IT WAS VERY GOOD

Genesis 1:26-2:3

Key Verse: 1:31a

God saw all that he had made, and it was very good.

1. Read verses 26 and 27 again. What did God decide to do? What was God’s plan for mankind? (See Ps 139:13-16; Ps 8:1-9) What does it mean that God created mankind in his own image? What are some of the God-like attributes we can find in man?

2. How did God bless man and woman? (28) What was the work he had created them to do? What does it mean to subdue and rule over? How can you know your Creator and find the work he created you to do?

3. Read verses 29-30. How did God provide for the physical needs of mankind doing God’s work? How should man respond to God’s gracious gift? (Ps 104:14,27, 31,33)

4. Read verse 31. What does verse 31 teach us about God and the world he created? About myself? What difference does it make for me to know that God created me for a good purpose? (Eph 2:10)

5. Read 2:1-3. What did God do on the seventh day? Why did he bless the seventh day and make it holy? (See Mk 2:27) How can we find real rest? (Mt 11:28-29)

GOD CREATED MAN
Genesis 1:26-2:3
Key verse 1:26
Good morning. Last week in chapter 1, God created the heavens and the earth. All creations did not exist by chance. But God made everything on purpose with his powerful words. Today, we are going to learn that God created man. Why did he create the man? How? What does it mean to us? Through this message, we may know about our creator God and our true identity.

First, God created man in the image of God. Look at verse 26 and 27. Then God said, “Let us make mankind in our image, in our likeness, so that they may rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky, over the livestock and all the wild animals, and over all the creatures that move along the ground.” In the previous passage, when God created new things such as light, sky, stars, and so on, he just said and it was so. But interestingly, when he created man, in verse 26, he said “Let us make mankind in our image”. It seems God, the Spirit, the Son Jesus had a group meeting before he created man. In company, when they have very important project, they have a regular group meeting to produce a better result. In God’s eyes, creating man must be a very important project. It shows God really concerns about man. But actually, God, Elohim, the almighty powerful one, has enough wisdom and knowledge to make his creations. But before he created man, the trinity God worked together to make man. God put time and energy in creating a man.

He created man in his image and in his likeness. What are his image and his likeness? In chapter 1, so far, God, as his name explains, is the almighty powerful one. He is in eternity. He has the creation power. He spoke. He has the wisdom and knowledge. He expressed it was good. He made order and boundary. Also, in the Bible, he is love. He is light. He is holy and righteousness.

God put such images in man. So, man has creation power. Since the creation, animals and birds live still on the cave or trees. But man made houses, car, airplanes, phones, these days AI. How only man are so different from other creations? Because man was created in the image of God. Not only creation power, man seeks wisdom and knowledge. They seek eternity. They seek holiness and righteousness. We have conscience. We seek harmony, caring, and love.

God also created man in his likeness. He is the creator, ruler, and sovereign LORD. He created man as ruler over all creations.

We are not just a regular creation. We are created in the image of God. When a Psalmist learned that man was created in the image of God, he praised God. It says “You have made them a little lower than the angels and crowned them with glory and honor.” (Psalm 8:4) Also it says “I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well.” (Psalm 139:14)
However, because of sins, man lost God’s image. When we see man’s wickedness in the world or even looking ourselves, we may doubt we were created in the image of God.

But there is a good news. God sent his son Jesus to us that we can regain God’s image through him. 2 Corinthians 4:4 says “Christ, who is the image of God”. Jesus revealed the image of God through his life. Through him, people saw who God is, how powerful God is, and God’s broken heart to man, how he judged the power of sins and death. Romans 8:29 says For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters. When we live a life of imitating Jesus, our lost image of God can be restored in us.
There is a story of Henry Ford, the king of cars. When a car mechanics was driving his car, on the way, the car stopped. As a mechanics, he tried to fix the issue. Soon, a gentle man got out of the car and began to try to fix the car. In a few minutes later, the car’s engines started again. The mechanics asked him how quickly he was able to fix. Then, the man said ‘I am Henry Ford. I made this car”. I know this car best. Similarly, God created man in his image and in his likeness. If we have lost God’s image because of our sins, what would be the best solution? Go to our creator God. He knows what is the problem. He will fix for us.
[read the bible one page – inspiration] [read bible – inspiration – leptree site]

Second, God created man to rule over and subdue over all creations. Verse 26 says “let them rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air, over the livestock, over all the earth, and over all the creatures that move along the ground.” Verse 28 says God blessed them and said to them, “Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it. Rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky and over every living creature that moves on the ground.” The reason God created man is very clear: to rule over and subdue over all creation. God made everything perfect. But in his eyes, there is one thing lacking: instead of him, someone who takes care of (or manage) his creations. It is like an owner of company hired a CEO to run his business. God gave man enough ability, wisdom, and knowledge to rule over and subdue over all creations. Man is like a manager to care for God’s creation.
But as man sinned against God, everything was twisted. Instead of ruling over creations, people serve the nature (Sun, Moon), the animals (cows, birds, fish), and money. Romans 1:23 says “They exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images made to look like a mortal human being and birds and animals and reptiles.”
Here ruler over and subdue is not like you exercise your power and authority like a dictator. Rather, ruler over and subdue mean to control all creations according to the will of God, not as a dictator, but a benevolent leader. To care for creations according to God’s will, Man must study, research the creations that he can rule over and subdue all creation for God.

In verse 28, God blessed male and female. “Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it.” God created man to live a fruitful life. Also increasing in number. Also God gave man abilities to live such a life. God created us to marry and have children. M. Jacob’s family is starting from one and now is 17 people. My family is starting from one and now 5. Not only physical children, it is God’s blessing for us to have many spiritual children as well. Paul did not marry. But he raised so many spiritual children.
When we live such a life, we are happy. Because we were created in that way. The life of ruling over and subduing: We feel alive. We are joyful.
In John’s gospel, Jesus explained why he came to this world: to give us a full life; instead of being subdued by circumstances, instead challenge, make effort, to bear much fruit.
Currently, Than researches a plant root. Make a better thing for US economy. Tia researches an ocean pollution?? For better environment.

Third, God provided man food. Look at verse 29 – 30. Then God said, “I give you every seed-bearing plant on the face of the whole earth and every tree that has fruit with seed in it. They will be yours for food. 30 And to all the beasts of the earth and all the birds in the sky and all the creatures that move along the ground—everything that has the breath of life in it—I give every green plant for food.” And it was so. God knows what man needs: food. He is like a Father. Father knows what his children needs before they ask him. Man did not ask God for food. God already knew man needs food that he provides it. “food” is not just food but everything man needs to live.
What kinds of food did God provide man? It says every seed-bearing plant and every tree.
God did not give only one food. Instead, 300,000 species of plants and 250,000 species of trees. It is like a buffet; all you can eat freely. God provides man all kinds of different food that they can enjoy eating food.

But one thing we can learn from God’s provision. It is a priority: In verse 28, God commanded man to be fruitful, increase in number, and rule over and subdue over all creation. It is doing God’s work. Then, in verse 29, God provided man food. This is God’s principle in the Bible. Actually, this is universal truth. You work for company, then, company gives you a paycheck by-weekly. In Matthew 6:33, Jesus said to his disciples “But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.” His disciples were worried about what to eat, what to drink, what to wear. But Jesus told them even though the pagans run after all these things, but your heavenly Father knows that you need them. So instead of seeking first for food, seek first God’s kingdom and work for his kingdom. Then, our heavenly Father knows what we need and provides us all our needs.
While we follow Jesus, like the disciples in the Bible, we also worry about our future life; job, career, marriage, money, and so on. So some people think they should seek first food, then serve God. However, this is not going to work. Once you got what you hope for (career, house, ..), you are going to be more busy in not losing what you have. So college life, while you are singles, this is a good chance for you to learn: do God’s mission and then see how God provides you all your needs.
In Exodus, Israel followed God’s direction in the wilderness. When God said “stop” then they stopped. When God said “move”, they moved. God knew what they needed: food, so not only 1 year but for 40 years, he sent manna every day. Moses told in Deuteronomy 8:3 man does not live on bread alone but on every word that comes from the mouth of the LORD.
Deuteronomy 29:5 says I have led you in the wilderness forty years; your clothes have not worn out on you, and your sandals have not worn out on your feet.

Fourth, God was very pleased with man. Look at verse 31. God saw all that he had made, and it was very good. Until verse 26, God said it was good. When he created light, he said it was good. But now when he created man, he was so pleased. He said “it was very good”. Man was his masterpiece, his final touch in his creations. Everything was so perfect. All beautiful creations and man to take care of the creations.
In God’s eyes, we are very good. Our existence itself gives God a great joy. It does not matter no matter who we are or no matter what we are: short, tall, bold, from good family or broken family, and your being itself brings a great joy to God.
Many people are not happy with their life: family, or something else. So even if they have great potential to live a fruitful life, they do not live as they are supposed to. But in God’s eyes, “you are very good – Thumbs up”. Zephaniah 3:17 talks about God’s joy to man. It says “The LORD your God is with you, the mighty warrior who saves. He will take great delight in you; in his love he will no longer rebuke you, but will rejoice over you with singing”. How are we sure that he is really pleased with us. Romans 5:8 says God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
Fifth, God provided man rest. Look at verse 2:2,3 By the seventh day God had finished the work he had been doing; so on the seventh day he rested from all his work. Then God blessed the seventh day and made it holy, because on it he rested from all the work of creating that he had done. God finished his creation work on the sixth day. It seems he did not need the seventh day. Yet, he made the seventh day and rested. Why? Because God knows man needs rest. So on the seventh day, man can take a rest from the work of six days. In Mark’s gospel, Jesus said “The Sabbath was made for man, and not man for the Sabbath” (Mark 2:27). The seventh day was clearly made for man. Think about without rest, you have to work 6 days. No break. You are like slaves. God created man as his steward not slaves.
One of the famous things in Chick-fil-A is that they close their restaurant on Sundays. Usually, more customers come on Sundays. So closing the restaurants is actually crazy thing. But the founder believed his employees are either Christians or not, they need rest at least one day per week. Actually he practiced what God did to man here. As they take one day off, they are refreshed, recharged and bring better productive work to the company. Chick-fil-A is one of the fastest growing restaurants in America.
The seventh day is to change to the Sabbath over times in the OT. The Sabbath is just not to work but to remember and worship God. Deuteronomy 5:15 says “You shall remember that you were a slave3 in the land of Egypt, and the LORD your God brought you out from there hwith a mighty hand and an outstretched arm. Therefore the LORD your God commanded you to keep the Sabbath day.” Since then, the Sabbath is a day to gather together, praise him, and worship him. To us, it is Sunday. True rest is not from doing nothing on the Sabbath. Sometimes, you are more tired. Jesus said in Matthew 11:28 “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. True rest is off from work and on coming to God, listening to our spiritual food, the words of God and remember his creation and his salvation through the blood of Jesus every Sunday. A Bible scholar Marva Dawn said The Sabbath is neither a duty to be fulfilled nor a reward to be earned — it is a gift of God to be gratefully received.
In conclusion, today, we have learned about God who created man. We were created in the image of God. We were made to be fruitful, increase in number, rule over and subdue over God’s creation. We are very pleased with God: thumbs up! God knows what man needs: food and rest. Psalm 8:4 says What is man that You are mindful of him. Thank God for creating me. We are wonderfully created. Now through imitating our Lord Jesus Christ, may God create a new work in us that we can live a life of glorifying our creator God.