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24 Then God said, "Let the earth bring forth the living creature according to its kind: cattle and creeping thing and beast of the earth, each according to its kind"; and it was so. 25 And God made the beast of the earth according to its kind, cattle according to its kind, and everything that creeps on the earth according to its kind. And God saw that it was good. 26 Then God said, "Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over the cattle, over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth." 27 So God created man in His own image; in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them. 28 Then God blessed them, and God said to them, "Be fruitful and multiply; fill the earth and subdue it; have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over every living thing that moves on the earth." ~ Genesis 1:24-28
Today, we continue our study of Genesis where God has created the infrastructure for all created living things to enjoy. Today, we consider day 6 of the six days of creation and it is Friday. Everything to this point had been created by God in anticipation of His final creation, the creation of man.
In v.24-25 of today's passage we read, "24 Then God said, 'Let the earth bring forth the living creature according to its kind: cattle and creeping thing and beast of the earth, each according to its kind'; and it was so. 25 And God made the beast of the earth according to its kind, cattle according to its kind, and everything that creeps on the earth according to its kind. And God saw that it was good."
Every animal that has ever roamed the face of this earth has a specific purpose and was designed in a specific way in anticipation of the coming man. God knew and knows every thing about every created being ever created, every thought they think, and every move they will make. In Psalm 139 we read, "Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; It is high, I cannot attain it." After God created all of the animal kingdom, He said that it was good. Seven times in this chapter God said, after He made something, "It's good."
In v.26-27 of today's passage we read, "26 Then God said, 'Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over the cattle, over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.' 27 So God created man in His own image; in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them."
The creation of man was strikingly different from the creation of the animals. Animal life appeared much as plant life did, and as the fish and the birds appeared. The creation of the earth and the animal world is all described in very much the same language and their creation followed the same pattern. But, when God created man, a different note was struck. For example man was created by God only after God had held a divine consultation about man. God said, "Let Us make man in Our image."
God’s final part of the created order was man. Man is the most complex and sophisticated organism in the universe and even more, man bears God’s image. Mankind is like God in the sense that we have the ability to communicate attributes like God. In addition, we can reason, we are rational creatures. We have the ability to apply intellect and reason and research and come to conclusions. Logical thoughts attached to other thoughts. Animals can't do that.
We are trichotomous beings. This means we are composed of three parts: body, soul, and spirit. In 1 Thessalonians 5, Paul prays that God would sanctify us completely, body, soul, and spirit until the coming of Jesus Christ. Not just body and soul; not just flesh and conscious life, but body, soul, and spirit. There is a clear difference between our spirit and our soul. When we were justified through Christ our spirit was made alive to God. And now that we know Him, we are experiencing change in our souls. This is sanctification.
The Hebrew word translated "God" throughout this chapter is Elohim which is a plural noun but singular in meaning. God referred to Himself in the plural when He said, "Let Us make man in Our image." This is the first time that it is revealed in the Bible that God is Trinity. These words were inter-Trinitarian communication. This is the Father and the Son and the Spirit convening together. "Let Us make man in Our image."
The idea of the Trinity is one of those imponderables of Scripture. But, in an attempt to help us understand the Trinity, think of the fact that time can exist in three different dimensions. It can be yesterday, it can be today, and it can be tomorrow; it just depends on what reference we have. Another example is that of water which can exist in ice and in vapor and in fluid form. In like manner, the Bible teaches that there is one God existing in three distinct Persons: the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
Note the words at the end of v.27: "Male and female He created them." Although this point ought to be obvious and unnecessary, it seems that in the confused world that we live in people can’t figure out even the obvious. God created man as man and God created women as women. In an attempt to deny this, modern thinking has taken almost everything to extremes never intended simply to deny the difference between the sexes. This is a ploy of the enemy.
In v.28 of today's passage we read, Then God blessed them, and God said to them, "Be fruitful and multiply; fill the earth and subdue it; have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over every living thing that moves on the earth."
God’s first command to man was that man would have children sufficient to fill the earth especially since mankind began with only two people. The function of subduing the earth and having dominion over it would necessarily require a long time for the growth of a large enough population to fill the earth, and for acquiring sufficient knowledge and skills to enable man to bring it under full control and development. God's command to subdue and exercise dominion over creation in no way implies hostility and resistance from the earth. Rather, it suggests intensive study, study of the earth and its creatures and then application of that knowledge for the optimum benefit of all affected for the glory of God.
We must also note that God gave to man no instruction to exercise dominion over other people, but only over the earth and the animals. Had man not rebelled against God’s Word, all would have remained in perfect fellowship with God and, therefore, with one another. But, when man followed the deceitful words of Lucifer, the perfection of the Garden of Eden was dramatically altered. This just underscores the fact that God always has our best interest at heart even though the circumstances may scream the opposite. It is the most resounding message of the Bible that if we trust the Lord and give Him enough time, He will direct our paths resulting in His best for us.
