WEEKLY SUNDAY SCHOOL LESSON
An international Sunday school lesson commentary

For Sunday October 3, 2010
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CARING FOR THE CREATIONS OF GOD
(GOD entrusts us with HIS creation)
(Psalm 8 & Genesis 1:26-2:25)

King David wrote in the 8th Psalm that, “When I look at the night sky and see the work of YOUR fingers, the moon and the stars that YOU have set in place, what are mortals that YOU should think of us, mere humans that YOU should care for us? For YOU made us only a little lower than angels, and YOU crowned us with glory and honor. YOU put us in charge of everything YOU made, giving us authority over all things, the sheep and the cattle and all the wild animals, the birds in the sky, the fish in the sea, and everything that swims the ocean currents” (NLT).
The, life of CHRIST, is the embodiment of the statement, “We must live like GOD, in order to reveal GOD, here on this earth”. In Genesis chapter 1, we learn how, from day one, GOD uses “divisions” and “distinctions” in order to fulfill HIS divine purpose.
For example, on day one, GOD separated the “light” from the “darkness”. On day two, HE separated the “atmospheric waters” of the heavens above, from the “terrestrial waters” of the earth beneath. On the third day, GOD separated the “land” from the “seas”. On the fourth day, GOD further distinguished the night from the day, by appointing the sun to preside over the daylight hours, and the moon and stars to govern the night. On the fifth day, GOD distinguished between the animal life HE created for the water (fish), and the animal life HE created for the air (birds). And finally, on the sixth day, we see GOD making HIS greatest distinction of all. On this day, GOD even makes a distinction in how HE created, or, in HIS creation method.
Here we see that, after GOD had created, all manner of animal livestock and wildlife that were to dwell on dry land, in dramatic fashion, HE changed HIS creation method when HE created man. Instead of speaking man into existence, or forming him from the dust and leaving him without spirit, as HE had done with all of HIS other animal creation, HE decided that HE would fashion man from the dust of the earth, in HIS OWN image, and then breathe into him, HIS breath, or spirit of life, embodying him with HIS OWN “Communicable Attributes”. Those attributes include Life, Personality, Wisdom, Love, Justice, Truth, and Holiness.
These same attributes provide us with the spiritual capacity we need, in order for us to fellowship with, and worship GOD. They are also the qualities we needed in order for us to reflect HIS image to others the way that the coming CHRIST would do. And they also equip us with the capacity to care for ourselves and GOD’s other creation, similarly to the way GOD cares for us.
GOD blessed us and instructed us to multiply ourselves, through the miracle of the wonderful reproductive system that HE has also provided us with, and, we were to subdue all of HIS other creation, and maintain the responsibility of dominion over it (Genesis 1:26-28).
GOD then set up all of HIS human and animal creation with an almost unlimited vegetarian diet (vs. 29-30), with only one distinction, or restriction, they could not eat of “the tree of the knowledge of good and evil”. All of these things were in place, by the climax of the sixth day of our LORD’s creative works.
In Genesis chapter 2, the author of GOD, Moses, tells us that, on the seventh day, GOD rested, or paused from HIS work, and HE distinguished and separated that day from all the other days, and, declared it holy (vs. 1-3). Man is forbidden by GOD from doing any work on that day, and also is forbidden from compelling his children, employees, or even his animals to work seven days (Exodus 20:8-11).
After Moses gives us an in-depth, detailed look at the creation of mankind (vs. 4-7), he then tells how GOD carefully shaped the “Garden of Eden” so that Adam and Eve would be able to use all of those communicable attributes that HE had given them, to take care of their place of residence, here on earth. They were to come in handy as they explored and discovered their love for beauty, their delight in meaningful work, their moral responsibility, and even their passion for invention (vs. 8-20).
When GOD fashioned beautiful Eve from the rib of Adam (the world’s first surgery), it let man know that he and woman would always share a common identity. They would always be equals sharing in GOD’s likeness and image, and, as husband and wife, they should always be distinct, and yet inseparable. They share an equal responsibility in caring for each other, and, for all of GOD’s creation.
We, as human beings, are to worship only GOD, love people, and use things. Those three things must always be kept in that order. And we, as men and women, must never lose sight of the fact that our commonalities, the divisions and distinctions of our physical forms and human functions, our earthly roles, and, our spiritual responsibilities of fellowship with GOD, are all invaluable gifts and privileges, that have only been given to us as GOD’s special creation, in order that we may have dominion over the works of HIS hands, here on earth.


A Sunday school lesson by,
Larry D. Alexander


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