THE PLACE for US-IV—Genesis 1:1—2:3
Attention/Need:
Mankind without God, is plagued by...
Loneliness(Relationships—personal, business)
Hopelessness(Purpose; Direction; Meaning; Joy; etc.
Insecurities-Losses(Job; Financial; Health—threat of cancer, disease, catastrophic illness; Weather; Stability; Family—relationships, abuse—physical, mental, substance; Marriage etc.)
Fears(Brought on by the above, OCD-Obsessive Compulsive Disorder, Paranoias- ‘out to get me;’ Trepidations-fear of ‘what might happen’)
We desperately need 1)A place of belonging, 2)Relationships of various types—Marriage to work, Friends to befriend & be befriended, Fellowship to encourage & to receive encouragement, Boss to appreciate & work done well, Neighbors to neighborly & vice versa....
The beginnings of the heavens & the earth were handed down in God’s word.
Man must be aware the scenario that surrounds the founding of his world.
How can we find our place in the world??
The foundational means of finding our place in the world.
(“world”—used in the most inclusive sense)
Previous weeks have shown that The place for us is found in the...
1—INTENTION of God(:1)
2—CARE of God(:2)
Day 1:
3—LIGHT of God(:3)
4—TIME of God(:4-5)
Day 2:
5—SPACIAL LIMITS of God(:6-10)
A. HEIGHT(:6-8)—FIRMAMENT / EXPANSE
Day 3:
B. WIDTH(:9-10)—WATERS & EARTH
6—FLORA(Plants) of God(:11-13)
Day 4:
7—SEASONS of God(:14-19)
Today we will discover that The place for us is found in the...
8—The place for us is found in the...
FAUNA of God(:20-25)
Explanation:(:20-25)Animals
A. SEA CREATURES & BIRDS(Day 5b)
:20—“Then God said, “Let the waters abound with an abundance of living creatures, & let birds fly above the earth across the face of the firmament of the heavens.”
“Then God said, “Let the waters abound with an abundance of living creatures,”
The “waters” under the firmament are simply called upon to “abound” with “an abundance” of creatures. These creatures are of course living in that they are capable of movement unrooted to the earth.
“Abound/Bring forth abundantly/Teem”—Urv shaw-rats'—V.— (Qal) To teem, swarm,multiply. Strong—To wriggle, i.e. (by implication) swarm or abound:-- Breed (bring forth, increase) abundantly (in abundance), creep, move.
“Abundance/Swarms/Moving Creature”—Urv sheh'-rets—Teeming or swarming things, creepers, swarmers. Strong—A swarm, i.e. Active mass of minute animals:-- Creep(-ing thing), move(-ing creature).
“Living”(See :24-2X)—yx khah'-ee—Adj.—Living, alive—Green, Flowing, Lively, Reviving. N.
“Creatures”(See :24)—vpn neh'-fesh—Soul, self, life, creature, person, appetite, mind, living being, desire, emotion, passion. Strong—properly, A breathing creature, i.e. Animal of (abstractly) vitality; used very widely in a literal, accommodated or figurative sense (bodily or mental):
“& let birds fly above the earth across the face of the firmament of the heavens.”
Birds are also a separate part of creation. These are created prior to land-bound animals which are part of day 6.
Birds did not ‘learn’ to fly or ‘evolve’ that ability. They were created on the 5th day(along with sea creatures) to command the skies.
:21—“So God created great sea creatures & every living thing that moves, with which the waters abounded, according to their kind, & every winged bird according to its kind. And God saw that it was good.”
In answer to His own desire, God then creates “great sea creatures” on down to microscopic ones.
We read of Leviathan:
Job 8 speaks of “arousing Leviathan.”
Job 41:1-10—““Can you draw out Leviathan with a hook, Or snare his tongue with a line which you lower? Can you put a reed through his nose, Or pierce his jaw with a hook? Will he make many supplications to you? Will he speak softly to you? Will he make a covenant with you? Will you take him as a servant forever? Will you play with him as with a bird, Or will you leash him for your maidens? Will your companions make a banquet of him? Will they apportion him among the merchants? Can you fill his skin with harpoons, Or his head with fishing spears? Lay your hand on him; Remember the battle-- Never do it again! Indeed, any hope of overcoming him is false; Shall one not be overwhelmed at the sight of him? No one is so fierce that he would dare stir him up. Who then is able to stand against Me?”
Ps. 104:25-26—“This great & wide sea, In which are innumerable teeming things, Living things both small & great. There the ships sail about; There is that Leviathan Which You have made to play there.”
Isa 26:21-27:1—Seems to suggest it is a dragon, serpent or sea monster—“For behold, the LORD comes out of His place To punish the inhabitants of the earth for their iniquity; The earth will also disclose her blood, And will no more cover her slain. In that day the LORD with His severe sword, great & strong, Will punish Leviathan the fleeing serpent, Leviathan that twisted serpent; And He will slay the reptile that is in the sea.”
God created them “according to their kind” just as He had the plants. These creatures, big & small, have the power to reproduce within their own kinds. The birds were also created to reproduce within the parameters of their own kind.
God saw that this was “good,” as were the Light(:4), the Earth & Seas(:10), Plants & Trees(:12), & Luminaries(:18). Thus these new water & flying creatures were in every sense complete for their intention.
:22—“And God blessed them, saying, “Be fruitful & multiply, & fill the waters in the seas, & let birds multiply on the earth.”
God “blessed”/anointed all these creatures(Sea & Birds) with an uncanny ability to “Be fruitful & multiply” themselves within their God-ordained limits. And so they do even till today...Even after their being stricken with the Curse of man’s Fall!
“Multiply” (See :28)—hbr raw-baw'—Be or become great, be or become many, be or become much, be or become numerous. 2) (Qal) to shoot.
“Fill”—alm maw-lay'—Verb Qal imperative masculine plural—1) To fill, be full—1a) (Qal)—1a1) To be full—1a1a) Fulness, abundance (participle), 1a1b) To be full, be accomplished, be ended, 1a2) To consecrate, fill the hand.
:23—“So the evening & the morning were the fifth day.”
B. LAND-BOUND ANIMALS(Day 6a)
:24—“Then God said, “Let the earth bring forth the living creature according to its kind: cattle & creeping thing & beast of the earth, each according to its kind”; & it was so.”
Land creatures are likewise capable of reproducing themselves within the limits of their own kinds.
Three of the recognizable “kinds” of land creatures are “cattle”(domestics), “creeping things”(small & numerous) as well as “beasts”(wild animals).
God spoke their existence & it became reality.
“Bring forth”—auy yaw-tsaw'—Verb Hifil imperfect third feminine singular jussive—To go out, come out, exit, go forth. 1b) (Hiphil)—1b1) To cause to go or come out, bring out, lead out, 1b2) To bring out of, 1b3) To lead out, 1b4) To deliver.
“Living”(See :20)—yx khah'-ee—Adj.—Living, alive—Green, Flowing, Lively, Reviving. N.
“Creature”(See :20)—vpn neh'-fesh—Soul, self, life, creature, person, appetite, mind, living being, desire, emotion, passion. Strong—properly, A breathing creature, i.e. Animal of (abstractly) vitality; used very widely in a literal, accommodated or figurative sense (bodily or mental):
“Cattle/Livestock”—hmhb be-hay-maw'—Beast, cattle, animal— 1a) Beasts (coll of all animals), 1b) Cattle, livestock (of domestic animals), 1c) Wild beasts. Strong—From an unused root (probably meaning to be mute); properly, A dumb beast; especially any large quadruped or animal (often collective):-- Beast, cattle.
“Creeping thing”—smr reh'-mes—Creeping things, moving things, creeping organism. Strong—a reptile or any other rapidly moving animal:-- that creeps, creeping (moving) thing. From smr raw-mas'; a primitive root; properly, to glide swiftly, i.e. to crawl or move with short steps; by analogy to swarm:-- creep, move.
“Beast”—(See :20-“Living”)—yx khah'-ee—Adj.—Living, alive—Green, Flowing, Lively, Reviving. N.
:25—“And God made the beast of the earth according to its kind, cattle according to its kind, & everything that creeps on the earth according to its kind. And God saw that it was good.”
The question has arisen—Where did the dinosaurs come from? They were created here—Read of Behemoth.
Job 40:15-24—““Look now at the behemoth, which I made along with you; He eats grass like an ox. See now, his strength is in his hips, And his power is in his stomach muscles. He moves his tail like a cedar; The sinews of his thighs are tightly knit. His bones are like beams of bronze, His ribs like bars of iron. He is the first of the ways of God; Only He who made him can bring near His sword. Surely the mountains yield food for him, And all the beasts of the field play there. He lies under the lotus trees, In a covert of reeds & marsh. The lotus trees cover him with their shade; The willows by the brook surround him. Indeed the river may rage, Yet he is not disturbed; He is confident, though the Jordan gushes into his mouth, Though he takes it in his eyes, Or one pierces his nose with a snare.”
‘Dinosaur’(Thunder lizard) is a term modern man devised to categorize a kind of animal which secular scientists generally think to be large, extinct, lizard-like & reptilian. Fact is, there are many highly unusual creatures which exist today. Their forms & existence are strange & intriguing. Platypus, Rhinoceros, etc. (CONT...)8—The place for us is found in the...
FAUNA of God(:20-25)
Argumentation:
Ps. 50:10-11—“For every beast of the forest is Mine, And the cattle on a thousand hills. I know all the birds of the mountains, And the wild beasts of the field are Mine.”
Ps. 104:24-25—“O LORD, how manifold are Your works! In wisdom You have made them all. The earth is full of Your possessions-- This great & wide sea, In which are innumerable teeming things, Living things both small & great.”
Illustration:
Gen. 2:18, 20—“And the LORD God said, “It is not good that man should be alone; I will make him a helper comparable to him.””....“So Adam gave names to all cattle, to the birds of the air, & to every beast of the field. But for Adam there was not found a helper comparable to him.”
Everything belongs to God & is on loan for our use. What does this say to our regard for it.
Are you constantly in competition with it?
Application:
? Has your place been discovered in the FAUNA of God?
?Has your place in God’s design been found?
9—The place for us is found in the...
HUMANITY of God(:26-28)
Explanation:(:26-28)
: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, & over the cattle, over all the earth & over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.”
“Then God said, “Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness;”
“Then”
On the same day that God created all creatures which would dwell upon the dry land, He also chooses to “make” “man,” who will also dwell on the dry land. Everything is ready for man’s presence now.
“Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness;”
‘For the first time a major language shift occurs.....Never has God spoken in a plural form.....Nothing that God has created to this point has any personal connection to Him.’
‘At this point God becomes personal & He begins to speak in relational terms, "Let us make man in our image." And God for the first time in the Bible introduces Himself.... in a relationship. Up to this point it's just God. But now God defines Himself with plural pronouns, "Let...not let Me...Let us," & we are introduced to the fact that God has within His very nature relationships.’—John MacArthur
God speaks to Himself(all members of the Trinity) in the first person plural(“Our”). It is notable that God reveals His—what we now know as Trinitarian— nature to the reader. See :27.
‘This is a clear unmistakable, inarguable reference to the Trinity, though the fullest clarification of the doctrine of the trinity doesn't really unfold until the New Testament.’—John MacArthur
The Godhead determines to make man in their “image.” A large part of this intended “image” will include man’s taking on some sort of “likeness” to that of the Godhead.
A “likeness” can be either 1)Concrete— holding a similitude as an actual model. OR 2)Adverbial, the “likeness” would be ‘like’ God in some or many other ways, OR 3)Both.
‘Now what does it mean? Well whatever it means is really important because whatever it means, it's different, it's what identifies the difference between us & every other created thing, even the highest of created beings, conscious animals.’
‘What is the image of God? The root of the Hebrew word for image, Mlu, appears to mean to carve or to cut off.’
‘We do share biological features with the rest of the creatures. We are all designed by God to live together in a common environment.... We have a reciprocity with the plants because we eat them. We have a reciprocity with the animals. We have a reciprocity with the water. We have a reciprocity with the sun & the moon & all the other features of our world. And so we must fit in to the biological environment & therefore we are made out of the same stuff physically.’
‘Above all the image of God indicates the ability to personally relate to someone else, especially to God Himself. Being able to know Him, being able to love Him, being able to obey Him, being able to worship Him.... some aspects of human nature which are not shared by animals...such as self-consciousness. Animals are conscious, they're not self-conscious. That is they're conscious, they react to their environment, but they don't know they do...such as reason, the ability to think abstractly, which animals cannot do...’—John MacArthur
Regardless, man is in some sense like God. Man can relate to God personally & is intended to have eternal fellowship with God. The capacity & expectation of love comes into play for both God & man.
Does man physically resemble God? Very possibly! If so, in what way? We are unsure. God does not appear to be a sexual being.
Gen. 5:1-3—“This is the book of the genealogy of Adam. In the day that God created man, He made him in the likeness of God. He created them male & female, & blessed them & called them Mankind in the day they were created. And Adam lived one hundred & thirty years, & begot a son in his own likeness, after his image, & named him Seth.”
“Likeness”—twmd dem-ooth'—Strong—Resemblance; concretely, Model, shape; adverbially, Like:-- Fashion, like (-ness, as), manner, similitude.
Seeing that the same word(s) is(are) used to describe Seth’s son, there must be some similitude to God even though God is technically Spirit.
This could also inform us rather negatively, that man is in God’s “image” in the sense of a mere semblance of God’s fullness—in the way an idol(image) represents a deity but only minimally. Such a reminder of man’s powerlessness should humble him if he were not so inclined to discount & look beyond God.
“Let Us make”—hse aw-saw'—Verb Qal imperfect first common plural cohortative— “Made”(See :7, 16, 25 &:11-”Yields”)—1)To do, fashion, accomplish, make. Strong—To do or make, in the broadest sense & widest application.
“Man”—Mda 'aw-dawm'—Man, mankind. Strong— Ruddy i.e. a human being (an individual or the species, mankind, etc.):-- X another, + hypocrite, + common sort, X low, man (mean, of low degree), person.
“Image”—Mlu tseh'-lem—1) Image—1a) Images (of tumours, mice, heathen gods), 1b) Image, likeness (of resemblance), 1c) Mere, empty, image, semblance (fig.). Strong—From an unused root meaning To shade; a phantom, i.e. (figuratively) Illusion, resemblance; hence, A representative figure, especially an idol:-- Image, vain shew.
“Likeness”—twmd dem-ooth'—1) Likeness, similitude. Strong—Resemblance; concretely, Model, shape; adverbially, Like:-- Fashion, like (-ness, as), manner, similitude.
:26b—“Then God said,...let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, & over the cattle, over all the earth & over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.”
Along with man’s being made in God’s very image, he is also given a role to play in this new creation. Man is to “have dominion over” all other creatures God has made.
He is also blessed with “dominion” “over all the earth.” Of course all this is assuming that man remains as God has created Him. This will be apparent in later chapters describing the Fall.
This is the first place where “fish of the sea” is mentioned specifically rather than the creatures of the waters.
God’s intention for mankind is that He possess “dominion” over those animals which have NOT been created in God’s image. Man was indeed created to have “dominion” “over all the earth.”
What does it mean for man to have “dominion?”
“Dominion”(hdr) is not nuanced with ‘force & harshness.’ This is royal language & no doubt is one aspect of God’s image in man(from the first part of the verse).
‘Solomon’s dominion was a peaceful dominion(1Kgs. 5:4). The reigning king of Ps. 72 is also the champion of the poor & disadvantaged. What is expected of the king is responsible care over that which he rules...This rule is to be compassionate & not exploitative.’—Victor P. Hamilton
We obviously do not fully possess this ability now since The Fall of mankind. Our ‘responsible care’ of creation is sometimes outright war! It seems that the Fall has forced the opposite effect....Creation now has dominion over us! Dominion is having command of all within our power. We have fallen farther than we sometimes comprehend or imagine!
Now, instead of “dominion” over the animals, the animals possess a ‘fear’ of mankind, brought about in some sense by man’s changed diet(Gen. 9:2).
Gen. 9:2—““And the fear of you & the dread of you shall be on every beast of the earth, on every bird of the air, on all that move on the earth, & on all the fish of the sea. They are given into your hand.”
“Dominion/Rule over”(See :28)—hdr raw-daw'—Verb Qal imperfect third masculine plural jussive—1) To rule, have dominion, dominate, tread down—1a) (Qal) To have dominion, rule, subjugate; 2) To scrape out—2a) (Qal) To scrape, scrape out. Strong—To tread down, i.e. Subjugate; specifically, To crumble off:-- (come to, make to) have dominion, prevail against, reign, (bear, make to) rule,(-r, over), take.
“Air”(See :1, 8- “Heaven(s)”)—Mymv shaw-mah'-yim —Heaven, heavens, sky. Strong—from an unused root meaning to be lofty; The sky (as aloft; the dual perhaps alluding to the visible arch in which the clouds move, as well as to the higher ether where the celestial bodies revolve):-- Air, X astrologer, heaven(-s).
:27—“So God created man in His own image; in the image of God He created him; male & female He created them.”
Man is the “kind”(don’t know if this is where we get our term—‘mankind’—but it fits) as in the other creatures & plants. “Male” & “Female” is the means of replicating that “kind.”
“As wondrous as all created life was, as good as it was, & God said it was good, as intricate & complex & vast as it was, it was nothing like a man. It was separated from the nature of man by so great a gulf as never to be passable by any natural process.”—John MacArthur
:28—“Then God blessed them, & God said to them, “Be fruitful & multiply; fill the earth & subdue it; have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, & over every living thing that moves on the earth.””
Upon mankind’s creation, God blesses them, as He had also done with the water creatures & birds(:22). This blessing is directly tied in with their multiplying themselves—according to their kinds— & thus the need to “fill” their respective realms. This is God’s design & intention. We may thus surmise that the purpose of the earth will not be fulfilled without the populating of these two groups/kinds minimally.
Animals are to “fill” the waters of the seas & birds are to “multiply.” Man is also commanded of his maker to “be fruitful & multiply.” Man is commanded, thru these 2 actions to “fill” the earth. Man is to have a presence everywhere upon the globe of the earth. This must have seemed a daunting task for the first couple in an enormous world filled with creatures utterly unlike them.
Man is not only to fill the earth with his own kind, but he is also charged to “subdue” it. It is man’s God-ordained responsibility to do so.
“Subdue”(vbk) is at once a more forceful & even violent word. It describes— subjection to slavery, physical abuse & assault, treading underfoot, & military subjection of a population.—Victor Hamilton
*BUT this also seems to parallel 2:5 & 15—“till the ground”, “Tend & keep” the garden— regarding man’s subduing the soil itself(“the earth”) rather than the life forms.—Victor Hamilton
Mankind’s rule extends over every creature which fills his world.
“Blessed”(See :22 & 2:3)—Krb baw-rak'—V. Piel waw consecutive 3rd mas. singular— 1) To bless, kneel—1c) (Piel) To bless.
“Fruitful”(See :22)—hrp paw-raw'—To bear fruit, be fruitful, branch off. Strong—To bear fruit (literally or figuratively):-- Bear, bring forth(fruit), (be, cause to be, make) fruitful, grow, increase.
“Multiply” (See :22)—hbr raw-baw'—Be or become great, be or become many, be or become much, be or become numerous. 2) (Qal) to shoot.
“Subdue/Replenish”—vbk kaw-bash'—Verb Qal imperative masculine plural—To subject, subdue, force, keep under, bring into bondage. 1a) (Qal)—1a1) To bring into bondage, make subservient, 1a2) To subdue, force, violate, 1a3) To subdue, dominate, tread down.
Argumentation:
Ps. 139:14-18—“I will praise You, for I am fearfully & wonderfully made; Marvelous are Your works, And that my soul knows very well. My frame was not hidden from You, When I was made in secret, And skillfully wrought in the lowest parts of the earth. Your eyes saw my substance, being yet unformed. And in Your book they all were written, The days fashioned for me, When as yet there were none of them. How precious also are Your thoughts to me, O God! How great is the sum of them! If I should count them, they would be more in number than the sand; When I awake, I am still with You.”
Isa. 43:7—“Everyone who is called by My name, Whom I have created for My glory; I have formed him, yes, I have made him.””
Eph. 2:8 -10—“For by grace you have been saved through faith, & that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast. For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.”
Illustration:
To escape from our responsibility to others of your own kind is to be rebellious against your own nature as well as against God! It is to declare yourself detached from God, therefore elevating yourself above everyone & everything, thus declaring yourself ‘God!’
Why do we find true relationships among our own/Why are others taboo & perverse for us?/We cannot rightly deny ourselves/HUMANITY of God—by His design & for our well-being.
Application:
? Has your place been discovered in the HUMANITY of God...the Humanity God has desired?
*?You the person God desires you to be?
?Has your place in God’s design been found? CONCLUSION:
Visualization:
The means of finding our place in the world.
Action:
The place for us is found in the...
8—FAUNA of God(:20-25)
9—HUMANITY of God(:26-28)
1—INTENTION of God(:1)
2—CARE of God(:2)
3—LIGHT of God(:3)
4—TIME of God(:4-5)
5—SPACIAL LIMITS of God(:6-10)
A. HEIGHT(:6-8)—FIRMAMENT / EXPANSE
B. WIDTH(:9-10)—WATERS & EARTH
6—FLORA(Plants) of God(:11-13)
7—SEASONS of God(:14-19)
Presented 09/03/2010am to:
Needmore Baptist Church
1620 Mt. Vernon Rd.
Woodleaf, NC 27054
