This Week's Clinic

The Natural Body

(Genesis 1:26)  And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth.

(Genesis 1:27)  So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them. God's image upon man consists of his nature and soul, not those of his body (for God does not have a body, God is a spirit).

As the creation of man was being done, one asked God the question. “(Hebrews 2:6-8), What is man, that thou art mindful of him? or the son of man, that thou visitest him? Thou madest him a little lower than the angels; thou crownedst him with glory and honour, and didst set him over the works of thy hands: Thou hast put all things in subjection under his feet. For in that he put all in subjection under him, he left nothing that is not put under him. But now we see not yet all things put under him. God Himself is exempted. (1 Corinthians 15:27)  For he hath put all things under his feet. But when he saith all things are put under him, it is manifest that he is excepted, which did put all things under him.

The answer to the question, What is man?, should be obvious to them, for God said that man was to be made in His image and His likeness. Why not make man majestic like Himself? If man is being made in the image and likeness of God, to make him in any other fashion, he would not be like Him. God is over all things in both the heavens and the earth; therefore, man is given dominion over the earth, his dominion, to be like God.

(Genesis 2:7)  And the LORD God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul.

King David is contemplating his being, in (Psalms 139:13-16)  For thou hast possessed my reins: thou hast covered me in my mother's womb.  I will praise thee; for I am fearfully and wonderfully made: marvellous are thy works; and that my soul knoweth right well.  My substance was not hid from thee, when I was made in secret, and curiously wrought in the lowest parts of the earth.  Thine eyes did see my substance, yet being unperfect; and in thy book all my members were written, which in continuance were fashioned, when as yet there was none of them.

King David is saying, “God you formed the way I think and feel. You put me together in my mother's womb. I praise you because you made me in such a wonderful way. I know how amazing that was! You could see my bones grow as my body took shape, hidden in my mother's womb.  You could see my body grow each passing day. You listed all my parts, and not one of them was missing.”

 

The formation of man was both profound and purposeful. Of all beings brought forth, man emerged last—not as an afterthought, but as the crowning work of creation. This order ensured that no one could claim to have helped God in this wondrous act, and the place in the formation of him served as an honor as the creation progressed from lesser forms (beast) to greater perfection (man). Man’s body, made from the same soil as the beasts, lived upon the same earth, yet in purpose and privilege was set apart. God asked Job the question, “Where were you when I laid the earth’s foundations?” it emphasized the humility man ought to bear.

Nonetheless, to be made last was also a favor: the world was prepared, adorned and furnished, before man’s arrival, as a palace awaiting its monarch. With the world spread before them, humans were granted both the deliberation and the enjoyment of creation’s splendors.

The act of creating man was an especially remarkable display of divine wisdom and power. (Wisdom-See Proverbs 8:1-36) Unlike the earlier decrees—“Let there be light,” “Let the waters bring forth life”—the creation of humankind was prefaced by a solemn body: “Let us make man.” This declaration was not merely a command, but an expression of affection—a deliberation among the ones of the Trinity, for whose delight the work was made. Flesh of earth and spirit of heaven were joined, making humanity a wondrous union of both realms. This profound collaboration, as symbolized in the words, “Let us make man,” reveals the singular value and purpose bestowed upon humanity, a being dedicated to and bearing the image of the Creator, and accountable to Father, Word, and Holy Spirit. Thus, just as we are baptized into that great name, so too do we owe our very existence to it.

With the entire creation before him, even with the privilege of communion with his maker, man in the flesh disobeyed the commandment of God (Genesis 2:17)  . But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die.

Being made perfect, man was created to live forever, meaning he would not age, decay and die, but he allowed sin to enter the scenario. Eve, the wife of Adam, listened to the lies of Satan and was tempted to eat of the tree of knowledge of good and evil, and she gave it to her husband, causing death to befall humanity. Therefore, after the judgment that God gave to them, man was sentenced to death.

(Genesis 3:22-24)  And the LORD God said, Behold, the man is become as one of us, to know good and evil: and now, lest he put forth his hand, and take also of the tree of life, and eat, and live for ever:  Therefore the LORD God sent him forth from the garden of Eden, to till the ground from whence he was taken. So he drove out the man; and he placed at the east of the garden of Eden Cherubims, and a flaming sword which turned every way, to keep the way of the tree of life.

Man’s sentence was (Genesis 3:19)  In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread, till thou return unto the ground; for out of it wast thou taken: for dust thou art, and unto dust shalt thou return.

Conclusion

The statement that man was made in God's image and after his likeness, two words to express the same thing, and making each other the more expressive; image and likeness denote the image, the nearest resemblance of any of the visible creatures. Man was not made in the likeness of any creature that went before him, but in the likeness of his Creator; yet still between God and man, there is an infinite distance. That distance was made even greater when Adam sinned. Christ only is the express image of God's person, as the Son of his Father, having the same nature. See Hebrews 1:1-14.  It is only some of God's honour that is put upon man, who is God's image.

(Genesis 2:7)  And the LORD God formed man of the dust of the ground- (body), and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life-(spirit); and man became a living soul-(soul). This verse denotes the tripartite of man.

This honour indeed God has put upon the body of man, that the Word was made flesh, the Son of God was clothed with a body like ours, and will shortly clothe ours with a glorious body like that of his. In creation, man was made like God; in redemption, God made himself like man. Hebrews 10:5-7. But it is the soul, the soul of man, that especially bear God's image. The soul can be categorized as a spirit, an intelligent immortal spirit, an influencing active spirit, in this resembling God, the Father of Spirits, and the soul of the world. The soul of man, reflected in its three ways: understanding, will, and active power. This is perhaps the brightest and the clearest looking glass in nature, wherein we see God.

Man in his place and authority: Let us make man in our image, and let him have dominion. Since man has the authority over the inferior creatures, he is, as it were, God's representative, or viceroy, upon earth; animals are not capable of fearing and serving God; therefore, God has appointed them to fear and serve man.

Man was made in the righteousness, holiness, and knowledge of God. God's image upon man consists in righteousness, true holiness, and knowledge.  Ephesians 4:24   And that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness.; Colossians 3:10  And have put on the new man, which is renewed in knowledge after the image of him that created him.  Man’s understanding saw divine things clearly and truly, and there were no errors or mistakes in his knowledge. His will complied readily and totally with the will of God, without reluctancy or resistance. His affections were all regular, and he had no inordinate appetites or passions. Our first parents were holy and happy, in having the image of God upon them. We should not debase ourselves to the service of sin, and we should devote ourselves to God's service.

Man was made male and female, and blessed with the blessing of fruitfulness and increase. God said, Let us make man, and immediately it follows, So God created man; he did what he said. With us, saying and doing, are two things; but it is not so with God. He created him male and female, Adam and Eve - Adam first, out of earth, and Eve out of his side. It should seem that of the rest of the creatures God made many couples, Mr. Hippo had Mrs. Hippo, and Mr. Robin had Mrs. Robin, but of man  he made one. God put man to sleep and He took a rib out of his side and made woman. Emphasizing the fact that they are of one flesh. Man and wife are mysteriously twain but one. Malachi 2:14-16  Yet ye say, Wherefore? Because the LORD hath been witness between thee and the wife of thy youth, against whom thou hast dealt treacherously: yet is she thy companion, and the wife of thy covenant.  And did not he make one? Yet had he the residue of the spirit. And wherefore one? That he might seek a godly seed. Therefore take heed to your spirit, and let none deal treacherously against the wife of his youth.  For the LORD, the God of Israel, saith that he hateth putting away: for one covereth violence with his garment, saith the LORD of hosts: therefore take heed to your spirit, that ye deal not treacherously. Matthew 19:4-6   And he answered and said unto them, Have ye not read, that he which made them at the beginning made them male and female,   And said, For this cause shall a man leave father and mother, and shall cleave to his wife: and they twain shall be one flesh?  Wherefore they are no more twain, but one flesh. What therefore God hath joined together, let not man put asunder.

Our first father, Adam, was confined to one wife; and, if he had put her away, there was no other for him to marry, which insinuated that the bond of marriage was not to be dissolved at pleasure. Angels were not made male and female, for they were not to propagate their kind; but man was made so that the nature might be propagated and the race continued.  God made but one male and one female, that all the nations of men might know themselves to be made of one blood, descendants from one common stock, and might thereby be induced to love one another. God, having made them capable of transmitting the nature they had received, said to them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth.

God gave to man, when he had made him, a dominion over the beast of the field and the cattle, over the fish of the sea and the fowl of the air. Though man provides for neither, he has power over both, much more over every living thing that moveth upon the earth, which are more under his care and within his reach. God put an honour upon man, that he might find himself strongly obliged to bring honour to his Maker. This honorable dominion is diminished and lost by the fall; yet God continues to safely support man’s lives, and God's grace has given to the saints a new and better title to the creature than that which was lost by sin; for all is ours if we are Christ's.