The Crown Of Creation

[dave c]

HEALING SHELTER MINISTRIES #131aaf Re-Written 06JUN09

Save Me Today—Part Fifty Eight: The Crown Of Creation

by rev dave c

Genesis 1:26 Then God said, "Let us make man in our image, in our likeness, and let them 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." 27 So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them. 28 God blessed them and said to them, "Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it. Rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air and over every living creature that moves on the ground." (NIV).

There is so much wonder and mystery in these three short verses from the First Chapter of Genesis. It is immediately suggested that 'Elohiym (the one true God from Genesis 1:1) is a plurality of persons Whom we come to understand in the New Testament to be God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit—the Trinity. We witness the Godhead announce, and then bring into being, the first man and the first woman as made in His image and in His likeness. Unlike any of His other creatures, they were created a tripartite coadunation of body, mind and spirit; and they were given the attributes of discernment, communication, and volition. From the outset, it is apparent that Mankind was designed to be unique in this world as a symbol, a representative, of God, Himself, and that they were commissioned to have dominion over this piece of galactic real estate as a small measure of the very dominion that the Creator exercises over all of Creation.

These passages also make it clear that when God told Adam and Eve to take full authority over all the Earth and all it contains, it was not a casual request. In fact, when verse 28 says, “God blessed them and said to them…’, the word translated as “said” is from the Hebrew word ‘amar (#559) and it carries the same impact as used throughout the six days of creation when we are told, “And God said, ‘Let there be…and there was...”. The first couple were not being asked to take control of the Earth, it was a Divine mandate. In both verses 26 and 28 God says that we are to “rule over the fishes of the sea and the birds of the air and every living creature that moves on the ground” In so doing we are being told that we are to dominate the entire environment of this planet—all of the land, all of the oceans, and all of the atmosphere—and all that they contain. To this very day we continue to work to fulfill this command as we explore every square inch of dirt and rock, dive deeper and deeper into watery darkness, and adventure out into more and more of the space that surrounds us.

When God says in verses 26 & 28 that humanity is to rule over the animals and over all the earth, “rule” is from the Hebrew word “radah” (#7287), meaning: “A primitive root; to tread down [as in a winepress with the feet], i.e. subjugate; specifically, to crumble off: KJV--(come to, make to) have dominion, prevail against, reign, (bear, make to) rule,(-r, over), take. Similarly, we are to “subdue the earth”, where subdue is from kabash (#3533): “A primitive root; to tread down; hence, negatively, to disregard; positively, to conquer, subjugate, violate: KJV--bring into bondage, force, keep under, subdue, bring into subjection.”

It should be apparent that Adam and Eve’s ruling and subduing the Earth was not to be a passive activity. They were to overcome all struggles, obstacles, and opposition in their efforts to bring their corner of Creation under submission. I am reminded of Christ’s words in Matthew 11:12, From the days of John the Baptist until now, the kingdom of heaven has been forcefully advancing, and forceful men lay hold of it (NIV). In some Bible versions the word used for forceful,is powerful, or even violent. A parallel verse occurs in Luke at 16:16, "The Law and the Prophets were proclaimed until John. Since that time, the good news of the kingdom of God is being preached, and everyone is forcing his way into it. Since John the Baptist (and Jesus) began to proclaim, “Repent, for the Kingdom of Heaven is near!” (NIV), the Kingdom has been pressing/forcing its way into this world against all of the opposition that the systems of Man and Satan can place against it. In the same manner, everyone who hears and who wants to accept the Gospel Message of Salvation must forcefully overcome all obstacles thrown into his, or her, way—whether those obstructions are from the world, from the Church, or from within the person’s own mind and heart.

From the very beginning (not just since “the fall” of Genesis Chapter Three), men and women have been designed and consigned to explore, work, and have mastery over all of nature—and in the face of unspecified struggles. While the words of King David in Psalm 8 ring true in what we have learned of mankind’s origins, they were not fully realized until the advent of Jesus Christ upon the Earth as 100% the Son of God and 100% the Son of Man: “O LORD, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth! You have set your glory above the heavens. From the lips of children and infants you have ordained praise because of your enemies, to silence the foe and the avenger. When I consider your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars, which you have set in place, what is man that you are mindful of him, the son of man that you care for him? You made him a little lower than the heavenly beings and crowned him with glory and honor. You made him ruler over the works of your hands; you put everything under his feet: all flocks and herds, and the beasts of the field, the birds of the air, and the fish of the sea, all that swim the paths of the seas. O LORD, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth! (NIV)” Amen, and amen.