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Genesis Chapter
One
I.
Content of the Chapter
The Creation of God
A. God’s creation in the beginning (v.1);
B. God’s judgment (v
C. God’s restored creation:
1. The accordance of God’s creation:
a. The Spirit of God (v.2b);
b. The word of God ---- “God said” (v.3, 6, 9,
14, 20, 24, 26);
2. The first day of the restored creation ----
the separation of light and darkness (v.3-5);
3. The second day of the restored creation ----
the division between waters and waters, and the heavens were made (v.6-8);
4. The third day of the restored creation ----
the separation of waters and the earth, and the plants were made (v.9-13);
5. The fourth day of the restored creation ----
God set the lights such as the sun, the moon, the stars, etc. in the heavens
(v.14-19);
6. The fifth day of the restored creation ----
God made all living creature in waters and in the sky (v.20-23);
7. The sixth day of the restored creation ---- God
made all living creature and man (v.24-31);
II.
Verse by Verse Commentary
Gen. 1:1 “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.”
YLT:
“In the beginning of God's
preparing the heavens and the earth --”
Meaning
of Words: “beginning”: first, principal; “God”: the
mighty one, the supreme God; “create”: (the same word as that in verse 21 and
27) call the things which be not as being (Rom. 4:17; Heb. 11:3);
Literal
Meaning: “beginning”: it is
the beginning of the time.
“God”: the faithful and mighty one. It is in the plural in the original,
suggesting God is the God of Holy Trinity.
“Heavens” include the sky and the space and the third heaven (see 2Cor.
12:2).
“Earth”: the earth in which we are inhabited.
This verse mentions the creation of God in the beginning. In modern
times, the ancient fossils dug out of the earth were creatures created in the
beginning.
Enlightenment
in the Word:
1) God is the God existing “in the beginning”. He
is before all and is the God of I AM THAT I AM (Ex. 3:14).
2) “In the beginning God” ---- Let everything of us be started by God and
let Him have the preeminence in everything of us (Col.1:18).
3) God is the creator of all things. He is the almighty God (Gen. 17:1)
who calls the things which are not as being.
4) God stretches forth the heavens and lays the foundation of the earth
for the preparation of forming man (Zech. 12:1; Is. 45:18). Man is the center
of God’s creature.
Gen. 1:2 “The earth was without form, and void; and darkness was on
the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the
waters.”
YLT: “the earth hath existed waste and void, and
darkness [is] on the face of the deep, and the Spirit of God fluttering on the
face of the waters,”
Meaning
of Words: “was”: become, turn to; “without form”:
empty place, vain, confusion; “void”: empty, void, vacuity; “deep”: abyss; “hover
over”: move gently, shake, flutter, brood;
Literal
Meaning: there was an interval
of rather long time between verse one and two. In the original there is a “but”
in the beginning of verse two, which shows that the earth God had originally
created was not “without form and void” but became so afterwards.
According to the Holy Scriptures, the earth God created was kept in
beautiful order after precise measurement and was not as waste (Is. 45:18). Therefore,
the condition of waste was because of the judgment of God, because the archangel
desired to life up him to God and led some angels and living creatures on the
earth to rebel against God. Therefore, they were judged by God and the earth
became without form and void. And the archangel himself became Satan, and the
angels became the evil and unclean spirits (Is. 14:12-15; Ezek. 28:15-19; Rev.
12:49).
“The deep”, the word shows that God judged the previous world by waters
and the waters had deeply covered the whole earth (2Pet. 3:6).
“Darkness”, it indicates that God had sealed up the lights in the
heavens when he judged (Job. 9:7).
The last half of this verse is a turning point ---- after the judgment
of God, God began to do the restoring works. And the restoring works were done
by His Spirit ---- “the Spirit of God was hovering over the face
of the waters” ---- “was hovering
over”, it contains the meaning of loving-kindness and tenderness (Deut. 32:11).
Spiritual
Meaning: the first half of
this verse typified our condition before we were saved. Concerning our personal
situation, it was “without form”: poor and ugly. And as regards our function
before God, it was “void”: useless and barren. Therefore, man was under the
waters of God’s judgment ---- “the deep”, and fell in the power of “darkness”
(Eph. 6:12; Col. 1:13) ---- what a miserable condition!
This verse also mentions our regeneration by water and the Spirit (John
3:3-6). We have been buried with the Lord by baptism unto His death (
Enlightenment
in the Word:
1) God is a God of judging sins ---- after the judgment
of God, the earth became without form and void (Ex. 20:5-6).
2) God is a God who turns death to life ---- He turned vanity into
fullness of life and light (Rom. 4:17).
3) God is a God who is both the leader and completer ---- He created and
restored (Rev. 21:6).
4) God is a God who is righteous and kind ---- He judged and then
restored (1John 1:9).
5) The Spirit is working continually in believers’ hearts so that we are
enabled to lead a holy life according to His will (Eph. 3:20; Phil. 2:13).
Gen. 1:3 “Then God said, “Let there be light”; and there was light.”
YLT: “and God saith, `Let light be;' and light
is.”
Literal
Meaning: “God said”, the
worlds were framed by the word of God (Heb. 11:3).
“Let there be light”; and there was light”, “light”, the “light” was always there,
not created afterwards. Here it emphasizes that the restoring works of God
started from light which was opposite to darkness. God recovered everything by
light. The modern science has also proved that light is indispensible to all
creatures.
Spiritual
Meaning: “light” typifies
that Christ is the light of the world (John 9:5; 8:12; 1:4-9; 12:46). Only when
the light of the glory of Christ’s gospel has shone upon us, will we be saved
(2Cor. 4, 6).
Enlightenment
in the Word:
1) God spoke, and it was done. He commanded, and it
stood fast (Ps. 33:9). Nothing
shall be impossible with God (Luke 1:37).
2) Our regeneration is by the living and abiding word of God (1Pet.
1:23).
3) God’s word is the light of man’s life (John 1:1, 4). The entrance of
God’s word gives light (Ps. 119:130).
4) Light is not only the source of life but also the source of truth
(2Cor. 4:6) and joy (Eccl. 11:7) and purity (1John 1:5-7).
5) We were the people sitting in darkness and in the region and shadow
of death, but there was a great light shinning upon us (Matt. 4:16).
6) When the light shines upon us, the nature of darkness will be exposed
and then we will turn from darkness to God.
7) If we desire to help those who are in darkness and sins, we have to
preach the word of God to them.
8) The main reason for the desolation of the church is that many
preachers preach merely words of theological doctrines or social welfare,
instead of the word of God.
9) Human word should be put into practice. But the divine word itself is
action. Therefore, the word of God should be fulfilled without deeds. The word
of God is faithful forever.
10) From the first three verses of this chapter, there is “God”, and “the
Spirit of God” and “God said” (namely, the word of God, see John 1:1-3). Here
we can see the Holy Trinity.
Gen. 1:4 “And God saw the light, that it was good; and God divided the light from the darkness.”
YLT:
“And God seeth the light that
good, and God separateth between the light and the darkness,”
Spiritual
Meaning: God is not only a
God who abides in light (1Tim. 6:16) but also more He Himself is light. In Him
there is no darkness (1John 1:5). Therefore, darkness symbolizes sins (John
3:19) and all things opposite to God (Luke 22:53).
Enlightenment
in the Word:
1) “God saw the light, that it was good”. All his works throughout the generations
are bringing all things to His light (Rev. 21:23-25; 22:5).
2) If we walk and abide in “light”, we will please God.
3) God appreciates His own works, not human works. Therefore, let God
works on us first, and then our works will be pleased by God.
4) God does not like “void”, but likes “separation”. He will separate
all things of Him from all that are of the devil, and all that are of the light
from that of darkness.
5) Whoever desires both light and darkness, his testimony must be void.
6) Man in darkness will be naturally void. Therefore, only when one is
separated from darkness, can he get away from the void situation.
7) The light of God always does separation works. Wherever is shone by
the light of God, there must be separation.
8) The separation of light and darkness pleases God (Is. 5:20; 2Cor.
6:14; Eph. 5:8-14).
9) Whenever the true light of the Lord shines upon man’s heart, he will
be enabled to clearly distinguish between light and darkness, good and evil,
and right and wrong.
Gen. 1:5 “God called the light Day, and the darkness He called Night.
So the evening and the morning were the first day.”
YLT:
“and God calleth to the light
`Day,' and to the darkness He hath called `Night;' and there is an evening, and
there is a morning -- day one.”
Literal
Meaning: “the first day” here
does not refer to a period of time, but twenty four hours.
It is “evening” first and then “morning”, for the darkness was first and
then the light shone.
“Called”: name someone or something to show the ownership (Gen. 17:5,
15; 41:45; 2King 23:34; Dan. 1:7).
Enlightenment
in the Word:
1) God is a God of counsel and of order. Let
believers also learn from God in conversation and thus let all things be done
decently and with order (1Cor. 14:40).
2) We believers who are saved are sons of light and sons of day (1Thess.
5:5). However, if we do not walk in light, we may still fall into spiritual
darkness of night (John 12:35; Rom. 13:12-13; Eph. 5:8-12).
3) Thanks God. Though we may be overtaken in a fault (Gal. 6:1) and
enter into the spiritual night (“evening”), if we are willing to confess our
sins and repent, we will still be forgiven (1John 1:9) and have bright morning.
Gen. 1:6 “Then God said, “Let there be a firmament in the midst of
the waters, and let it divide the waters from the waters.””
YLT: “And God saith, `Let an expanse be in the
midst of the waters, and let it be separating between waters and waters.'”
Meaning
of Words: “firmament”: expanse, visible arch of the sky
Literal
Meaning: there is a layer of aerosphere
covering the earth, namely, “the aerosphere” called by the scientists. Waters in
the cloud layer of the aerosphere are called “waters in the heavens” (Ps.
148:4). God divides the waters from the waters by physical principles.
Enlightenment
in the Word:
1) Spiritually speaking, there are differences
between the above waters and the earthly waters ---- whoever drinks of the
earthly water shall thirst again. Whoever drinks of the water which the Lord
shall give shall never thirst forever (John 4:13-14).
2) The word of God makes us know the difference between what is above
and what is on the earth ---- have our mind on the things above, instead of
things on the earth (Col. 3:2-3).
3) May God deliver us more from things “on the earth”, e.g. sins (
Gen. 1:7 “Thus God made the firmament, and divided the waters which were under the firmament from the
waters which were above the
firmament; and it was so.”
YLT:
“And God maketh the expanse,
and it separateth between the waters which under the expanse, and the waters
which above the expanse: and it is so.”
Meaning
of Words: “made”: do, set, bring forth, furnish;
Literal
Meaning: here the word “made”
is different from “create” in verse one. “Create” is calling things which are
not as being; “make”: it is setting or furnishing things that have been
ready-made (v. 16, 25, 26, 31);
Enlightenment
in the Word:
1) “And it was so”, nothing is impossible to God,
so let us commit all things unto Him.
2) Everything shall be even as it was said by God. Therefore, what is
really important is whether we have the “word” of God.
3) Even though the work God has started is sometimes difficult, He will
fulfill it.
Gen. 1:8 “And God called the firmament Heaven. So the evening and the
morning were the second day.”
YLT:
“And God calleth to the
expanse `Heavens;' and there is an evening, and there is a morning -- day
second.”
Literal
Meaning: there are three
meanings of “heaven” in the scriptures: 1) the heaven (Gen. 7:11); 2) the
heavens (Ezek. 2:7); 3) the third heaven (2Cor. 12:2). This verse refers to the
heaven.
Note that God has not said “it was good”, for the spiritual of
wickedness was still in the heavenly places (Eph. 6:12).
Enlightenment
in the Word: the
mission of believers is to cast off Satan from the heavenly places he occupied
(Rev. 12:12) so that the will of God will be done perfectly (Dan. 10:12-13).
Gen. 1:9 “Then God said, “Let the waters under the heavens be
gathered together into one place, and let the dry land appear”; and it was so.”
YLT: “And God saith, `Let the waters under the
heavens be collected unto one place, and let the dry land be seen:' and it is
so.”
Literal
Meaning: all the oceans on the earth are interlinked. God made the land appear for
the living creatures and human beings.
“And let the dry land appear”, the land
existed firstly and then was covered by water because of judgment.
Spiritual
Meaning: in the holy Scriptures, “land” symbolizes man’s heart (Luke 8:15), and “sea”
symbolizes the power of death (Rev. 20:13). God not only separated the sea and
the land but also set the boundary of sea (Pro. 8:29), controlling the power of
death.
Enlightenment
in the Word:
1) Only when man’s heart is free from the power of
death, will life be grown in his heart.
2) Keep your heart more than anything that is guarded, for out of it are
the issues of life (Pro. 4:23).
Gen. 1:10 “And God called the dry
land Earth, and the gathering together of the waters He called Seas. And God
saw that it was good.”
YLT:
“And God calleth to the dry
land `Earth,' and to the collection of the waters He hath called `Seas;' and
God seeth that good.”
Meaning
of Words: “Seas”: waters;
Enlightenment
in the Word:
1) God always does separating works. The work of
the first day is separating light from darkness. And the work of the second day
is separating what is above from what is on the earth. And the third work of
the third work is separating the land from the sea.
2) God gives proper names to things that He has separated. If we have
really been sanctified unto Him, He will call us by name (John 10:3).
Gen. 1:11 “Then God said, "Let
the earth bring forth grass, the herb that yields seed, and the fruit tree that
yields fruit according to its kind, whose seed is in itself, on the
earth"; and it was so.”
YLT: “And God saith, `Let the earth yield tender
grass, herb sowing seed, fruit-tree (whose seed in itself) making fruit after
its kind, on the earth:' and it is so.”
Meaning
of Words: “bring forth”: spring; “yield”: produce;
Literal
Meaning: “according to its kind”, the four words have been mentioned ten times in
this chapter, showing that every creature was made by God according to its
kind, instead of evolution.
Spiritual
Meaning: the etymon of “land” means “breaking”. If the land of our heart is ploughed
by the Holy Spirit, the hard land will be softened and become the suitable soil
for growth. The green land will be full of fresh life.
Moreover, all the plants will bear much
fruit (John 12:24), symbolizing the life of God will bear the fruit of life
(Gal. 5:22-23; Eph.5:9) to glorify God (Phil. 1:11; Rom. 7:4).
Enlightenment
in the Word:
1) “Let the earth bring forth”, the
2) Life appears because of the separation of light and darkness, and the
above and the earth, and the sea and the land. Where there is no separation,
there is no life. The beginning of spiritual life is the separation according
to the will of God.
3) “Seed” and “fruit” with the seed show the continuance of life.
Believers on the earth shall also spare more effort to preach the gospel to let
the life of God pass on.
4) “According to its kind”, it indicates that the spiritual life has the
nature of separation and repels chaos. The divine life accepts the fellowship
of the same life only (see 2Cor. 6:14-18).
5) “Whose
seed is in itself”, all the fruit of
life can yield their life. Love yield love, and joy yields joy.
Gen. 1:12 “And the earth brought forth
grass, the herb that yields seed according to its kind, and the tree that
yields fruit, whose seed is in itself according to its kind. And God saw that
it was good.”
YLT: “And the earth bringeth forth tender grass,
herb sowing seed after its kind, and tree making fruit (whose seed in itself)
after its kind; and God seeth that good;”
Enlightenment
in the Word:
1) All situations of life are according to the will
and word of God. Therefore, it is good in God’s sight.
2) God pleases that we are enabled to manifest His divine life (2Tim.
1:10; Phil. 1:20).
Gen. 1:13 “So the evening and the
morning were the third day.”
YLT: “and there is an evening, and there is a
morning -- day third.”
Enlightenment
in the Word:
1) Christ rose on the third day (1Cor. 15:4). If we
have died with him, we shall also live together (2Tim. 2:11).
2) If we are regenerated on the first day and die with Him on the second
day, we will surely live with Him on the third day (1Cor. 15:4; Rom. 6:5) and
get full life. Regeneration gives us the new life. However, the Lord desires us
to have more abundant life (John 10:10), so we have to get the experience on
the second day and the third day.
Gen. 1:14 “Then God said, "Let
there be lights in the firmament of the heavens to divide the day from the
night; and let them be for signs and seasons, and for days and years;”
YLT:
“And God saith, `Let
luminaries be in the expanse of the heavens, to make a separation between the
day and the night, then they have been for signs, and for seasons, and for days
and years,”
Meaning
of Words: “sign”: miracle, token; “season”: appointed
time, solemn feast;
Literal
Meaning: “divide
the day from the night”, divide according to whether the earth is toward the sun or back to the
sun;
“Signs”, to appoint the
east and west and south and west and hours according to the positions of the
sun and the moon and the stars;
“Seasons”: sprint, summer, autumn and winter;
“Days”, the earth
rotation of one circle is one day.
“Years”, the earth
revolution of one circle is one year.
Spiritual
Meaning: “heavens”, it speaks of
our position in the heaven. If we believers have really died and risen with the
Lord, we will be made sit down together in the heavens with the Lord (Eph.
2:6).
“Lights” refer to the heavenly
function of believers. If we believers stand on the ascended position, we will
have the following functions:
1. “Divide
the day from the night”, let the world see
the difference between light and darkness (2Cor. 6:14; Rom. 13:12-13; Eph.
5:8).
2. “Signs”, manifest the signs and tokens of God
before the world so that when the world sees us, as though it sees God (Gen.
33:10; Phil. 1:20; 1Cor. 6:20).
3. “Seasons,
and for days and years”, maintain the authority and order of God in the earth full of chaos
(1Cor. 14:33, 40).
Enlightenment
in the Word: we are light of the world. Let our light shine before men (Matt. 5:16).
Gen. 1:15 “and let them be for
lights in the firmament of the heavens to give light on the earth"; and it
was so.”
YLT: “and they have been for luminaries in the
expanse of the heavens to give light upon the earth:' and it is so.”
Enlightenment
in the Word:
1) When the lights shine, they are not for their
own profit, but for illuminating the whole earth and bringing light to men.
Therefore, let us also care for the profit of others.
2) The higher the lights are above the earth, the wider and further they
will shine. The more distant believers are from the earth, the closer they are
to God, and the more people will see our light.
3) God’s word is the origin of light. Therefore, let us often take heed
to the word of God until the light may shine in our hearts (2Pet. 1:19).
Gen. 1:16 “Then God made two great
lights: the greater light to rule the day, and the lesser light to rule the
night. He made the stars also.”
YLT:
“And God maketh the two great
luminaries, the great luminary for the rule of the day, and the small luminary
-- and the stars -- for the rule of the night;”
Meaning
of Words: “make”: do, set, appoint;
Literal
Meaning: “the greater light” refers to the sun. “The lesser light” refers to the
moon.
Generally, it is believers among Bible
expositors that the sun and the moon and stars had been created “in the
beginning” in verse one of this chapter. However, after God’s judgment, the
earth was full of thick vapors and clouds so that the sun could not shine upon
the earth, so it was full of darkness. On the first day, God divided the day
and night by the sun (v.3). And on the fourth day, the sun and the moon and the
stars presented their respective function according to the position and natural
rules “made” by God.
Spiritual
Meaning: “the sun” typifies Christ (Mal. 4:2), and the moon typifies the church,
and the stars typify individual believers (Rev. 1:20; Phil. 2:15-16; Dan.
12:3).
Enlightenment
in the Word:
1) The brilliancy of the church and believers is
out of the glory of the Lord (2Cor. 3:18). Therefore, let us often look on the
Lord.
2) When the church is desolate (the night without moonlight), individual
believers (stars) need to appear as lights (Phil. 2:15).
Gen. 1:17 “God set them in the
firmament of the heavens to give light on the earth,”
YLT:
“and God giveth them in the
expanse of the heavens to give light upon the earth,”
Meaning
of Words: “set”: appoint, lay;
Enlightenment
in the Word:
1) It is just light the lights will work according
to the positions and orbits “appointed” by God. Believers shall also live and
work in the orbit of God’s will so that they shall be used by God.
2) Only when believers have held the heavenly position, shall they shine
upon the darkness on the earth.
Gen. 1:18 “and to rule over the day
and over the night, and to divide the light from the darkness. And God saw that
it was good.”
YLT: “and to rule over day and over night, and to
make a separation between the light and the darkness; and God seeth that good;”
Enlightenment
in the Word:
1) God entrusts the authority of “ruling over the
night” to the church and believers. In such dark night, let us pay attention to
our conversation lest we should be reproved by the Lord (Rom. 13:12-13).
2) If we fail to let world know the difference between light and
darkness, we cannot please God.
Gen. 1:19 “So the evening and the
morning were the fourth day.”
YLT: “and there is an evening, and there is a
morning -- day fourth.”
Enlightenment
in the Word: no matter how deep the night is, the morning will come. Darkness must go
over, and dawn will appear. Therefore, let us not lose heart.
Gen. 1:20 “Then God said, "Let
the waters abound with an abundance of living creatures, and let birds fly
above the earth across the face of the firmament of the heavens."”
YLT:
“And God saith, `Let the
waters teem with the teeming living creature, and fowl let fly on the earth on
the face of the expanse of the heavens.'”
Meaning
of Words: “abound”: full of; “living creatures”:
living souls; “birds”: creatures that can fly;
Literal
Meaning: “waters” refer to seas and lakes and rivers;
Spiritual
Meaning: “waters”, it symbolizes the sphere of death;
“Living creatures in the waters”
symbolize the victorious life free from the power of death;
“Birds”, it means that life can
overcome the earthly entanglements and live in the heavenly sphere.
Gen. 1:21 “So God created great sea
creatures and every living thing that moves, with which the waters abounded,
according to their kind, and every winged bird according to its kind. And God
saw that it was good.”
YLT:
“And God prepareth the great
monsters, and every living creature that is creeping, which the waters have
teemed with, after their kind, and every fowl with wing, after its kind, and
God seeth that good.”
Meaning
of Words: “great sea creatures”: great monsters; “living thing”: living soul;
Literal
Meaning: plants have only physical “bodies”, but the animals have not only
physical “bodies” but also “living souls”.
Gen. 1:22 “And God blessed them,
saying, "Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the waters in the seas, and
let birds multiply on the earth."”
YLT: “And God blesseth them, saying, `Be fruitful,
and multiply, and fill the waters in the seas, and the fowl let multiply in the
earth:'”
Meaning
of Words: “bless”: praise, salute; “fill”: teem with;
Enlightenment
in the Word:
1) God blesses when there is life, and does not
bless lifeless things. Therefore, the more we have living life, the more will
we be blessed.
2) In the church, if we have only external activities but lack the
living life, we will not be blessed.
Gen. 1:23 “So the evening and the
morning were the fifth day.”
YLT: “and there is an evening, and there is a
morning -- day fifth.”
Gen. 1:24 “Then God said, "Let
the earth bring forth the living creature according to its kind: cattle and
creeping thing and beast of the earth, each according to its kind"; and it
was so.”
YLT: “And God saith, `Let the earth bring forth
the living creature after its kind, cattle and creeping thing, and beast of the
earth after its kind:' and it is so.”
Meaning
of Words: “bring forth”: bear out, yield; “the living creature”: living soul;
Literal
Meaning: “cattle”, the animals that can be trained by human beings;
“Creeping
thing” include huge creeping thing;
“Beast of the earth”, the animals that cannot
be tamed by human beings;
Gen. 1:25 “And God made the beast of
the earth according to its kind, cattle according to its kind, and everything
that creeps on the earth according to its kind. And God saw that it was good.”
YLT:
“And God maketh the beast of
the earth after its kind, and the cattle after their kind, and every creeping
thing of the ground after its kind, and God seeth that good.”
Literal
Meaning: “according to its
kind”, it is repeatedly mentioned in the descriptions of all creatures. Therefore,
all the species of the plants and animals are created and ruled by God and
never become disordered. For instance, mule is born of horse and mute, but mule
cannot reproduce.
Enlightenment
in the Word: that “God saw that it was good” is mentioned again and again in this
chapter. If God sees all His creatures, He will also see and judge all that we
have done.
Gen. 1:26 “Then God said, "Let
Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; let them have dominion
over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over the cattle, over
all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth."”
YLT:
“And God saith, `Let Us make
man in Our image, according to Our likeness, and let them rule over fish of the
sea, and over fowl of the heavens, and over cattle, and over all the earth, and
over every creeping thing that is creeping on the earth.'”
Meaning
of Words: “image”: resemblance; “likeness”: image; “have
dominion over”: prevail against, rule;
Literal
Meaning: “Us”, the plural
form refers to the Holy Trinity.
This verse suggests the Holy Trinity was rather cautious in making man
so they held a holy meeting.
“Image”: the inner disposition, including intellect and affection and
will.
“Likeness”: the external physique;
God “formed” the body of man by the dust of the ground (Gen. 2:7).
Spiritual
Meaning: this verse indicates
the three purposes of God’s making man: 1) let man manifest God; 2) let man
rule all things on behalf of God; 3) let man deal with the enemy of God ---- every creeping thing (Luke 10:18-19).
Enlightenment
in the Word:
1) “Let Us”, it shows that man is what God needs.
2) Let believers imitate the image of Christ (
3) We will be like Him one day in future (1John 3:2).
Gen. 1:27 “So God created man in His own image; in the image of God He
created him; male and female He created them.”
YLT: “And God prepareth the man in His image; in
the image of God He prepared him, a male and a female He prepared them.”
Literal
Meaning: the previous verse
speaks of the meeting of God’s making man, and this verse refers to the implementation
of God’s making man.
“His image” and “the image of God” both refer to the image of the Son of
God, for only the second person of the Holy Trinity has image ---- Christ is
the image of God (
Here “make” in the original Hebrew is “create”, for it emphasizes that
man’s spiritual life was created by God’s breath (Gen. 2:7).
Gen. 1:28 “Then God blessed them, and God said to them, “Be fruitful
and multiply; fill the earth and subdue it; have dominion over the fish of the
sea, over the birds of the air, and over every living thing that moves on the
earth.””
YLT: “And God blesseth them, and God saith to
them, `Be fruitful, and multiply, and fill the earth, and subdue it, and rule
over fish of the sea, and over fowl of the heavens, and over every living thing
that is creeping upon the earth.'”
Meaning
of Words: “subdue”: conquer, bring into subjection; “have
dominion over”: rule, prevail against;
Literal
Meaning: “subdue it” and “have
dominion over … every living thing” are both works God has entrusted to man.
God wants man to rule on the earth on behalf of Him.
“Have dominion over the sea … the air … on the earth”, according to the
modern saying, God has set man to be the leader of the army and navy and air
forces.
Enlightenment
in the Word:
1) “And
God said to them”, it shows that man
is the object of God’s speaking, for only man has spirit and is able to have
fellowship with God and hear God’s commandments.
2) God created the heavens and all things on the earth before man so
that man was able to enjoy all things, lacking nothing. Therefore, man is the
center and purpose of God’s creation.
3) God wants to let man “be
fruitful and multiply and fill the earth”. This is the significance of man’s living
on the earth. How vain the earth without man is!
Gen. 1:29 “And God said, “See, I have given you every herb that yields
seed which is on the face of all the earth, and every tree whose fruit yields
seed; to you it shall be for food.”
YLT: “And God saith, `Lo, I have given to you
every herb sowing seed, which upon the face of all the earth, and every tree in
which the fruit of a tree sowing seed, to you it is for food;”
Literal
Meaning: before the fall of
man, God ordained man to eat vegetables only. After the flood man was allowed
to eat meat (Gen. 9:3).
Enlightenment
in the Word:
1) Man is not only made by God, but in God man
lives and moves and exists (Acts 17:28).
2) All our living necessities are from God, so let us enjoy them in a
heart of gratitude.
3) God not only takes the responsibility of the needs of all those who
are of God but also supplies them more than enough.
Gen. 1:30 “Also, to every beast of the earth, to every bird of the
air, and to everything that creeps on the earth, in which there is life, I have
given every green herb for food”; and it was so.”
YLT:
“and to every beast of the
earth, and to every fowl of the heavens, and to every creeping thing on the
earth, in which breath of life, every green herb for food:' and it is so.”
Literal
Meaning: beasts at that time
were docile and ate vegetables. After the fall of man, strong animals prey upon
weaker ones. When the one thousand years of the kingdom comes, the wild beasts
will be docile as they were firstly made again (Is. 11:6-9).
Gen. 1:31 “Then God saw everything that He had made, and indeed it was
very good. So the evening and the morning were the sixth day.”
YLT:
“And God seeth all that He
hath done, and lo, very good; and there is an evening, and there is a morning
-- day the sixth.”
Meaning
of Words: “very”: much, greatly
Literal
Meaning: God said only “good”
in the first several days, but here he said “very good” after he made man. Therefore,
man was the center of God’s creation. Only man can really satisfy God’s will.
Enlightenment
in the Word: man is the
workmanship of God and is the center of God’s creation. Therefore, let us keep
our noble position and not fall short of God’s glory.
III.
Outlines of the Spiritual Lessons
See Believers’ Regeneration from the Restored
Creation of the Six Days
A. The first day: the working of God’s Spirit
opens the word of God and the light shines upon man’s heart so that man turns
from darkness to light (v.2b-5);
B. The second day: be able to separate things
above and things on the earth (v.6-8; Col. 3:2-3);
C. The third day: separate from the power of
death (the waters of the sea) so that the land of heart is suitable to yield
fruit of life (v.9-13; Matt. 13:8);
D. The fourth day: hold the heavenly position
and shine upon the dark world (v.14-19; Phil. 2:15-16; Matt. 5:14-16);
E. The fifth day: the power of life is manifested
to overcome the dead environment (“in the waters”) and the earthly entanglements
(“fly above the earth”) and lead a victorious life (v.20-23);
F. The sixth day: the mature life will be able
to manifest the image of God and have dominion over the earth on behalf of God
(“have dominion over”, “subdue”) and deal with the enemy of God “the creeping
thing” so as to satisfy God (v.24-31);
Means of God’s Creation
A. By the Spirit of God ---- “the
Spirit of God was hovering over…” (v.2);
B. Out of the word of God --- “God said” (v.3,
6, 9, 11, 20, 24, 26);
C. Through the hand of God ---- “God made”
(v.7, 16, 21, 25, 27);
Sorts of God’s Creation
A. According to the meaning of the original:
1. “Creation” from nothing (v.1, 21, 27);
2. “Making” new things from existing things
(v.7, 16, 25, 26, 31);
3. “Making a image or form” (2:7) like the
potter makes vessels by the clay;
B. According to the category:
1. Material things (v.1);
2. Life (v.21);
3. Human beings (v.27);
The Center and Purpose of God’s Creation
A. Man is the center of God’s creation:
1. The holy Trinity held a meeting for the
purpose of making man ---- “Let Us …” (v.26);
2. God rewarded all things He had made to man
to rule and to be his food (v.26, 28-29).
3. God did not say very good until he made man
(v.31).
B. The purpose of God’s making man:
1. Let man to manifest His image (v.26-27);
2. Let man have His authority ---- “subdue …
have dominion” (v.26, 28);
3. Let man deal with His enemy ---- “the
creeping thing” (v.26);
──
Caleb Huang《Christian Digest Bible
Commentary Series》
Translated by Mary Zhou