By Robert Tuttle, 11 October 2021
I have just started an online video class with Dr. John Barnett of Discover the Book Ministries. The class is titled, “Exploring the 52 Key Chapters of the Bible”. Once you get past the introductory videos, the first of the key chapters is the first two chapters of Genesis. Although my notes are all handwritten in a journal specifically designated for this course, I found myself needing to type up my notes for Genesis 1:26-28, and I thought since I had them typed up, I would share them with all of you. I hope they are somewhat beneficial.
I have just started an online video class with Dr. John Barnett of Discover the Book Ministries. The class is titled, “Exploring the 52 Key Chapters of the Bible”. Once you get past the introductory videos, the first of the key chapters is the first two chapters of Genesis. Although my notes are all handwritten in a journal specifically designated for this course, I found myself needing to type up my notes for Genesis 1:26-28, and I thought since I had them typed up, I would share them with all of you. I hope they are somewhat beneficial.
26 Then God said, “Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; and let them rule over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the sky and over the cattle and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.” 27 And God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them. 28 And God bless them; and God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth, and subdue it; and rule over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the sky, and over every living thing that moves on the earth.” –– Genesis 1:26-28
Verse 26: “Then God said.” God here is the Hebrew word Elohim, and it is a plural word, Divine Ones.
“Let Us [plural] make man in Our [plural] image [singular], according to Our [plural] likeness [singular].”
Here we have the first allusion to the Triune nature of God. We know there is only one God, not more than one, not two, not three, etc., yet here we see the plural Elohim used to describe God, and, we see there is a singular image and likeness of God. Note: this does not refer to God’s physical image and likeness. God is a Spirit and thus has no physical image or likeness, and no physical attributes. God does not have arms, legs, hands, feet, or a head or body. “In Our image, according to Our likeness” refers to God attributes, His communicable attributes. There are attributes that God possesses perfectly and infinitely, and we possess those same attributes, albeit imperfectly and finitely. These would include love, anger, compassion, mercy, etc. There are other attributes of God, His incommunicable attributes, that only He possesses. These would include omnipotence, omniscience, omnipresence, etc.
“And let them rule over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the sky and over the cattle and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.”(v.26)
Man has dominion over the earth. However, although man is in charge of the earth, he is so only under the authority of God. Man is, in a sense, God’s “on site manager” of the earth. In biblical terms, Man is God’s steward of the earth, and man is expected to be a good steward. This mean using the earth’s natural resources in a responsible manner. In many ways, in most ways, man has utterly failed in this regard. And while this responsibility falls on mankind corporately, it also falls on each man individually. And yes, each woman individually, however, as man is the head of the woman, man is ultimately responsible – both for his own irresponsibility and mismanagement and also for the woman’s.
“He created him; male and female He created them.”(v.27)
There are only two sexes, only two genders. Period. Full Stop. What we are seeing in our so-called modern progressive society with transgender, no gender, gender fluidity, and so forth is nothing less than an abominable perversion of God’s perfect order. Such language is considered “hate speech,” bigoted, “transphobic,” “homophobic,” and it will get you “canceled” (a rather ominous and dystopic term), sometimes assaulted, and sometimes even jailed and or sued. This is what happens in a reprobated society.
“And God blessed them; and God said to them, ‘Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth,…’” (v.28)
God’s establish order regarding sexuality is one biological male and one biological female, in a monogamous, lifelong relationship bond (marriage). ANY other sexual scenario is an abnormal perversion, and an abomination. This includes both physical and mental adultery, sex outside of marriage (fornication), incest, bigamy, polygamy, polyamory, etc., and any form of homosexuality; all the things that make up a reprobated society (see Romans 1:18-32), such as the one we currently find ourselves in.
Verse 26: “Then God said.” God here is the Hebrew word Elohim, and it is a plural word, Divine Ones.
“Let Us [plural] make man in Our [plural] image [singular], according to Our [plural] likeness [singular].”
Here we have the first allusion to the Triune nature of God. We know there is only one God, not more than one, not two, not three, etc., yet here we see the plural Elohim used to describe God, and, we see there is a singular image and likeness of God. Note: this does not refer to God’s physical image and likeness. God is a Spirit and thus has no physical image or likeness, and no physical attributes. God does not have arms, legs, hands, feet, or a head or body. “In Our image, according to Our likeness” refers to God attributes, His communicable attributes. There are attributes that God possesses perfectly and infinitely, and we possess those same attributes, albeit imperfectly and finitely. These would include love, anger, compassion, mercy, etc. There are other attributes of God, His incommunicable attributes, that only He possesses. These would include omnipotence, omniscience, omnipresence, etc.
“And let them rule over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the sky and over the cattle and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.”(v.26)
Man has dominion over the earth. However, although man is in charge of the earth, he is so only under the authority of God. Man is, in a sense, God’s “on site manager” of the earth. In biblical terms, Man is God’s steward of the earth, and man is expected to be a good steward. This mean using the earth’s natural resources in a responsible manner. In many ways, in most ways, man has utterly failed in this regard. And while this responsibility falls on mankind corporately, it also falls on each man individually. And yes, each woman individually, however, as man is the head of the woman, man is ultimately responsible – both for his own irresponsibility and mismanagement and also for the woman’s.
“He created him; male and female He created them.”(v.27)
There are only two sexes, only two genders. Period. Full Stop. What we are seeing in our so-called modern progressive society with transgender, no gender, gender fluidity, and so forth is nothing less than an abominable perversion of God’s perfect order. Such language is considered “hate speech,” bigoted, “transphobic,” “homophobic,” and it will get you “canceled” (a rather ominous and dystopic term), sometimes assaulted, and sometimes even jailed and or sued. This is what happens in a reprobated society.
“And God blessed them; and God said to them, ‘Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth,…’” (v.28)
God’s establish order regarding sexuality is one biological male and one biological female, in a monogamous, lifelong relationship bond (marriage). ANY other sexual scenario is an abnormal perversion, and an abomination. This includes both physical and mental adultery, sex outside of marriage (fornication), incest, bigamy, polygamy, polyamory, etc., and any form of homosexuality; all the things that make up a reprobated society (see Romans 1:18-32), such as the one we currently find ourselves in.
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