01-08 God Makes Man
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Genesis 1:26
Genesis 1:26
Let me be the 1st to congratulate all of you for what you are going to accomplish over the next 24 hours (if you’re an average sized adult)
Encyclopedia of 7700 Illustrations 3283 Your Working Day
If you’re an adult of average weight, here is what you accomplish in 24 hours:
Your heart beats 103,689 times.
Your blood travels 168,000,000 miles.
You breathe 23,040 times.
You inhale 438 cubic feet of air.
You eat 3¼ pounds of food.
You drink 2.9 quarts of liquids.
You lose 7/8 pound of waste.
You speak 4,800 words, including some unnecessary ones.
You move 750 muscles.
Your nails grow .000046 inch.
Your hair grows .01714 inch.
You exercise 7,000,000 brain cells.
… feel tired?
I will give thanks to You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made; Wonderful are Your works, And my soul knows it very well.
We are currently at a pivotal crossroad in history of our nation. And this crossroad has everything to do with what we understand about mankind, the origin of man, the nature of man, the purpose of man and his destiny.
Our understanding about man is known as “anthropology”—the study of man (humankind). (anthropos—Gk “man”).
Joe Rigney (president of Bethlehem College & Seminary) “Anthropology is the defining issue of the 21st century.” He makes a strong argument for this assessment.
You are probably familiar with the exchange that took place between Senator Marsha Blackburn and Supreme Court nominee Ketanji Jackson. Senator Blackburn was asking some very pointed questions aimed at revealing Justice Jackson’s worldview—how she understands the world around her—questions about abortion, transgender rights and Critical Race Theory. Then came a quite infamous exchange:
Senator Blackburn: "Can you provide a definition for the word 'woman'?"
Justice Jackson: "I can’t."
Senator Blackburn: "You can’t?"
Justice Jackson: "Not in this context. I’m not a biologist."
Now, she may or may not really believe that the term “woman” can only be defined by biologists—but her response led to a nearly immediate reaction on social media attacking the cultural shift that is taking place where the very definitions of man and woman are completely removed from reality—and the issue is becoming politically charged today.
I agree with Joe Rigney’s statement “Anthropology is the defining issue of the 21st century.” That ludicrous exchange is what happens when humanity rebells against the Creator and rejects His revelation.
Our anthropology is crucial—as it relates to and informs our worldview. But our study of mankind must begin at the proper place or it will unravel into ideas that are altogether outrageous. Today, secular universities offer studies on anthropology but they always approach it from a man-centered perspective, completely denying the realty of the supernatural (God). Because they reject God, they completely miss the issue of who man is, how he relates to his creator and how he relates to the rest of God’s creation.
One of the presuppositions (we all have them) in secular anthropology is evolution. Since they reason that man has evolved—he is related to all other animals/species, having a common ancestor. But that can can never account for why there is dignity and value of human life. They cannot account for why man (humanity) is different from the rest of animal creation.
John Whitcomb (Early Earth) helpfully describes the dignity and value of man:
Only Man...
Is self conscious as a person
Is able to exercise choice and have purposes and goals in life
Possesses an emotional capacity for sadness and joy
Appreciates art and music creatively
Can imagine and then manufacture real tools
Can be truly educated rather than merely trained
Can us oral and written symbols to communicate abstract concepts and thereby enjoy fellowship
Can accumulate knowledge and attain wisdom and move beyond what he was, making and seeing progress
Can discern moral right and wrong and suffer from an offended conscience
Can be held accountable for his deeds, reckoned guilty and judged
Can recognize the divine authority of his Creator and honor Him properly
This understanding of man will only flow out of a biblical anthropology. So where you start is of utmost significance.
Let me offer you some reasons why a biblical anthropology is so urgent. Because this is the study of man—we are actually undertaking a study of ourselves so that we can answer very personal and practical questions relating to our existence and our future.
Helps us understand our relationship to the Creator. Since we are made in God’s image, the study of man informs us as to how we act and relate to God and more importantly to learn what God thinks of and expects from us.
Shout joyfully to the Lord, all the earth. Serve the Lord with gladness; Come before Him with joyful singing. Know that the Lord Himself is God; It is He who has made us, and not we ourselves; We are His people and the sheep of His pasture.
2. Helps us understand our relationship to the rest of creation. God’s creation of man is the pinnacle of all things God created. Man is truly the crown of God’s creation. Louis Berkhof “Man is represented as standing at the apex of all the created orders. He is crowned as king of the lower creation, and is given dominion over all the inferior creatures.” A biblical anthropology explains why there is greater value and dignity of human life over animal life.
3. Helps us understand and interpret specific issues dominating our culture/current society. Things like abortion, euthanasia, homosexuality, environmentalism, transgenderism. LGBTQ+ is the hot-button issue today.
You have no doubt heard about Lia Thomas—Lia was born a male and given the name Will. He began swimming and competing in men’s events and in 2020 began using the name Lia. He started to compete in women’s swimming events and won the NCAA D1 500 yd freestyle a couple of weeks ago—as a transgender athlete. He won because he’s a good swimmer—but also b/c he’s stronger than women swimmers.
In a NY Post Article Dana Kennedy writes “Scientists say that if a biological male goes through puberty, he has the physical benefits of testosterone even if he transitions to a female and does hormone suppression therapy. All that testosterone dramatically increases muscle mass and strength, and young men will start to outperform women in athletic activities, writes Harvard biologist Carole Hooven in her book “T: The Story of Testosterone, the Hormone that Dominates and Divides Us.”
How do you cut through the peripheral issue of feelings (how Will feels like a woman) to the heart of the matter if you don’t have a biblical anthropology. We don’t need to be biologists to know what a man is or what a woman is—since God created male and female for a purpose—they equally bear the image of God but are created with gender distinctiveness (by God’s design).
4. Helps us recognize and understand alternate philosophies: secular humanism (no God—evolution is the ideology), Hinduism, Buddhism—man’s destiny is oneness with “god” where he loses personal feeling and identity (like a drop in the ocean).
Since our culture today is having a crisis of man’s self-understanding, a biblical anthropology is all the more critical. And the church is given the responsibility to proclaim the truth (the pillar and support of truth) even when that truth is vehemently rejected by those in the world. We can do that with love and compassion…imitating our Savor who Himself is the fullness of grace and truth (Jn 1:14).
Our passage today is in the context of what God creates on Day six. He began the 6th day of creation by creating all the land-dwelling animals (3 categories: domesticated, small and “beasts”—everything else). Then comes the statement “and God saw that it was good...” Once again, there was only perfection in what God creates. God’s creation was not yet complete but all that there was—it was good.
Up to the first part of Day Six—was only the prelude to God’s greatest work of creation. Some might object to this and say that it is prideful of a human to think that God saved “the best for last.” But what we see of God’s activity in creation on 6 days, the creation of man at the end—then the rest of God’s revelation concerning His purposes toward man; all this leads us to recognize that man is central to the creation and purpose of God for all of creation.
Today is more of an introduction to God’s creation of man. We will return to these vv following Resurrection Day next week.
I. The Uniqueness of Man
I. The Uniqueness of Man
There is dramatic change in the language Moses uses (vs 26) when accounting for God’s activity in creation. Every day (of creation) begins with “Then God said...” (3, 6, 9, 11, 14, 20, 24). Then with remarkable power and authority God speaks creation into existence as He expresses His perfect will.
The change is vs 26 (still “God said”) but what comes next reveals the shift in God’s purpose “let Us make man in Our image...” It is the 1st time God uses these personal pronouns to describe what is a very deliberate and personal connection that God has with this aspect of creation—the creation of man.
Be sure—God does not have this connection to light, earth, the waters, the heavenly hosts, sea creatures, flying creatures, or land creatures…but to man alone God describes His activity as very intimate: Let Us…in Our.”
I’ll cover who God is addressing in a moment. There are many who object to using the word “man” to refer to the entire human race. They would claim that using this language is chauvinistic, showing a bias against women. They would reason it is more appropriate to use more gender neutral terms (humanity, humankind, human beings) to refer to the human race—rather than “man, mankind”.
I think it is appropriate to use the masculine term “man” when referring to humanity in general. The Heb word “man” is ‘adam is used in both senses: when referring to humanity in general and when referring to man as distinct from woman.
God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them.
This is the book of the generations of Adam. In the day when God created man, He made him in the likeness of God. He created them male and female, and He blessed them and named them Man in the day when they were created.
Sometimes it distinguishes b/t male and female:
The Lord God fashioned into a woman the rib which He had taken from the man, and brought her to the man.
And the man and his wife were both naked and were not ashamed.
It is God who actually begins the practice of referring to the human race—designated as man or mankind. Plus there is a weightier issue at stake—theologically. It has to do with the reason God began creating man (Adam) and then later creates woman (Eve).
There seems to be a strong case made for male headship (leadership) in creating man first. The NT speaks of this headship and leadership in the church:
1 Cor 11:2-16;
1 Tim 2:8-15;
So, we see the change from “let there be...” to “let Us make man in Our image according to Our likeness.” There is something very personal and intimate in these words spoken by God.
The natural observation and question is “who are the us/our?” Not the only time:
Then the Lord God said, “Behold, the man has become like one of Us, knowing good and evil; and now, he might stretch out his hand, and take also from the tree of life, and eat, and live forever”—
“Come, let Us go down and there confuse their language, so that they will not understand one another’s speech.”
Over many centuries, there has been much debating over the issue of the use of plural pronouns (us, our). I won’t go into great detail in the various opinions, other than to introduce them to you.
Addressing Creation
Some have held to the idea that God is speaking to the earth, which would bring forth man’s body from the earthly elements.
Heavenly Court
This view, held by many Jewish commentators (beginning with Philo—Born 20 BC) who believe that God is addressing His heavenly court. This would apparently consist of angels who make up this heavenly court. We do know that angels stand in the presence of the Lord.
“A river of fire was flowing And coming out from before Him; Thousands upon thousands were attending Him, And myriads upon myriads were standing before Him; The court sat, And the books were opened.
Micaiah said, “Therefore, hear the word of the Lord. I saw the Lord sitting on His throne, and all the host of heaven standing by Him on His right and on His left. “The Lord said, ‘Who will entice Ahab to go up and fall at Ramoth-gilead?’ And one said this while another said that. “Then a spirit came forward and stood before the Lord and said, ‘I will entice him.’ “The Lord said to him, ‘How?’ And he said, ‘I will go out and be a deceiving spirit in the mouth of all his prophets.’ Then He said, ‘You are to entice him and also prevail. Go and do so.’
God does not counsel with His angels—as if He needed direction from them to do anything.
Council of Gods
This view is influenced heavily by Ancient Near Eastern mythology where polytheism forms the basis of their belief system.
“Hear, O Israel! The Lord is our God, the Lord is one!
Self-deliberation
Since there are no other beings that have been mentioned in Gen 1 (though angels likely created—day 1?), it is believed that God is addressing Himself in an idiomatic way.
Plurality in the Godhead
It is here, in vs 26 that God is revealing to us the beginnings of plurality within the Godhead (more than 1 person). I would emphatically affirm that there is but 1 God.
Therefore concerning the eating of things sacrificed to idols, we know that there is no such thing as an idol in the world, and that there is no God but one. For even if there are so-called gods whether in heaven or on earth, as indeed there are many gods and many lords, yet for us there is but one God, the Father, from whom are all things and we exist for Him; and one Lord, Jesus Christ, by whom are all things, and we exist through Him.
For there is one God, and one mediator also between God and men, the man Christ Jesus,
While there has already been a hint of this plurality in
The earth was formless and void, and darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was moving over the surface of the waters.
The fullness of the Trinity—Triune God is revealed progressively as God’s self-revelation unfolds.
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things came into being through Him, and apart from Him nothing came into being that has come into being.
And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us, and we saw His glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth.
We know from the full revelation of God that all 3 members of the Trinity were involved in bringing creation into existence. But here is the 1st time God introduces us to a plurality: Let Us…Our...
And this is what makes makes for the uniqueness of man—God made him in His own image, according to His likeness (we’ll spend more time discovering what this entails).
That we are created in the image of God is repeated many times in the Word of God:
This is the book of the generations of Adam. In the day when God created man, He made him in the likeness of God.
“Whoever sheds man’s blood, By man his blood shall be shed, For in the image of God He made man.
For a man ought not to have his head covered, since he is the image and glory of God; but the woman is the glory of man.
With it we bless our Lord and Father, and with it we curse men, who have been made in the likeness of God;
Biblical anthropology must begin with this—that God created man in His image—we are image-bearers of God. As we begin to peer into this remarkable truth, it explains what man’s purpose is (that is why God created him in the first place).
The Westminster Catechism helps us answer that question:
Question # 1: What is man’s chief end?
Answer: To glorify God and enjoy Him forever.
Man, the crown of God’s creation, was created so that he would bring glory to his Creator.
Everyone who is called by My name, And whom I have created for My glory, Whom I have formed, even whom I have made.”
For from Him and through Him and to Him are all things. To Him be the glory forever. Amen.
In living out this purpose we will discover the abundance of life that would come about thru the life and ministry of LJC.
“The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly.
The abundance of the life consists of the fullness of joy that Wayne Grudem writes “is found in knowing God and delighting in the excellence of His character. To be in his presence, to enjoy fellowship with Him, is a greater blessing than anything that could be imagined.”
How lovely are Your dwelling places, O Lord of hosts! My soul longed and even yearned for the courts of the Lord; My heart and my flesh sing for joy to the living God.
For a day in Your courts is better than a thousand outside. I would rather stand at the threshold of the house of my God Than dwell in the tents of wickedness.
When we glorify God and enjoy Him, Scriptures tell us that He then rejoices in us.
For as a young man marries a virgin, So your sons will marry you; And as the bridegroom rejoices over the bride, So your God will rejoice over you.
“The Lord your God is in your midst, A victorious warrior. He will exult over you with joy, He will be quiet in His love, He will rejoice over you with shouts of joy. “I will gather those who grieve about the appointed feasts— They came from you, O Zion; The reproach of exile is a burden on them.
A biblical anthropology is urgently needed today. We’re seeing the consequences of the rebellious heart in virtually every area of life. We don’t have to accept the ways of the world…instead God’s word admonishes us
Do not participate in the unfruitful deeds of darkness, but instead even expose them;
We can do this prayerfully, with great concern and compassion for the lost—knowing that they are deceived and blinded to the truth. But as we go forth to boldly share the gospel…it is LJC who is the life and the light of man.
I don’t know if we will stem the tide and rescue this present generation from its waywardness—but the Spirit can bring revival which our nation is in desperate need of today. Beloved, pray to that end.