Date: 4/3/12
Read
1:26 Then God said, “Let us make* humankind*in our image, after our likeness,* so they may rule*over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air, over the cattle, and over all the earth,* and over all the creatures that move* on the earth.”
in the image of God he created them,*
male and female he created them.*
1:28 God blessed* them and said* to them, “Be fruitful and multiply! Fill the earth and subdue it!*Rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air and every creature that moves on the ground.”* 1:29Then God said, “I now* give you every seed-bearing plant on the face of the entire earth and every tree that has fruit with seed in it. They will be yours for food.* 1:30 And to all the animals of the earth, and to every bird of the air, and to all the creatures that move on the ground – everything that has the breath of life in it – I give* every green plant for food.” It was so.
1:31 God saw all that he had made – and it was very good!* There was evening, and there was morning, the sixth day.
Record
“so they may rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air, over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over all the creatures that move on the earth” (26)“... fill the earth and subdue it. rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air and every creature that moves on the ground.” (28)
“I know give you every... and to all the animals … birds … creatures ...” (29)
Reflect
- The Genesis account just recorded the creation of these various categories, noting their separateness (and similarities). Now, the same categories are repeated 3 times. This kind of list is used elsewhere in the OT, but there’s also a sense that we went to all the trouble to describe the creation of all these things, and now they are specifically listed 3 times in this command to man to rule over them and that food has been given to all of them. Not quite sure what to make of this.
- The command to rule over all of the creatures is emphasized. Naming the animals in Gen 2 is part of this ruling over. Then comes along the serpent:
- 3:1 Now* the serpent* was more shrewd* than any of the wild animals* that the Lord God had made.
- “wild animals” = “animals of the field.” See also 2.19.
- The serpent, though Satan, is described primarily in terms of its creaturely nature. This (it seems) is one of the creatures man was told to rule over. He didn’t, and look what happened.
- Because God is our Creator, when he tells us to do something, we may not get why it’s important to do completely, but he does. His role as Creator puts purpose into every command. Rather than just decide which commands are more important and which ones I’ll do rather than others, my Creator has created me and then commanded me. He’s not just the rule-giver who I owe something to because he created me, but he’s the purposeful one who commands me because he created me for a purpose. His command should be enough for me to obey, without requiring an explanation, a revealed purpose, a justification.
- Many focus on man’s stewardship responsibility in this passage, or his superiority. Both are true. But there’s also a direct tie here with the command and then subsequent failure to follow the command. When they ate, they not only violated covenant head responsibilities and the command to not eat of that tree (which is emphasized in the account), but also that the positive command to rule over the creatures was also violated.
- God seems to anticipate the test that would come, and that it would come in the form of one of the creatures. His command to them is not only their “task” but a specific countermeasure to the test that would come. God fully equipped them to be protected from the enemy, if they would just simply choose to follow it out.
Respond
- Forgive me for demanding something more than your mere command before I choose to obey.
- Forgive me for partial obedience to the commands from you, the one who created me.
- Help me to have a clear, simple, complete obedience to your word.
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