Table of Contents
- A quick recap of the four Hebrew words used in the creation
- Origin of Mankind
- God speaks to the originating source
- Man and God’s plan for man
- Who is God?
- Creation of Man step by step
- Section One: The Spirit Man
- Step 1: Creating the Spirit man
- The real “ME” is an invisible spirit being
- Adam & Eve
- Stay connected
- Jesus – a life-giving Spirit
- Step 2: Creation of gender: male & female
- Step 3: God blessed them
- Meaning of the word “bless”
- We walk in a Fourfold blessing:
- Spiritual blessings
- The blessing of Abraham
- The blessings of Israel
- Bless one another
- Step 4: God spoke to them
- God’s speaking is God’s action
- How God spoke in Old Testament times
- How God speaks in New Testament times
- God now speaks through Jesus Christ
- When God speaks He creates and brings forth
- Every promise is YES and AMEN in Christ
- The fivefold plays a major role
- The prophetic in the New Covenant
- Step 5: Mandate & Assignment is established
- The mandate was given to both man and woman
- Use of the word “command”
- The five commands explained
- Be fruitful
- Replenish the earth
- Subdue the earth
- Have dominion
- More commands in the New Testament
- Receive the Holy Spirit
- Be filled with the Spirit
- Receive with meekness the Word
- Section Two: Man’s earthly side
- Step 6: Man’s earthly side
- A spirit needs a body
- Meaning of the word “Yatzar”
- Stay connected
- Step 7: Man became a living soul
- The body is enabled to function on the earth
- The breath of life
- Only God can give life
- A living soul
- How they executed their mandate
- Man versus animals
- My body is the dwelling place of the Deity
- Step 8: Creation of the earthly side of the woman
- God creating the woman
- Help suitable for each other
- How the woman was created
- Step 9: Work
- The channel through which their mandate could be fulfilled
- Guard and keep
- What is work?
- Labour (toil) came as a result of sin
- Create wealth through work
- Christ brought us back to God’s original intent
- In Christ, I am a new creative act
- We are co-workers with God
- We are God’s workmanship
- The whole of creation is waiting
- We have an impact on the world
- Section Three: The ideal environment
- Step 10: Creating Eden
- Meaning of Eden
- Eden today
- Jesus prepared a place for us
- We were placed in this prepared place
- The Father, Jesus and the Holy Spirit live within us
- The intimate relationship between God and me
- Eden – God’s pleasure – restored
- Eden – the place where there is power to bring forth
- Mary received power to give birth to Jesus
- What is power?
- What is a witness?
- Step 11: Creation of rivers
- The rivers flowing from Eden
- River and water as symbols of the Holy Spirit
- Promises of God in the OT regarding rivers
- The role of water in my rebirth
- We are planted in the river of Water of Life
- To summarize
Creation of Mankind
Let’s quickly recap to bring Part 2 into context.
A brief overview of the four Hebrew words used in the Bible to describe the creation process.
1)(asah) – a verb meaning: to bring forth, “to create or form from existing material”, “to bring something into its intended purpose”, to create, to construct
This conveys the central notion of performing an activity with a distinct purpose or a goal in view.
Gen 1:26 Then God said, "Let Us make (asah – bring forth) 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."
2)(bara) – a verb meaning: to bring into existence, to bring into being, to create, to carve from nothing or the invisible or the unseen
Entirely new productions are associated with “bara”
With regard to creation “bara” refers to an activity which can only be performed by God.
“ Bara” – emphasizes the initiation of the object – NOT MANIPULATING IT AFTER ORIGINAL CREATION – which means that I, as a spirit being, possess a free will. God does not manipulate me or enforce Himself upon me.
In the account of creation “bara” and “asah” alternate - “Bara” conveys the thought of creation “ex nihilo” (out of nothing or the invisible) while “asah” is broader in scope and deals with refinement. In other words, the emphasis of “asah” is on fashioning the created objects.
Gen 1:1 In the beginning, God created (bara) the heaven and the earth.
Gen 1:27 So God created (bara) man in His own image; in the image of God He created (bara) him; male and female He created (bara) them.
3)(yatsar) – Derived from the idea of cutting or framing and is used to express God’s “planning” or “preordaining” according to His Divine purpose.
“Yatsar” means: “to squeeze together into shape” or “to mould into a form especially as a potter” - the word implies initiation as well as structuring.
“Yatsar” also entails: God “predestined” man meaning: to destine, decree, determine, appoint, to give destiny
Gen 2:7 And the LORD God formed (yatsar) man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and man became a living being (soul).
Gen 2:8 The LORD God planted a garden eastward in Eden, and there He put the man whom He had formed (yatsar).
4)(banah) – A verb meaning to build, build up, rebuild, construct.
It is used in a figurative sense: Eve is built from Adam's rib, not created separately
Gen 2:22: (AMP) And the rib or part of his side which the Lord God had taken from the man He built up and made into (banah) a woman, and He brought her to the man.
ALL FOUR OF THESE CREATIVE ACTIONS (asah, bara, yatsar and banah) ARE APPLIED WHEN MANKIND IS CREATED!
God speaks to the originating source:
When God wanted to bring forth plants, He spoke to the earth.
When God wanted to bring forth fish, He spoke to the waters.
When God wanted to bring forth animals, He spoke to the earth.
God always spoke to the relevant source to bring forth (asah) the specific thing that was to be created, and for that created thing to survive, to prosper and to flourish, it had to stay attached to its originated source.
This very same principle applies when God created mankind – He spoke to the relevant source from which man will originate. Let’s find out who and what that source is!!
The originating source of man: Creation of man started with God speaking to the originating source of man - “Elohim” :
Gen 1:26 Then God said, "Let Us makeH6213 (asah – bring forth) manH120 in Our image, according to Our likeness; let them have dominion
Let US bring forth man (human beings) –
GOD, HIMSELF (the Everlasting – the Eternal Powers) IS THE ORIGINATING SOURCE OF MAN (the human race)!!!
MANH120 and God’s plan for man
Mankind, human being
Mankind in the collective sense (male or female)
The word “man” usually refers to mankind (the human race) in the collective sense, male and female) with its first appearance in Genesis1:26: "And God said, Let us make man (referring to mankind and not an individual)
Confirmation to this is given further on where God says: “let them have dominion”
Also in the subsequent two verses: “created them”, “blessed them” and “said to them”.
Man (Adam) is also a proper noun – the name given to the first man whom God created as is recorded in Genesis 2:7
Gen 2:7 Then the LORD God formed man of dust from the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living being.
"Man" is distinguished from the rest of the creation insofar as he was created by a special act of God. Man alone was created in the image of God as the crown of all creation.
God put Adam and Eve in a position of honour and had great plans and expectations for them
Gen 1:28 God blessed 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."
Psa 8:4 What is man that You take thought of him, And the son of man that You care for him?
Psa 8:5 Yet You have made him a little lower than God, And You crown him with glory and majesty!
Psa 8:6 You make him to rule over the works of Your hands; You have put all things under his feet,
Gen 1:26 Then God said, "Let Us make man ...and let them have dominion”
In my spirit I can imagine this profound meeting between, God, the Father, the Logos (Word) and the Spirit where a decree is decreed:
Let Us bring forth man (the human race) in Our image, according to Our likeness and We will give them dominion over the earth (NB – not dominion over other people)!!
God still has great plans and expectations for us:
Jer 29:11 'For I know the plans that I have for you,' declares the LORD, ' plans for welfare and not for calamity to give you a future and a hope.
As a result of them falling in sin man’s position was greatly lowered before God and only Jesus Christ could rectify the matter.
Jesus, who is identified with mankind, and was made a little lower than the angels (Hebrews 2:9), came to fulfil what Adam failed to do. Adam (man) was a “living soul” whereas Jesus as the last Adam was a “life-giving spirit” who came to redeem us. Jesus became a part of the great family of man by participating in a human body.
Now that I know that I originated directly from God, I think it is very important to know who God is.
I have already told you about the two distinct Scriptures highlighting the essence and being of God (especially in His dealings with us).
1Jn 4:8 He who does not love does not know God, for God is love.
1Jn 1:5 This is the message which we have heard from Him and declare to you, that God is light and in Him is no darkness at all.
The word “is” means: “to exist”; “to be”; “the reason for existence”
And then also the Bible tells us that God is good, great, gracious, merciful, holy, faithful etc
But who and what is God really? Who is this everlasting being?
If we want to give a general description of God, there is only one way to do this : GOD IS A SPIRIT!
John 4:24 God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth."
The word “is” used here does not appear in the original Greek text – so the translation should actually read: God Spirit or Spirit God
The Bible is thus very clear about this: God/Spirit are one and the same!
A clearer understanding of Gen 1: 26 – 27 and Gen 2:7 would read as follows:
Gen 1:26 Then God (the Supreme Everlasting Spirit) said, "Let Us (the Eternal Powers) make (asah – bring forth) man in Our image, according to Our likeness;
Gen 1:27 So God (the Supreme Everlasting Spirit) created (bara – brought us into existence from the invisible, the unseen Supreme Everlasting Spirit) man in His own image; in the image of God He created (bara - brought us into existence from the invisible, the unseen Supreme Everlasting Spirit) him; male and female He created (bara – brought maleness and femaleness into existence from the invisible, the unseen Supreme Everlasting Spirit) them.
Gen 2:7 And the LORD God (Jehovah, the Supreme Everlasting Spirit) formed (yatsar – squeeze together in a shape, mould in a form) man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living being (soul).
The Spirit God brought us forth as spirit beings!
For the sake of convenience and better understanding, I will divide this teaching on the creation of man in three parts, i.e.: 1) The spirit man; 2) Man’s earthly side, and 3) The ideal environment
Creation of and God’s dealings with the spirit man
The real “ME” is an invisible spirit
Gen 1:27 So God created (bara) man in His own image; in the image of God He created (bara) him;
(NB! – The expression “according to Our Likeness” is omitted here – that will come later in the creation process)
So the first thing that God brought forth (created – bara) out of His own unseen self (out of Himself as a Spirit – HIMSELF AS “RUACH”) was the real, unseen, invisible me.
The real “ME” is also an invisible spirit – now the human spirit – brought into existence (bara) out of God in His image.
When God said: “Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness”, He made us a spirit able to operate like Him (according to His likeness).
I will, later on, elaborate on the concept of “likeness”
THE INVISIBLE SPIRIT MAN IS “THE IMAGE” OF THE SPIRIT/GOD
This image contains certain traits, talents and abilities.
I will, later on, elaborate further on the concept of “image”
Stay connected:
God always spoke to the relevant source to bring forth (asah) the specific thing that was to be created, and for that created thing to survive, to prosper and to flourish, it has to stay attached to its originated source.
This very same principle applies when God created the spirit man– He spoke to the relevant source (Himself) from which man will originate.
The same principle of survival and prosperity applies to the spirit man – stay connected to the source where you originated from. If I want to become what He intended for me to become, it is absolutely imperative that I (as a spirit being) stay connected with Him in close fellowship and communion. Thank God that is possible through the complete and finished work of Jesus Christ, our Lord by the Holy Spirit through whom my spirit is born!!
Jesus came to rectify everything that went wrong when man sinned!
Jesus brought us back into right standing with God and restored the image of God in us!
Adam & Eve:
When Adam and Eve sinned they were cut off from the light and energy of God, their spirits became dormant, and man started to walk in darkness.
Sin defiled and distorted the spirit man and separated him from God. So God had to deal with the sin issue first and that is why the words of John the Baptist are so profound in John 1:29
John 1:29 The next day John saw Jesus coming to him and said, Look! There is the Lamb of God, Who takes away the sin of the world! [ Exod. 12:3; Isa. 53:7.] (AMP)
That is the reason why Jesus said: we must be born again and Paul boldly declared:
Eph 2:1 And you were dead in your trespasses and sins,
Eph 2:4 But God, being rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us,
Eph 2:5 even when we were dead in our transgressions, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved),
Eph 2:6 and raised us up with Him, and seated us with (in) Him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus,
Jesus is also called: a life-giving spirit
1Co 15:45 So also it is written, "The first MAN, Adam, BECAME A LIVING SOUL." The last Adam became a life-giving spirit. (Jesus came to give God’s life back to us by regenerating our spirits ).
Now we can also understand the following Scripture:
1Jn 3:9 No one who is born of God practices sin, because His seed abides in him; and he cannot sin, because he is born of God.
( John is not talking about the natural man – body and soul – here, but of the spirit man, who is unable to sin, because he is born from a Holy sinless God.
The problem of sin lies within my soul and body).
The second part of Man’s spiritual side.
Gen 1:27 So God (The Everlasting Spirit) created (bara – brought us into existence from the invisible, the unseen Everlasting Spirit) man (mankind) in His own image; in the image of God He created (bara - brought us into existence from the invisible, the unseen Everlasting Spirit) him;male and female He created them. (bara – brought maleness and femaleness into existence from the invisible, the unseen Everlasting Spirit)
This is a truly amazing part.
He created (“BARA” – brought into existence from the invisible, the unseen Everlasting Spirit) THEM “MALE” AND “FEMALE”.
This is a wonderful creative work of God.
Out of Himself, He created “maleness” and “femaleness” and He placed “maleness” in Adam’s body and “femaleness” in Eve’s body to enable them to live out “masculinity” and “femininity” each one in their different roles.
“Maleness” (masculinity) and “femaleness” (femininity) is not a body thing – it is a spirit thing – a God-given identity functioning through your soul and body.
Jesus Christ confirmed the creation of male and female:
Mark 10:6 But from the beginning of the creation, God 'made them male and female.'
Mark 10:7 'for this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife,
Mark 10:8 and the two shall become one flesh'; so then they are no longer two, but one flesh. (NKJV)
God is now dealing with the spirit man
Gen 1:28 God blessed them; and God said to them,
Meaning of the word “Bless”
God blessed them: God blessed both man and woman
BLESS: Hebrew: “barak” with the core meaning – “to bend the knee, to kneel down, to salute or greet, to wish well to”
To make happy; to make successful; to prosper in temporal concerns; the bestowal of good, to distinguish with favour,
BLESS: Greek: “eulogeo” with its core meaning - “to bless, to speak well of, the bestowal of good”
To act in man's life and accomplish His purposes instead of allowing men to have their own way
When God is said to bless us (speak well of us), He acts for our good as He sees our need and not necessarily our desire. Therefore, He blesses by intervening.
God bowed down (or knelt down) alongside Adam and Eve (coming down to their level) and got involved in their everyday walk of life.
God blessed them by saying to them: YOU HAVE MY PERMISSION to live life to the fullest.
God gave them the capacity to live a rich and full life and to realize all their potential and to fulfil their purpose and destiny.
God bestowed good things upon them and enabled and empowered them to prosper.
The moment Adam and Eve fell in sin the blessings were forfeited, but thank God, in Christ Jesus all those blessings have been re-instated and restored:
Act 3:26 To you first, God, having raised up His Servant Jesus, sent Him TO BLESS you, in turning away every one of you from your iniquities."
God sent His Son to bless us, to intervene in our lives with what He planned to do for us.
We now walk in a fourfold blessing. They are:
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SPIRITUAL BLESSINGS
Eph 1:3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with EVERY SPIRITUAL BLESSING in the heavenly places in Christ,
Herewith a list of some of our spiritual blessings:
Eph 1:4 just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we would be holy and blameless before Him. In love
Eph 1:5 He predestined us to adoption as sons through Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the kind intention of His will,
Eph 1:6 He freely bestowed His grace on us in the Beloved.
Eph 1:7 In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of His grace
Eph 1:9 He made known to us the mystery of His will,
Eph 1:11 In Him also we have obtained an inheritance,
(Eph 1:18 I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened so that you will know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints)
Eph 1:13 you were sealed in Him with the Holy Spirit of promise,
Eph 1:14 who (the Holy Spirit) is given as a pledge of our inheritance,
(2Co 1:21 Now He who establishes us with you in Christ and anointed us is God,
2Co 1:22 who also sealed us and gave us the Spirit in our hearts as a pledge.)
Eph 2:4 But God, being rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us,
Eph 2:5 even when we were dead in our transgressions, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved),
(Eph 2:8 For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God;)
Eph 2:6 and raised us up with Him, and seated us with Him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus,
Eph 2:10 For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works,
Eph 2:13 But now in Christ Jesus you who formerly were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ.
Eph 2:14 For He Himself is our peace,
Eph 2:18 for through Him we have our access in one Spirit to the Father.
Eph 2:19 So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints and are of God's household,
Eph 2:22 in whom you also are being built together into a dwelling of God in the Spirit.
(1Pe 2:5 you also, as living stones, are being built up as a spiritual house for a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.
1Co 6:19 Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God)
Eph 5:30 For we are members of His body, of His flesh and of His bones. (NKJV)
1Pe 2:9 But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for God's own possession, so that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him who has called you out of darkness into His marvellous light;
1Co 1:30 But by His doing you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, and righteousness and sanctification, and redemption,
2Co 5:17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.(NKJV)
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THE BLESSING OF ABRAHAM:
The very first thing that God did when He called Abraham was to re-instate His blessings:
Gen 12:1 Now the LORD said to Abram, "Go forth from your country, And from your relatives And from your father's house. To the land which I will show you;
Gen 12:2 And I will make you a great nation, And I will bless you, And make your name great; And so you shall be a blessing;
Gen 12:3 And I will bless those who bless you, And the one who curses you I will curse. And in you, all the families of the earth will be blessed."
Christ removed every curse and opened the door for the blessings of Abraham to flow to us:
Gal 3:13 Christ redeemed us from the curse of the Law, having become a curse for us--for it is written, "Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree"--
Gal 3:14 in order that in Christ Jesus the blessing of Abraham might come to the Gentiles so that we would receive the promise of the Spirit through faith.
In Christ, we are the seed of Abraham and thus entitled to all the promises
Gal 3:29 And if you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham's descendants, heirs according to promise.
THIS IS THE BLESSING AND WORKING THAT LINKS HEAVEN WITH EARTH AND WHICH ENABLES ME TO LIVE SUCCESSFUL AND VICTORIOUS ON EARTH.
Herewith a list of the blessing of Abraham:
Gen 12:2 I will make you a great nation; I will bless you And make your name great, And you shall be a blessing.
Gen 12:3 I will bless those who bless you, And I will curse him who curses you; And in you, all the families of the earth shall be blessed."
Gen 14:18 Then Melchizedek king of Salem brought out bread and wine; he was the priest of God Most High.
Gen 14:19 And he blessed him and said: "Blessed be Abram of God Most High, Possessor of heaven and earth;
Gen 14:20 And blessed be God Most High, Who has delivered your enemies into your hand."
Gen 15:1 After these things the word of the LORD came to Abram in a vision, saying, "Do not be afraid, Abram. I am your shield, your exceedingly great reward."
Gen 15:18 On the same day the LORD made a covenant with Abram, saying: "To your descendants, I have given .......
Victory over
Gen 15:19 the Kenites, the Kenezzites, the Kadmonites,
Gen 15:20 the Hittites, the Perizzites, the Rephaim,
Gen 15:21 the Amorites, the Canaanites, the Girgashites, and the Jebusites."
See teaching on the Covenant that God cut with Abraham under “Second Dispensation Teachings” for the meanings of these names.
The profound blessing of Abraham is Righteousness by faith (or being justified by faith)
Gen 15:6 And he believed in the LORD, and He accounted it to him for righteousness.
The oath-swearing of God to Abraham includes us.
Gen 22:16 and said: "By Myself, I have sworn, says the LORD, because you have done this thing, and have not withheld your son, your only son--
Gen 22:17 blessing I will bless you, and multiplying I will multiply your descendants as the stars of the heaven and as the sand which is on the seashore, and your descendants shall possess the gate of their enemies.
Gen 22:18 In your seed (in Christ) all the nations of the earth shall be blessed, because you have obeyed My voice."
The oath-swearing is also mentioned in Hebrews 6:13-14
Heb 6:13 For when God made a promise to Abraham because He could swear by no one greater, He swore by Himself,
Heb 6:14 saying, "SURELY BLESSING I WILL BLESS YOU, AND MULTIPLYING I WILL MULTIPLY YOU."
"Blessing I will bless thee," means: since it is My nature to bless or to act in people's lives, I will act in yours as well. God’s oath swearing indicates His nature and also His definitive action in the future.
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THE BLESSINGS OF ISRAEL:
Christ removed every curse of the Law, but all the blessings that God bestowed upon Israel are still applicable to us:
Gal 3:13 Christ redeemed us from the curse of the Law, having become a curse for us--for it is written, "Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree"—
Deu 7:9 "Therefore know that the LORD your God, He is God, the faithful God who keeps covenant and mercy for a thousand generations with those who love Him and keep His commandments;
Psa 105:8 He has remembered His covenant forever, The word which He commanded to a thousand generations,
Herewith a list of some of the blessings that God promised Israel provided they keep His commandments – we qualify for these blessings because Christ (our new law) completely fulfilled the law on our behalf:
Deu 8:18 "But you shall remember the LORD your God, for it is He who is giving you power to make wealth, that He may confirm His covenant which He swore to your fathers, as it is this day.
Deu 28:1 "Now it shall be, if you diligently obey the LORD your God, being careful to do all His commandments which I command you today, the LORD your God will set you high above all the nations of the earth.
Deu 28:2 "All these blessings will come upon you and overtake you if you obey the LORD your God:
Deu 28:3 "Blessed shall you be in the city, and blessed shall you be in the country.
Deu 28:4 " Blessed shall be the offspring of your body and the produce of your ground and the offspring of your beasts, the increase of your herd and the young of your flock.
Deu 28:5 "Blessed shall be your basket and your kneading bowl.
Deu 28:6 "Blessed shall you be when you come in, and blessed shall you be when you go out.
Deu 28:7 " The LORD shall cause your enemies who rise up against you to be defeated before you; they will come out against you one way and will flee before you seven ways.
Deu 28:8 "The LORD will command the blessing upon you in your barns and in all that you put your hand to, and He will bless you in the land which the LORD your God gives you.
Deu 28:9 "The LORD will establish you as a holy people to Himself, as He swore to you if you keep the commandments of the LORD your God and walk in His ways.
Deu 28:11 "The LORD will make you abound in prosperity, in the offspring of your body and in the offspring of your beast and in the produce of your ground, in the land which the LORD swore to your fathers to give you.
Deu 28:12 " The LORD will open for you His good storehouse, the heavens, to give rain to your land in its season and to bless all the work of your hand; and you shall lend to many nations, but you shall not borrow.
Deu 28:13 "The LORD will make you the head and not the tail, and you only will be above, and you will not be underneath, if you listen to the commandments of the LORD your God, which I charge you today, to observe them carefully,
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BLESS ONE ANOTHER:
The Bible is very clear about this:
Rom 12:14 Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse.
1Pe 3:9 Never return evil for evil or insult for insult (scolding, tongue-lashing, berating), but on the contrary blessing, knowing that you were called to this, that you may inherit a blessing.
This is our Godly calling:
To speak well of, and with one another with praise and thanksgiving,
We are called to invoke God's blessing upon other people, which will become God's action in their lives or God's intervention to accomplish His will.
This will inevitably allow us to inherit a blessing. It is not enough just to forgive or to take a neutral stand when someone has wronged me – for me to inherit a blessing I have to bless that person.
Remember: God’s speaking is God’s action because God’s speech is His energy released.
That same authority is now vested in me:
Rom 10:8 But what does it say? "THE WORD IS NEAR YOU, IN YOUR MOUTH AND IN YOUR HEART" (that is, the word of faith which we preach):
Rom 10:10 For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth, confession is made unto salvation.
The moment I bless someone my speaking becomes God’s action in that person’s life because my speech is the release of God’s energy.
Eph 6:17 And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word (RHEMA) of God;
The words that I speak become a sword in the hands of the Holy Spirit rendering the most powerful results.
On the other hand - the moment I curse (i.e. to speak negative things over or about somebody else; to slander or gossip) - my speaking becomes the devil’s action and I open a door for the enemy to harass that person.
Some good advice: do not allow yourself to be an instrument in the hands of the enemy to the detriment of someone else - BLESS AND DO NOT CURSE.
Some more good advice: sometimes people speak badly about you and many times you are unaware of it - therefore we should constantly cancel and make nil and void all negative things that people are saying about us.
Eph 6:16 above all, taking the shield of faith with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one
Even under the Law, God commanded a priestly blessing to be spoken over Israel:
Num 6:23 Say to Aaron and his sons, This is the way you shall bless the Israelites. Say to them,
Num 6:24 The Lord bless you and watch, guard, and keep you;
Num 6:25 The Lord make His face to shine upon and enlighten you and be gracious (kind, merciful, and giving favour) to you;
Num 6:26 The Lord lift up His [approving] countenance upon you and give you peace (tranquillity of heart and life continually).
Num 6:27 And they shall put My name upon the Israelites, and I will bless them.
God is still dealing with the spirit man
God’s speaking is God’s action
In this very profound and significant step, God said to them:
{God spoke (said) to both man and woman!}
The meaning of “say (said)” is: To designate – TO SPELL OUT THEIR DESTINY, to purpose, to put forth in order, to challenge, to appoint, – TO CREATE EXPECTATIONS, to be called, intend and ASSIGN.
So the moment God spoke to them, He:
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Spelt out their destiny
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Called, assigned, purposed and appointed them to their destiny
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Challenged them to pursue their destiny
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Created expectations in them
God’s speaking is God’s action and His way of working. God does nothing without His Word. God’s speech is God’s energy released and God’s energy released is the driving force behind the implementation of His word and His purpose.
Isa 55:10 "For as the rain comes down, and the snow from heaven, And do not return there, But water the earth, And make it bring forth and bud, That it may give seed to the sower And bread to the eater,
Isa 55:11 So shall My word be that goes forth from My mouth; It shall not return to Me void, But it shall accomplish what I please, And it shall prosper in the thing for which I sent it. (NKJV)
Psalm 29 gives a beautiful description of the effect of the voice of God
Psa 29:3 The voice of the LORD is upon the waters; The God of glory thunders,
Psa 29:4 The voice of the LORD is powerful, The voice of the LORD is majestic.
Psa 29:5 The voice of the LORD breaks the cedars;
Psa 29:7 The voice of the LORD hews out flames of fire.
Psa 29:8 The voice of the LORD shakes the wilderness;
Psa 29:9 The voice of the LORD makes the deer to calve And strips the forests bare; And in His temple, everything says, "Glory!"
When God speaks, He creates and brings forth
Gen 1
Gen 1:3 Then God said, "Let there be light"; and there was light.
Gen 1:6 Then God said, "Let there be an expanse in the midst of the waters, and let it separate the waters from the waters." Gen 1:7....... and it was so.
Gen 1:9 Then God said, "Let the waters below the heavens be gathered into one place, and let the dry land appear"; and it was so.
Gen 1:11 Then God said, "Let the earth sprout vegetation, plants yielding seed, and fruit trees on the earth bearing fruit after their kind with seed in them"; and it was so.
Gen 1:14 Then God said, "Let there be lights in the expanse of the heavens to separate the day from the night, and let them be for signs and for seasons and for days and years;
Gen 1:15 and let them be for lights in the expanse of the heavens to give light on the earth"; and it was so.
Gen 1:20 Then God said, "Let the waters teem with swarms of living creatures, and let birds fly above the earth in the open expanse of the heavens."
Gen 1:21 God created the great sea monsters and every living creature that moves, with which the waters swarmed after their kind, and every winged bird after its kind; and God saw that it was good.
Gen 1:24 Then God said, "Let the earth bring forth living creatures after their kind: cattle and creeping things and beasts of the earth after their kind"; and it was so.
What God says, comes into being and into existence!!
So when God said to the spirit man: 1) be fruitful and 2) multiple, and 3) fill the earth (replenish) and 4) subdue it and 5) rule - He immediately created in them fruitfulness, and the ability to multiply, to fill the earth, subdue it and to rule.
Mank became in effect a source and a channel of God’s creative abilities.
That is why Jesus said in John 7:
John 7:37 Now on the last day, the great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried out, saying, "If anyone is thirsty, let him come to Me and drink.
John 7:38 "He who believes in Me, as the Scripture said, 'From his innermost being will flow rivers of living water.'"
John 7:39 But this He spoke of the Spirit,
By speaking to the spirit man God released His divine energy into them enabling them to fulfil their mandate (the 5th step).
*Reader - Before I move on to the next step of the creation of man, I want to briefly touch on how God spoke to mankind in the Old Testament times and how He is speaking to us today
How God spoke in Old Testament times:
After Adam and Eve fell in sin God continued to speak directly to individuals like Noah, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Moses and Joshua. They, in turn, conveyed the messages of God to the people.
God conversed with these people in different ways – by an audible voice, through dreams, visions and personal appearances in the form of angels.
After Israel has entered the Promised Land (and Joshua had died) God spoke to His people through judges and prophets. The prophets gave authority to their words by boldly declaring “thus says the Lord” – indicating that they are speaking on behalf of God.
How God speaks in New Testament times:
God gave this wonderful promise of the coming Messiah, Jesus Christ to Moses:
Deu 18:15 "The LORD your God will raise up for you a Prophet like me from your midst, from your brethren. Him you shall hear,
Deu 18:18 I will raise up for them a Prophet like you from among their brethren and will put My words in His mouth, and He shall speak to them all that I command Him.
This coming Prophet is indeed Jesus Christ through whom God now speaks:
The following Scriptures confirm this. God said we should listen to His Son.
Mar 9:7 Then a cloud formed, overshadowing them, and a voice came out of the cloud, "This is My beloved Son, listen to Him!" (NKJV)
Peter and Stephen confirmed what God said to Moses
Act 3:20 and that He may send Jesus Christ, who was preached to you before,
Act 3:22 For Moses truly said to the fathers, 'The Lord your God will raise up for you a Prophet like me from your brethren. Him you shall hear in all things, whatever he says to you.
Act 3:23 And it shall be that every soul who will not hear that Prophet shall be utterly destroyed from among the people.' (NKJV)
Stephen
Act 7:37 "This is that Moses who said to the children of Israel, 'The Lord your God will raise up for you a Prophet like me from your brethren. Him you shall hear.' (NKJV)
Whatever God wants to say to the world now, He says through His Son, Jesus Christ in whom the fullness of the Godhead now dwells!!!
The fullness of the Godhead (the Deity) is communicated to us through God’s Son - Jesus Christ, who is the “brightness of His glory” and “the express image of His person”
Col 1:19 For it has pleased [the Father] that all the divine fullness (the sum total of the divine perfection, powers, and attributes) should dwell in Him permanently. (AMP)
Col 2:9 For in Him all the fullness of Deity dwells in bodily form,
Col 2:10 and in Him you have been made complete, and He is the head over all rule and authority;
Heb 1:1 God, who at various times and in various ways spoke in time past to the fathers by the prophets,
Heb 1:2 has in these last days spoken to us by His Son, whom He has appointed heir of all things, through whom also He made the worlds;
Heb 1:3 who being the brightness of His glory and the express image of His person, and upholding all things by the word of His power, when He had by Himself purged our sins, sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high
Jesus said:
John 10:27 "My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me;
John 10:28 and I give eternal life to them, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of My hand.
Jnoh 16:13 "But when He, the Spirit of truth, comes, He will guide you into all the truth; for He will not speak on His own initiative, but whatever He hears, He will speak; and He will disclose to you what is to come.
John 16:14 "He will glorify Me, for He will take of Mine and will disclose it to you.
When God speaks, He creates and brings forth - What God says, comes into being and into existence!!
We have been BORN AGAIN and RECREATED in and through Jesus Christ – the incarnated Logos; God brought us into eternal existence through His Son
1Pe 1:23 You have been regenerated (born again), not from a mortal origin (seed, sperm), but from one that is immortal by the ever living and lasting Word of God .(AMP)
Eph 2:10 For we are God's [own] handiwork (His workmanship), recreated in Christ Jesus, [born anew] that we may do those good works which God predestined (planned beforehand) for us [taking paths which He prepared ahead of time], that we should walk in them [living the good life which He prearranged and made ready for us to live]. (AMP)
Jas 1:18 And it was of His own [free] will that He gave us birth [as sons] by [His] Word of Truth, so that we should be a kind of firstfruits of His creatures [a sample of what He created to be consecrated to Himself].
Another Scripture confirming that every promise of God is already created and established in Jesus Christ as a YES and executed through Him as the AMEN through us to God’s glory.
2Co 1:20 For as many as are the promises of God, in Him they are yes; therefore also through Him is our Amen to the glory of God through us.
Various other translations of 2 Corinthians 1:20 giving us greater understanding of this wonderful creative working of God
(AMP) For as many as are the promises of God, they all find their Yes [answer] in Him [Christ]. For this reason we also utter the Amen (so be it) to God through Him [in His Person and by His agency] to the glory of God.
(BBE) For he is the Yes to all the undertakings of God: and by him all the words of God are made certain and put into effect, to the glory of God through us.
(MSG) Whatever God has promised gets stamped with the Yes of Jesus. In him, this is what we preach and pray, the great Amen, God's Yes and our Yes together, gloriously evident.
(RV) For how many so ever be the promises of God, in him is the yea: wherefore also through him is the Amen, unto the glory of God through us.
The apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors and teachers play a major role in taking the body of Christ to the knowledge and fullness of Christ:
Eph 4:11 And He Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers,
Eph 4:12 for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ,
Eph 4:13 till we all come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ;
Eph 4:14 that we should no longer be children, tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, in the cunning craftiness of deceitful plotting,
Eph 4:15 but, speaking the truth in love, may grow up in all things into Him who is the head—Christ--
So God says to us today:
Everything that you want to know about my will, plans and purposes for mankind is already done and finalised in My Son, Jesus Christ.
It is now up to me to pursue Christ and His finished work.
An important note on the prophetic under the New Covenant:
Jesus Christ should be the centre point of all prophetic activities
Rev 19:10 Then I fell at his feet to worship him. But he *said to me, "Do not do that; I am a fellow servant of yours and your brethren who hold the testimony of Jesus; worship God. For the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy."
In other words, the prophetic activities driven by the Holy Spirit are all about witnessing and proclaiming Christ and His fullness to the world!!!
More on the prophetic in another teaching
These are the commands given by God (God is still dealing with the spirit man)
One very important thing to remember about the creation of the spirit man:
The spirit man and woman were created “BARA – from the invisible Spirit God” and God’s approach to something that was created (“BARA”) is “NOT TO MANIPULATE IT AFTER ITS ORIGINAL CREATION”
So God does not enforce His blessings, His mandate and what He has said upon us. We have the choice to accept it and flow in it or reject it – it is entirely up to us.
The mandate was given to both man and woman!
Gen 1:26 Then God said, "Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; and let them rule (let them have complete authority AMP; let them have dominion KJV)
Gen 1:28 God blessed them; and God said to them, "1)Be fruitful and 2)multiply, and 3)fill the earth(replenish KJV), and 4)subdue it [using all its vast resources in the service of God and man AMP] ; and 5)rule over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the sky and over every living thing that moves on the earth."
There are five commands (not commandments) of God to Man (Their assignment & mandate). We can also call it 5 challenges that God gave man.
Before I list the five commands let’s first define the concept “COMMANDS”
Use of the word “command” in the Bible:
Command in the Old Testament:
The Hebrew word has the following meanings attached to it:
To give charge over, appoint, to give orders, to constitute, to set in order, to ordain (of divine act), to commission
Commands are prescriptions, or directions of God, concerning particular matters, which He wants us to observe and carry out!
His "commands" are unique, requiring an inner commitment and not just external obedience
God commands not only people but also creation:
He created all things by His command
Psa 33:8 Let all the earth fear the LORD; Let all the inhabitants of the world stand in awe of Him.
Psa 33:9 For He spoke, and it was done; He commanded, and it stood fast.
Psa 148:5 Let them praise the name of the LORD, For He commanded and they were created.
He commanded the clouds not to send their rain on a disobedient vineyard
Psa 78:23 Yet He commanded the clouds above And opened the doors of heaven;
Isa 5:6 I will lay it waste; It shall not be pruned or dug, But there shall come up briers and thorns. I will also command the clouds that they rain no rain on it."
He commands the entire heavenly realms
Isa 45:12 I have made the earth, And created man on it. I—My hands—stretched out the heavens, And all their host I have commanded.
Isa 45:13 I have raised him up in righteousness, And I will direct all his ways; (NKJV)
Command in the New Testament:
The Greek word has virtually the same meaning as the Hebrew word:
To arrange or set in order towards, to appoint over, to enjoin upon, to charge with, put in charge, to put upon one as a duty, to speak, to prescribe, give command
The five commands explained:
- be fruitful: BE FRUITFUL = the release of the inner hidden life, abilities and potential
Be fruitful is the multiplication and successful production of anything,
“Be fruitful” means: to bring forth, to produce fruit in abundance, to be very productive, to realize all your potential, to flourish, to grow and increase, to branch off, to impart and to share. It means an unceasing fruitfulness.
- multiply: MULTIPLY =the reproduction of the inner hidden life, abilities and potential
“Multiply” means: to increase greatly, to enlarge, to excel, to be exceedingly full of, to become great, to be abundant, to become many, to increase (in whatever respect), to be in authority
- replenish the earth; fill the earth:
“Replenish” means: the completion of something that was unfinished, the filling of something that was empty, to accomplish things, to gather, to live in abundance, to be complete, to furnish, to be satisfied, to be full, to fulfil, to be in authority, to fill the hand, take a handful and be wholly, to be fenced
- subdue the earth:
The expression "subdue the earth" has an immense range – it is a command from God to discover and use all the vast resources of the earth, through our conscious activities in order to fulfil our destiny.
“Subdue” means: to conquer, to bring into subjection, to keep under, to dominate, to bring into bondage, to overcome, to enslave, to force,
-have dominion, rule over:
“Have dominion” indicates: “the exercising of authority by a king over his kingdom” and means: to reign, to rule, to take into possession, to exercise domain, to tread down, to prevail against, to crumble off, and to scrape out
These 5 commands describe God’s total, ultimate and only plan for mankind and never ceased to be relevant! These are prescriptions, or directions from God to us, which He wants us to observe and carry out!
This was God’s first dealing with mankind and it was His one and only plan for us. God never ever deviated from this goal and plan. Nowhere in the Bible is stated that God had something else in mind for us.
All five of the aforementioned commands were fully restored and reinstated by Christ. I will cover this in a separate teaching.
In addition to the aforementioned, the following commands were given in the New Testament:
Receive the Holy Spirit
John 20:22 And having said this, He breathed on them and said to them, Receive the Holy Spirit!
John 20:23 [Now having received the Holy Spirit, and being led and directed by Him] if you forgive the sins of anyone, they are forgiven; if you retain the sins of anyone, they are retained. (AMP)
Be filled with the Spirit
Eph 5:18 And do not get drunk with wine, for that is debauchery; but ever be filled and stimulated with the [Holy] Spirit.
Eph 5:19 Speak out to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, offering praise with voices [and instruments] and making melody with all your heart to the Lord,
Eph 5:20 At all times and for everything giving thanks in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ to God the Father. (AMP)
Receive with meekness the word
Jas 1:21 Therefore lay aside all filthiness and overflow of wickedness, and receive with meekness the implanted word, which is able to save your souls.
Jas 1:22 But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. (NKJV)
Creation of and God’s dealings with man’s earthly side
A spirit needs a body:
God is now finished with the spirit man - created male and female in His image. But for an invisible spirit to effectually operate in the earthly realm, it needs a body and a soul.
In the same manner, The Word (the invisible Logos) needed a body to be able to function in the earth – the Word became flesh and was able to dwell amongst us.
(Jesus said in Heb 10:5 Therefore, when He comes into the world, He says, "Sacrifice and offering you have not desired, but a body you have prepared for me;)
John 1:14 And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we saw His glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth
The sixth step describes how God created a visible body for the spirit man (Adam) to dwell in
Gen 2:7 And the LORD God formed (Hebrew - yatsar) man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living being.
Meaning of the word “YATZAR”
The Hebrew word “yatsar” is derived from the idea of cutting or framing and is used to express God’s “planning” or “preordaining” according to His Divine purpose.
“Yatsar” means: “to squeeze together into shape” or “to mould into a form especially as a potter” - the word implies initiation as well as structuring.
Yatzar also has the following meanings attached to it:
To form, to fashion, to fold, to shape, to devise, to design, to express
To frame or produce (to reconstruct by fitting parts together), to predestine
The term also refers to constructed thoughts and purposes and may also be used to express the “forming of plans in one’s mind.
“Yatsar” also entails: God “predestined” man meaning: to destine, decree, determine, appoint, to give destiny
The body of man created:
God carefully planned and preordained the body of man according to His divine purpose. So He took dust (the fertile top loose soil of the ground), squeezed it together and started moulding it into a form – shaping, constructing, fashioning and folding it to produce something so unique and profound that until today man is still unable to fathom the complexity of the human body – one can only stand in awe of this masterpiece produced by our Creator.
Part of the “yatzar” process in forming the body was for God to “predestine” man:
During this time of creating a body for man, God also decreed over him, determined his future, appointed him and spelt out his destiny. The body was uniquely designed by God to fulfil the decreed, appointed and predestined purpose and destiny of the spirit man. It could fully contain, maintain and sustain the spirit and soul of man.
Stay connected:
God always spoke to the relevant source to bring forth (asah) the specific thing that was to be created, and for that created thing to survive, to prosper and to flourish, it has to stay attached to its originated source.
This very same principle applies when God created the spirit man– He spoke to the relevant source (Himself) from which man will originate.
The same principle of survival and prosperity applies to the spirit man – stay connected to the source where you originated from. If I want to become what He intended for me to become, it is absolutely imperative that I (as a spirit being) stay connected with Him in close fellowship and communion. Thank God that is possible through the complete and finished work of Jesus Christ, our Lord by the Holy Spirit through whom my spirit is born!!
The same principle of survival, prosperity and good health applies to my body – stay connected to the earth from where you have been formed by looking well after your body. Live a healthy lifestyle – remember we are supposed to have dominion over the earth and the things produced by the earth, and not vice versa. We should not allow ourselves to get addicted to anything or defiled by anything that is harmful to our health.
The dust of the earth again features in God’s dealings with Abraham where it symbolises abundance and prosperity:
God promised to him – his descendants will be like the dust of the earth – in numbers, in abundance and in prosperity:
Gen 13:16 "I will make your descendants as the dust of the earth, so that if anyone can number the dust of the earth, then your descendants can also be numbered.
According to Galatians 3:29 we are descendants of Abraham and as such partakers of all the blessings promised to him
Gal 3:27 For all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ.
Gal 3:28 There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free man, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus.
Gal 3:29 And if you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham's descendants, heirs according to promise.
The spirit man is placed inside the newly created body and man became a living soul (being) – made according to His likeness
This body must now be enabled to function properly and effectually on the earth and God did this by doing the following:
Gen 2:7 Then the LORD God formed man of dust from the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and man became a living being.
God “breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and man became a living being”.
God transferred the spirit man, containing His image into the body by breathing the spirit man into man’s nostrils. The body comes alive and man starts to function as a living soul
Here are some key aspects:
Breathed into his nostrils the breath of life:
Breathe means:
To inflate, blowhard, kindle, to breathe with force
Breath of life means:
The Spirit of God containing His image and life
The grace of God
Godly, divine inspiration
Imparting life, intellect and wisdom
The breath of God refers to the source of life that vitalizes humanity and activating the human mind and intellect.
Life means:
To live prosperously; having vital energy;
Life is a set of experiences – not an abstract principle of vitality which is separate from the body.
The Hebrews viewed man holistically, i.e. body, mind and spirit were a unified whole.
Life was associated with health, prosperity, vitality, etc., while death was the very opposite.
Eternal life means: life without limitations
Life exists in Jesus Christ:
John 14:6 Jesus said to him, I am the Way and the Truth and the Life; no one comes to the Father except by (through) Me.
Only God can give life:
The International Standard Bible Encyclopaedia ISBE – e-Sword on LIFE
The fundamental fact in the possession of life was a vital relationship with God. Men first lived because God breathed into them the breath of life (Genesis 2:7). Man's vital energies are the outflowing of the spirit or vital energies of God, and all activities are dependent upon the vitalizing power from God. When God sends forth His spirit, things are created, and live; when He withdraws that spirit they die (Psalm 104:30).
The life is mediated by Jesus Christ. In the Old Testament this life was through fellowship with God, in the New Testament, it is through Jesus Christ the Mediator.
(End of ISBE)
Vine’s Complete Expository Dictionary of New Testament Words - VINE NT – e-Sword on LIFE
“Zoe” (G2222) is used in the NT "of life as a principle, life in the absolute sense, life as God has it, that which the Father has in Himself, and which He gave to the Incarnate Son to have in Himself, John 5:26, and which the Son manifested in the world , 1John 1:2. From this life man has become alienated in consequence of the Fall, Ephesians 4:18, and of this life men become partakers through faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, John 3:15, who becomes its Author to all such as trust in Him, Acts 3:15, and who is therefore said to be 'the life' of the believer, Colossians 3:4, for the life that He gives He maintains, John 6:35, John 6:63. Eternal life is the present actual possession of the believer because of his relationship with Christ, John 5:24; 1Jon 3:14,
(End of Vine’s NT)
When God breathed the breath of life into Adam, He inflated man with His Spirit (His image), with grace, life without limitations, inspiration, intellect, wisdom, prosperity, energy, vitality, divine inspiration and health and man became a living being (soul) – intellectually, socially and morally!
Man is now able to function effectively in the earth according to the likeness of his Creator.
Became means:
To begin to exist; arise; came forth; appear; to be established.
Connection between “BECAME” and “I AM”
Exo 3:13 Then Moses said to God, "Indeed, when I come to the children of Israel and say to them, 'The God of your fathers has sent me to you,' and they say to me, 'What is His name?' what shall I say to them?"
Exo 3:14 And God said to Moses, "I AM WHO I AM." And He said, "Thus you shall say to the children of Israel, 'I AM has sent me to you.' "
“Became” and “I AM” are exactly the same words.
Man started to exist with “I AM” abilities – man was made in the “image” and “likeness” of God and was thus infused with vast abilities
Man became a living being (soul):
Man began to exist actively (with “I AM” abilities) as a living individual with his/her own unique personality, intellect, mind, thoughts, desires, emotions, passion, will, character, talents and abilities.
He is now ready to act as God’s ambassador on earth
A living being(Soul) ( the Hebrew word – “Nephesh”) properly means:
A breathing creature; the inner being with its thoughts and emotions and by extension, the whole person
The Scriptures view a person as a composite whole, fully relating to God and not divided in any way
Here is a summary of the creation of man with regards to executing their mandate:
The direction of the flow of the authority that God gave man to execute the mandate is:
FROM GOD, WHO IS A SPIRIT, INTO MY SPIRIT, THROUGH MY SOUL, THROUGH MY BODY PRACTICALLY INTO THE EARTH – man operated from his spirit which was directly connected and in fellowship with God who is a Spirit – indeed a position of power and authority!!
Adam and Eve lived and moved by:
1) The Spirit of God (created by the Spirit God),
2) The Word of God (created through the Word and God said to them),
3) The blessings of God (God blessed them – prospered and empowered them).
When man fell in sin this whole process was reversed. Man’s spirit is now dead (separated from God) resulting in him now living and acting, not from the Spirit, the Word or the blessings of God, but from whatever comes to him from the earthly realm via his soul (his five senses). Man started to live by his senses and not through a relationship with God.
Thank God – Jesus Christ came to set the records straight!
Through Him we are again enabled to live by the Spirit, the Word and all His blessings:
Acts: 17:28
(AMP) For in Him we live and move and have our being; ....For we are... His offspring
Man versus animals :
Difference between the soul of an animal and the soul of man
The ground (earth) is the source of the “Nephesh” (soul) of animals, but God (His breath of life) is the source of the “Nephesh” (soul) of man!
Animals
Gen 1:24 Then God said, "Let the earth bring forth living creatures after their kind: cattle and creeping things and beasts of the earth after their kind"; and it was so.
Gen 1:25 God made (asah) the beasts of the earth after their kind, and the cattle after their kind, and everything that creeps on the ground after its kind; and God saw that it was good.
Animals (body and soul) were spoken into existence by God from the earth - “let the earth bring forth”
Animals do not possess a spirit, only a soul which contains the essence of life. Through their souls they interact with each other in their own peculiar ways, driven by instinct. They have the ability to flock together in herds, troops or groups thus forming their own unique kind of communities.
Man
Gen 1:26 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."
Gen 1:27 God created (bara) man in His own image, in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them.
Man, on the other hand, came into existence in a totally different way:
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The spirit man was created (bara) from God in His image
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The body was formed (yatzar) by God from the earth
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The spirit man was breathed into the body by God and he came into existence as a living being (soul)
Man as a spirit has the ability to fellowship with his Creator – he can have a relationship with God and can interact with Him
Man as a living soul is highly developed – not governed by instinct like animals, but through intellect, will and emotions. Man is able to interact intelligently with each other and to create communities and nations through socializing and cohesion.
Mankind is indeed the pinnacle of God’s creation:
(Quote from David Pawson in “Unlocking the Bible”, Page 46)
“There is an affinity between human beings and God that is lacking in every other part of his creation. Animals do not have the ability to have a spiritual relationship with God as humans do. In that sense, humans are like their creator in a unique way”
My uniquely formed body is the dwelling place of the Deity
Some Scriptures to confirm this:
John 14:16 "I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may be with you forever;
John 14:17 that is the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it does not see Him or know Him, but you know Him because He abides with you and will be in you.
John 14:23 Jesus answered and said to him, "If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word; and My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our abode with him.
1Co 6:19 Do you not know that your body is the temple (the very sanctuary) of the Holy Spirit Who lives within you, Whom you have received [as a Gift] from God? You are not your own,
1Co 6:20 You were bought with a price [purchased with a preciousness and paid for, made His own]. So then, honour God and bring glory to Him in your body.
2Co 4:6 For God, who said, "Light shall shine out of darkness," is the One who has shone in our hearts to give the Light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ.
2Co 4:7 But we have this treasure in earthen vessels so that the surpassing greatness of the power will be of God and not from ourselves;
Col 1:27 to whom God willed to make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.
Eph 2:19 So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints and are of God's household,
Eph 2:20 having been built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus Himself being the cornerstone,
Eph 2:21 in whom the whole building, being fitted together, is growing into a holy temple in the Lord,
Eph 2:22 in whom you also are being built together into a dwelling of God in the Spirit.
God creating the woman:
Gen 2:18 Then the LORD God said, "It is not good for the man to be alone; I will make (asah) him a helper suitable for him."
Gen 2:20 The man gave names to all the cattle, and to the birds of the sky, and to every beast of the field, but for Adam, there was not found a helper suitable for him.
Gen 2:21 So the LORD God caused a deep sleep to fall upon the man, and he slept; then He took one of his ribs and closed up the flesh at that place.
Gen 2:22 The LORD God fashioned into a woman the rib which He had taken from the man, and brought her to the man.
Gen 2:23 The man said, "This is now bone of my bones, And flesh of my flesh; She shall be called Woman, Because she was taken out of Man."
Gen 2:24 For this reason, a man shall leave his father and his mother, and be joined to his wife, and they shall become one flesh.
A help suitable for each other:
Something very important to understand from the first part of Genesis 2:18 - Then the LORD God said, "It is not good for the man to be alone;
(BBE) And the Lord God said, It is not good for the man to be by himself: I will make one like himself as a help to him
The Hebrew word used for “man” here implies a “human being” and not necessarily gender, indicating that God is speaking to both a man and a woman. It was never God’s intention that a man should function on his own, just as it was never His intention that a woman should function on her own. We need each other in complimenting and supporting each other to fulfil God’s purpose for mankind.
Other translations of the latter part of Genesis 2:18 will give us more clarity and understanding on the creation of the woman as a helper/help/companion/counterpart to the man and vice versa:
(AMP) Now the Lord God said, It is not good (sufficient, satisfactory) that the man should be alone; I will make him a helper meet (suitable, adapted, complementary) for him.
(BBE) ...I will make one like himself as a help to him
(KJV) ....I will make him a help meet for him.
(LITV) ...I will make a helper suited to him.
(MSG) ...I'll make him a helper, a companion."
(NKJV) ...I will make him a helper comparable to him."
(YLT) ....Not good for the man to be alone, I do make to him a helper--as his counterpart.'
A help meet (suitable) for him:
The idea in “meet - suitable” is not so much “suitability,” (though that is implied), as likeness, confirming that the woman was made in the likeness of the man
The word “help or helper” means:
To aid, support, carry the burden, co-operate with, take joint responsibility
So the man is as much a helper/help/companion/counterpart to the woman as a woman is to the man. Man and woman were created equal – just with different roles in their relationship!!
Mankind was formed as social beings to hold converse with each other. A man or a woman needs a mate, with whom they may take counsel - one who may not only reciprocate his/her feelings but take an intelligent and appropriate part in their active pursuits.
Adam and Eve became one flesh, something that was instituted and established for all future marriages and confirmed by Adam, Jesus Christ and Paul:
Adam:
Gen 2:24 For this reason, a man shall leave his father and his mother, and be joined to his wife; and they shall become one flesh.
Jesus:
Mat 19:4 And He answered and said, "Have you not read that He who created them from the beginning made them male and female,
Mat 19:5 and said, 'For this reason, a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh'?
Mat 19:6 "So they are no longer two, but one flesh. What therefore God has joined together, let no man separate."
Paul:
Eph 5:28 So husbands ought also to love their own wives as their own bodies. He who loves his own wife loves himself;
Eph 5:31 for this reason, a man shall leave his father and mother and shall be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh.
How the woman was created:
God took one of Adam’s ribs and fashioned it into a woman
Gen 2:22 The LORD God fashioned into a woman the rib which He had taken from the man, and brought her to the man.
The Hebrew word for “fashion” is “banah” which means:
To build, to build up, rebuild, to construct
The rib that God took from Adam was already formed (yatzar) from the dust of the ground and contained everything (physically, intellectually and morally) that was breathed into it and that was required to construct another body. The rib in effect contained “the breath of life” and was “a living being”.
The woman’s body, therefore, contained everything that the man’s body was created with – just with a different wiring to function in a different role. That is why God fashioned and wired the woman’s body in a different way – to be a woman and not a man!
Gen 2:23 The man said, "This is now bone of my bones, And flesh of my flesh;
The woman was also “predestined” by God seeing that she came forth from the man:
God decreed over her, determined her future, appointed her and spelt out her destiny and constructed her body accordingly to enable her to fulfil her role.
She also had the “breath of life” in her and “became a living being” just like Adam.
(Refer to the “Seventh step in creation of man)
Interesting comment from Gill (John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible – e-Sword)
Genesis 2:22
And the rib, which the Lord God had taken from man, made the woman ,.... It is commonly observed, and pertinently enough, that the woman was not made from the superior part of man, that she might not be thought to be above him, and have power over him; nor from any inferior part, as being below him, and to be trampled on by him; but out of his side, and from one of his ribs, that she might appear to be equal to him; and from a part near his heart, and under his arms, to show that she should be affectionately loved by him, and be always under his care and protection: and she was not "created" as things were, out of nothing, nor "formed" as Adam was, out of the dust of the earth, being in the same form as man; but "made" out of refined and quickened dust, or the flesh and bones of man, and so in her make and constitution fine and lovely; or "built" (n), as the word signifies, which is used, because she is the foundation of the house or family, and the means of building it up: or rather to denote the singular care and art used, and fit proportion observed in the make of her:
and brought her unto the man : from the place where the rib had been carried, and she was made of it; or he brought her, as the parent of her, at whose dispose she was, and presented her to Adam as his spouse, to be taken into a conjugal relation with him, and to be loved and cherished by him; which, as it affords a rule and example to be followed by parents and children, the one to dispose of their children in marriage, and the other to have the consent of their parents in it; as well as it is a recommendation of marriage, as agreeable to the divine will, and to be esteemed honourable, being of God: so it was a type of the marriage of Christ, the second Adam, between him and his church, which sprung from him, from his side; and is of the same nature with him, and was presented by his divine Father to him, who gave her to him; and he received her to himself as his spouse and bride; see Ephesians 5:29.
(End of Gill)
In this step God carefully fashioned a wife for Adam from his rib and brought her to Adam – God instituted the first marriage where both partners were equal (just different roles).
It was never ever God’s intention that the husband is superior to the wife and that the wife is subordinate to the husband.
I will elaborate on the subject “Marriage” in another Teaching.
The channel through which their mandate and assignment could be fulfilled
Gen 2:8 And the Lord God planted a garden toward the east, in Eden [delight]; and there He put the man whom He had formed (framed, constituted). (AMP)
Gen 2:15 And the Lord God took the man and put him in the Garden (enclosure) of Eden to tend and guard and keep it. (AMP)
The meaning of “put him” is:
To settle down with the idea of completing what is unfinished or ongoing; to complete what is coming to pass; to place, to set, to appoint, to rest, to settle,
The original word is “caused him to rest,” or “dwell in the garden as an abode of peace and recreation”.
The Garden of Eden was a place of rest where God settled man for the purpose of “work” - to tend and guard and keep it.
To tend
A verb meaning: to work, to serve
The word does not have connotations of toilsome labour but instead of a joyful experience of liberation
Work in the Garden of Eden would have been a pleasure as a result of man's practical knowledge of the powers of nature, a knowledge that they received from God.
To guard and keep it
A verb meaning: to watch, to keep, to preserve, to guard, to be careful, to watch carefully over, and to care for.
Adam and Eve were to watch over and care for the Garden of Eden where the Lord had placed them in a position of rest
So God gave mankind a fivefold command (a mandate – be fruitful, multiply, replenish the earth, subdue it and have dominion over it), created a suitable environment (Eden) for him and placed man in this environment to execute the mandate by way of “work”
What is “work”?
There are various definitions of the concept “work”, e.g.
Work as a noun:
An activity involving mental or physical effort done in order to achieve a purpose or result
Work as a verb:
To be engaged in physical or mental activity in order to achieve a purpose or result, especially in one’s job
But to me, “work” in the context of Creation is: “the realization of your potential and the applying of all your abilities, strengths and skills to reach your goals and purpose in life”
Work includes: building things up, gathering, studying, earning, and producing all of which have the common theme of increasing something. Thus work seems to suggest our physical labours to increase in amount what already exists.
I personally relate to the view that "work," was part of God's original design for man whereas "labour (toil)" is what the punishment of God consisted of when He "cursed" man's work with "labour (toil)"
“Labour (toil)” came as a result of the fall of Adam (I will elaborate on this later on)
Gen 3:17 Then to Adam He said, "Because you have listened to the voice of your wife, and have eaten from the tree about which I commanded you, saying, 'You shall not eat from it'; Cursed is the ground because of you; In toil you will eat of it All the days of your life.
Gen 3:18 "Both thorns and thistles it shall grow for you; And you will eat the plants of the field;
Gen 3:19 By the sweat of your face You will eat bread
Work, as the realization of your potential and abilities, is a fundamental part of our existence on earth. Work is the reason behind God creating mankind and is a kind of participation by us in His creative act and is instrumental in glorifying God.
Jesus confirms this in John 17:4 – a profound way of worshipping and giving glory to God:
John 17:4 I have glorified You on the earth. I have finished (completed, accomplished, having done) the work which You have given Me to do.
Message Translation of John 17:4 “I glorified you on earth by completing down to the last detail what you assigned me to do.”
The mandate: "Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth, subdue it and have dominion," implies “WORK” as the only way by which the mandate can be fulfilled.
“WORK” in its very deepest essence means an activity for man to carry out in the world and reflects the very action and intention of the Creator of the universe.
“WORK” confirms, establishes and develops man’s dominion over and influence upon the earth.
The expression "subdue the earth" has an immense range – it is a command from God to discover and use all the vast resources of the earth, through our conscious activities in order to fulfil our destiny.
Create wealth through work
God is so serious about “work” that He made “the ability to create wealth through CREATIVE WORK” part of the Covenant that He cut with Abraham
God reminded Moses of His firm commitment to empower and enable us to be a power to reckon with on this earth:
Deu 8:18 "But you shall remember the LORD your God, for it is He who is giving you power to make ( to get, to produce) wealth, that He may confirm His covenant which He swore to your fathers, as it is this day.
[…He gives you power to get wealth – that confirms (establishes, fulfils) His covenant which He cut with Abraham]
Gives power (H3581)
Gives means: to ascribes to you or occupy you with power
Power means capacity, means, ability, efficiency, might, substance, strength, the ability to produce and bring forth
To get or to make (H6213) – the Hebrew word “asah” is used here which means:
To create something from existing material – in other words, “discover and use all the vast resources of the earth (visible and invisible) to accomplish your goal”.
“Asah” also means:
Performing an activity with a distinct purpose or goal in view
The process of construction
To bring something in its originally intended purpose
To work; construct; to acquire; procure; to do; to make; accomplish; bring forth; fulfil; to complete; govern; to be industrious;
“Asah” is a word used together with “bara” in connection with creation.
“Bara” conveys the thought of creation out of nothing (the invisible), while “asah” is broader in scope and deals with refinement.
In other words, the emphasis of “asah” is on fashioning the created objects – (not only material tangible things but also things like potential, talents, abilities, and skills)
Wealth (H2428) means:
A force, means or other resources; a great army; virtue; valour; strength; might; worthy.
Main meaning: STRENGTH; ARMY; WEALTH derived from the basic idea of STRENGTH & INFLUENCE
Wealth if spoken of men implies:
Those who are “strong for war”; “able to judge” and “righteous in behaviour”
Wealth if spoken of women implies:
A virtuous character
Wealth often implies:
“Financial influence”; “military influence” and “numerical influence”
The power to create wealth establishes, confirms and fulfils God’s covenant with Abraham:
Establish, confirm (H6965) means:
Accomplish; confirm; continue; decree; strengthen; fulfil; to keep one’s word.
The physical action of rising up, or the resultant end of that action; to stand up
To summarize Deuteronomy 8:18:
God empowers and enables us to use this earth with its vast resources to create (to bring forth) tremendous wealth and strength so that we can have a significant influence and impact in the world – in confirmation and continuation of the covenant that He cut with Abraham
Although all these abilities were forfeited when Adam and Eve fell in sin, Christ came to set things straight and brought us back to God’s original plan and purpose.
John 10:10 "The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly.
2Co 8:9 For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though He was rich, yet for your sake, He became poor, so that you through His poverty might become rich.
IN Christ we are a new creation and a “NEW CREATIVE ACT”
2Co 5:17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation(a new creature altogether); old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new. (NKJV)
Gal 6:15 For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision has any strength (exercise force or influence) nor uncircumcision, but a new creation. (LITV) [the result of a new birth and a new nature in Christ Jesus, the Messiah]. (AMP)
Other translations for “new creation” in Gal 6:15
“A new creative act”, “a new order of existence”, “a new creature”, “a new free life” and a “NEW CREATIVE ACT”
Only a new creation (the result of a new birth and a new nature in Christ Jesus) can avail anything.
We are co-workers with God in creating and establishing solutions in this earth – impacting and changing our environment
In Christ, we are God’s workmanship – His “POEM” to this world
Eph 2:10 For we are God's [own] handiwork (His workmanship) (a product, i.e. fabric – thing that is made; a poem), recreated (through the idea of the proprietorship of the manufacturer; to fabricate) in Christ Jesus, [born anew] that we may do those good works which God predestined (planned beforehand) for us [taking paths which He prepared ahead of time], that we should walk in them [ living the good life which He prearranged and made ready for us to live]. (AMP)
Definition of a “poem”
A poem is the visible and tangible expression of the deepest emotions of the poet – God is the “Poet” and we are the visible and tangible expression of His deepest emotions (His love and grace) in this earth!!!!!!!!!
James urges us to receive the word and to come into being as a poem/poet
Jas 1:21 Therefore putting aside all filthiness and overflowing of evil, receive in meekness the implanted Word, which is able to save your souls.
Jas 1:22 But become doers (come into being as a poem/poet) of the Word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves. (MKJV)
The whole of creation is waiting to hear this message of freedom from slavery
Rom 8:19 For the anxious longing of the creation waits eagerly for the revealing of the sons of God.
Rom 8:20 For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of Him who subjected it, in hope
Rom 8:21 that the creation itself also will be set free from its slavery to corruption into the freedom of the glory of the children of God.
Rom 8:22 For we know that the whole creation groans and suffers the pains of childbirth together until now.
We will have an impact on the world- we are the salt of the earth and the light of the world and rivers of living waters (the Holy Spirit in His fullness) are continually flowing from our innermost beings
Mat 5:13 "You are the salt of the earth;
Mat 5:14 "You are the light of the world.
John 7:37 Now on the last day, the great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried out, saying, "If anyone is thirsty, let him come to Me and drink.
John 7:38 "He who believes in Me, as the Scripture said, 'From his innermost being will flow rivers of living water.'" (From his innermost being shall flow [continuously] springs and rivers of living water. AMP)
John 7:39 But this He spoke of the Spirit, whom those who believed in Him were to receive; for the Spirit was not yet given, because Jesus was not yet glorified.
Section THREE – THE IDEAL ENVIRONMENT
Creating the right environment for man to function in
Gen 2:8 The LORD God planted a garden toward the east, in Eden; and there He placed the man whom He had formed.
Gen 2:9 Out of the ground the LORD God caused to grow every tree that is pleasing to the sight and good for food; the tree of life also in the midst of the garden, and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.
Gen 2:10 Now a river flowed out of Eden to water the garden, and from there it divided and became four rivers.
Gen 2:11 The name of the first is Pishon; it flows around the whole land of Havilah, where there is gold.
Gen 2:12 The gold of that land is good; the bdellium and the onyx stone are there.
Gen 2:13 The name of the second river is Gihon; it flows around the whole land of Cush.
Gen 2:14 The name of the third river is Tigris; it flows east of Assyria. And the fourth river is the Euphrates.
Gen 2:15 Then the LORD God took the man and put him into the garden of Eden to cultivate it and keep it.
Eden:
God placed Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden – in the ideal environment to enable them to function properly and where His presence gives them the ability to bring forth.
Meaning of the concept - EDEN:
Pleasure; delight, pleasant, luxury
Eden figuratively speaks of the many splendid things and enjoyment God gives.
To enjoy something to the full
The power and ability to give birth to something
The place from where optimum productivity flows
God’s presence and fellowship
Eden, the correct environment entails the following:
Adam and Eve enjoyed the pleasure, delight and luxury of God to the full and on top of this they had the power and ability through the intimate presence and fellowship of God to give birth to their potential and to flow in continual optimum productivity
Man was expelled from this holy environment as a result of sin, but Jesus came to recreate and restore this holy environment:
Let’s have a closer look at the concept “Eden” to find out how it concerns us today.
God promised that He will restore Eden unto us:
Eze 36:24 "For I will take you from the nations, gather you from all the lands and bring you into your own land.
Eze 36:25 "Then I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you will be clean; I will cleanse you from all your filthiness and from all your idols.
Eze 36:26 "Moreover, I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; and I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh.
Eze 36:27 "I will put My Spirit within you and cause you to walk in My statutes, and you will be careful to observe My ordinances.
Eze 36:28 "You will live in the land that I gave to your forefathers; so you will be My people, and I will be your God.
Eze 36:29 "Moreover, I will save you from all your uncleanness; and I will call for the grain and multiply it, and I will not bring a famine on you.
Eze 36:30 "I will multiply the fruit of the tree and the produce of the field so that you will not receive again the disgrace of famine among the nations.
Eze 36:33 'Thus says the Lord GOD, "On the day that I cleanse you from all your iniquities, I will cause the cities to be inhabited, and the waste places will be rebuilt.
Eze 36:34 "The desolate land will be cultivated instead of being a desolation in the sight of everyone who passes by.
Eze 36:35 "They will say, 'This desolate land has become like the garden of Eden; and the waste, desolate and ruined cities are fortified and inhabited.'
Jesus came and prepared a place where we can enjoy the fellowship and presence of God to the full
John 14:1 "Let not your heart be troubled; you believe in God, believe also in Me.
John 14:2 In My Father's house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you.
John 14:3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also.
John 14:4 And where I go you know, and the way you know."
John 14:5 Thomas said to Him, "Lord, we do not know where You are going, and how can we know the way?"
John 14:6 Jesus said to him, "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.
I go to prepare a place for you – where did Christ go to? Here’s the answer
Eph 1:15 Therefore I also, after I heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all the saints,
Eph 1:16 do not cease to give thanks for you, making mention of you in my prayers:
Eph 1:17 that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give to you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him,
Eph 1:18 the eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that you may know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints,
Eph 1:19 and what is the exceeding greatness of His power toward us who believe, according to the working of His mighty power
Eph 1:20 which He worked in Christ when He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly places,
Eph 1:21 far above all principality and power and might and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this age but also in that which is to come.
Eph 1:22 And He put all things under His feet, and gave Him to be head over all things to the church,
Eph 1:23 which is His body, the fullness of Him who fills all in all.
We were placed with (in) Him in this prepared place – at the right hand of the Father
Eph 2:1 And you He made alive, who were dead in trespasses and sins,
Eph 2:2 in which you once walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit who now works in the sons of disobedience,
Eph 2:3 among whom also we all once conducted ourselves in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, just as the others.
Eph 2:4 But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us,
Eph 2:5 even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved),
Eph 2:6 and raised us up together, and made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus,
Eph 2:7 that in the ages to come He might show the exceeding riches of His grace in His kindness toward us in Christ Jesus.
Eph 2:8 For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God,
Eph 2:9 not of works, lest anyone should boast.
Eph 2:10 for we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.
Jesus promised that He and the Father will make their home with us
John 14:22 Judas (not Iscariot) said to Him, "Lord, how is it that You will manifest Yourself to us, and not to the world?"
John 14:23 Jesus answered and said to him, "If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word; and My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our home with him.
The Holy Spirit will take up His abode in and with us
John 14:16 And I will pr foray the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may abide with you forever—
John 14:17 the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive because it neither sees Him nor knows Him; but you know Him, for He dwells with you and will be in you.
My body is the temple (the most Holy dwelling place) of the Holy Spirit
1Co 6:19 Or do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own?
1Co 6:20 for you were bought at a price; therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God's.
The church is the temple (the most Holy dwelling place) of God where the Holy Spirit dwells
1Co 3:16 Do you not know that you (the church) are the temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwells in you?
1Co 3:17 if anyone defiles the temple of God, God will destroy him. For the temple of God is holy, which temple you are.
Further Scriptures confirming the intimate relationship between God and man restored
Rev 21:3 And I heard a loud voice from heaven saying, "Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and He will dwell with them, and they shall be His people. God Himself will be with them and be their God.
2Co 6:14 Do not be unequally yoked together with unbelievers. For what fellowship has righteousness with lawlessness? And what communion has light with darkness?
2Co 6:15 And what accord has Christ with Belial? Or what part has a believer with an unbeliever?
2Co 6:16 and what agreement has the temple of God with idols? For you are the temple of the living God. As God has said: "I WILL DWELL IN THEM AND WALK AMONG THEM. I WILL BE THEIR GOD, AND THEY SHALL BE MY PEOPLE."
2Co 6:17 Therefore "COME OUT FROM AMONG THEM AND BE SEPARATE, SAYS THE LORD. DO NOT TOUCH WHAT IS UNCLEAN, AND I WILL RECEIVE YOU."
2Co 6:18 "I WILL BE A FATHER TO YOU, AND YOU SHALL BE MY SONS AND DAUGHTERS, SAYS THE LORD ALMIGHTY."
Col 1:27 To whom God was pleased to make known how great for the Gentiles are the riches of the glory of this mystery, which is Christ within and among you, the Hope of [realizing the] glory. (AMP)
Act 17:28 For in Him we live and move and have our being (exist); as even some of your [own] poets have said, For we are also His offspring (God created children)
Eden as representing God’s pleasure, delight and luxury to us has been restored in and through Jesus Christ:
(Scriptures to confirm the above)
God the Father took pleasure in giving us His kingdom
Luke 12:29 "And do not seek what you should eat or what you should drink, nor have an anxious mind.
Luke 12:30 for all these things the nations of the world seek after, and your Father knows that you need these things.
Luke 12:31 but seek the kingdom of God, and all these things shall be added to you.
Luke 12:32 "Do not fear, little flock, for it is your Father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom.
We have been adopted and accepted as sons of God according to the good pleasure of His will
Eph 1:3 blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ,
Eph 1:4 just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love,
Eph 1:5 having predestined us to adoption as sons by Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will,
Eph 1:6 to the praise of the glory of His grace, by which He made us accepted in the Beloved.
God made known to us the mystery of His will (redemption and forgiveness of sins through the blood of Jesus) according to His good pleasure
Eph 1:7 In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace
Eph 1:8, which He made to abound toward us in all wisdom and prudence,
Eph 1:9 having made known to us the mystery of His will, according to His good pleasure which He purposed in Himself,
God works in us to will and to do for His good pleasure
Php 2:12 Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling;
Php 2:13 for it is God who works in you both to will and to do for His good pleasure.
God counts us worthy of His calling to fulfil all the good pleasure of His goodness
2Th 1:11 therefore we also pray always for you that our God would count you worthy of this calling, and fulfil all the good pleasure of His goodness and the work of faith with power,
2Th 1:12 that the name of our Lord Jesus Christ may be glorified in you, and you in Him, according to the grace of our God and the Lord Jesus Christ.
It is all done by God’s grace in and through Jesus Christ – we do not deserve it and we cannot earn it – we just have to receive it.
Eden is the environment which gives us the ability to give birth to something:
Isa 37:3 and they said to him, "Thus says Hezekiah: 'This day is a day of trouble and rebuke and blasphemy; for the children have come to birth, but there is no strength to bring them forth.
Rom 12:6 Then having gifts differing according to the grace that is given to us,
Having – to be pregnant with
We are pregnant with the seven gifts (charisma) of Rom 12:6, but only the correct environment (the Holy Spirit and the Living Word) will enable us to give birth to our destiny!!
According to the statement made by Paul in 1 Corinthians 12:4 every “charisma – the result of God’s grace”, is realised by the Holy Spirit:
1Co 12:4 There are diversities of gifts (charisma), but the same Spirit. (NKJV)
Mary received the ability to give birth to the Jesus from the Holy Spirit
Luk 1:26 now in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent by God to a city of Galilee named Nazareth,
Luk 1:27 to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. The virgin's name was Mary.
Luk 1:28 And having come in, the angel said to her, "Rejoice, highly favored one, the Lord is with you; blessed are you among women!"
Luk 1:29 But when she saw him, she was troubled at his saying, and considered what manner of greeting this was.
Luk 1:30 Then the angel said to her, "Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God.
Luk 1:31 and behold, you will conceive in your womb and bring forth a Son, and shall call His name JESUS.
Luk 1:32 He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Highest; and the Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David.
Luk 1:33 And He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of His kingdom there will be no end."
Luk 1:34 Then Mary said to the angel, "How can this be, since I do not know a man?"
Luk 1:35 And the angel answered and said to her, "The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Highest will overshadow you; therefore, also, that Holy One who is to be born will be called the Son of God.
Luk 1:36 now indeed, Elizabeth your relative has also conceived a son in her old age; and this is now the sixth month for her who was called barren.
Luk 1:37 for with God nothing will be impossible." (the word “nothing” here is a translation from the Greek word “Rhema” meaning that “the impossible will be made possible by the Rhema word”, or that “it is impossible that the Rhema word will not come to pass”)
Luk 1:38 Then Mary said, "Behold the maidservant of the Lord! Let it be to me according to your word."
We can only display and portray His splendour by the power of the Holy Spirit
Act 1:5 for John truly baptized with water, but you shall be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now."
Act 1:6 Therefore, when they had come together, they asked Him, saying, "Lord, will You at this time restore the kingdom to Israel?"
Act 1:7 And He said to them, "It is not for you to know times or seasons which the Father has put in His own authority.
Act 1:8 but you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth."
What is power?
Being able; capable; inherent ability; abundance;
Dynamite – dynamo = power that can re-produce itself
Ability in action; achieving power (ability); to accomplish something; ability to perform anything
Power to work; to carry something into effect
Ability coming out of that mighty power of God inherent in Christ and which power was given to His witnesses and ambassadors
What is a witness?
One who can or does confirm what he has seen or heard or knows.
One who remembers
One who has information or knowledge or joint knowledge of anything; hence one who can give information, bring to light or confirm anything.
Someone who can deliver proof of the genuineness of Christ
Somebody who can deliver proof of what he/she has seen heard and experienced.
Act 2:17 'and it shall come to pass in the last days, says God, that I will pour out of my Spirit on all flesh; your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your young men shall see visions, your old men shall dream dreams.
Act 2:18 and on my menservants and on my maidservants I will pour out my Spirit in those days; and they shall prophesy.
When the Holy Spirit comes upon us, we receive His ability (this dynamite power) and we become witnesses (people who deliver proof of the reality and their experience of Christ) and we start declaring and speaking and operating in the truth of the fullness of Christ.
The RIVERS flowing from Eden
Water is absolutely vital to life – nobody can live without water
Water, in the form of rivers, streams etc. plays an important role in God’s dealings with us
The river “flowing from Eden and became four rivers” had great significance. They reflect the awesome results of living in the presence and power of the finished work of Christ Jesus
Gen 2:10 And a river went out of Eden to water the garden. And from there it was divided and became four heads.
Gen 2:11 The name of the first is Pishon; that is it which surrounds all the land of Havilah, where there is gold.
Gen 2:12 And the gold of that land is good. There is bdellium and the onyx stone.
Gen 2:13 And the name of the second river is Gihon; it is the one that surrounds the whole land of Cush.
Gen 2:14 And the name of the third river is Tigris; it is that which goes toward the east of Assyria. And the fourth river is Euphrates.
A river flowed out of Eden to water the garden; and from there it divided and became four rivers:
The first river is called Pishon;
The second river is called Gihon;
The third river is called Tigris
The fourth river is called the Euphrates.
The meanings of these four names are very important:
PISHON means:
Dispersive (to scatter over a wide area or abroad), increase, to change
GIHON means:
Bursting forth, wisdom
Both PISHON and GIHON surrounded certain areas: surround means: to change
HIDDEKEL (TIGRIS) means:
To be rapid, sharp and accurate ;
Daniel received his vision on the banks of the Tigris.
The Tigris “goes” towards the east of Assyria (successful).
“Goes” means a continual relationship with God
Assyria (the enemy) means “successful” - signifying that in the midst of the success of the world we will excel in rapidness, sharpness and accuracy
EUPHRATES means:
To break forth in fruitfulness
The above is a strong reference to what Jesus proclaimed and promised in John 4 and John 7
John 4:13 Jesus answered and said to her, "Everyone who drinks of this water will thirst again;
John 4:14 but whoever drinks of the water that I will give him shall never thirst; but the water that I will give him will become in him a well of water springing up to eternal life."
John 7:37 Now on the last day, the great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried out, saying, "If anyone is thirsty, let him come to Me and drink.
John 7:38 "He who believes in Me, as the Scripture said, 'From his innermost being will flow rivers of living water.'"
John 7:39 But this He spoke of the Spirit, whom those who believed in Him were to receive; for the Spirit was not yet given, because Jesus was not yet glorified.
The Holy Spirit will create a well of water within us which will become rivers of living water flowing from our innermost being and in Christ we are again able to bring forth profound things:
We can be rapid, sharp and accurate; ever increasing and dispersing; changing our surroundings; bursting forth in wisdom and fruitfulness and have a continual relationship with God
Throughout the Old Testament we find promises of God concerning the abundance of water, rivers and streams which speak of His provision
Deu 8:7 "For the LORD your God is bringing you into a good land, a land of brooks of water, of fountains and springs, flowing forth in valleys and hills;
Isa 33:20 Look upon Zion, the city of our appointed feasts; Your eyes will see Jerusalem, an undisturbed habitation, A tent which will not be folded; Its stakes will never be pulled up, Nor any of its cords be torn apart.
Isa 33:21 But there the majestic One, the LORD, will be for us A place of rivers and wide canals
Isa 41:17 "The afflicted and needy are seeking water, but there is none, And their tongue is parched with thirst; I, the LORD, will answer them Myself, As the God of Israel I will not forsake them.
Isa 41:18 "I will open rivers on the bare heights And springs in the midst of the valleys; I will make the wilderness a pool of water And the dry land fountains of water.
Isa 43:18 "Do not call to mind the former things, Or ponder things of the past.
Isa 43:19 "Behold, I will do something new, Now it will spring forth; Will you not be aware of it? I will even make a roadway in the wilderness, Rivers in the desert.
Isa 43:20 "The beasts of the field will glorify Me, The jackals and the ostriches, Because I have given waters in the wilderness And rivers in the desert, To give drink to My chosen people.
Isa 43:21 "The people whom I formed for Myself Will declare My praise.
Psa 1:1 How blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked, Nor stand in the path of sinners, Nor sit in the seat of scoffers!
Psa 1:2 But his delight is in the law of the LORD, And in His law he meditates day and night.
Psa 1:3 He will be like a tree firmly planted by streams of water, Which yields its fruit in its season And its leaf does not wither; And in whatever he does, he prospers.
Water plays an important role in my rebirth
Eze 36:24 For I will take you from among the nations and gather you out of all lands, and will gather you into your own land.
Eze 36:25 And I will sprinkle clean waters on you, and you shall be clean. I will cleanse you from all your filthiness and from your idols.
Eze 36:26 And I will give you a new heart, and I will put a new spirit within you. And I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you a heart of flesh.
Eze 36:27 And I will put My Spirit within you and cause you to walk in My statutes, and you shall keep My judgments and do them. (NKJV)
John 4:13 Jesus answered and said to her, Whoever drinks of this water shall thirst again,
John 4:14 but whoever drinks of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst, but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life. (NKJV)
John 3:5 Jesus answered, "Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.
Heb 10:19 Therefore, brethren, since we have confidence to enter the holy place by the blood of Jesus,
Heb 10:20 by a new and living way which He inaugurated for us through the veil, that is, His flesh,
Heb 10:21 and since we have a great priest over the house of God,
Heb 10:22 let us draw near with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water.
Eph 5:25 Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself up for her,
Eph 5:26 so that He might sanctify her, having cleansed her (the church) by the washing of water with the word,
1Pe 1:23 for you have been born again not of seed which is perishable but imperishable, that is, through the living and enduring word of God.
Every curse has been removed in Christ and we are now planted in the river of Water of Life
Rev 22:1 Then he showed me a river of the water of life, clear as crystal, coming from the throne of God and of the Lamb,
Rev 22:2 in the middle of its street. On either side of the river was the tree of life, bearing twelve kinds of fruit, yielding its fruit every month; and the leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations.
Rev 22:3 There will no longer be any curse; and the throne of God and of the Lamb will be in it, and His bond-servants will serve Him;
Rev 22:4 they will see His face, and His name will be on their foreheads.
Rev 22:5 And there will no longer be any night; and they will not have need of the light of a lamp nor the light of the sun, because the Lord God will illumine them; and they will reign forever and ever.
To summarize - God created (bara – from His invisibilty) mankind (male and female) for the purpose of having dominion. He blessed them and gave them a mandate to function on the earth: be fruitful, multiply, fill the earth, subdue it and have dominion (rule).
God formed and built their bodies (yatzar and banah), breathed the breath of life into them and they became living souls.
They were placed by God in the right environment (Eden – God’s presence) where they were able: to be rapid, sharp and accurate; to impact their environment; to burst forth in fruitfulness and wisdom and enjoy a continual relationship with God.
They were now truly the visible expression “God’s ambassadors (representatives)” on the earth of the invisible God in the heavens.
Psa 8:4 What is man that You take thought of him, And the son of man that You care for him?
Psa 8:5 Yet You have made him a little lower than God, And You crown him with glory and majesty!
Psa 8:6 You make him to rule over the works of Your hands; You have put all things under his feet,
Psa 8:7 All sheep and oxen, And also the beasts of the field,
Psa 8:8 The birds of the heavens and the fish of the sea, Whatever passes through the paths of the seas.
Psa 8:9 O LORD, our Lord, How majestic is Your name in all the earth!
2Co 5:20 Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were making an appeal through us;
Compiled by: Deon Gerber
God's Word