Part 3
A local newspaper publication a couple years back, began a feature whereby they can make a picture appear as a 3D image. To look briefly at the picture, it seems to be an interesting pattern of colours and shapes, but not much else. The instructions say you have to look closely at the picture for about five minutes, and then the 3D image should appear. I tried it without much effort, because I thought it was a trick the newspaper was playing on the public.The second time I saw this feature I took it more serious. One time might be a joke, but twice? As I sat in the coffee shop, I was determined to see this 3D image. I stared at the pattern on the page, and sure enough, in about five minutes the page began to take on depth. It looked as though I was staring into a glassy pool of water. As I continued a few more minutes, images began to take shape, and at last I could see a rhino in a field with bushes and trees around him. It is an amazing technology, and as I considered the process I went through to see this image, it compared with how we sometimes look at Scripture.
For some, the Bible is only casual reading. They may be seeing some colourful stories, but they are really not seeing any depth, just the surface and two dimensional. If our interest is kindled by the Spirit to where we search something out, we begin to see depth to the Word we are reading. As we continue in this search into the Word of God, it begins to take on shape. We might look up words in the original tongue, or compare verse with verse to see what the Spirit is revealing. Suddenly we begin to see things we never saw before, but were always there. The Scriptures have come alive, and we find a new life in God’s Word. This three step process is found many times, and in many ways in the Bible.
When we study the creation of man in the book of Genesis, we must be careful not to treat different words as though they are synonymous. This of course could lead to a misinterpretation of the Scripture. One such example applies to the words image and likeness. "And God said, let us make man in our image, after our likeness." (Genesis 1:26). These two words are not synonymous, yet they are often thought to have the same meaning. It is necessary to lay the ground work for the meaning to these words if we are wanting to discover some deeper truth about man’s beginnings. This word ‘image’, is TSELEM in the Hebrew. It is found in the Strong’s under # 6754, and it says: From an unused root mean. to share; a phantom, i.e. (fig.) illusion, resemblance; Hence a representative figure. The word ‘likeness’ is #1823 in the Strong’s and is DEMUWTH in the Hebrew and it means this: from #1819; Resemblance; concrete model, shape. The word DAMAH is #1819 and it is a prim. root; to compare; by imp. to resemble, liken.
Therefore, as it can be seen, these are two separate words used, with two separate meanings. The underlining is mine. I did that to draw attention to the significance of their meaning. When God said let us make man in our image, He was wanting to make man a representative figure of Himself. Since God is Spirit, man is being made in the Spirit image of God.
When the Word says, ‘after our likeness’, it uses the meaning a concrete model, a shape, implying a body. Jesus had a body, and He was the express image and likeness of the Father. Jesus is the firstborn among many brethren. This natural body is to liken to the spiritual body. God created man a spirit being, made with a soul, and formed it in a body.
Lets now look at three more words in Genesis which are also not synonymous. Where one time the Word says let us make man in our image; another time it tells us God created man in His image; and another time it says He formed man. Here we have three words used in the process which are also taken as though they are interchangeable, and they are not. Each word is translated from a different Hebrew word and means something different.
The word ‘create’ is BARA in the Hebrew, #1254 in the Strongs. It is a prim. root; (absol.) to create; (qualified) to cut down (a wood), select, feed (as formative processes).
The word ‘make’ is the word ASAH in the Hebrew, #6213 in the Strongs, and it is a prim. root; to do or make, in the broadest sense and widest application.
The definition for the word ‘formed’ in the Strongs is the word YATSAR in the Hebrew. It is found as #3335, and it has this meaning: a form (through the squeezing into shape); to mold into a form; espec. As a potter; fig. to determine (i.e. form a resolution).
Now that the foundation of these word definitions is laid, we can begin to discover what is being said. First, the word create. "In the beginning God created." This statement offers no explanation, it offers no proof, and with no apology introduces us to the Author of all that is created. Before there was anything, there was God. Before there was a creation, there was God. God is all by Himself God. He is not lacking anything, He is not in need of anything. There is nothing that could add to Him, neither can anything be taken from Him.
When God created, where did He get that which He created from? Before there was anything created, that which God created would have to come from Himself. "For of Him, and through Him, and to Him are all things: to whom be the glory for ever. Amen." (Rom. 11:36) The Hebrew word for create supports this, for part of the meaning is to cut down. God cut out of Himself that which He created. We know that God is Spirit, and so all things have their beginnings in Spirit. That is why that which is natural is temporary, and that which is Spirit is eternal. And yet God is not lessened in Himself, otherwise He could not be God.
First God says, let us make man..., then the Word says, So God created man, male and female created He them. It is not until chapter two of Genesis that we are told God formed man from the dust of the ground. There are some who say chapter two of Genesis is just a repeat of chapter one; that it is the same account from a different source, but I do not agree. I believe it is a continuation of the account. This is the third step, the forming of man. "And breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul."
From there, "God planted a garden eastward in Eden; and there He put the man whom He had formed." God gave the man instructions about the garden he was to till, and the tree he was not to touch. The first time man was called Adam, was in Gen. 2:19. When God had decided it was not good for man to be alone; and formed every beast from the ground, and brought them to Adam, for him to name (nature them) and to look for a help meet.
"But for Adam there was not found an help meet for him." (Gen. 2:20) It is then that, "The Lord God caused a deep sleep to fall upon Adam...and the rib, which the Lord God had taken from man, made He a woman, (or womb man) and brought her unto the man." As a side note: there is no mention of Adam ever being awakened from this deep sleep.
In future essays I hope to cover this in more detail, but for now permit me to offer this brief and incomplete summary as I now see it. The man and the woman were one flesh when they were created, and formed. It is after this point, when the woman is separated from the man. The soul is feminine. God separated the feminine soul from Adam, and it was this woman who was tempted in the garden not the man. This makes Adam a type of Christ, who was not deceived, and yet had taken on the woman’s sin as his own.
Through this whole process God is demonstrating His plan and purpose for His creation. God made creation from the substance of Himself; Eve was made from the substance of Adam. Eve is the bride of Adam; the Church is the bride of Christ. Adam took Eve’s disobedience upon himself; Christ took mankind’s disobedience upon himself. The man is to be head over the woman; the Spirit is to rule the soul.
It is not my intention to attempt reporting all that can be said on this subject, nor could I. However I have been looking past the two dimensional, and I am seeing more depth than ever before. The complete picture is still unclear. But truly God is revealing in this hour; for those that look beyond the two dimensional; the image and likeness of Himself contained in a people, called by His name.
We have been cut down out of the Father. And this Corporate man is being squeezed into shape, molded, and formed into His resemblance, duplicates of Himself.
END.
