LET US MAKE MAN -- Monday:
"And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness . . . " (Genesis 1:26)
At the threshold of history -- "in the beginning" – we learn much about God Himself. This is the revealed account of the origin of mankind. "And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth. So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them" (Genesis 1:26-27). Jesus Christ Himself referred to this account in Mark 10:6. "But at the beginning of creation God 'made them male and female."
Here is a special creation, made like God. The creation is not God. It is like God, or "after His likeness." This was not a physical likeness, because God is a "Spirit." He does not have a form, or a body. The Bible says, "God is spirit" (John 4:24). That is another way of saying God cannot be contained. He has no limitations. He is not confined by space or time. He is the ultimate Spirit through which all other spirits have their origin.
The likeness was a spiritual one -- one that cannot be seen with the eye. It can, however, be understood with the heart and mind. Man is like God morally. That means he can choose. But it goes further than that. Man can determine to do something, make a plan, develop a project. He can put things together intelligently and purposefully.
In this, mankind differs from animals. A beaver can make a dam, and a bird construct a nest. But they do it intuitively. A beaver cannot teach you how to build a dam. A bird cannot communicate the finer points of making a nest to you. They do things instinctively, or intuitively. They do not have to think about what they do. They are not in God's image.
The Lord would "let them [mankind] rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air, over the livestock, over all the earth, and over all the creatures that move along the ground." This is our very first introduction to God's purpose, or objective, for mankind. It is a large purpose, involving "rule" or dominion. The extent of the rule is staggering. It is "over all the earth." It includes "the sea," "the air," and "the ground." It is God's world, but He made man to rule it! Man is the extension of God. The sea, air, and ground belong to God -- He made them. Yet, man is the appointed governor over them. He is the extension of God. Everything in the sea, air, and land have been made by the Lord. They belong to Him -- yet man was created to have charge over them all. He is the appointed representative of God.
At this time, however, everything is not in the control of man. He cannot control the wind or the rain, the heat or the cold, the tide, or the change of seasons. He cannot cause the ground to be productive without working. When Jesus provided Peter with money for taxes, He simply called for a fish to bring it up in his mouth (Matthew 17:27). I would not advise you to attempt to do the same. You might even try to curse a fig tree, causing it to die (Matthew 21:19-20), or walk upon the water (Matthew 14:26). A few attempts like this will confirm to you that nature cannot be governed by you now -- even though humanity was made to do so. The word of God says it this way. " . . . Yet at present we do not see everything subject to him" (Hebrews 2:7-8, NIV).
Has God's plan been thwarted? Has it been "scrapped," so to speak, because of man's fall into sin? Indeed, it has not! The plan is still in force, and will be made universally clear when the present heavens and earth come to an end (2 Pet 3:10).
In the meantime, God has given us proof of His purpose. It can be seen in His Son, Jesus Christ the Lord. "But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels for the suffering of death, crowned with glory and honor; that he by the grace of God should taste death for every man." (Heb 2:9-10). The Lord Jesus Christ is a Man -- not merely A man, but THE man. That is what He is called in God's Word. "For there is one God and one mediator between God and men, THE MAN Christ Jesus" (1 Timothy 2:5). By saying "the man," the Spirit means the main Person, the primary Individual, the most important Man!
However, more is meant than this. Jesus is the REPRESENTATIVE MAN -- the One who symbolizes every person God accepts. He stands, as it was, for all who are approved by God. Jesus represents them before God, and is the example of what redeemed men will eventually become. They will be conformed to His image (Rom 8:29).
Jesus is what the saved will become -- glorified and perfected. He is doing what they will be doing! Those who join Him in eternity will not be His equals -- they will still be under Him. However, they will be "like Him" in the world to come (1 John 3:1-3), and "reign with Him" (2 Tim 2:12).
Now, as we see Jesus, He occupies the throne, a place of authority. As a glorified Man, He is doing what God intended for humanity to do -- have charge of His creation. This is God's purpose for man, and Jesus is bringing that purpose to fulfillment. The meek will, in truth, "inherit the earth" (Matt 5:5), as well as "all things" (Rev 21:7).
PRAYER POINT: Father, in the name of Jesus, I thank You for revealing Your purpose for mankind, then granting the means for it to be accomplished.