Sister Sunny Sunday School 9/21/14

Sister Sunny Sunday School 9/21/14

God’s plan

He created man in His image

Gen 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.

Gen 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 created Adam in His image: pure, holy, without sin.

Adam Clark - God is holy, just, wise, good, and perfect; so must the soul be that sprang from him: there could be in it nothing impure, unjust, ignorant, evil, low, base, mean, or vile.

Albert Barnes' - He is to be allied to heaven as no other creature on earth is. He is to be related to the Eternal Being himself.

God’s plan from the beginning was that we be His son and His daughter, created in His image and in His likeness, pure and holy as He is. 

Gen 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.

When the word LORD is all caps, it refers to God by His name, ‘the eternal one’.  He exists of Himself.  He was, He is and He always shall be.  This is our creator. 

He was able to simply say, “Let there be…” and form the stars. 

He took making man more personal.  “He formed him from the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life.”

This shows God created us to be a two-fold being.  He formed man’s body of the dust of the ground and it will return to the dust.  “He breathed into His nostrils the breath of life and man became a living soul.”  We have within us an eternal soul. 

John Gill -  these two different productions show the different nature of the soul and body of man, the one is material and mortal, the other immaterial and immortal:

Psa 139:14  I will praise thee; for I am fearfully and wonderfully made: marvellous are thy works; and that my soul knoweth right well.

God didn’t make any garbage.  He made man for Himself and His work is marvelous. 

Marvelous - H6381פּלא pâlâ' paw-law'

A primitive root; properly perhaps to separate, that is, distinguish; to be (causatively make) great, difficult, wonderful: - accomplish, (arise . . . too, be too) hard, hidden, things too high, (be, do, do a, shew) marvelous (-ly, -els, things, work), miracles, perform, separate, make singular, (be, great, make) wonderful (-ers, -ly, things, works), wondrous (things, works, -ly).

Strong's Hebrew and Greek Dictionaries

Without thinking about how we do it, we do many things every day.  I reach out and pick something up and everything works together without my having to concentrate on it.  My hand was just made to do that.  That is how many things are in our body, and God created them all.

Isa 43:7  Even every one that is called by my name: for I have created him for my glory, I have formed him; yea, I have made him.

God created us for His glory, to show forth His praise.  Everything we do is to be to the praise and honor of Him.  He is our creator.  He is almighty God.  He is the governor with the beautiful heart of a shepherd.  He holds mercy for thousands.  He is ready to forgive, lead, help, and keep that which we commit to Him. 

Name - H8034שׁם  shêm shame

an appellation, as a mark or memorial of individuality; by implication honor, authority, character: -  

Strong's Hebrew and Greek Dictionaries

God created man initially to be in His image, have His character.  Thank God that He made a way for us to be in His image again, to be called by His name, to be under His honor, authority, and character.  That we could henceforth live to His honor and glory; fit to carry His name.

Adam Clark - I have formed him - יצרתיו  yetsartiv. I have given him that particular form and shape which are best suited to his station in life.

I have made him - עשיתיו  asithiv. I have adapted him to the accomplishment of my counsels and designs.

Isa 43:21  This people have I formed for myself; they shall shew forth my praise.

Eph 2:10  For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.

Eph 4:24  And that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness.

Isa 62:1  For Zion's sake will I not hold my peace, and for Jerusalem's sake I will not rest, until the righteousness thereof go forth as brightness, and the salvation thereof as a lamp that burneth.

Isa 62:2  And the Gentiles shall see thy righteousness, and all kings thy glory: and thou shalt be called by a new name, which the mouth of the LORD shall name.

Isa 62:3  Thou shalt also be a crown of glory in the hand of the LORD, and a royal diadem in the hand of thy God.

Isa 62:4  Thou shalt no more be termed Forsaken; neither shall thy land any more be termed Desolate: but thou shalt be called Hephzibah, and thy land Beulah: for the LORD delighteth in thee, and thy land shall be married.

Isa 62:5  For as a young man marrieth a virgin, so shall thy sons marry thee: and as the bridegroom rejoiceth over the bride, so shall thy God rejoice over thee.

It is the plan of God that His creation be a crown of glory and a royal diadem in His hand. 

For Zion’s sake - H4616 מען ma‛an mah'-an

From H6030; properly heed, that is, purpose; used only adverbially, on account of (as a motive or an aim), teleologically in order that: - because of, to the end (intent) that, for (to, . . . ‘s sake), + lest, that, to.

Strong's Hebrew and Greek Dictionaries

He says:  I will not hold my peace, I will not be quiet, keep silence, or be still.  I will not repose, be idle, be quiet, rest, or settle until the right, equity, and prosperity thereof go forth as a clear, bright and shining light and the deliverance, help, victory, health, and welfare thereof as a lamp that is set on fire.

It is God’s desire that we be a witness of His righteousness and glory to others.  It is His desire that we have a new name, character, given to us by Him.  He wants to delight in us.  He created us with the hope that He could rejoice over us as a bridegroom rejoices over the bride.

Jer 33:15  In those days, and at that time, will I cause the Branch of righteousness to grow up unto David; and he shall execute judgment and righteousness in the land.

Jer 33:16  In those days shall Judah be saved, and Jerusalem shall dwell safely: and this is the name wherewith she shall be called, The LORD our righteousness.

What a beautiful name:  We depend upon the Lord and yield to the Lord, for He is all our righteousness.  The eternal one, the self-existing one, the creator: the Holy God, The blessed Son, and the Holy Spirit is our shepherd, governor, Father, husband, brother, and comforter.  He delights in us. 

Because He has married us, His church, our name is His name, “The LORD our righteousness.”  Because He has forgiven us, saved us, and leads us in His paths of peace, He is our righteousness, and as long as we follow Him that is our name.

 

Psa 95:6  O come, let us worship and bow down: let us kneel before the LORD our maker.

Psa 95:7  For he is our God; and we are the people of his pasture, and the sheep of his hand.

He is worthy of our worship and praise, our obedience and allegiance.  He is our God: our creator, our protector, our shepherd that cares for us and leads us.  We are His creation, created to be in His image: pure and holy.  We sinned and He made a way that we could come back.  He loves us, forgives and restores us.  He is worthy of our worship.

Adam Clark - Psa 95:6 

O come, let us worship - Three distinct words are used here to express three different acts of adoration:

1.    Let us worship, נשתחוה  nishtachaveh, let us prostrate ourselves; the highest act of adoration by which the supremacy of God is acknowledged.

2.   Let us bow down, נכרעה  nichraah, let us crouch or cower down, bending the legs under, as a dog in the presence of his master, which solicitously waits to receive his commands.

3.   Let us kneel, נברכה  nibrachah, let us put our knees to the ground, and thus put ourselves in the posture of those who supplicate.

And let us consider that all this should be done in the presence of Him who is Jehovah our Creator.

Adore Him, wait for His commands, and supplicate: pray for others and pray to advert evil.

Psa 100:3  Know ye that the LORD he is God: it is he that hath made us, and not we ourselves; we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture.

We have no power of our own.  The eternal one, the self-existing one, He is God.  He is our creator.  We exist because of Him.  He is almighty.  We are His people and are under His protection and direction.  He has rivers of pleasures, benefits, and every good and perfect gift.  His gifts carry no sorrow with them.

Adam Clark - Psa 100:3 

Know ye that the Lord he is God - Acknowledge in every possible way, both in public and private, that Jehovah, the uncreated self-existent, and eternal Being, is Elohim, the God who is in covenant with man, to instruct, redeem, love, and make him finally happy.

It is he that hath made us - He is our Creator and has consequently the only right in and over us.  That what a man invents, constructs out of his own matterials, without assistance in genius, materials or execution from any other person, is His Own and to it, its use, and produce, he has the only right. God made us, therefore we are His: we are his people, and should acknowledge him for our God;

1Co 6:19  What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own?

1Co 6:20  For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God's.

He not only made us, but He bought us back with the precious blood of Jesus Christ.  If we choose to not acknowledge Him as our creator and redeemer, then we go another way that people call, “their own way.”   It is not their own, but rather the task master’s way.  I cannot believe that people would actually like to take credit for the way that their life goes if they don’t serve God. 

Rom 6:16  Know ye not, that to whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are to whom ye obey; whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness?

Rom 6:17  But God be thanked, that ye were the servants of sin, but ye have obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine which was delivered you.

Rom 6:18  Being then made free from sin, ye became the servants of righteousness.

Either we acknowledge God as our creator or we are under the taskmaster.  Either way, we are not our own.  Joshua said, “Choose you this day who you will serve.”  That is still the case today.  We are not our own; choose who you will serve.

Col 1:16  For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him:

Col 1:17  And he is before all things, and by him all things consist.

Col 1:18  And he is the head of the body, the church: who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead; that in all things he might have the preeminence.

Col 1:19  For it pleased the Father that in him should all fulness dwell;

He created mankind for Himself