreation contributes to humanity’s dominion over the lower animals.
o Male and female human members are image-bearers who both are responsible for governing the world.
· Being human means being a sexual person. Human sexuality and sexual bonding between husband and wife are deemed “very good” (1:31) by God and are to be honored as the divine ordinance for men and women (see 2:18–24).
o There is no place in God’s good order for unisexuality or for any diminishing or confusion of sexual identity.
o Human sexuality in Genesis is a blessed function in the creative purposes of God, and it is essential for carrying out God’s mandate for humanity (cf. 9:1, 7)
o The union of man and woman as husband and wife is an inclusive oneness (see 2:18, 23–24).
o Human life, unlike the lower orders, is not instructed specifically to reproduce “after its kind.” This omission elevates the sexual experience and goal of the human family as distinctive.
§ The text’s silence also infers that mankind is only of one kind[8]
· The Holy Spirit does not say that man was created in the image and likeness of the beasts. God said, “Let us make man in our image, and after our likeness.”
o In his nature, person, and personality, in his moral and spiritual capacities, in his emotions, intellect, conscience, and will, man stands apart from the brute creation.
o God does not begin with man’s body and relate man to the beasts. He begins with man’s moral and spiritual nature and relates man to God. Indeed, reference to the creation of man’s body is relegated to a footnote at the end of the creation story (2:7).[9]
· Male and female He created them: This should not be construed to mean Adam was originally some type of androgynous being, being both male and female. This passage of Genesis gives us an overview of God’s creation of man, and Genesis 2 will explain how exactly God created male and female.
· These words are sexual. Some have thought that the “discovery” of human sexuality was the forbidden fruit of Ch. 3. However, these words indicate that human sexuality was a part of the original creation (5:2). Although the misuse of human sexuality is soundly condemned in Scripture (Lev. 18), its proper use is celebrated (2:24, 25; Song). Verses 26–28 include the woman no less than the man in the story of creation.[10]
o In our day, many say there is no real difference between men and women. This makes sense if we are the result of mindless evolution, but not if it is true that male and female He created them. To God, the differences between men and women are not accidents. Since He created them, the differences are good and meaningful.
o Men are not women, and women are not men. One of the saddest signs of our culture’s depravity is the amount and the degree of gender confusion today.
o It is vain to wonder if men or women are superior to the other. A man is absolutely superior at being a man. A woman is absolutely superior at being a woman.
o But when a man tries to be a woman or a woman tries to be a man, you have something inferior.[11]
Thought to soak in relating to Verse 27: submitted by W. A. Criswell, et.al.
· This verse establishes the equality of the man and the woman as image-bearers of God, who together have a meaningful purpose in the planning of the Creator-God. However, the text is very specific in defining this equality, which resides in their spiritual being, for that is what it means to be “in the image of God.”
o This image-bearing most emphatically does not mean that the function of God’s creation is to officiate and act as God.
o The N.T. counterpart of this verse is Gal. 3:28, ….
§ Galatians 3:28 (NASB)
28 There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free man, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus.
o ….in which the apostle Paul is clearly addressing the family of believers and setting forth in this context the spiritual equality of all who are one “in” Christ Jesus.
o On the other hand, beginning here with the creative act itself, distinctive roles for man and woman are indicated.
§ Therefore, the pattern is equality in essential being and distinctive difference in role or function (2:15–18; cf. Eph. 5:22, note). This equality in personhood and difference in function is beautifully illustrated by the Godhead. Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are all equal (John 10:30; 14:9), and yet in function the Son submits to the Father (John 5:19, 20; 6:38; 8:28, 29, 54; 1 Cor. 15:28; Phil. 2:5–11), and the Holy Spirit is sent by the Father to testify of and glorify the Son (John 14:26; 15:26; 16:13, 14).
§ Thus, the divinely defined relationship between husband and wife is analogous to the relationship within the Godhead, and the relationship within the Godhead is a pattern of instruction for the family unit.[12]
Blessings to all who read this😊
[1]R. Kent Hughes, Genesis: Beginning and Blessing, Preaching the Word (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Books, 2004), 30.
[2]John E. Hartley, Genesis, ed. W. Ward Gasque, Robert L. Hubbard Jr., and Robert K. Johnston, Understanding the Bible Commentary Series (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Books, 2012), 47.
[3]George Herbert Livingston, “The Book of Genesis,” in Genesis through Deuteronomy, Beacon Bible Commentary (Beacon Hill Press, 1969), Ge 1:24–31.
[4]Earl D. Radmacher, Ronald Barclay Allen, and H. Wayne House, The Nelson Study Bible: New King James Version (Nashville: T. Nelson Publishers, 1997), Ge 1:26.
[5]Leadership Ministries Worldwide, Genesis (Chapters 1–11), vol. I, The Preacher’s Outline & Sermon Bible (Chattanooga, TN: Leadership Ministries Worldwide, 1996), 98.
[6]Warren W. Wiersbe, Be Basic, “Be” Commentary Series (Colorado Springs, CO: Chariot Victor Pub., 1998), 30–32.
[7]R. Kent Hughes, Genesis: Beginning and Blessing, Preaching the Word (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Books, 2004), 36–37.
[8]K. A. Mathews, Genesis 1-11:26, vol. 1A, The New American Commentary (Nashville: Broadman & Holman Publishers, 1996), 174.
[9]John Phillips, Exploring Genesis: An Expository Commentary, The John Phillips Commentary Series (Kregel Publications; WORDsearch Corp., 2009), Ge 1:26–31.
[10]Earl D. Radmacher, Ronald Barclay Allen, and H. Wayne House, The Nelson Study Bible: New King James Version (Nashville: T. Nelson Publishers, 1997), Ge 1:27.
[11]David Guzik, Genesis, David Guzik’s Commentaries on the Bible (Santa Barbara, CA: David Guzik, 2013), Ge 1:27–31.
[12]W. A. Criswell et al., eds., Believer’s Study Bible, electronic ed. (Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 1991), Ge 1:27.
