The account of the creation of mankind as
recorded in Genesis contains the secret of the mystery of man’s
existence. In the expanded version of the creation of man and woman
(Genesis 2), God had formed man out of the elements that He had already
created and then brought life to the man by placing His Spirit within
the inanimate form. After placing the individual man in the Garden of
Eden, it is recorded that God passed judgment on the life that the first
man was experiencing. God simply stated, "It is not good that the
man should be alone . . ." (Gen. 2:18).
With alone meaning, "properly, separation; by implication, a
part . . . ," man’s life was in part, not completed. Although
Adam had a powerful relationship with God (sin had not occurred), he was
lacking in his fulfillment of life. It is significant to point out that
God does not say of the individual man that he is created in the image
of God. Nor, does God say that the individual man was created in the
likeness of God. He simply stated that it is not good.
It is only after the second person is created that it could be said that
the pair, male and female, was created in the image of God and in the
likeness of God. With the creation of the second person and the coming
together of the two, it created a third entity of creation, the
relationship between the two individual persons. It is only in this
relationship between the two that the image of God and the likeness of
God can be seen.
Although both the man and the woman experienced life because the Spirit
of God dwelled within them, they could not experience the full
manifestation (image and likeness) of the life of God until they were
brought together to express the essence of God, oneness in threeness.
Moreover, since God is a spirit, it would take the non-corporeal
relationship between them to reflect his character.
The image and likeness of God cannot be exhibited by anything that is
material, earthly. The individual earthly pair could experience the
heavenly because they could form a relationship between them. Together
they could experience the image and likeness of God.
Moreover, the image of God manifested between them would only occur as
the mystery and the power of life itself is experienced. Jesus said,
"Except a corn of wheat fall into the ground and die, it abideth
alone: but if it die, it bringeth forth much fruit" (John 12:24).
It is only when the individuals of the relationship do not attempt to
live for themselves by using the other that the likeness of God can be
seen. The mystery and the power of life is found simply in the
enhancement of others at one’s own expense.
An individual will always find himself alone, regardless of his
accomplishments, unless he "fall[s] into the ground and die."
This mysterious truth is illustrated in the creation of the original
pair. After Adam, the individual man, is created and God stated that it
was not good for him to experience life alone, Adam was taken down.
Before the second person could be created, Adam was put to sleep and out
of his side a rib was taken. The essence of the second person was taken
out of the first person. Thus, Eve would be called woman because she was
taken out of man.
The revelation of how mankind was created is not just a simple creation
story. It is the revelation of the fellowship of the mystery of life.
The glorious moment of the ultimate manifestation of life is only in the
coming of the two together to experience the image and the likeness of
God. It is the mystery which hath been hid from ages and from
generations, but now is made manifest to his saints.
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