919
HE KING'S BUSINESS
The word "create" Is used three dmes, and ma!·ks the progress of the york. The order of events is in ac– rord with the ftmi!ngs of science: J,lght, order, vegetable life, gra~s. herbs, trees, animal life. Again,- - tater, dry land, heavenly bodies. Order is also seen in the dev.,Jopment oC l!fe,-aquatic animals, ftsh.,s, fowls, terrestrial animals, aud, lastly, man. , We cannot fall to be impressed with the simplicity and naturalness of Gocl's order, and with the dignity and har- 111:my of the account. Nothing to de– tract from the power and wisdom of God, but everything to li;acl ns to wor– ship the One whose Almightiness is so 111anlfest in all that He doeo. The Creation of Man. "Let us make man in our image" ( 1: 26). This is tl10 voice of the God-head. The word "God" as used In the first chapter of Genesis is "Elohim" and is plural. We are thus prepared, from the beginning, for the mystery of the Trinity. In the third chapter, God says, (af– ter the fall), "Man is become like one of us," showing the consultation of the Godhead. The crown of God's creation was man. He was made in the image and likeness of God,-both physically, mor– ally, and intellectually. The pattern Is found in the Man Christ Jesus, who Is the arch-type. Christ was the em– bodiment of the perfect God (John 14: 9) and perfect man. God is a Trinity, and so is man. The pattern given to Moses by God for the tabernacle was a trinity, corresponding to man-an outer court (the body), a holy place (the soul), the holy of holies (the spirit). Jesus declared Himself to be the temple of God {John 2:21) and the regenerated man becomes a temple of God (Col. 3:10; Eph. 4:24). Notice the humble origin of man– from the dust ( 2: 7). His destiny Is the dust (Gen. 3: 19)
"In the sweat of thy face ahalt thou ent brend, till thou return unto the grounfl; for out of lt wast thou taken I for dust thou art and unto du11t •halt tho• return." (Eccl. 3:18-20; Job 10:9) Though God formed man of the dust of the ground, in common with the ani– mals ( 2: 19), yet his creation was dis– tinct from that of the beasts in that the breath of life was breathed Into his nostrils by God Himself ( 2: 7). Inbreathing suggests relationship (John 20:22) "Anfl ,vhen he had said this, he breathed on them, and saith unto them, Receive ye the Holy Ghost." (1 Cor. 15:45) "And so it is written., the first Adam 'vns 1nnde n living soul; the last Adam. a quickening S1•lrlt." Man's Place and Provision, 2: 8-14. Not only did God create man and breathe into his nostrils the breath of life, but He made provision for sus– taining that life (1:29; 9:3) "Every n1ovlng thing that liveth 11hnll be n1ent for you; even as the green herb hnve I given you all things." The Garden of Eden was a · place of delight (v. 9), but the trees of life and death were there. They stood to– gether In Paradise and they stand to– gether all down the ages. By the tree came the ruin of man. By the tree came the redemption of man. The Purpose of Man's Creation, 2: 15- 17, "To till, to keep, to · guard." The Garden was a paradise, of which man was the sovereign. He was to dress and keep it. He was to reflect the glory of God. He was to be a tem– ple of God. He was to have spiritual intercourse and . fellowship with God. One thing only was forbidden to him– the tree of life. To man also· was given dominion over the earth and air, so that-at the first -all fowl, cattle and creeping things were subject to him. In this, also, he was like God-a ruler. Man lost this sovereignty through the fall, but the Second Adam will restore it to the re– newed race (Rom. 8:21).
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