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Genesis Chapter One

                             

I. Content of the Chapter

 

The Creation of God

A.  God’s creation in the beginning (v.1);

B.  God’s judgment (v.2a);

C.  God’s restored creation:

1. The accordance of God’s creation:

a.    The Spirit of God (v.2b);

b.    The word of God ---- “God said” (v.3 6 9 14 20 24 26);

2. The first day of the restored creation ---- the separation of light and darkness (v.3-5);

3. The second day of the restored creation ---- the division between waters and waters and the heavens were made (v.6-8);

4. The third day of the restored creation ---- the separation of waters and the earth and the plants were made (v.9-13);

5. The fourth day of the restored creation ---- God set the lights such as the sun the moon the stars etc. in the heavens (v.14-19);

6. The fifth day of the restored creation ---- God made all living creature in waters and in the sky (v.20-23);

7. The sixth day of the restored creation ---- God made all living creature and man (v.24-31);

 

II. Verse by Verse Commentary

 

Gen. 1:1In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.

YLT: “In the beginning of God's preparing the heavens and the earth --”

Meaning of Words: “beginning”: first principal; “God”: the mighty one the supreme God; “create”: (the same word as that in verse 21 and 27) call the things which be not as being (Rom. 4:17; Heb. 11:3);

Literal Meaning: “beginning”: it is the beginning of the time.

  “God”: the faithful and mighty one. It is in the plural in the original suggesting God is the God of Holy Trinity.

  “Heavens” include the sky and the space and the third heaven (see 2Cor. 12:2).

  “Earth”: the earth in which we are inhabited.

  This verse mentions the creation of God in the beginning. In modern times the ancient fossils dug out of the earth were creatures created in the beginning.

Enlightenment in the Word:

  1) God is the God existing “in the beginning”. He is before all and is the God of I AM THAT I AM (Ex. 3:14).

  2) “In the beginning God” ---- Let everything of us be started by God and let Him have the preeminence in everything of us (Col.1:18).

  3) God is the creator of all things. He is the almighty God (Gen. 17:1) who calls the things which are not as being.

  4) God stretches forth the heavens and lays the foundation of the earth for the preparation of forming man (Zech. 12:1; Is. 45:18). Man is the center of God’s creature. 

 

Gen. 1:2The earth was without form and void; and darkness was on the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters.

YLT: “the earth hath existed waste and void and darkness [is] on the face of the deep and the Spirit of God fluttering on the face of the waters ”

Meaning of Words: “was”: become turn to; “without form”: empty place vain confusion; “void”: empty void vacuity; “deep”: abyss; “hover over”: move gently shake flutter brood;

Literal Meaning: there was an interval of rather long time between verse one and two. In the original there is a “but” in the beginning of verse two which shows that the earth God had originally created was not “without form and void” but became so afterwards.

  According to the Holy Scriptures the earth God created was kept in beautiful order after precise measurement and was not as waste (Is. 45:18). Therefore the condition of waste was because of the judgment of God because the archangel desired to life up him to God and led some angels and living creatures on the earth to rebel against God. Therefore they were judged by God and the earth became without form and void. And the archangel himself became Satan and the angels became the evil and unclean spirits (Is. 14:12-15; Ezek. 28:15-19; Rev. 12:49).

  “The deep” the word shows that God judged the previous world by waters and the waters had deeply covered the whole earth (2Pet. 3:6).

  “Darkness” it indicates that God had sealed up the lights in the heavens when he judged (Job. 9:7).

  The last half of this verse is a turning point ---- after the judgment of God God began to do the restoring works. And the restoring works were done by His Spirit ---- “the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters” ---- “was hovering over” it contains the meaning of loving-kindness and tenderness (Deut. 32:11).

Spiritual Meaning: the first half of this verse typified our condition before we were saved. Concerning our personal situation it was “without form”: poor and ugly. And as regards our function before God it was “void”: useless and barren. Therefore man was under the waters of God’s judgment ---- “the deep” and fell in the power of “darkness” (Eph. 6:12; Col. 1:13) ---- what a miserable condition!

  This verse also mentions our regeneration by water and the Spirit (John 3:3-6). We have been buried with the Lord by baptism unto His death (Rom. 6:4). And the Spirit makes united with Christ and raises us up with Him together (Rom. 6:5; Eph. 2:5; Col. 2:13). 

Enlightenment in the Word:

  1) God is a God of judging sins ---- after the judgment of God the earth became without form and void (Ex. 20:5-6).

  2) God is a God who turns death to life ---- He turned vanity into fullness of life and light (Rom. 4:17).

  3) God is a God who is both the leader and completer ---- He created and restored (Rev. 21:6).

  4) God is a God who is righteous and kind ---- He judged and then restored (1John 1:9).

  5) The Spirit is working continually in believers’ hearts so that we are enabled to lead a holy life according to His will (Eph. 3:20; Phil. 2:13).

 

Gen. 1:3Then God said “Let there be light”; and there was light.

YLT: “and God saith `Let light be;' and light is.”

Literal Meaning: “God said” the worlds were framed by the word of God (Heb. 11:3).

  Let there be light”; and there was light” “light” the “light” was always there not created afterwards. Here it emphasizes that the restoring works of God started from light which was opposite to darkness. God recovered everything by light. The modern science has also proved that light is indispensible to all creatures.

Spiritual Meaning: “light” typifies that Christ is the light of the world (John 9:5; 8:12; 1:4-9; 12:46). Only when the light of the glory of Christ’s gospel has shone upon us will we be saved (2Cor. 4 6).

Enlightenment in the Word:

  1) God spoke and it was done. He commanded and it stood fast (Ps. 33:9).  Nothing shall be impossible with God (Luke 1:37).

  2) Our regeneration is by the living and abiding word of God (1Pet. 1:23).

  3) God’s word is the light of man’s life (John 1:1 4). The entrance of God’s word gives light (Ps. 119:130).

  4) Light is not only the source of life but also the source of truth (2Cor. 4:6) and joy (Eccl. 11:7) and purity (1John 1:5-7).

  5) We were the people sitting in darkness and in the region and shadow of death but there was a great light shinning upon us (Matt. 4:16).

  6) When the light shines upon us the nature of darkness will be exposed and then we will turn from darkness to God.

  7) If we desire to help those who are in darkness and sins we have to preach the word of God to them.

  8) The main reason for the desolation of the church is that many preachers preach merely words of theological doctrines or social welfare instead of the word of God.

  9) Human word should be put into practice. But the divine word itself is action. Therefore the word of God should be fulfilled without deeds. The word of God is faithful forever.

  10) From the first three verses of this chapter there is “God” and “the Spirit of God” and “God said” (namely the word of God see John 1:1-3). Here we can see the Holy Trinity.

 

Gen. 1:4And God saw the light that it was good; and God divided the light from the darkness.

YLT: “And God seeth the light that good and God separateth between the light and the darkness ”

Spiritual Meaning: God is not only a God who abides in light (1Tim. 6:16) but also more He Himself is light. In Him there is no darkness (1John 1:5). Therefore darkness symbolizes sins (John 3:19) and all things opposite to God (Luke 22:53).

Enlightenment in the Word:

  1) “God saw the light that it was good”. All his works throughout the generations are bringing all things to His light (Rev. 21:23-25; 22:5).

  2) If we walk and abide in “light” we will please God.

  3) God appreciates His own works not human works. Therefore let God works on us first and then our works will be pleased by God.

  4) God does not like “void” but likes “separation”. He will separate all things of Him from all that are of the devil and all that are of the light from that of darkness.

  5) Whoever desires both light and darkness his testimony must be void.

  6) Man in darkness will be naturally void. Therefore only when one is separated from darkness can he get away from the void situation.

  7) The light of God always does separation works. Wherever is shone by the light of God there must be separation.

  8) The separation of light and darkness pleases God (Is. 5:20; 2Cor. 6:14; Eph. 5:8-14).

  9) Whenever the true light of the Lord shines upon man’s heart he will be enabled to clearly distinguish between light and darkness good and evil and right and wrong.

 

Gen. 1:5God called the light Day and the darkness He called Night. So the evening and the morning were the first day.

YLT: “and God calleth to the light `Day ' and to the darkness He hath called `Night;' and there is an evening and there is a morning -- day one.”

Literal Meaning: “the first day” here does not refer to a period of time but twenty four hours.

  It is “evening” first and then “morning” for the darkness was first and then the light shone.

  “Called”: name someone or something to show the ownership (Gen. 17:5 15; 41:45; 2King 23:34; Dan. 1:7).

Enlightenment in the Word:

  1) God is a God of counsel and of order. Let believers also learn from God in conversation and thus let all things be done decently and with order (1Cor. 14:40).

  2) We believers who are saved are sons of light and sons of day (1Thess. 5:5). However if we do not walk in light we may still fall into spiritual darkness of night (John 12:35; Rom. 13:12-13; Eph. 5:8-12).

  3) Thanks God. Though we may be overtaken in a fault (Gal. 6:1) and enter into the spiritual night (“evening”) if we are willing to confess our sins and repent we will still be forgiven (1John 1:9) and have bright morning.

 

Gen. 1:6Then God said “Let there be a firmament in the midst of the waters and let it divide the waters from the waters.”

YLT: “And God saith `Let an expanse be in the midst of the waters and let it be separating between waters and waters.'”

Meaning of Words: firmament”: expanse visible arch of the sky

Literal Meaning: there is a layer of aerosphere covering the earth namely “the aerosphere” called by the scientists. Waters in the cloud layer of the aerosphere are called “waters in the heavens” (Ps. 148:4). God divides the waters from the waters by physical principles.

Enlightenment in the Word:

  1) Spiritually speaking there are differences between the above waters and the earthly waters ---- whoever drinks of the earthly water shall thirst again. Whoever drinks of the water which the Lord shall give shall never thirst forever (John 4:13-14). 

  2) The word of God makes us know the difference between what is above and what is on the earth ---- have our mind on the things above instead of things on the earth (Col. 3:2-3).

  3) May God deliver us more from things “on the earth” e.g. sins (Rom. 6:6-7) self (Gal. 2:20) flesh (Gal. 5:24) the world (Gal. 6:14) the customs of the world (Col. 2:21).

 

Gen. 1:7Thus God made the firmament and divided the waters which were under the firmament from the waters which were above the firmament; and it was so.

YLT: “And God maketh the expanse and it separateth between the waters which under the expanse and the waters which above the expanse: and it is so.”

Meaning of Words: “made”: do set bring forth furnish;

Literal Meaning: here the word “made” is different from “create” in verse one. “Create” is calling things which are not as being; “make”: it is setting or furnishing things that have been ready-made (v. 16 25 26 31);

Enlightenment in the Word:

  1) “And it was so” nothing is impossible to God so let us commit all things unto Him.

  2) Everything shall be even as it was said by God. Therefore what is really important is whether we have the “word” of God.

  3) Even though the work God has started is sometimes difficult He will fulfill it.

 

Gen. 1:8And God called the firmament Heaven. So the evening and the morning were the second day.

YLT: “And God calleth to the expanse `Heavens;' and there is an evening and there is a morning -- day second.”

Literal Meaning: there are three meanings of “heaven” in the scriptures: 1) the heaven (Gen. 7:11); 2) the heavens (Ezek. 2:7); 3) the third heaven (2Cor. 12:2). This verse refers to the heaven.

  Note that God has not said “it was good” for the spiritual of wickedness was still in the heavenly places (Eph. 6:12).

Enlightenment in the Word: the mission of believers is to cast off Satan from the heavenly places he occupied (Rev. 12:12) so that the will of God will be done perfectly (Dan. 10:12-13).

 

Gen. 1:9Then God said “Let the waters under the heavens be gathered together into one place and let the dry land appear”; and it was so.

YLT: “And God saith `Let the waters under the heavens be collected unto one place and let the dry land be seen:' and it is so.”

Literal Meaning: all the oceans on the earth are interlinked. God made the land appear for the living creatures and human beings.

  “And let the dry land appear” the land existed firstly and then was covered by water because of judgment.

Spiritual Meaning: in the holy Scriptures “land” symbolizes man’s heart (Luke 8:15) and “sea” symbolizes the power of death (Rev. 20:13). God not only separated the sea and the land but also set the boundary of sea (Pro. 8:29) controlling the power of death.

Enlightenment in the Word:

  1) Only when man’s heart is free from the power of death will life be grown in his heart.

  2) Keep your heart more than anything that is guarded for out of it are the issues of life (Pro. 4:23).

 

Gen. 1:10 “And God called the dry land Earth and the gathering together of the waters He called Seas. And God saw that it was good.”

YLT: “And God calleth to the dry land `Earth ' and to the collection of the waters He hath called `Seas;' and God seeth that good.”

Meaning of Words: “Seas”: waters;

Enlightenment in the Word:

  1) God always does separating works. The work of the first day is separating light from darkness. And the work of the second day is separating what is above from what is on the earth. And the third work of the third work is separating the land from the sea.

  2) God gives proper names to things that He has separated. If we have really been sanctified unto Him He will call us by name (John 10:3).

 

Gen. 1:11 “Then God said "Let the earth bring forth grass the herb that yields seed and the fruit tree that yields fruit according to its kind whose seed is in itself on the earth"; and it was so.”

YLT: “And God saith `Let the earth yield tender grass herb sowing seed fruit-tree (whose seed in itself) making fruit after its kind on the earth:' and it is so.”

Meaning of Words: “bring forth”: spring; “yield”: produce;

Literal Meaning: “according to its kind” the four words have been mentioned ten times in this chapter showing that every creature was made by God according to its kind instead of evolution.

Spiritual Meaning: the etymon of “land” means “breaking”. If the land of our heart is ploughed by the Holy Spirit the hard land will be softened and become the suitable soil for growth. The green land will be full of fresh life.

  Moreover all the plants will bear much fruit (John 12:24) symbolizing the life of God will bear the fruit of life (Gal. 5:22-23; Eph.5:9) to glorify God (Phil. 1:11; Rom. 7:4).

Enlightenment in the Word:

  1) “Let the earth bring forth” the land of God (1Cor. 3:9) shall yield fruit of life. Let the children of God not occupy the land vainly (Luke 13:7).

  2) Life appears because of the separation of light and darkness and the above and the earth and the sea and the land. Where there is no separation there is no life. The beginning of spiritual life is the separation according to the will of God.

  3) “Seed” and “fruit” with the seed show the continuance of life. Believers on the earth shall also spare more effort to preach the gospel to let the life of God pass on.

  4) “According to its kind” it indicates that the spiritual life has the nature of separation and repels chaos. The divine life accepts the fellowship of the same life only (see 2Cor. 6:14-18).

  5) “Whose seed is in itself” all the fruit of life can yield their life. Love yield love and joy yields joy.

 

Gen. 1:12 “And the earth brought forth grass the herb that yields seed according to its kind and the tree that yields fruit whose seed is in itself according to its kind. And God saw that it was good.”

YLT: “And the earth bringeth forth tender grass herb sowing seed after its kind and tree making fruit (whose seed in itself) after its kind; and God seeth that good;”

Enlightenment in the Word:

  1) All situations of life are according to the will and word of God. Therefore it is good in God’s sight.

  2) God pleases that we are enabled to manifest His divine life (2Tim. 1:10; Phil. 1:20).

 

Gen. 1:13 “So the evening and the morning were the third day.”

YLT: “and there is an evening and there is a morning -- day third.”

Enlightenment in the Word:

  1) Christ rose on the third day (1Cor. 15:4). If we have died with him we shall also live together (2Tim. 2:11).

  2) If we are regenerated on the first day and die with Him on the second day we will surely live with Him on the third day (1Cor. 15:4; Rom. 6:5) and get full life. Regeneration gives us the new life. However the Lord desires us to have more abundant life (John 10:10) so we have to get the experience on the second day and the third day.

 

Gen. 1:14 “Then God said "Let there be lights in the firmament of the heavens to divide the day from the night; and let them be for signs and seasons and for days and years;”

YLT: “And God saith `Let luminaries be in the expanse of the heavens to make a separation between the day and the night then they have been for signs and for seasons and for days and years ”

Meaning of Words:sign”: miracle token; “season”: appointed time solemn feast;

Literal Meaning: divide the day from the night” divide according to whether the earth is toward the sun or back to the sun;

  Signs” to appoint the east and west and south and west and hours according to the positions of the sun and the moon and the stars;

  Seasons”: sprint summer autumn and winter;

  Days” the earth rotation of one circle is one day.

  Years” the earth revolution of one circle is one year.

Spiritual Meaning: heavens” it speaks of our position in the heaven. If we believers have really died and risen with the Lord we will be made sit down together in the heavens with the Lord (Eph. 2:6).

  “Lights” refer to the heavenly function of believers. If we believers stand on the ascended position we will have the following functions:

  1. “Divide the day from the night” let the world see the difference between light and darkness (2Cor. 6:14; Rom. 13:12-13; Eph. 5:8).

  2. “Signs” manifest the signs and tokens of God before the world so that when the world sees us as though it sees God (Gen. 33:10; Phil. 1:20; 1Cor. 6:20).

  3. “Seasons and for days and years” maintain the authority and order of God in the earth full of chaos (1Cor. 14:33 40).

Enlightenment in the Word: we are light of the world. Let our light shine before men (Matt. 5:16).

 

Gen. 1:15 “and let them be for lights in the firmament of the heavens to give light on the earth"; and it was so.”

YLT: “and they have been for luminaries in the expanse of the heavens to give light upon the earth:' and it is so.”

Enlightenment in the Word:

  1) When the lights shine they are not for their own profit but for illuminating the whole earth and bringing light to men. Therefore let us also care for the profit of others.

  2) The higher the lights are above the earth the wider and further they will shine. The more distant believers are from the earth the closer they are to God and the more people will see our light.

  3) God’s word is the origin of light. Therefore let us often take heed to the word of God until the light may shine in our hearts (2Pet. 1:19).

 

Gen. 1:16 “Then God made two great lights: the greater light to rule the day and the lesser light to rule the night. He made the stars also.”

YLT: “And God maketh the two great luminaries the great luminary for the rule of the day and the small luminary -- and the stars -- for the rule of the night;”

Meaning of Words: “make”: do set appoint;

Literal Meaning: “the greater light” refers to the sun. “The lesser light” refers to the moon.

  Generally it is believers among Bible expositors that the sun and the moon and stars had been created “in the beginning” in verse one of this chapter. However after God’s judgment the earth was full of thick vapors and clouds so that the sun could not shine upon the earth so it was full of darkness. On the first day God divided the day and night by the sun (v.3). And on the fourth day the sun and the moon and the stars presented their respective function according to the position and natural rules “made” by God.

Spiritual Meaning: “the sun” typifies Christ (Mal. 4:2) and the moon typifies the church and the stars typify individual believers (Rev. 1:20; Phil. 2:15-16; Dan. 12:3).

Enlightenment in the Word:

  1) The brilliancy of the church and believers is out of the glory of the Lord (2Cor. 3:18). Therefore let us often look on the Lord.

  2) When the church is desolate (the night without moonlight) individual believers (stars) need to appear as lights (Phil. 2:15).

 

Gen. 1:17 “God set them in the firmament of the heavens to give light on the earth ”

YLT: “and God giveth them in the expanse of the heavens to give light upon the earth ”

Meaning of Words: “set”: appoint lay;

Enlightenment in the Word:

  1) It is just light the lights will work according to the positions and orbits “appointed” by God. Believers shall also live and work in the orbit of God’s will so that they shall be used by God.

  2) Only when believers have held the heavenly position shall they shine upon the darkness on the earth.

 

Gen. 1:18 “and to rule over the day and over the night and to divide the light from the darkness. And God saw that it was good.”

YLT: “and to rule over day and over night and to make a separation between the light and the darkness; and God seeth that good;”

Enlightenment in the Word:

  1) God entrusts the authority of “ruling over the night” to the church and believers. In such dark night let us pay attention to our conversation lest we should be reproved by the Lord (Rom. 13:12-13).

  2) If we fail to let world know the difference between light and darkness we cannot please God.

 

Gen. 1:19 “So the evening and the morning were the fourth day.”

YLT: “and there is an evening and there is a morning -- day fourth.”

Enlightenment in the Word: no matter how deep the night is the morning will come. Darkness must go over and dawn will appear. Therefore let us not lose heart.

 

Gen. 1:20 “Then God said "Let the waters abound with an abundance of living creatures and let birds fly above the earth across the face of the firmament of the heavens."”

YLT: “And God saith `Let the waters teem with the teeming living creature and fowl let fly on the earth on the face of the expanse of the heavens.'”

Meaning of Words: “abound”: full of; “living creatures”: living souls; “birds”: creatures that can fly;

Literal Meaning: “waters” refer to seas and lakes and rivers;

Spiritual Meaning: “waters” it symbolizes the sphere of death;

  “Living creatures in the waters” symbolize the victorious life free from the power of death;

  “Birds” it means that life can overcome the earthly entanglements and live in the heavenly sphere.

 

Gen. 1:21 “So God created great sea creatures and every living thing that moves with which the waters abounded according to their kind and every winged bird according to its kind. And God saw that it was good.”

YLT: “And God prepareth the great monsters and every living creature that is creeping which the waters have teemed with after their kind and every fowl with wing after its kind and God seeth that good.”

Meaning of Words: great sea creatures”: great monsters; “living thing”: living soul;

Literal Meaning: plants have only physical “bodies” but the animals have not only physical “bodies” but also “living souls”.

 

Gen. 1:22 “And God blessed them saying "Be fruitful and multiply and fill the waters in the seas and let birds multiply on the earth."”

YLT: “And God blesseth them saying `Be fruitful and multiply and fill the waters in the seas and the fowl let multiply in the earth:'”

Meaning of Words: “bless”: praise salute; “fill”: teem with;

Enlightenment in the Word:

  1) God blesses when there is life and does not bless lifeless things. Therefore the more we have living life the more will we be blessed.

  2) In the church if we have only external activities but lack the living life we will not be blessed.

 

Gen. 1:23 “So the evening and the morning were the fifth day.”

YLT: “and there is an evening and there is a morning -- day fifth.”

 

Gen. 1:24 “Then God said "Let the earth bring forth the living creature according to its kind: cattle and creeping thing and beast of the earth each according to its kind"; and it was so.”

YLT: “And God saith `Let the earth bring forth the living creature after its kind cattle and creeping thing and beast of the earth after its kind:' and it is so.”

Meaning of Words: “bring forth”: bear out yield; “the living creature”: living soul;

Literal Meaning: “cattle” the animals that can be trained by human beings;

  Creeping thing” include huge creeping thing;

  “Beast of the earth” the animals that cannot be tamed by human beings;

 

Gen. 1:25 “And God made the beast of the earth according to its kind cattle according to its kind and everything that creeps on the earth according to its kind. And God saw that it was good.”

YLT: “And God maketh the beast of the earth after its kind and the cattle after their kind and every creeping thing of the ground after its kind and God seeth that good.”

Literal Meaning: “according to its kind” it is repeatedly mentioned in the descriptions of all creatures. Therefore all the species of the plants and animals are created and ruled by God and never become disordered. For instance mule is born of horse and mute but mule cannot reproduce.

Enlightenment in the Word: that “God saw that it was good” is mentioned again and again in this chapter. If God sees all His creatures He will also see and judge all that we have done.

 

Gen. 1:26 “Then God said "Let Us make man in Our image according to Our likeness; let them have dominion over the fish of the sea over the birds of the air and over the cattle over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth."”

YLT: “And God saith `Let Us make man in Our image according to Our likeness and let them rule over fish of the sea and over fowl of the heavens and over cattle and over all the earth and over every creeping thing that is creeping on the earth.'”

Meaning of Words: “image”: resemblance; “likeness”: image; “have dominion over”: prevail against rule;

Literal Meaning: “Us” the plural form refers to the Holy Trinity.

  This verse suggests the Holy Trinity was rather cautious in making man so they held a holy meeting.

  “Image”: the inner disposition including intellect and affection and will.

  “Likeness”: the external physique; 

  God “formed” the body of man by the dust of the ground (Gen. 2:7).

Spiritual Meaning: this verse indicates the three purposes of God’s making man: 1) let man manifest God; 2) let man rule all things on behalf of God; 3) let man deal with the enemy of God ---- every creeping thing (Luke 10:18-19).

Enlightenment in the Word:

  1) “Let Us” it shows that man is what God needs.

  2) Let believers imitate the image of Christ (Rom. 8:29) and be like God in everything.

  3) We will be like Him one day in future (1John 3:2).

 

Gen. 1:27So God created man in His own image; in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them.

YLT: “And God prepareth the man in His image; in the image of God He prepared him a male and a female He prepared them.”

Literal Meaning: the previous verse speaks of the meeting of God’s making man and this verse refers to the implementation of God’s making man.

  “His image” and “the image of God” both refer to the image of the Son of God for only the second person of the Holy Trinity has image ---- Christ is the image of God (Col. 1:15). Therefore man was made according to the Lord Jesus and so Adam was the figure of the Lord Jesus (Rom. 5:14).

  Here “make” in the original Hebrew is “create” for it emphasizes that man’s spiritual life was created by God’s breath (Gen. 2:7).

 

Gen. 1:28Then God blessed them and God said to them “Be fruitful and multiply; fill the earth and subdue it; have dominion over the fish of the sea over the birds of the air and over every living thing that moves on the earth.”

YLT: “And God blesseth them and God saith to them `Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth and subdue it and rule over fish of the sea and over fowl of the heavens and over every living thing that is creeping upon the earth.'”

Meaning of Words: “subdue”: conquer bring into subjection; “have dominion over”: rule prevail against;

Literal Meaning: “subdue it” and “have dominion over … every living thing” are both works God has entrusted to man. God wants man to rule on the earth on behalf of Him.

  “Have dominion over the sea … the air … on the earth” according to the modern saying God has set man to be the leader of the army and navy and air forces.

Enlightenment in the Word:

  1) “And God said to them” it shows that man is the object of God’s speaking for only man has spirit and is able to have fellowship with God and hear God’s commandments.

  2) God created the heavens and all things on the earth before man so that man was able to enjoy all things lacking nothing. Therefore man is the center and purpose of God’s creation.

  3) God wants to let man “be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth”. This is the significance of man’s living on the earth. How vain the earth without man is!

 

Gen. 1:29And God said “See I have given you every herb that yields seed which is on the face of all the earth and every tree whose fruit yields seed; to you it shall be for food.

YLT: “And God saith `Lo I have given to you every herb sowing seed which upon the face of all the earth and every tree in which the fruit of a tree sowing seed to you it is for food;”

Literal Meaning: before the fall of man God ordained man to eat vegetables only. After the flood man was allowed to eat meat (Gen. 9:3). 

Enlightenment in the Word:

  1) Man is not only made by God but in God man lives and moves and exists (Acts 17:28).

  2) All our living necessities are from God so let us enjoy them in a heart of gratitude.

  3) God not only takes the responsibility of the needs of all those who are of God but also supplies them more than enough.

 

Gen. 1:30Also to every beast of the earth to every bird of the air and to everything that creeps on the earth in which there is life I have given every green herb for food”; and it was so.

YLT: “and to every beast of the earth and to every fowl of the heavens and to every creeping thing on the earth in which breath of life every green herb for food:' and it is so.”

Literal Meaning: beasts at that time were docile and ate vegetables. After the fall of man strong animals prey upon weaker ones. When the one thousand years of the kingdom comes the wild beasts will be docile as they were firstly made again (Is. 11:6-9).

 

Gen. 1:31Then God saw everything that He had made and indeed it was very good. So the evening and the morning were the sixth day.

YLT: “And God seeth all that He hath done and lo very good; and there is an evening and there is a morning -- day the sixth.”

Meaning of Words: “very”: much greatly

Literal Meaning: God said only “good” in the first several days but here he said “very good” after he made man. Therefore man was the center of God’s creation. Only man can really satisfy God’s will.

Enlightenment in the Word: man is the workmanship of God and is the center of God’s creation. Therefore let us keep our noble position and not fall short of God’s glory.

 

III. Outlines of the Spiritual Lessons

 

See Believers’ Regeneration from the Restored Creation of the Six Days

A.  The first day: the working of God’s Spirit opens the word of God and the light shines upon man’s heart so that man turns from darkness to light (v.2b-5);

B.  The second day: be able to separate things above and things on the earth (v.6-8; Col. 3:2-3);

C.  The third day: separate from the power of death (the waters of the sea) so that the land of heart is suitable to yield fruit of life (v.9-13; Matt. 13:8);

D.  The fourth day: hold the heavenly position and shine upon the dark world (v.14-19; Phil. 2:15-16; Matt. 5:14-16);

E.  The fifth day: the power of life is manifested to overcome the dead environment (“in the waters”) and the earthly entanglements (“fly above the earth”) and lead a victorious life (v.20-23);

F.  The sixth day: the mature life will be able to manifest the image of God and have dominion over the earth on behalf of God (“have dominion over” “subdue”) and deal with the enemy of God “the creeping thing” so as to satisfy God (v.24-31);

 

Means of God’s Creation

A.  By the Spirit of God ---- “the Spirit of God was hovering over” (v.2);

B.  Out of the word of God --- “God said” (v.3 6 9 11 20 24 26);

C.  Through the hand of God ---- “God made” (v.7 16 21 25 27);

 

Sorts of God’s Creation

A.  According to the meaning of the original:

1.    “Creation” from nothing (v.1 21 27);

2.    “Making” new things from existing things (v.7 16 25 26 31);

3.    “Making a image or form” (2:7) like the potter makes vessels by the clay;

B.  According to the category:

1.    Material things (v.1);

2.    Life (v.21);

3.    Human beings (v.27);

 

The Center and Purpose of God’s Creation

A.  Man is the center of God’s creation:

1. The holy Trinity held a meeting for the purpose of making man ---- “Let Us …” (v.26);

2. God rewarded all things He had made to man to rule and to be his food (v.26 28-29).

3. God did not say very good until he made man (v.31).

B.  The purpose of God’s making man:

1. Let man to manifest His image (v.26-27);

2. Let man have His authority ---- “subdue … have dominion” (v.26 28);

3. Let man deal with His enemy ---- “the creeping thing” (v.26);

 

── Caleb HuangChristian Digest Bible Commentary Series

Translated by Mary Zhou