ADAM: MADE IN THE IMAGE OF GOD

ADAM

MADE IN THE IMAGE OF GOD

Susie: Mankind was God’s plan from the beginning. God created everything mankind would need to survive, even to thrive, before He created the first man. Once He saw that everything was “good,” that all the necessary items were in place, He proceeded with His ultimate design, people.

Genesis 1:26-28 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. And God blessed them, and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth.

Susan: Only humanity was created in God’s image and likeness. Note the plural, “Let us make man in our image.” This is a reference to the Trinity. We see in the Gospel of John that Jesus was the active agent in creation:

John 1:1-3 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God. All things were made by him; and without him was not anything made that was made.

Susan: God is triune in nature—Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. He created mankind with a triune aspect as well—body, soul, and spirit.

Susie: God gave the people He created some assignments— 1) procreate; 2) replenish and subdue the earth; 3) rule over the fish, birds, and animals. The way God formed the first human also sets him apart from the other creatures.

Genesis 2:7 (KJV) And the Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath⁵³⁹⁷ of life; and man became a living soul.

Susan: The animals came to exist by God speaking them into being. But the creation of man was different. God, with His very own hands, made the man from simple dirt. God got up close and personal with the newly formed man and breathed into him the breath of life, and the man became a living soul. God shared His very life-breath with the man of clay in order to vitalize him. The word “breath” in this verse can be translated “spirit” or “inspiration.”

Susie: The vitality God breathed into man included the spirit necessary to communicate with God who is spirit. We do not receive the Holy Spirit until we surrender to Jesus, but the fact that God has breathed life into us makes us capable of recognizing and receiving the Lord.

Susan: Without God’s breath, we would be statues or manikins.

Susie: Or like robots, unable to think for ourselves, only able to do the tasks for which we were programmed.

Susan: We would be unable to feel or establish empathetic relationships. That relational ability is evidence we are made in His image.

Susie: When Jesus ascended back to Heaven, He assured the disciples they would not be left alone but would be empowered to serve Him. He placed the Holy Spirit within them on the day of Pentecost, breathed new life into them, and we receive that same breath of God the moment we surrender our lives to Him, trusting Him alone for salvation.

Acts 1:8 But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.

Acts 2:1-4a And when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one accord in one place. And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting. And there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire, and it sat upon each of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost

Susie: God breathed physical life into Adam, and that same God breathes spiritual life into those who become His children by trusting in Christ Jesus.

Genesis 2:16-17 And the Lord God commanded the man, saying, Of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat: But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die.

Susan: The Lord told Adam he could eat from every tree in the garden but one, the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. Note here that Eve was not yet created, let alone present when this command was given.

Susie: The penalty for eating from the forbidden tree was extremely stiff: DEATH. God generously provided a variety of fruit trees for Adam’s nourishment and pleasure and only one that he was not to taste.

Genesis 2:18-25 (KJV) And the Lord God said, It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him an help meet for him. And out of the ground the Lord God formed every beast of the field, and every fowl of the air; and brought them unto Adam to see what he would call them: and whatsoever Adam called every living creature, that was the name thereof. And Adam gave names to all cattle, and to the fowl of the air, and to every beast of the field; but for Adam there was not found an help meet for him. And the Lord God caused a deep sleep to fall upon Adam, and he slept: and he took one of his ribs, and closed up the flesh instead thereof; And the rib, which the Lord God had taken from man, made he a woman, and brought her unto the man. And Adam said, This is now bone of my bones, and flesh of my flesh: she shall be called Woman, because she was taken out of Man. Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh. And they were both naked, the man and his wife, and were not ashamed.

Susie: Since God created us to be relational beings, He knew Adam needed a partner to enjoy life with him. God made all kinds of animals, and Adam named each one as he saw fit, but none of them put a spark in Adam’s eye or revved up his heartbeat.

Susan: Man did not find his equal among the animals. Man needed a “helper.” The Hebrew word is ezer-kanegdo which means a helper suitable and complementary to him in every way. The word ezer also referred to God as the Helper of Israel. The term implies a role of equality and not subordination. God miraculously anesthetized Adam with no ether or a face mask. He then performed the first surgery, the removal of one of Adam’s ribs. From that rib, God made another human being. Adam took a look at her and called her woman. He would later name her Eve:

Genesis 3:20 (AMP) The man named his wife Eve (life spring, life giver), because she was the mother of all the living.

Susie: Adam and Eve were both naked but in complete innocence, they felt no shame.

Susan: What a wonderful time that must have been—no shame! However, that state was short-lived.

QUESTIONS FOR

ADAM – MADE IN THE IMAGE OF GOD

1. To whom does the pronoun “us” refer in Genesis 1:26? Why is this significant?

2. In whose image were human beings created?

3. What tasks did God assign to the first man and woman?

4. To which member of the Trinity does the Apostle John attribute creation?

5. When God formed man out of dirt, how did He bring him to life?

6. What is another way the Hebrew word for “breath” can be translated?

7. What is one evidence of the fact that we are made in God’s image?

8.  What does God breathe into us when we entrust our lives to Jesus?

9. What one prohibition did God place on the first man?

10.  What was the penalty for disobeying this one command?

11.  Who had the privilege of naming all the animals?

12.  How did God make the person who would be Adam’s helper?

13.  What did Adam call this new creation and why? What did he later name her?

14.  The man and the woman were naked but felt no shame. Why not?