So much is revealed concerning us in the account of creation. We don’t have to guess at what ingredients were used for our construction. Our creation is the event in which God gave expression to His thoughts concerning us.
The Ultimate Substance: LOGOS
A common understanding of the word ‘creation’ is making something out of nothing. It is true that the physical universe was created and God did not use any pre-existent physical substance to do it, but He did use a substance. The substance is called ‘LOGOS’.
Let’s look a bit closer at the word ‘Logos’ which is translated ‘word’ in the New Testament. We also get our English words ‘logic’ and ‘thought’ from this word, logos. Logos, however, denotes more than just a thought but also denotes the expression of that thought. Logos includes the motive, the thought, the reasoning or development of that thought and finally the expression and communication of that thought.
And so God’s thoughts concerning man went beyond a silent plan within Him. He expressed those thoughts when He spoke man into existence. His words were the summary, the conclusion of all that He dreamed concerning man.
What He thought and said are not great mysteries lost through the eons of time. He made sure that they were accurately recorded so that we could know His original intent.
Making something new from something that already exists:
Throughout Genesis 1, we see Gods method of creation. A literal translation of verse 3 would be: Light be, and light was.
Notice also that when God created something out of an existent substance, He would speak to the substance from which He was about to bring forth the new substance. So in verse 11 God says: ‘Earth bring forth grass, herbs’ - He speaks to earth because that is the substance He used to make the grass etc. He also uses a different word other than ‘create’ (baw-raw) – He uses the word ‘make’ to denote that He is creating this from another substance.
This brings us to verse 26 – the creation of man. When God began the creation of man He could speak to no other substance than Himself. And so He speaks to Himself saying: ‘Let Us bring forth(aw-saw) man..’ He speaks to Himself because He is the substance that man is made from! Then He defines man … with a definition so broad that we could never find its boundaries: ‘Let Us make man in Our image and Our likeness’
If you are able to define God (His image and likeness) only then will you be able to define man.
A closer look:
Gen 2:7 gives further insight into what actually happened: ‘God formed man from the dust of the earth and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life’
The body God prepared for man, is not what defines man. Paul refers to it as a tent – a temporal dwelling. It is the breath that God breathed into man that is the essence of man. What is this creative breath He breathed into man? It is the words he spoke in chapter 1: 26.
Let’s imagine the actual event. God forms the body of man. He leans over and picks up this lifeless form. Then He speaks to the substance from which man is made – Himself: ‘Us, bring forth man. Our image, Our likeness.’ The very words He speaks are the breath that transfers man from the inside of God into this body. God reproduces and man becomes a living being.
By Andre Rabe
http://www.hearhim.net
andre.rabe@gmail.com
You are an encouragement to us through the Word that is alive within you two wonderfull people of God. The nations are waiting to hear the Good News. Keep on going and keep on shining.