2. Our Heavenly Father (God’s People)
Week 2 • Day 2
The day my first born came into the world was one of the most surreal moments of my life. Holding him for the first time was unbelievable. I kept going over and over in my head “This is my son. My own flesh and blood. He looks like me, smiles like me, and even cries like me.”
This is the same way our Heavenly Father, who made us in His image and His likeness, sees us in His Kingdom family of people!
Then 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 birds of the heavens and over the livestock and over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.” So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them.
And God blessed them. And God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth and subdue it, and have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over every living thing that moves on the earth.” - Genesis 1:26-28
Yesterday, we zoomed in on the specific passages above which reveal God’s desire to craft His kingdom place in such a way that His “image-bearers” would thrive. Quite shockingly, God’s sovereign and wise plan was to delegate His dominion and allow His people to rule the earthly realm on His behalf. Today, we ask the question: what does it look like for humans to rule on God’s behalf as God’s kingdom family of people? The answer to this can be seen in what God’s people actually are called to accomplish in His kingdom space and how His people respond to His kingdom rule.
GOD’S PEOPLE STEWARD GOD’S SPACE FRUITFULLY
When no bush of the field was yet in the land and no small plant of the field had yet sprung up—for the Lord God had not caused it to rain on the land, and there was no man to work the ground, and a mist was going up from the land and was watering the whole face of the ground— then the Lord God formed the man of dust from the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living creature. And the Lord God planted a garden in Eden, in the east, and there he put the man whom he had formed...The Lord God took the man and put him in the garden of Eden to work it and keep it. - Genesis 2:5-8, 15
Prior to the birth of my son there was a nesting process. It was so fun to see my wife and I embrace the excitement of having a baby. Painting the room, decorating, organizing, setting up the crib, and anticipating the time when our newborn was going to come home. What a moment it was as we brought our son home into his room and into our lives for the first time.
I imagine Genesis 2 is painting the exact same picture of a Heavenly Father who loves His newly created image-bearers and welcomes them into their “room” for the first time. My wife and I set up our son’s room in a way that was organized, decorated, and full of toy trucks so that one day he would be inspired to use that space to be organized, creative, and imaginative himself. In the same way, this garden space was organized, decorated, beautifully designed, and filled with natural resources so that humanity would be inspired to till, mine, hunt, harness, harvest, create, organize, and rearrange this space so that they could flourish.
As I joyfully watch my son grow and develop in the home we have created for Him, I imagine our Heavenly Father receiving the same immense joy as He watches His people “work and keep” His kingdom space on His behalf! Today, a similar thing can be said about all people since everyone bear’s the image of God. At our core, working the earth to bring a better tomorrow for all humans everywhere brings joy to God and instills deep purpose in humanity. Whether you are a humble janitor or inventing the latest technology, it is a blessing when humanity stewards God’s place well with the breath of life He has given us. God’s people are designed to create and contribute to the kingdom on His behalf.
“The pattern of all work...is creative and assertive. It is rearranging the raw material of God’s creation in such a way that it helps the world in general, and people in particular, thrive and flourish” - Tim Keller
GOD’S PEOPLE SUBDUE ACCORDING TO GOD’S RULE
Genesis 2:16-19 And the Lord God commanded the man, saying, “You may surely eat of every tree of the garden, but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die.”
Home at last! The moment we brought our son home a new life began! Feeding, cleaning, changing diapers, and minimal sleep was not necessarily what we wanted to do, but the sacrifice was all worth it. We were willing to do whatever it took to raise our child and give him the best opportunity to thrive.
This included setting boundaries so that our son wouldn’t touch the stove and burn his finger or fall down several flights of stairs.
While our King blesses us immensely by delegating His rule to us, He also sets up boundaries so that we might flourish in His kingdom! Soon, we will read about whether or not the first humans decide to “touch the stove” and “fall down the flight of stairs”. In the meantime, Genesis reveals that this “very good” world included healthy boundaries that needed to be observed. God’s people are designed to listen and obey the truth of God’s kingdom rule.
Many see these boundaries as God restricting His people from receiving EVERYTHING He has to offer. In our culture that places a premium of freedom, a God with boundaries does not seem very freeing. However, I personally couldn’t imagine letting my newborn son do whatever he wanted without any boundaries. Could you imagine what life would be like if there were no rules or laws? If you think you would be better off, consider what a lawless society would do around you? We all know intuitively that there are certain boundaries that exist for our benefit. Yet sometimes, we balk at God’s instruction to not eat of this particular tree because it feels like God is holding out on us. This attitude of doubt sets the stage for whether or not Adam and Eve, our human parents, would trust in God’s rule or whether they would go their own way.
“Freedom is not so much the absence of restrictions as finding the right ones, those that fit with the realities of our own nature and those of the world.” - Tim Keller
GOD’S PEOPLE FILL GOD’S SPACE BY MULTIPLYING
Then the Lord God said, “It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him a helper fit for him.”...So the Lord God caused a deep sleep to fall upon the man, and while he slept took one of his ribs and closed up its place with flesh. And the rib that the Lord God had taken from the man he made into a woman and brought her to the man. Then the man said, “This at last is bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh; she shall be called Woman, because she was taken out of Man.” Therefore a man shall leave his father and his mother and hold fast to his wife, and they shall become one flesh. And the man and his wife were both naked and were not ashamed. - Genesis 2:18, 21-25.
Throughout this entry, I have been referencing the arrival of my firstborn. I don’t think I have to go into detail about how my wife and I “created” our firstborn. Yet it is significant that there was one thing that God saw was “not good” in His creation. Man was alone. This can definitely be interpreted as a relational statement, but it is more likely that the weight of interpretation falls on the one command of God that Adam could not accomplish by himself - that is to multiply. He needed someone to “help” him! Therefore, the man and the woman (both equal together as image-bearers of God) were created to accomplish the purpose of multiplication together (both given distinct roles in this process).
So often, modern art depicts the Garden of Eden as a place of paradise in which Adam and Eve are all alone. Have you ever thought what it would look like if these works of art depicted a Garden of Eden in which Adam and Eve did in fact obey God and multiplied? The garden may have started with Adam and Eve, but from the beginning God created this ideal Edenic garden place to spread as humanity innevitably multiplied. The result should be a work of art that depicts the garden as a kingdom in which God’s people who bear His image fill the earth as they co-exist, co-labor, and co-operate in shalom (Hebrew word for “Harmony” or “Peace”). God’s kingdom people were called to multiply and love one another.
GOD’S PEOPLE EXPERIENCE RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD
It would have been child abuse if we brought our firstborn son to his room, closed the door, and said, “Good luck! You are on your own now!” There is no way our son would have survived. Instead, my wife and I love our child so much that we wanted to be there to provide for his every need and walk with him to celebrate his milestone moments, even if it meant waking up early in the morning!
In the same way, God designed His people to not only bear His image, but to be in close relationship with Him as our Heavenly Father. Let’s pause to reflect on the different ways we see God closely interacting with Adam and Eve!
And God blessed them. And God said to them... - Genesis 1:28.
...then the Lord God formed the man of dust from the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living creature. - Genesis 2:7.
The Lord God took the man and put him in the garden of Eden... - Genesis 2:15. And the Lord God commanded the man... - Genesis 2:16
Now out of the ground the Lord God had formed every beast of the field and every bird of the heavens and brought them to the man to see what he would call them. And whatever the man called every living creature, that was its name. - Genesis 2:19
So the Lord God caused a deep sleep to fall upon the man... - Genesis 2:21
And the rib that the Lord God had taken from the man he made into a woman and brought her to the man. - Genesis 2:22
What is remarkable is that God could have easily been in the heavens doing whatever He pleased. Instead, He uses His rule to create the world, He creates the male and the female, He gives them a kingdom purpose to work and keep the garden, obey him, to spread out across all of creation, and to cooperate in harmony. On top of all of this, He chooses to closely interact with Adam and Eve in relationship with them! God’s people are designed to love God and walk with Him as our Heavenly Father.
Throughout today’s entry, there have been statements highlighted in bold font. In no particular order, we will now combine these statements with the section titles given yesterday to keep track of what we are learning about God’s kingdom! Take some time to reflect on any patterns that you begin to notice:
God rules by creating.
God’s people are designed to create and contribute to the kingdom on His behalf.God rules by forming and filling His creation.
God’s people are designed to multiply and love one another.God delegates His rule to His image-bearers.
God’s people are designed to listen and obey the truth of God’s kingdom rule.God rules over all things.
God’s people are designed to love God and walk with Him as our Heavenly Father.
God’s people bear the image and likeness of God so that we might rule on His behalf and further His kingdom. We accomplish this when we work and keep God’s kingdom place and obediently follow His kingdom rule. As the kingdom inevitably multiplies, our mission is to grow in our love for God and love for others! This is what it means to be human in God’s kingdom!
Share the Gospel: God’s people bear the image and likeness of God so that we might rule on His behalf and further His kingdom. We accomplish this when we work and keep God’s kingdom place and obediently follow His kingdom rule. As the kingdom inevitably multiplies, our mission is to grow in our love for God and love for others! This is what it means to be human in God’s kingdom!
