“Being the Husband and Father God wants us to be”
“In the image and likeness of God”
By
District Elder M.L. Maughmer, Jr.
Gen 1: 26-27 “And 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 fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth. So God created man in his [own] image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them”.
Opening: - When I received the call to come here for the great occasion and be a part of this wonderful experience I began to seek God’s face and ask Him what did He want me to give to His people. I could have given my ideas and my interpretations on what I feel is involved in being a husband and a father, but it would be just that my opinion. My opinion may be different than yours because of social, economical, educational, environmental, and many other factors. Therefore I asked God to show me what He wanted me to give and as God began to reveal His word to me for this message He once again was blowing my mind. He took me to Genesis the 1st chapter and began to deal with me about being created in the image and likeness of God.
As I began to think about that the image and likeness of God I tried to analyze it in my carnal mind knowing that the Bible says in John 4:24 that “God is a spirit and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth”. Then I remembered in Luke 24:39 that Jesus is talking to Thomas when he said “Behold my hands and my feet, that it is I myself; handle me, and see, for a spirit hath not flesh and bones, as ye see me have”. So I was trying to figure out what God meant when He said in his image and likeness - SEE MY CARNAL MIND WAS TRYING TO THERORIZE THIS CONCEPT.
Understanding that God is a spirit that does not have flesh and bones then how can we be created in His image and likeness. I know many times we say well what about the scripture in Exodus 33:18-23 when Moses said to God shew me thy glory and God said no man shall see my face and live, but he will put him in the clift of the rock and cover him with his hand and let Moses see his back parts. Understand that this is called an Anthropomorphism. Anthropomorphism are words used to try to describe that which is not human in such a way that our human carnal minds can understand it.
So then what does it mean to be made in the image and likeness of God.
1st we must understand that the only creature created in the image and likeness of God is Adam. The Hebrew word Aw-dam (Adam) means mankind – so this includes women as well.
The word Aw-dam by definition means red because physically he is from the dust of the earth or the red clay.
WATCH THIS:- Aw-dam is created. That word created in the Hebrew is Brayah and it means to come from nothing. There was no former pattern or evolution.
WATCH THIS: - Since God is a spirit and hath not flesh and bones which means there is no physical likeness, then to be created in His image and likeness must mean that we are not physically like God, but spiritually created in His image and likeness. See this physical body is dust, but the spiritual man, the inner part of us is like God.
WHAT IS GOD LIKE?
God says in Leviticus 11:44 “Be ye holy for I am Holy” so we know God is Holy. 1st John 4:8 says “God is Love” not has love but is love. We know God is Omnipotent, Omniscient, and He is Eternal just to name a few things.
So when Aw-dam was created in His image and likeness man was created HOLY.
Not only that but he was created to be an eternal being.
Not just that but he was created to have relationship with God.
He was created to be the steward over all the earth.
He was created a friend of God.
He was created full of knowledge.
He was created fully satisfied.
But because of sin man is no longer holy – that why God said be ye holy.
He is no longer and eternal being – that’s why this corruption must put on incorruption and this mortal must put on immortality.
No longer is there relationship – but man now walks in the vanity of their own mind having their understanding darkened being alienated from the life of God.
No longer does he have the God given knowledge he once had when he named all the animals, but now professing themselves to be wise they became fools and did not retain God in knowledge; therefore, God has turned them over to a reprobate mind to do those things which are not convenient.
No longer is he motivated by the love of God, but is now driven and drawn by their own lust.
He is never satisfied given over to lewdness, to work all uncleanness with greediness.
But what kind of man does God want us to be. He wants us to be the man he created in His image and likeness.
He wants us to crucify flesh and live with Christ on the inside and live the life in this flesh by faith of the son of God who loved us and gave his life for us.
Man God wants us to be HOLY.
He wants to have relationship with us; therefore, be not conformed to this world but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind.
He wants us to fall in love with Him for that is the best thing we could ever do.
WATCH THIS:- Once we crucify flesh, turn from our wicked ways, develop our relationship, transforming the way we think, and fall in love with Him. Then we can be the man created in His image and likeness.
WE CAN BE:-
1.. Holy men – separated from sin not doing the things other men are doing, but holding up the standard of Holiness. You don’t have to go to prison, sell drugs, be a whoremonger. God wants Holy men - for holiness without no man shall see God. I don’t know about you, but OH I want to see Him.
2. Workers – God doesn’t want lazy men. 2nd Thess 3:10 says “If any would not work neither shall he eat” When God created Adam the first thing he said to him was till the ground.
3. Men of Love – Remember in His image and likeness and God is Love. John 3:16 “For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son”. Sometimes men you’re going to have to give until it hurts. When we see a young boy whose father is not around or just plain no good we must give love unconditionally and be a father to the fatherless.
4. Husband – This word husband has the etymology or linguistic history of the word Husbandry, which means the cultivating of plants. Thus the husband is one that cares for the plants, provides for them, nutures them in thus causing the plants to grow. Husband your responsibility is to provide for, nurture, and cause the tender plants, the women, given to you to grow. WATCH THIS:- Man you are created in the image and likeness of God – woman was taken from the rib of man. Every tree, plant, beast of the field, and bird of the air, and man came from the dust of the earth Gen 2:19, but the woman came from the rib of man. She was take from the rib to be beside man, not over him, not under him, not behind him, but beside him. From under his arm to be protected by him – not beaten. From close to his heart to be loved by him. That’s what it means to be a husband.
5.The final thing is a FATHER:- There is something about a father. A father is different than a daddy, any man can be a daddy, but a father is special. A father has the capability to be ZAW-KAR. It’s a Hebrew word that means “properly remembered and noteworthy” A father’s memory is passed on through his son. How many times have your heard this “Boy you are just like your father” that could be a good thing or a bad thing.
I just have one question for you men what kind of legacy are you going to leave behind. When people see your sons are they going to say yes he’s like his father lazy, good for nothing, rolling stone, whoremonging so-n-so. Or will they look at your sons and ZAWKAR and say your father was a God-fearing, God-loving, Gentile Husband, that loved everyone and even though in his flesh may have been weak was strong because of the God on the inside. He showed loved unconditionally. He lived holy impeccably. He gave of himself generously.
Are you being the kind of man God wants you to be.
District Elder M.L. Maughmer, Jr.
