Some Themes Introduced in Genesis One

SOME THEMES INTRODUCED IN GENESIS ONE

The God of Language: Ten times in the first chapter the Scripture says “And God said.” The creation is accomplished through speaking. God speaks and things appear. This theme is reinforced in the Bible itself, which is the primary way in which God reveals who He is, in contrast to the many other ideas of who God is. In fact, we can safely refer to “the God of the Bible,” when speaking about Him. We also find many references where God explicitly tells human authors to write His words down. For example the Ten Commandments ( Deuteronomy 5), message to Baruch ( Jeremiah 45), Luke 1:3) etc. The story of the centurion whom Jesus commends as having the greatest faith that He has seen in all Israel ( Matthew 8:10) centers on the man's belief that Jesus need only speak authoritative words of healing to his distant servant in order for him to be healed. Finally we see the identification of Jesus as the Word of God. ( John 1:1)

The Triune God: When the Scripture says, “Let “us” make man in “our” image, this is the first clue that we are given about God in three persons, another truth that is shown throughout the Bible. (Cf. Psalm 2:7, Hebrews 1:5; Psalm 45:6, Hebrews 1:8, Romans 9:5, Acts 5:3-4, John 10:30, 2 Corinthians 13:14)

Image-Bearers: Genesis 1:26 says that man is made in the image of God, which is repeated in verse 27. This is not said about angels, animals or any other part of God's creation. Only mankind is made like God, and even when Adam's sin and rebellion disrupts God's plan, He does not give up on it. Romans 8:29 reads, “For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers.” (ESV) The purpose of discipleship and sanctification is to make us more like Jesus. “And we all... are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another.” ( 2 Corinthians 3:18 ESV) We have the promise that “Just as we have borne the image of the man of dust, we shall also bear the image of the man of heaven.” ( 1 Corinthians 15:49 ESV)

The Kingdom: Genesis 1 also introduces us to the crucial importance of the Kingdom of God. In verse 26, after saying that we are made in God's image, we then read, “Let them have dominion...” Verse 28 repeats this: “Let them have dominion.” The original plan for Adam was to be King over the earth with Eve as his queen, and their children to help them rule. Matthew 25:34 says, “Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world.” Again God does not give up on His plan. Instead it is fulfilled in Jesus. “He said to them, 'I must preach the good news of the kingdom of God to the other towns as well, for I was sent for this purpose.” (Luke 4:43 cf. Matthew 4:17, 6:10, 2 Samuel 7: 12-17 et. al)