GENESIS

THE CREATION OF ADAM

Genesis 1:26-31; 2:4-9

INTRODUCTION

After describing the creation of the universe, Moses focuses on the creation of man. Before creating man on the sixth day, God created the animals. There is both similarity between the creation of man and the creation of the rest of the world, and dissimilarity between them. One of the ways in which man is like the rest of creation is that both man and the rest of the land animals were created on the sixth day. If God had wanted to show that there was a complete separation between man and the rest of creation, he would have reserved the creation of man for a day exclusively man's. Another connection between man and the rest of the animal world is that both were created out of the dust of the earth. God did not create man out of something totally unique to man but created him out of the same elements He created the rest of the animal world, the dust (2:19).

How does this apply to us? First, it means that because man and creation are created from the same substance--the dust of the earth--man and the rest of creation are connected. (If evolution is true, it does NOT negate Christianity; rather it would simply affirm the Christian belief that people and the rest of creation are linked together, that's all.) Second, the fact that we are connected with the animal world and the rest of creation explains now why creation shares in man's fate. In Gen. 3 we see this principle operating when man sins. God does not only punish man when he sins; the earth itself shares in man's fate--it too is cursed. This may not seem fair; however, this is the system God set up when He created all things. He has linked us all together, and as a result, creation shares in man's fate.

Now the flip side to all of this is positive. Just as there was a first Adam, Paul says there is a second Adam, Jesus (1 Cor. 15:45). He like Adam was made from dust (through His mother Mary). Jesus like Adam became a part of creation. As the first Adam affected all of creation, the second Adam, Jesus, affects all creation. As a result, just as Adam's condemnation swept up all creation into his condemnation, Christ's resurrection means that His resurrection will sweep up up the entire created universe into His resurrection. The entire universe including Christians but not only just Christians will be raised from the dead upon Christ's return (Rom. 8:18-25).

CREATED IN THE IMAGE OF GOD

The Uniqueness of Man

There is though a radical difference between man and the rest of creation. One way man differs from the rest of creation is that whereas God spoke and the rest of creation came into being, God personally formed man. It's the image of the potter shaping the clay (2:7). The personal element becomes even stronger when we see God breathing into man His own breath (2:7). The closest image we have to this would be mouth-to-mouth resuscitation. Because God has breathed His life into man, man is unique because he is now in the image of God. God said: "Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness" (Gen. 1:26). No other animal can claim to be in God's image; only man can claim this. Yes, since a personal God made the rest of creation we see "personality" stamped upon parts of creation--for example, some dogs act "human," but the Bible still claims that only mankind bears the image of God: "Let Us make MAN [not the animal kingdom] in Our image, according to Our likeness" (1:26).

Different Interpretations of "the image of God"

Just exactly what is this image or likeness of God? Various interpretations swirl around this concept. Some of the interpretations have led to disastrous results. For example, based upon the writings of Irenaeus of Lyons (130-200), Roman Catholics differentiate between the image of God and the likeness of God. When Moses writes that God created us in His image, in His likeness (Gen. 1:26), Roman Catholic theologians claim that the image of God refers to God's intellect, that is, man has an intellect just like God. RC theologians then claim that the likeness of God refers to God's morality--His goodness, mercy, love, etc. They claim that when Adam sinned in the Garden of Eden (Gen. 3), although he quit being "like" God (God's likeness was ruined), he was nevertheless still in the image of God. In other words, although man no longer acted like God, he could still reason and think like God.

This differentiation between God's image and God's likeness led to the disastrous belief that man can come to know what God is like without any help from God. Roman Catholics, therefore, claim that Popes, church councils, even Greek philosophers such as Aristotle and Plato speak as authoritatively about God as Paul and the NT did.

We reject this for several reasons. First, Hebrew thought has a literary device called parallelism. In order to make a point, the Hebrew would say the same thing but in 2 different ways. As a result, whenever Moses writes that we are made in the image of God and that we are made in His likeness, Moses is saying the same thing twice, just in different ways. Second, because the image of God/God's likeness was marred by sin, we believe that even our intellect was ruined by Adam's sin; therefore, in order for us to come to know God, He must reveal Himself to you and me. The popes and Aristotle may have "tapped into some truth" about God; however, the only way we know that they have "tapped into truth" is if what they claim to be true agrees with God's Word, especially in light of Jesus.

NT Definition of "the image of God"

What then is the image of God? It means to be like God and yet not be God. For example, when I look into the mirror I see my image. That image is the spitting image of me, and yet that image is not me. I am standing outside, away from the mirror. In the same way although I am created in God's image, I am not God. I've just been created to be like Him.

What then does it mean to be like God? Moses doesn't give us a definitive answer. [The first 5 books of the OT are the ABC's of the Bible. They are introducing the major themes of the Bible; the rest of the Bible, especially the NT, explains these themes more fully. (See Heb. 10:1; Col. 2:17; and especially Gal. 4:9.) For this reason we must actually go to the NT to find its meaning.] Paul informs us that Jesus is the "image of God" (Col. 1:15). Why is Jesus the image of God? Why is He exactly like God? Because He is God the Son.

One of the major principles of the NT is that spiritual sons are like their spiritual fathers (John 5:19; 8:38-44). Parents understand this principle. Many times the things which drive us craziest about our kids are the things which most resemble us. When our children are irritating us, it is most likely because they are acting just like us. Well what is true in the physical realm is especially true in the spiritual realm. Spiritual children are like their spiritual fathers.

Since Jesus is God the Son, He is exactly like His Father. He is the spitting image of the Father. In fact whenever Philip asks Jesus on the night before His crucifixion to show him and the disciples the Father, Jesus responds: "Have I been so long with you, and yet you have not come to know Me, Philip? He who has seen Me has seen the Father" (John 14:9). (See also Col. 1:15 and Heb. 1:3.)

Since Jesus is the image of God and since God has made us in His image, according to the NT God has made us to be like Christ. If you and I are going to be like God, we're to be like Christ. If you want to know what God designed you to be, look at Jesus. He is the model, the prototype God used when He decided to create man.

How should this affect us? If God's goal for us is that we be like His Son Jesus, then even now our primary efforts should be in growing to be like Christ. In fact God has placed the Spirit of His Son Jesus into us so that He might conform us into the image of Jesus:

"Now the fruit of the Spirit [of the Son who lives within us] is
love, joy, peace, patience, kindness,
goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control" (Gal. 5:22-23).

These attributes are perfect descriptions of the character of Christ, the character God wants for you and me.

Salvation is actually nothing less than God finally making real in our lives the PURPOSE He designed us to be from the very beginning. Paul claims:

"For whom He foreknew [Christians],
He also predestined to become conformed to the image of His Son,
that He might be the first-born among many brethren" (Rom. 1:29).

If God has predestined us to become conformed to the image of the Son, the ULTIMATE PURPOSE He does so is that He may raise up sons and daughters unto Himself. Remember that Paul claims that when God saved us, He predestined us to be conformed to the image of His Son that He might be the firstborn among many BRETHREN [and SISTERS]. John also makes this same claim: "But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God" (John 1:12). In other words, because of the wonderful relationship God enjoys with His Son Jesus, God is raising up other sons and daughters so that we too can enjoy that same relationship with Him.

(Always remember that our sonship relationship with God is always based on our relationship with His Great Son, Jesus. God does not skirt His Son Jesus in our favor; rather He has determined that the only way that we can become His sons and daughters is by attaching and aligning ourselves with Jesus, the only begotten Son. When it is all said and done, it most likely only because of Jesus that God has brought us into a son/father or daughter/father relationship with Him. Jesus always takes precedence.)

DOMINION OVER CREATION

Look at the result of God creating only man in His image: He places man in charge of all creation. Here we see the climax of the idea of God subduing and subjecting all creation. God subdued the raging waters twice, once when He divided them to make the atmosphere and the second time when He separated them to create dry land. Now God commands man to carry on the task of subjecting creation; this time though man is to subdue the animal kingdom. This does not mean that man can do anything he wants with creation--God does not sanction a rash and mindless trashing of His creation. Creation does not belong to man; it belongs to God, and as a result man is accountable to God for what he does to creation. It does mean though that man as the lord over creation uses creation to meet his needs.

When we look at the present situation we face each day though, it does not seem that man is really lord over creation. We see disease, hurricanes, earthquakes like the one which just hit the Caribbean, tornadoes, etc., overpowering people. For all practical purposes it appears that creation is lord over man. Jesus, the second Adam, however, is lord over all creation:

"Thou hast put all things in subjection under His feet."
For in subjecting all things to him [man], He [the Father] left nothing that is not subject to him.
But now we do not see all things subjected to him.
But we do see Him [Jesus] who has been made for a little time lower than the angels,
namely Jesus, because of the suffering of death, crowned with glory and honor" (Heb. 2:8-9).

Because Jesus is THE Man, all that God intended man to be in the first place, His Father right now is fulfilling this promise, placing all creation beneath the feet of Jesus. In fact the next great event on God's calendar is the day when every knee will bow and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father (Phil. 2:10-11). On that day ALL creation will be subjected beneath the feet of Jesus.

Because of our relationship with Jesus, God has promised to fulfill this promise for US TOO. Because at the moment of salvation God unites us with Christ, we too shall reign over all creation with Christ:

". . . those who receive the abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness
will reign in life through the One, Jesus Christ" (Rom. 5:17b);
"He who overcomes I will grant to him to sit down with Me on My throne,
just as I also overcame and sat down with My Father on his throne" (Rev. 3:21).
"Do you not know that we shall judge angels?" (1 Cor. 6:3)
"Thou hast put all things in subjection under his feet" (Ps. 8:3-6; Heb. 2:6-9).

MAN'S DWELLING PLACE--THE GARDEN OF EDEN

Location of the Garden

After God creates man, He places him in a garden in the region of Eden. Many OT scholars claim that this garden, and in fact the first man and woman are mythological. While we cannot prove that Adam, Eve, and the Garden of Eden are historical persons and places, a close reading of the text indicates that Moses believed they were historical because he actually provides for us the geographical location of the garden. According to Moses the garden had a river running through it which fed 4 rivers in the Middle East: the Pishon, Gibon, Tigris, and Euphrates. Whereas we do not know the exact location of the first 2 rivers, we definitely know the location of the last 2. Because Moses seems to be naming the rivers from east to west, it seems the first 2 lie to the east of the Tigris river which runs through modern-day Iraq. By Moses' directions the garden either lay to the south of Iraq near the Persian Gulf into which all 4 rivers most likely fed, or to the north of Iraq where the Tigris and Euphrates begin.

Historical or Mythical?

Does it really matter if the garden is historical, and if Adam and Eve are historical? Maybe not; however, 2 things are true. First, it seems like the Bible never draws a truth from a myth. God reveals His truth to us through historical events and persons. Second, if the garden, and Adam and Eve are not historical, then how do you know that the truth they teach is true?

Choice is Integral to Man

Now in the garden God has placed 2 trees: the first being the tree of life and the second being the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. Whereas both of these trees were probably historical, the first probably did not have the power to give life and the second probably could not give us the knowledge of good and evil. Rather God created the tree of life to show Adam and Eve that immortality was not automatically theirs. Rather they were dependent upon God for their immortality. The tree symbolized the provision God gave them in order to be immortal. Also the tree of the knowledge of good and evil probably did not in and of itself give a person knowledge of good and evil; instead it functioned as a symbol also.

What was the purpose of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil? To give them a choice. When it is all said and done, God wants to be in a vibrant relationship with His sons and daughters. They cannot be in this kind of relationship with Him if they can't chose for or against Him. In order for man to be able to choose God, he must also be able to reject Him. The tree in Eden gave the man both the opportunity to reject God but also to choose Him.

Heaven is Eden Restored

By the end of Gen. 3 man has messed up so royally that God thrusts him from the Garden of Eden (Gen. 3:22-24). Heaven to a great degree is the re-creation of Eden; it like the original Eden has a tree of life and streams of living water flowing through it (Rev. 22:1-2). Only at the end of history is God's original purpose for mankind finally fulfilled. At that time we will be fully in the image of Christ as God's sons and daughters, and will be living in a new Eden which radically surpasses the first Eden.