Discovering The Mission Of Mankind-1

DISCOVERING the MISSION of MANKIND—Genesis 2:4-25

Attention:

A zoning board had just been set up in a new community. A homeowner went to the office to request permission to build a small tool shed in his backyard.

"Do you have a plan?" asked the director.

"Oh, yes," said the owner, who showed him a map of his neighborhood, the dimension of his yard, & a sketch of the shed.

"That looks fine," said the director. He pulled out a piece of paper, wrote a few words on it, copied it, & said, "Here’s your permission."

A month later, a neighbor in exactly the same situation also wanted permission for a shed in her yard. She went to the director, got as far as a secretary, & made her request. "Thank you, Mrs. Smith," said the secretary, taking the documents.

"Telephone me in two weeks & I’ll let you know what the director’s decision is, or what further steps are necessary."

"But," groaned Mrs. Smith, "a month ago my neighbor got permission right away."

"Oh, yes," said the secretary, "but that was before we finally got organized."

The Zoning Board had a mission.

God has a Mission for mankind.

Have we discovered our part in it?

Need:

God had a mission for mankind.

& He still does.

How is mankind’s mission to be experienced/entered/engaged/found/discovered?

1—Mankind’s mission is bound-up in....

His HISTORY (:4)

Explanation:(:4) Past

:4—“This is the history of the heavens & the earth when they were created, in the day that the LORD God made the earth & the heavens,”

What follows(2:4—4:26 or possibly 5:32 & beyond) is an account of the creation which focuses upon man’s creation & his subsequent fall. This does not describe a different creation, nor is it written by another author. It is a more detailed & very specific account based upon man’s part in creation. What was described somewhat sketchily within the 6-day framework, is now fleshed out, yet each of the descriptions informs the other—much like the synoptic gospels inform one another.

What follows is a writing which informs the reader of the “history” or the unfolding of the heavens & earth when they were created. This records the legacy of that creation.

It is stated here that the covenant God of Israel—to whom this would have first been addressed—YHWH(LORD God), was the very One who had both “created” & “made the earth & the heavens.”

Earth & heavens are flip-flopped in this verse probably as a hint to the reader or hearer that the focus is changing from ‘day-by-day’ to something more detailed.

All of the first chapter refers to this same God in non-technical terms as “God”(Elohim) a singular plural which is commonly used to describe a god in general terms, either true or pagan.

“Book/Written”—rpo say’-fer—1) Book—n m.—2) Missive, document, writing, book. Strong—properly, Writing (the art or a document); by implication, A book:-- Bill, book, evidence, X learn[-ed] (-ing), letter, register, scroll.

“History/Generations/Account”—hdlwt to-led-aw’—Descendants, results, proceedings, generations, genealogies. Strong—(plural only) Descent, i.e. Family; (figuratively) History:-- Birth, generations.

“Created”—arb baw-raw’— To create, shape, form. Strong—(absolutely) To create; (qualified) To cut down (a wood), select, feed (as formative processes):-- Choose, create (creator), cut down, dispatch, do, make (fat).

“LORD God”(See :5)—hwhy yeh-ho-vaw’—“The existing One”(Jehovah/YahWeh).

“Made”(See :18)—hse aw-saw’— To do, fashion, accomplish, make. Strong—To do or make, in the broadest sense & widest application.

Argumentation:

Col. 1:13-23—“He has delivered us from the power of darkness and conveyed us into the kingdom of the Son of His love, in whom we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins. He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. For by Him all things were created that are in heaven and that are on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers. All things were created through Him and for Him. And He is before all things, and in Him all things consist. And He is the head of the body, the church, who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in all things He may have the preeminence. For it pleased the Father that in Him all the fullness should dwell, and by Him to reconcile all things to Himself, by Him, whether things on earth or things in heaven, having made peace through the blood of His cross. And you, who once were alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now He has reconciled in the body of His flesh through death, to present you holy, and blameless, and above reproach in His sight-- if indeed you continue in the faith, grounded and steadfast, and are not moved away from the hope of the gospel which you heard, which was preached to every creature under heaven, of which I, Paul, became a minister.”