Genesis 1:24-31
1. Background
In the beginning, God created humanity. Man was the crowning glory of His masterpiece. God gave man a special honor and position within the created order. These passages reveal to us what God’s purpose for humanity is and how we should respond to our Creator.
2. What Can We Observe About God? (Theology)
God created us in His image that we might enjoy Him and honor His work.
As we read the account of God’s creation, we might ask the question, “What purpose does God have for creating man?” That answer is evident in chapters one and two of Genesis. In verses 26 and 27, we see that God set apart man by giving them His image.
“And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion…”
Verse 26
We have a fancy word in theology for this setting apart action, known as “sanctified.” It simply means God has chosen something, in particular, to be unique, set apart for God’s purpose.
But it also means that we have special obligations to the God who made us in His image. Our life is tied to His name as we are made to be like Him. Other scriptures tell us this truth in plain words:
“Neither shall ye profane my holy name; but I will be hallowed among the children of Israel: I am the Lord which hallow you.”
leveticus 22:32
“Because it is written, Be ye holy; for I am holy.”
1 peter 1:16
As human beings, our created purpose is to reflect God’s goodness and holiness in our daily business. In the context of chapters one and two, the work God gave man to do was not tiresome or unfulfilling. God elevated man to great honor, and their dwelling place was a garden where God met their every need without fail.
“And the Lord God planted a garden eastward in Eden; and there he put the man whom he had formed. 9 And out of the ground made the Lord God to grow every tree that is pleasant to the sight, and good for food…”
genesis 2:8-9
The work and life that God gave man were not yet encumbered with the curse that sin would later introduce. Man did not know starvation, disease, conflict, or death. Man was merely unaware of the evils we are all familiar with today. Sin is the reason why that changed, however. Our ancestors, Adam and Eve, disobeyed the one prohibition God gave them.
“But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die.”
genesis 2:17
At the heart of this rebellion was to “be like gods” (3:5) in a way that God never intended. Essentially, the decision to disobey God was a decision to replace Him with themselves. As a result, God brought judgment on man, and death entered into the world, and man was driven away from God’s presence.
“So he drove out the man; and he placed at the east of the garden of Eden Cherubims, and a flaming sword which turned every way, to keep the way of the tree of life.”
Genesis 3:24
The rest of human history continued to unfold under the curse of sin. The following chapters and verses follow a short history of the first generations of humanity, all concluding with the same outcome, “and he died” (See Genesis 5:5, 8, 11, 14, 17, 20, 27, 31).
Although God had given man a place of honor in creation, sin had nonetheless corrupted them and brought corruption and death into the world. The great mystery of the Bible is how God plans to deal with this sin. Will He allow sin and death to reign forever? Will the earthy always under the curse of sin? Or will God do something to rescue the world? Will He ever restore the world to the way it was?
3. How does this passage point to Jesus and the Gospel?
Let’s look at a New Testament passage the summarizes how the Gospel will transform this world and individuals.
“Giving thanks unto the Father, which hath made us meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light: Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son: In whom we have redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins: Who is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of every creature: For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him: And he is before all things and by 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 might have the preeminence. For it pleased the Father that in him should all fulness dwell; And, having made peace through the blood of his cross, by him to reconcile all things unto himself; by him, I say, whether they be things in earth, or things in heaven.”
Colossians 1:12-20
“For by him were all things created (v16)”. This same Jesus is Jehovah God who made us in His image. Rather than let all humanity be swallowed up by death, He “delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son (v13).”
Jesus’ power to deliver humanity from death and sin comes from His own death that atones for our sin. “In whom we have redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins(v14).”
Looking back at Genesis, we are reminded that sin corrupted God’s perfect world. Also, humanity was driven away from God’s presence.
So he drove out the man; and he placed at the east of the garden of Eden cherubims, and a flaming sword which turned every way, to keep the way of the tree of life.
Genesis 3:24
Because of sin, our relationship and purpose were corrupted. Life without God’s blessing meant pain, toil, and finally, death, and this is how human history can be summed up even unto this present day. While we can see something of God’s beauty in nature, it is undoubtedly plagued by the same ancient curse of sin.
God’s plan was to send His Son into the world to rid the world of sin and restore it as it has been before death entered in.
“And, having made peace through the blood of his cross, by him to reconcile all things unto himself; by him, I say, whether they be things in earth, or things in heaven.”
This restoration includes individual men and women who place their faith in Christ.
“Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son: In whom we have redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins:”
Verses 13-14
4. Application:
God can redeem anyone from the corruption of Sin. Jesus accomplished that work on the cross. There is nothing left for people to do; one only needs to believe on the Lord Jesus Christ:
“Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus.”
Romans 3:24
As God’s people, we return to our God-given purpose to enjoy Him. There is coming a day when Jesus will restore and reconcile the world to Himself. In the meantime, we find enjoyment in God and His word, fulling the work that needs to be done.
The Gospel has restored us to God again, and we can fellowship with Him once more. We exercise that relationship and find joy in Him until the time of His return.
Appendix:
While reading the Bible’s account of how the world began, someone might ask, “How do I know this is not a mythical legend? Can I still be a Christian and not believe Genesis’ account?”
It is essential to know what the Bible records are truthful and accurate. The Bible claims to the word of God, the same God who made all, knows all, and sustains all. While the Bible was written to be a science book, it conveys certain truths about God that believers rely on to be absolutely true. If the Bible’s claims were untrue, then it would be unreliable and not worthy of belief. In short, we believe the Bible’s account of Genesis is not mythology but an actual account of how God created the universe with the power of His word.
(If anyone wants to discuss matters of science and faith further, let’s set aside a time to do so!)
Someone else might ask, How does Moses, the human author of Genesis, provide us with this information? Was Moses there at the beginning to eye witness what happened?
No, Moses was not an eyewitness of these events to which he is writing. Millions of people give credit to Moses’ writings because of the public appearance of God on His behalf, and finally because of the testimony of Jesus Christ. God publicly humbled the entire nation of Egypt and Pharaoh in the sight of all. Before that, the Hebrews unilaterally rejected Moses as being sent to them by God. But because He showed His mighty power through His servant Moses, the people believed him that he was a prophet of God.
Finally, Jesus Christ the Lord said this regarding Moses:
“For had ye believed Moses, ye would have believed me: for he wrote of me. But if ye believe not his writings, how shall ye believe my words?”
john 5:46-47
Like with Moses, God appeared and showed His might acts through Jesus, God’s Son. Ultimately God raised Jesus from the dead and showed Himself alive to the apostles and disciples to prove God’s anointing of Jesus, and by extension, Moses. If God is indeed the God who raises the dead back to life, then it is perfectly reasonable to believe He is the God who creates and sustains the worlds with His word.
John's Bible 