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. 1:26).
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God. All things were made by Him; and without Him was not any thing made that was made (John 1:1-3). Today, we begin our journey through the Old Testament, in which is recorded the history of mankind’s relationship with God. Yet if we choose to read it solely as a book of history, claiming that, with the coming of Christ, nothing that is written here has any direct bearing on our lives, then we are cheating ourselves out of a fully realized relationship with our Lord and Savior. Jesus did not come into being as a newborn baby in a small, dark stable in Bethlehem; He has been in existence since BEFORE the beginning, and he was one with God when He stated Let Us make man in Our image, after Our likeness.
For there are Three that bear record in heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost: and these Three are One (I John 5:7). The Father’s plan that was set into motion in the Garden of Eden is the plan of the Son. To fully understand that plan, we must avail ourselves of every word of Scripture given to us by God. But He answered and said, It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God (Matt. 4:4). Only through starting at the beginning will our understanding of our need for a Savior be complete.
In the Garden of Eden, we are introduced to the serpent (3:1), who we will later discover is known by many names, among them Lucifer, Satan, the adversary, the accuser, the enemy, the devil, and the dragon (Is. 14:12; Matt. 13:39; I Pet. 5:8; Rev. 12:10; 20:2). With his entry into the Garden, mankind first experienced temptation. And the serpent said unto the woman, Ye shall not surely die: For God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil (Gen. 3:4-5). It is important to note that sin was introduced into this world not by the serpent but by the conscious choices of Eve and Adam. At the moment of temptation, they shifted their confidence from the wisdom of God to the wisdom of self, and in so doing, they forfeited the authority and protection of the Word of God over their hearts, consciences, and understanding. In that moment, they suffered spiritual death, which was passed through their offspring unto all mankind (Rom. 5:12).
Satan is still roaming this world, seeking to deceive and lead astray. The very temptations that he placed before Eve, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life (I John 2:16), he regularly places before each of us. Yet we do not have to face him alone. Through the complete revelation of God’s Word, we have been given every tool necessary to resist the devil in all his forms.
Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you(James 4:7).
Thought For Today:God’s plan is not evolving; it does not change with worldly events. It is perfectly and continually ongoing.
Christ Revealed:As Creator (Gen. 1:1; compare John 1:1-4,14; Col. 1:13- 17; Heb. 11:3). As the Seed (Descendant) of the woman (Gen. 3:15; Is. 7:14; 9:6-7).
Word Studies:1:2 face = surface; 1:6 firmament = the open expanse of the heavens; 1:29 meat = food; 2:3 sanctified = made holy for God to use; 2:10 heads = rivers; 2:11 compasseth = surrounds; 2:14 Hiddekel = the Tigris; 2:15 dress = take care of; 2:24 cleave = be joined; 3:1 subtile = cunning; 3:13 beguiled = deceived; 3:17 hearkened = yielded to suggestion to disobey God; sorrow = toil, labor; 3:24 keep = guard.
Pray For Staff:Jennifer Palafox, Bible Pathway Ministries President • Government Officials: Sen. Bob Menendez(NJ), Rep. Terri Sewell(AL), Rep. Derek Kilmer(WA), Rep. Diane Harshbarger(TN) • Country: Monaco (30,508) Southeastern France • Major Languages: French, English • 90% Roman Catholic; 10% Other (Protestant, Jewish, Muslim) • Prayer Suggestion: Pray persistently (Is. 62:6).