Vol 3 No 2 THEO'S DEVOS
TITLE: Man Became
Genesis 2:7 the LORD God formed the man from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living being
The origen of man has been debated and argued about for centuries. It is interesting that God really gives us next to nothing as an explanation concerning our creation. Like the heavens and the earth, God made us but, instead of just speaking a word, He took some of the already created material and designed man. We became a living being. From inanimate meterial God created an animate being. He did this differently than the animals but more than that we really do not know. What we do know, however, makes all the difference in the world.
That we were made of the dust of the ground confirms that we are material beings. We exist in time and space and are, at the very least, animated elements of nature. We came from the ground. We are of the earth. We are a part of nature. But we are much more than that.
God did not say, of any other crature, that He breathed into them the breath of life. Our animation came as a result of God's breath along with natural elements. We were created in His image. We were given a spirit that would inhabit this mortal body. A spirit that will never die. We are immortal in that regard. When we cast off this body our spirit will live on. The only question is: where will that existence be. With God or without Him.
Now God could have just made us all clones. We could all look alike, act alike, think alike and be rather hard to tell apart. But our verse tells us that when we were created we became living souls. Our souls are what differentiates us one from another. We are all uniquely designed. We look different. Think differently. Act diferently. I believe that even our spirits are distinquishable one from another as are our physical bodies. We have two different parts. We are physical and spiritual. The soul is the differentiating aspect of these two parts.
This also makes us completely different from all the other animals. They have physiacl bodies and they are different in appearance as well as personality but there is no indication in scripture that they have a spirit. Only man has this spiritual dimension and that is how he can relate to God. When we were first craated our spirits were alive and vibrant. We could talk to God. We had a deep, close relationship with Him. We walked with Him in the garden of Eden. All was well in the world. It is impossible to understand what that rich relationship was like. To be able to commune with God on a spiritual leve, nothing coming between us. The creation was perfect. That would not last long.
Our experience today feels almost as though there were no God. Even as Christians we cannot understand the relationship that Adam had with Him. The world is far from perfect. One small deed interrupted everything. However, in the deepest reaches of our beinjg, we know that He is there. There is hope for the future. Our spirits have an eternal destiny. For now I ask you to contumplate the truth that there is more to us than you can see. Rejoice in the fact that what was lost does not have to be lost forever.
We will think about how all this came about and we will examine what God did to corect the awful consequence of Adam's sin. Until then may God bless you and bring the light of understanding to your mind as we journey together this new year.
Theo
Please read Genesis 2:4-3:24
QUICK QUESTION: Confession time: Share with the group one time when you did something wrong. Did you get away with it? How did you feel? How do you feel now?
What major things happened is the verses for this study?
How was man created? (2:4-7)
What did God tell man not to do? Why do you suppose He gave that command?
How did God create woman? Does that suggest anything concerning his relationship with her?
Discuss the fall of man. What happened?
What was the consequences for the man's sin?
Why did God make man leave the garden?
Why do you suppose we are attracted to things God has forbidden?
REFLECTION: What does this suggest to you about obeying the commands of God? Why do you think God gives us the commands He does?
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