The first words God spoke to man were to “be fertile. Increase in number. Fill the earth and be its master. Rule the fish in the sea, the birds in the sky, and all the animals that crawl on the earth.” Genesis 1:28
God had given man the authority to reproduce AND rule.
If you were to look at numbers. Mankind has done an incredible job of reproducing. Approximately six and a half billion people currently live on planet Earth. It is estimated by the year 2020 this figure will be eight billion!
The Lord did not command man to reproduce just for the sake of populating the earth with more males and females. They were to increase the number of God’s image bearers on earth.
But these words were spoken before sin made its entrance into the world. Before eternal bodies became mortal bodies. Before disobedience, fear, doubt and shame poisoned the lives of God’s children.
When these words were spoken. Adam and Eve were holy. Their relationship with the Lord was one of intimacy, love and authenticity. The couple clearly heard the Lord’s voice and immediately obeyed His instructions. They were exemplary students. Daily gaining godly wisdom. Adam and Eve were the image bearers of Almighty God here on earth.
As God’s image bearers— rulers here on earth, Adam and Eve were to nurture and guard the garden of Eden. This assignment was both enjoyable and satisfying. They lived and worked in the perfect environment— God’s holy creation.
Adam and Eve never had to worry about deadlines. They were eternal beings. There were never shortages of any kind. The Lord abundantly provided for all their needs. All creation submitted to their authority. Establishing both a beautiful and safe environment in which to live and work.
Yes, all was well until that fateful day when they chose to believe the lie of the enemy— satan. Instead of choosing to trust their loving Father who had always been faithful to His word. They made a choice that forever sealed yours, mine, satan’s and Jesus’s fate.
Yes, Adam and Eve were created in the image of God, but they were not robots. Endowed by the Creator with free will. They had the ability to make decisions independent of God. They always had a chose. Obey God— the Father of righteousness and life or satan— the father of sin and death.
When Adam and Eve decided to exercise their free will and disobey God. They set in motion a chain of events that necessitated both God’s discipline and saving grace. With this single act of disobedience, Adam and Eve relinquished theirs and mankind’s authority. Man no longer had dominion on earth.
On that historic day the Lord declared to Eve. “I will make your pains in childbearing very severe. With painful labor you will give birth to children. Your desire will be for your husband, and he will rule over you.”
To Adam He said. “Because you listened to your wife and ate from the tree about which I commanded you— you must not eat from it. Cursed is the ground because of you. Through painful toil you will eat from it all the days of your life. It will produce thorns and thistles for you, and you will eat the plants of the field. By the sweat of your brow you will eat your food until you return to the ground. Since from it you were taken. For dust you are, and to dust you will return.” Genesis 3:16-19
Because sin had entered the garden, evil— death now ruled. For a fleeting moment, satan foolishly thought he had won. Soon satan learned that Adam and Eve’s decision had also sealed his fate.
God had set in motion His plan of redemption. The initial phase of the Lord’s redemption plan began with God personally sacrificing an animal. So He could make garments of skin for Adam and Eve— a covering— atonement for their sin.
Instead of death— permanent separation from Him, which Adam and Eve justly deserved because of their rebellion. The Lord through animal sacrifice reinstated fellowship— a relationship with His children.
This first shedding of blood for sin I believe was the blood of a lamb— a foreshadowing of the ultimate and final sacrifice— Jesus.
More about reigning on this side of eternity next Wednesday.
Be a VOICE shouting into the wilderness.
“CHRIST is returning!”
letsloveothers 