More about Creation

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Six Days Of Creation
(Continued)

The ELOHIM for God is used throughout the chapter, which is plural in form - now the plural pronoun 'us' is used. One of the most outstanding foreshadowings of the Old Testament, is seen in the New Testament doctrine of the trinity in unity - one Person of the Godhead is addressing another.

Genesis 1:26 "Let Us make man in Our image, according to our likeness."

To understand what it means to be made in the image and likeness of God, look over what this chapter has already revealed about God:

God creates
In the absolute sense man cannot of course, do this. Man can, in a relative sense, by making original combinations from the material in the world put at man's disposal, and introducing beauty and design into such combinations. Man can make music - art - or literature, taking a creative pleasure in them.

God speaks a word
Man has the corresponding gift of language - communication - capable of expressing command - desire - statement or question, and clothing thoughts in such a way as to prove him a rational being. Man is capable of abstract thought, and is self-conscious.

God approves the good
In this chapter God's approval has been given to the inanimate, or to the non-moral, but one of the most obvious characteristics of God in the Bible is His approval of what is morally good and His abhorrence of the morally evil. Man too, is a moral being capable of moral choice and how he chooses decides his ultimate happiness. To be obedient in believing the good news of Jesus Christ, and in embracing the will of God, man ensures eternal and abundant life. In God's image man is a creative, rational, moral being.

God gave man dominion
He was, in the divine counsel, purposed to be God's vice- regent of earth. (Psalm 8:6-8 ). Dominion lost through the Fall - 'but we see Jesus' the last Adam, crowned already with glory and honour as our representative - a fact that pledges and guarantees the accomplishment of God's purpose. We reign in life by one, Jesus Christ (Hebrews 2:6-8. Romans 5:17 ). Only in Christ can man truly regain the image and likeness to God. (Romans 8:29 ).

Male and female He created them
Genesis 1:27 "...In the image of God He created him; male and female He created them."

God's counsel brought decision and action. What He purposes He accomplishes. He created. A bringing out of nothing - made in two sexes - for reproduction - to reflect eternal relationship between Christ and His church (Ephesians 5:25-33 ). Man was blessed and fully provided for (Genesis 1:28-31 ).

Seventh Day Of Rest (Genesis 2:1-3),

Genesis 2:1-3 "Thus the heavens and the earth, and all the host of them, were finished. And on the seventh day God ended His work which He had done, and He rested ... then God blessed the seventh day and sanctified it, because in it He rested from all His work ..."

By resting on the seventh day God established the principle of one day of rest out of the seven. Under law it was demanded of Israel to observe the seventh day as a Sabbath of Rest.

Exodus 20:8 "Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy."

The Sabbath was a sign to Israel of God's covenant relationship. (Exodus 20:8-11; Exodus 31:12-17 ). This is the only one of the ten commandments not repeated after the day of Pentecost. The church made Sunday (the first day) the day of worship commemorating the resurrection of Christ.

Acts 20:7 "Now on the first day of the week, when the disciples came together to break bread ..."

It was the practice of the disciples of Christ to meet for commemoration - fellowship and instruction.

Galatians 4:9-11 "But now after you have known God, or rather are known by God, how is it that you turn again to the weak and beggarly elements, to which you desire again to be in bondage? You observe days and months and seasons and years. I am afraid for you, lest I have laboured for you in vain."

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