[et_pb_section admin_label=”section” transparent_background=”off” background_color=”#1e73be” allow_player_pause=”off” inner_shadow=”off” parallax=”off” parallax_method=”off” padding_mobile=”off” make_fullwidth=”off” use_custom_width=”off” width_unit=”on” make_equal=”off” use_custom_gutter=”off” gutter_width=”3″][et_pb_row admin_label=”row”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″][et_pb_text admin_label=”scripture” background_layout=”dark” text_orientation=”left” text_font_size=”14″ use_border_color=”off” border_color=”#ffffff” border_style=”solid”]<\/p>\n
Genesis 1:1\u20134, 24\u201331 <\/span><\/p>\n 1 In the beginning when God created the\u00a0heavens and the earth, 2 the earth was a formless void and darkness\u00a0<\/em>covered the face of the deep, while a wind from God swept over the face\u00a0of the waters. 3 Then God said, \u201cLet there be light\u201d; and there was\u00a0light. 4 And God saw that the light was good; and God separated the\u00a0light from the darkness\u2026<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n 24 And God said, \u201cLet the earth bring forth living creatures of every\u00a0kind: cattle and creeping things and wild animals of the earth of every\u00a0<\/em>kind.\u201d And it was so. 25 God made the wild animals of the earth of every\u00a0kind, and the cattle of every kind, and everything that creeps upon the\u00a0ground of every kind. And God saw that it was good.<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n 26 Then God said, \u201cLet us make humankind in our image, according to\u00a0our likeness; and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and\u00a0over the birds of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the wild\u00a0animals of the earth, and over every creeping thing that creeps upon the\u00a0earth.\u201d \u00a027 So God created humankind in his image, in the image of God\u00a0he created them; male and female he created them. \u00a028 God blessed them,\u00a0and God said to them, \u201cBe fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth and\u00a0subdue it; and have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds\u00a0of the air and over every living thing that moves upon the earth.\u201d 29\u00a0God said, \u201cSee, I have given you every plant yielding seed that is upon\u00a0the face of all the earth, and every tree with seed in its fruit; you\u00a0shall have them for food. 30 And to every beast of the earth, and to\u00a0every bird of the air, and to everything that creeps on the earth,\u00a0everything that has the breath of life, I have given every green plant\u00a0for food.\u201d And it was so. 31 God saw everything that he had made, and\u00a0indeed, it was very good. And there was evening and there was morning,\u00a0the sixth day.<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][\/et_pb_section][et_pb_section admin_label=”Section” fullwidth=”off” specialty=”off”][et_pb_row admin_label=”Row”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″][et_pb_text admin_label=”Text” background_layout=”light” text_orientation=”left” text_font_size=”14″ use_border_color=”off” border_color=”#ffffff” border_style=”solid”]<\/p>\n True meaning and joy in life begin with the discovery that God likes\u00a0us. It is sometimes said that in order to live life to the full we need\u00a0<\/span>to first learn to love and forgive ourselves. The Bible sees things very\u00a0differently, as we discover in the first chapter of Genesis.<\/span><\/p>\n Confusion often exists over Genesis because, influenced by a culture\u00a0of science, we come to it with the wrong question. Genesis does not set\u00a0out to explain the \u2018how\u2019 of creation. It is interested in the \u2018who\u2019 and\u00a0the \u2018what\u2019. The Bible epic begins by telling us that God created all\u00a0<\/span>things and therefore all things have their origin and meaning in him.<\/span><\/p>\n Day Six of the creation account is significant. Midway through the\u00a0\u2018sixth day\u2019 of creation the style of the language changes and we sense a\u00a0<\/span>break between the creation of the animals and the creation of men and\u00a0women. It is as though there was a pre-cosmic pause while a conversation\u00a0took place in the Godhead where the question was discussed: \u2018Will we do\u00a0it?\u2019 The language, \u2018Let us\u2019, implies the question, \u2018Will we go ahead\u00a0with this next and final part of creation? The cost will be great.\u2019\u00a0(Philippians 2:6 provides another window on this pre-cosmic\u00a0conversation: the second person of the Godhead made a personal choice to\u00a0follow through the plan that had been set before creation. The\u00a0incarnation and the crucifixion of Jesus were not Plan B but part of\u00a0Plan A. But I rush ahead.)<\/span><\/p>\n Genesis 1:26ff tells us that God moved ahead with the final great act\u00a0of creation \u2013 created in God\u2019s image, men and women were the glory of\u00a0his creating work. Unlike other ancient creation accounts, such as the\u00a0Enuma Elish story, men and women are not a final emanation of the\u00a0god(s), created to serve their needs and pleasures. Rather, the God of\u00a0Genesis 1 has ordered everything in such a way that men and women have\u00a0the responsibility and joy in overseeing it. We are God\u2019s under-rulers,\u00a0vicegerents \u2013 or as C.S. Lewis put it in his Narnia series, \u2018kings and\u00a0queens\u2019 of the earth. As his vicegerents God calls on us to learn from\u00a0him, to trust him and to find our meaning and purpose in him.<\/span><\/p>\n That God delighted in us is seen in the profound and uplifting words\u00a0that close the chapter, God saw everything that he had made, and indeed,\u00a0it was very good. \u00a0Everything was perfect, a joy to God. He could say\u00a0that his handiwork, including men and women was good. It would be his\u00a0delight to serve us as it should be our delight to serve him ! But as\u00a0the biblical story unfolds God\u2019s service of us would come at a very\u00a0great price.<\/span><\/p>\n 1. the implication that God exists and in his wisdom and\u00a0power created all things out of nothing; <\/span><\/p>\n 2. what it means\u00a0for us men and women to be the climax and glory of God\u2019s creation; <\/span><\/p>\n 3.\u00a0the suggestion that in giving men and women dominion over aspects of\u00a0<\/span>creation God has given us the privilege and responsibility of a\u00a0stewardship that is ultimately accountable to him.<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u00a9 John G. Mason, Reason for Hope<\/em> \u2013 40 Days of Bible Readings and Reflections \u2013 2016.\u00a0All Rights Reserved.<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][\/et_pb_section]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Read: Genesis 1:1\u20134, 24\u201331 1 In the beginning when God created the\u00a0heavens and the earth, 2 the earth was a formless void and darkness\u00a0covered the face of the deep, while a wind from God swept over the face\u00a0of the waters. 3 Then God said, \u201cLet there be light\u201d; and there was\u00a0light. 4 And God saw […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":909,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_et_pb_use_builder":"on","_et_pb_old_content":" \u2013 Read<\/span><\/p> Genesis 1:1\u20134, 26\u201331 In the beginning when God created the\u00a0heavens and the earth, 2 the earth was a formless void and darkness<\/em><\/span> 24 And God said, \u201cLet the earth bring forth living creatures of every\u00a0kind: cattle and creeping things and wild animals of the earth of every<\/em><\/span> 26 Then God said, \u201cLet us make humankind in our image, according to\u00a0our likeness; and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and\u00a0over the birds of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the wild\u00a0animals of the earth, and over every creeping thing that creeps upon the\u00a0earth.\u201d \u00a027 So God created humankind in his image, in the image of God\u00a0he created them; male and female he created them. \u00a028 God blessed them,\u00a0and God said to them, \u201cBe fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth and\u00a0subdue it; and have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds\u00a0of the air and over every living thing that moves upon the earth.\u201d 29\u00a0God said, \u201cSee, I have given you every plant yielding seed that is upon\u00a0the face of all the earth, and every tree with seed in its fruit; you\u00a0shall have them for food. 30 And to every beast of the earth, and to\u00a0every bird of the air, and to everything that creeps on the earth,\u00a0everything that has the breath of life, I have given every green plant\u00a0for food.\u201d And it was so. 31 God saw everything that he had made, and\u00a0indeed, it was very good. And there was evening and there was morning,\u00a0the sixth day.<\/em><\/span><\/p> True meaning and joy in life begin with the discovery that God likes\u00a0us. It is sometimes said that in order to live life to the full we need<\/span> Confusion often exists over Genesis because, influenced by a culture\u00a0of science, we come to it with the wrong question. Genesis does not set\u00a0out to explain the \u2018how\u2019 of creation. It is interested in the \u2018who\u2019 and\u00a0the \u2018what\u2019. The Bible epic begins by telling us that God created all<\/span> Day Six of the creation account is significant. Midway through the\u00a0\u2018sixth day\u2019 of creation the style of the language changes and we sense a<\/span> Genesis 1:26ff tells us that God moved ahead with the final great act\u00a0of creation \u2013 created in God\u2019s image, men and women were the glory of\u00a0his creating work. Unlike other ancient creation accounts, such as the\u00a0Enuma Elish story, men and women are not a final emanation of the\u00a0god(s), created to serve their needs and pleasures. Rather, the God of\u00a0Genesis 1 has ordered everything in such a way that men and women have\u00a0the responsibility and joy in overseeing it. \u00a0We are God\u2019s under-rulers,\u00a0vicegerents \u2013 or as C.S. Lewis put it in his Narnia series, \u2018kings and\u00a0queens\u2019 of the earth. As his vicegerents God calls on us to learn from\u00a0him, to trust him and to find our meaning and purpose in him.<\/span><\/p> That God delighted in us is seen in the profound and uplifting words\u00a0that close the chapter, God saw everything that he had made, and indeed,\u00a0it was very good. \u00a0Everything was perfect, a joy to God. He could say\u00a0that his handiwork, including men and women was good. It would be his\u00a0delight to serve us as it should be our delight to serve him ! But as\u00a0the biblical story unfolds God\u2019s service of us would come at a very\u00a0great price.<\/span><\/p> Consider: \u00a0\u00a0 1. the implication that God exists and in his wisdom and\u00a0power created all things out of nothing; 2. what it means\u00a0for us men and women to be the climax and glory of God\u2019s creation; 3.\u00a0the suggestion that in giving men and women dominion over aspects of<\/span> Pray:<\/span><\/p>","_et_gb_content_width":"","_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[12],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-878","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-2016-lenten-series"],"yoast_head":"\nThe Glory of God’s Creation<\/h2>\n
Consider:<\/strong> \u00a0\u00a0 <\/span><\/h2>\n
Pray:<\/span><\/strong><\/h2>\n
\n
\n
covered the face of the deep, while a wind from God swept over the face\u00a0of the waters. 3 Then God said, \u201cLet there be light\u201d; and there was\u00a0light. 4 And God saw that the light was good; and God separated the\u00a0light from the darkness\u2026<\/em><\/span><\/p>
kind.\u201d And it was so. 25 God made the wild animals of the earth of every\u00a0kind, and the cattle of every kind, and everything that creeps upon the\u00a0ground of every kind. And God saw that it was good.<\/em><\/span><\/p>
to first learn to love and forgive ourselves. The Bible sees things very\u00a0differently, as we discover in the first chapter of Genesis.<\/span><\/p>
things and therefore all things have their origin and meaning in him.<\/span><\/p>
break between the creation of the animals and the creation of men and\u00a0women. It is as though there was a pre-cosmic pause while a conversation\u00a0took place in the Godhead where the question was discussed: \u2018Will we do\u00a0it?\u2019 The language, \u2018Let us\u2019, implies the question, \u2018Will we go ahead\u00a0with this next and final part of creation? The cost will be great.\u2019\u00a0(Philippians 2:6 provides another window on this pre-cosmic\u00a0conversation: the second person of the Godhead made a personal choice to\u00a0follow through the plan that had been set before creation. The\u00a0incarnation and the crucifixion of Jesus were not Plan B but part of\u00a0Plan A. But I rush ahead.)<\/span><\/p>
creation God \u00a0has given us the privilege and responsibility of a\u00a0stewardship that is ultimately accountable to him.<\/span><\/p>