Man the pinnacle of creation

Man the problem in the world today

Today in the world there is much confusion as to man’s position in the world. Man is seen as the problem to the world not the solution. As such I agree wholeheartedly with this position. The Bible and most environmentalists agrees on this point. The point of difference lies in how to address this problem.

The environmental response

The environmentalist would like to cease all industrial activity at least in the western world. This is mankind in his pride trying to address the problem that they caused in their own power by and large without reference to God and His word.

The Biblical reality

But it must be acknowledged that post the fall mankind has had devastating impact on the world. Rom 8:19-21

Romans 8:19–21 CSB

19 For the creation eagerly waits with anticipation for God’s sons to be revealed. 20 For the creation was subjected to futility—not willingly, but because of him who subjected it—in the hope 21 that the creation itself will also be set free from the bondage to decay into the glorious freedom of God’s children.

But this is putting the cart before the horse. We must look first at how it was when God first created man and what position He placed them in the garden.

1. God created man in His image vv 26-27

The amount of space given to the creation of man on the sixth day shows that man is at the centre of the plan of God. Creation is an expression of love, for God designed the world as a gift to be given to the highest of His creations. All that was created before him was created for him.

Man in the image of God and given dominion.

Man is unique in two ways. He is created in the image of God and He was given dominion or reign over all the rest of his creation.

a. Man made in His image. V 26a

‘The majestic march of the days’ climax with the creation of human beings.

Wording

Notice the difference even in wording for the creation of man compared to all that came before. Previously, God had said ‘let the earth bring forth living creature.’ Now he deliberates as he converses with Himself ‘Let us make man.’

Could it be God and angels?

Now there is much discussion about to who ‘let us’ might refer. Some suggest that it refers to the heavenly court of angels surrounding God’s throne. If this were the case the implication would be that man were created in the image of the angels or of God and the angels. Nowhere in the Bible is man referred to as being an image of angels. There is no evidence for the existence of the heavenly court in Gen 1.

Divine conference

I think that the best explanation is there is a “divine conference” among the members of the Godhead before man is created. This makes more sense contextually in that the only creative powers alluded have been God (the Father), the Spirit of God hovering over the waters and the word of God. In the first sermon, of this series I referred us to John 1:1-3 where the word is equated with Jesus. The only satisfactory explanation of the plural can be that man is the product of the contemplation of the plural Godhead that is the Father, Son and Holy Spirit.

John 1:1–3 CSB

1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was with God in the beginning. 3 All things were created through him, and apart from him not one thing was created that has been created.

Image of God meaning for man

Man is different from and superior to the animals in that he alone is made in the image and likeness of God. In short the combination “image and likeness” refers to all that sets man apart from the animal kingdom. Neither term refers to man’s body. This refers to man’s spiritual, volitional (that he has a will to do things), and his ethical capacity (doing right or wrong things). It also includes that man shares imperfectly and finitely God’s communicable attributes; life, personality, truth, wisdom, love, holiness creativity and justice and so giving man the capacity to have spiritual fellowship with Him.

Implications of man created in the image of God.

The image of God is the foundation of the sanctity of human life Genesis 9:6 . It is the justification for why abortion is wrong. It is also paradoxically why capital punishment is biblical.

Genesis 9:6 CSB

6 Whoever sheds human blood, by humans his blood will be shed, for God made humans in his image.

b. Man given dominion V 26b

Man was given the place of dominion over the earth, the highest position in Creation. We shall see what this means fleshed out in more detail in verse 28.

c. Man created in God’s image male and female V27

We also see that the image of God includes both male and female showing that the image of God has nothing to do with our sex or even in modern parlance, gender. It clearly indicates that both male and female and only these two sexes are created in the image of God. The inherent equality of the sexes is thus assumed.

Image of God and transgenderism

On the other hand, this phrase has become extremely important in today's cultural environment. This says unequivically that there are only two sexes or genders, not 72 genders and counting.

Attempts to erase the distinction between male and female are against nature and are an affront to the wisdom of the Creator. This does not mean that we should not have genuine compassion for those who are genuinely intersex or have gender dysphoria.

2.God gives Man his mandate Vv 28-30

God’s purpose in creating human life in His image was functional: man is to rule or have dominion (1:26, 28).

a. God’s mandate V28

i. God blessed them

The Aaronic blessing as key to blessing

Back in ancient Israel there was the Aaronic blessing found in;

Numbers 6:24–26 CSB

24 “May the Lord bless you and protect you; 25 may the Lord make his face shine on you and be gracious to you; 26 may the Lord look with favor on you and give you peace.” ’

What these verses tell us that to be blessed is to see the face of God. That was the blessing that God gave to our first parents. They had perfect communion with God there in the garden.

Abundant material blessing

He also blessed them abundantly with everything they could possibly want in the garden.

ii. Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth and subdue it.

Procreation leading to fruitfulness

We see here the necessity of man created male and female. This differentiation is essential to fulfill the command to be fruitful and multiply and subdue it. The God of the Bible is sovereign over sex for he created it. He blessed sexual intercourse and showed its importance to his plan.

Fruitfulness and race

The human race in every country and age has been the offspring of the first pair. Amid all the varieties found among men, some black, some copper-colored, others white, the researches of modern science lead to a conclusion, fully accordant with the sacred history, that they are all of one species and of one family.

Acts 17:26 CSB

26 From one man he has made every nationality to live over the whole earth and has determined their appointed times and the boundaries of where they live.

Same sex marriage

This shows us the folly of “same sex” marriage. Under all normal circumstances these union can never be fruitful or multiply themselves in obedience to God’s command.

iii. Have dominion over fish, birds and animals.

Man’s rule as God’s representative

This dominion over the animals demonstrates the special place man has in God’s creation. The fact of man’s rule over God’s creation is based on their special place in God’s creation. Dominion does not leave man free to exploit God’s creation. Man, as God’s representative, must rule his subjects, as God does, for their own good and for His glory.

Paradise lost

The paradise existence of this first couple is short-lived. Instead of exercising dominion over creation (1:26, 28), they listen to the serpent’s deceiving words and disobey God’s command not to eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil (3:6).

Image of God marred but not obliterated

At the same time, it is clearly taught in the Bible and any view that would deny the unique role human beings have within God’s creation and place humans and animals on the same level is to be vehemently rejected.

It is rejected by those who do not want to give human beings the special place in God’s creation, partly because they adamantly oppose the concept of dominion. And as a result we see today that many people in the world relegate humans below the level of animals. They view humans as the problem not the solution.

‘As far as one must speak of responsibility and guilt, I would say that the great modern exploitation of nature has taken place under the reign of liberal humanism in which man no longer conceives of himself as being under a creator, and in which therefore his place of dominance in the universe and his right to dispose of nature for his own ends is, unlike the situation of the Bible, unlimited’ (James Barr)

This is a good point to talk about the order of creation. There is a definite order in God’s creation, which goes God, man, woman, the rest of creation.

What we see today, particularly with the extreme sides of the environmental movement is the complete inversion of the order of creation. The environment, the rest of creation is exalted. Man is seen as the problem not the faithful steward of God’s creation. God is left out of the picture altogether.

b. God’s provision V 29-30

i. For man V 29

Seed bearing trees and fruit tree

It is interesting that God provided food for Adam and Eve in the form of seed-bearing plants and fruit trees to eat. Some have read that this means that God’s created image bearers were vegetarians. Not until after the flood was meat eating expressly allowed (9:1-3). It seems Genesis was more interested in the fact that God provided them with food.

ii. For beast and bird V 30

Ditto for beasts and birds

The green plants were given for the beast and the birds as it was for man. The saying that nature today is red in tooth and claw. And also the saying that it is a dog eat dog world out there, was not how it was in the original creation.

God’s assessment V 31

After all of these things were created and put in place. God looked and saw all that he had done and behold it was very good.

Final Application

I started by saying that man is the problem in the world today and that the creation is groaning because of man’s sin. The way to address this situation is not to exalt the creation but rather to restore man to his proper place in the creation, to his dignity as created in the image of God with responsible dominion over the creation.

How is man as created as the image of God restored?

As we believe in Jesus Christ, we are forgiven our sins; we are no longer considered by God to be sinners but rather righteous; we are no longer enemies of God and estranged from Him but we are now reconciled with God as friends and as adopted children; we are no longer dead in sin but have eternal life. These things are all true but in the context of what we see in this passage, what is most important is that we are being renewed daily into the image of our creator growing in righteousness, purity and truth.

These are revealed to us in the NT in Colossians 3:9-11 and Ephesians 4:20-24.

Colossians 3:9–11 CSB

9 Do not lie to one another, since you have put off the old self with its practices 10 and have put on the new self. You are being renewed in knowledge according to the image of your Creator. 11 In Christ there is not Greek and Jew, circumcision and uncircumcision, barbarian, Scythian, slave and free; but Christ is all and in all.

Ephesians 4:20–24 CSB

20 But that is not how you came to know Christ, 21 assuming you heard about him and were taught by him, as the truth is in Jesus, 22 to take off your former way of life, the old self that is corrupted by deceitful desires, 23 to be renewed in the spirit of your minds, 24 and to put on the new self, the one created according to God’s likeness in righteousness and purity of the truth.