Genesis 1:26-31 Man’s Origin, Relationships, Vocation & Purpose
Darwinism is under attack from within science itself! “No real evolutionists, whether gradualist or punctuationist, uses the fossil record as evidence in favor of the theory of evolution” (Ridley, Who Doubts Evolution?, 90 New Scientist 830, 831 (1981); Section 3.4(a)). Also (M. Denton, Evolution: A Theory in Crisis (1985), p. 326-28, 345).
We Battle not with Empirical science but false worldviews that misinterpret the dubious evidence. We are to “cast down imaginations, & every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God” (2 Cor. 10:5). The atheistic materialism dominating the world’s educational & political systems has become a “stronghold” against faith in God.
Why are so many so committed to a theory with so little empirical evidence? Because they already committed to “Philosophical naturalism.” They insist on explaining everything in terms of a finite 3-dimensional box of time & space. There is no supernatural. They created a definition of science (naturalism) so narrow it eliminates God with a mere play on words! Why should we acquiesce to such an inadequate definition of science? Science is not the real issue but prior philosophical commitment: “Even if all the data point to an intelligent designer, such a hypothesis is excluded from science because it is not naturalistic.” (S.C. Todd, “A View from Kansas on That Evolution Debate,” Nature 401 (Sept. 30, 1999): 423). Philosophy has gained primacy over facts.
School Textbook definitions of Science exclude God! “Many people believe that a supernatural force or deity created life. That explanation is not within the scope of science” (High School textbook: BSCS Biology: A Molecular Approach, 8th ed., Jon Greenberg, 2001, 446). “By attributing the diversity of life to natural causes rather than to supernatural creation, Darwin gave biology a sound scientific basis” (Neil A. Campbell, J.B. Reece, Biology, 5th ed., 1999, p. 426).
A Chinese Proverb says: “Don’t put your Dirty Laundry out”
Evolutionists with the aid of like-minded media have been successful at hiding their dirty laundry from the public! We looked at the dirty laundry of blunders, frauds & forgeries. Fossil evidence is deceptively mis-represented & imaginary ‘icons’ & artwork deceive many.
GOD REFUTES SUCH FALSE PHILOSOPHIES IN GENESIS
He refutes materialism: God is separate from & rules over His material universe (Rom. 4:17; Heb. 11:3; Isa. 40:28; John 4:24).
He refutes naturalism: reveals Nature’s supernatural beginning.
He refutes humanism: God, not man, is the ultimate reality.
He refutes evolution by creating all things in 6 days with His Word.
In Genesis 1 God Himself Reveals 2 Key Lessons
- There is only 1 God: the sovereign omnipotent Creator of everything that exists. Everything is under His Control. He is LORD!
- Both Men & Woman bare the image of God & are God’s crowning purpose of Creation.
GENESIS 1 REVEALS MAN’S 4 KEY RELATIONSHIPS
- Man’s relationship with His Creator. 2. Man’s relationship with himself. 3. Man’s relationship with Creation. 4. Man’s relationship with his fellow man (male/female/Family)
1. Man’s Being [relationship with God]: Created not evolved.
(Gen 1:26) “& God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: (1:27) So God created man in his own image…”
Man’s body is formed from the dust of the ground (Gen. 2:7). Here the soul (both male & female) is created (Isa. 43:7; Eccl. 12:7). The soul, not physical bodies, is the essence of man (Matt. 10:28). Humans share God’s Moral attributes like Love, grace, mercy & justice; but not God’s Natural attributes like being Eternal, Omnipotent, Omniscient & infinite.
2. Man’s Being [relationship with self]: man is self conscious
(1:27) So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male & female created he them.
Created in the image of “I AM that I AM” (Ex. 3:14-5) man is self-conscious & wants to know: “Who AM I?” “Why am I here?” Both Male & Female Created in God’s image! Men & woman equally share God’s image & infinite value. Cultures that suppress Biblical worldview tended to make women 2nd class citizens; even kill baby girls.
The evils (Dirty Laundry) of Darwinian Evolution
Darwin argued women were inferior to men (J. Bergman, The history of the teaching of human female inferiority in Darwinism, J. Creation 14(1):117-126, 2000). Some evolutionists claim rape was a means for men to propagate their genes (R. Thornhill, & C.T. Palmer, A Natural History of Rape: Biological Bases of Sexual Coercion, 2000).
3. Man’s Vocation [relationship with nature]: Dominion over all life forms except other Men (Exodus 21:16; Deut. 24:7)
(1:26) & let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, & over the fowl of the air, & over the cattle, & over all the earth, & over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth. [fleas?]
4. Man’s Vocation [relationship with nature]: Dominion over the earth (Preserving God’s ecological wonders)
(1:28) replenish the earth, & subdue it: & have dominion over the fish of the sea, & over the fowl of the air, & over every living thing that moveth upon the earth.” (Ps. 8:6-8; Heb. 2:5-9)
Nature is not our ‘mother.’ We do not imitate her or act like animals! We are to take care of it. Man’s Faith in the Divine Lawgiver & this Dominion Mandate made the modern scientific revolution possible.
Henry M. Morris in The Defenders Study Bible, Lists 41 Scientific Disciplines founded by Bible Believing Scientists in Appendix 7. (A great Study Bible with Scientific explanations to some tough questions).
4. Man’s Purpose [relationship with Family]: Both Heavenly & earthly Families (Eph. 3:15)
(Gen 1:28) “God blessed them, & God said unto them, Be fruitful, & multiply, & replenish (i.e. fill) the earth,”
God creates Family (male & female) with the blessing of sex in monogamous marriage to raise children & “fill the earth.” Our Omniscient LORD Jesus Christ confirmed Genesis 1:27 & 2:24 in Matt. 19:3-9 & Mk. 10:2-12) (see Col. 3:10; I Tim. 2:13; I Cor. 11:7-12).
Sexual intercourse between male & female is God’s design before the fall & has God’s full blessing in the context of marriage & comes with serious warnings outside marriage (Heb. 13:4; I Cor 6:9).
Evolutions “Dirty Laundry” on sex! Male/Female & sexual reproduction is every evolutionist nightmare. They can’t begin to explain “How sexual reproduction could evolve from asexual reproduction.” Charles Darwin, Origin of Species, Chapter 6 wrote: “If it could be demonstrated that any complex organ existed, which could not possibly have been formed by numerous, successive, slight modifications, my theory would absolutely break down. But I can find out no such case.”
Michael J. Behe, Darwin’s Black Box – Reveals everything in the cell is infinitely & irreducibly complex. Check out his amazing web site:
Michael J. Behe | A (R)evolutionary Biologist (michaelbehe.com)
“Biologists are embarrassed by the subject [of sex] because of their ignorance. What sex is, why it evolved & how it works are the biggest unsolved problems in biology…We are still not certain why males exist; & why, if we must have them at all, nature needs so many”
(Steve Jones, The Language of Genes, 1993, p. 84). (F. LaGard Smith, Darwin’s Secret Sex Problem: Exposing Evolutions’ Fatal Flaw – the Origin of Sex, 2018, p. xxxiii) [A great book worth buying & reading]
4. Man’s Purpose [relationship with Family]: Both Heavenly (Gen. 5:24; Lk. 3:38) & earthly Families: “the whole family” (Eph. 3:15)
God made us part of a Heavenly Family (Eph. 6:9; Matt. 6:9; 5:16, 48; 7:11; Isa. 63:16; 64:8; John 20:17; Rom. 8:15; Gal. 4:6) & earthly Family (I Tim. 5:4, 8; Psalm 127 & 128; Ps. 68:6). We have potential to bare spiritual & physical children (Gal. 4:19)
Man’s Divine Provision: Super abundant vegetarian food
(Gen 1:29) “God said, Behold, I have given you every herb bearing seed… upon… all the earth, & every tree, in the which is the fruit of a tree yielding seed; to you it shall be for meat (2:16)
Man will not be permitted to eat ‘living creatures’ until after the Flood of Noah (Gen. 9:3-4). There is No Death (Rom. 5:12; I Cor. 15:26; 2 Tim. 1:10). Even the animals were vegetarian before the sin of Adam (1:30) in the pre-fall “very good” world (Gen. 1:31)
Plants are considered living by science but not by God. God says, ‘life is in the blood’ (Lev. 17:11) & plants have no blood. Killing involves shed blood (Gen 9:4-6). Plants may be biologically alive, but they do not die, they ‘wither’ (Isa. 40:8; etc.). So Biblically, eating plants does not constitute death.
If God used ‘evolution’ to create man [theistic evolution] then He is not good, omniscient or omnipotent. The world imagined by the Theory of Evolution involves no intelligence & is in no way “very good!” Death is the result of Adam’s sin! God is Good & Will Restore Creation to its Paradise Condition with no suffering or death in eternity (Rev. 21 & 22; Isa 65:25; Isa. 11:6-9; 2:4; Mic. 4:3). Creation’s perfection is restored by Jesus Christ (Eph 1:9-14; Rom 8:18-23)
Understanding True Science & True Faith: A matter of life & Death.
(1Tim. 6:20) “O Timothy, keep that which is committed to thy trust, [the Scriptures 2 Tim. 3:15-6] avoiding profane & vain babblings, & oppositions of science falsely so called: (6:21)
Which some professing have erred concerning the faith.”
We must be aware of the deceptive use of 3 different meanings of the word “evolution.” They equivocate between 3 Definitions:
- “Change over time” – If all evolution means is change then everyone can agree such evolution is a fact: “if” this is all you mean by evolution.
- “Special Theory of Evolution” (Micro-evolution) – Microevolution is small changes that take place within species, over time, to produce new characteristics (this is empirical science & observable)
- The General Theory of Evolution (macro-evolution). This definition “unscientifically” claims one species can ‘evolve’ into a new species.
This definition is not a fact but unproven “Theory.” It has never been observed & has no hard empirical science to support it.
When someone uses ‘evolution’ to disprove Biblical Creation, ask them: “What definition of evolution are you using? If they use definition #1 or #2 we can agree with them. It is observable science BUT does not disprove anything in the Bible! But if they assume definition #3 we must politely educate them how their definition is not empirical science but based on philosophical materialism! (I Pet. 3:15)