15. Beginner Bible Course: Man, the mammal made in the image of God

EPISODE 15  The simple Bible overview of…MAN, THE MAMMAL MADE IN THE IMAGE OF GOD

The Genesis story...

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00:00:04

...story of creation continues in verses 26 through 31 of chapter one. I should talk a moment about chapters and verses there weren't in the original writings, they were put there as markers to help us find our way through the text. Easier. That's very helpful. Sometimes it's also unfortunate. Most times in this podcast, I'm not going to give the chapter in verse references. I'll tell you basically where it is. What I want you to do is go find it and look at the context around it. The section of Genesis one talks about the creation of Man. There are some amazing observations to make from this text. God says, let us make man in our image.

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00:00:46

And according to our likeness, two things should leap out at you. Why is God using the first person plural for himself? That's not the only time it occurs. It's sprinkled throughout the 1200 pages of scripture. In fact, Jesus' last words on this earth, contain this statement, go into all the world and make apprentices of me, baptizing them in the name of the father, son, and Holy spirit, being a pygmy with an iPhone. I'm not even going to try to explain how the Bible uses first person plural, for what clearly the teachings say is one guide, maybe in a future podcast, but probably not.

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00:01:30

It's the second part of that verse that I want us to focus on today in our image. And according to our likeness, according to Genesis one, human beings were a special part of creation. On step four, day six, they were made to resemble God. We think we found clues to how we resembled God sprinkled across the pages of scripture. And we've also tried to think through what that might mean. What makes Man distinct or different from the other mammals God created on stage six or day six of creation. As we'll see in the next verse, it may have something to do with our vocation or job we're told to manage creation.

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00:02:11

Others have suggested our mental abilities Man seems to have a unique ability to plan, dream and even scheme over his fellow mammals. Somehow I can imagine a Beaver in his then coming up with a five and 10 year damn improvement project plan. Other say it's in our ability to relate to each other and to God puppy are playful, but when they're all, do you think they wish they could be back home with their mom and dad in their little Bubbies and sissies? Maybe they do. Maybe there's more to that than we think. When my mother was a little girl, she noticed their chickens would look up to the sky. When they took a drink, she thought they were thinking, God you say, Oh, how cute and naive or possibly insightful others say the most distinct thing about us is our ability to choose mammals.

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00:03:04

Unlike Man seem to act on instinct. I highly doubt the migratory bird contemplate staying put for the winter we're made to resemble God. Some might object for being God spitting images were nothing to write home to mother about it. That's for sure. The Bible agrees. The image of God in us was severely warped, kind of like that mirror image at a side show. By the time we get to the new Testament, the Bible gives us some very good news. God is in the business of restoring people to more resemble him. This Genesis passage also talks about the why we are here.

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00:03:45

It says in the passage to manage creation, perhaps a more accurate term would be assistant managers under God taking care of creation in this passage. God also gives the first command reproduce and spread out. Reproduce. I've often thought that's one command Man has been obedient to God. Also created us to be vegans, both mammals and Man were to eat plants, not each other. We discover why later on in the old Testament, God says, I am the God of the living. Not the dead death had no part in creation. Presumably for creatures or Man Genesis tells us how Man was formed.

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00:04:28

God formed him from dust and breathe life into his flesh. I asked my students if they've ever seen cremains that's what's left. When cremation occurs, I also ask them if they know what size container they could put me into. If they cremated me, I explain the process. Cremains look like grayish, white sugar sand, and that their teacher would fit into a coffee. Can physically were like Kool-Aid packets, dust, add water, but special because we're made in God's image and he's placed life in a soul in us when God finished creating Man. He makes a statement. It was very good.

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00:05:10

Good, good. That to which nothing could be added. And then some good God made us, made us amazing and loves us deeply good, but in just a few verses, God makes the shocking reversal looking at Man. He had made in his image. He said, wait a minute, this is not good. I remember in Hebrew. Good means that to which nothing can be added. God is saying I'm missing something here in creating this man out of dust. What's this Man missing. I think, you know, and we'll talk about it in our next wordpicture.