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GOD'S PURPOSE IN CREATING MAN
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FORUM 2
In the light of the Bible, what do we discover about God's character and His desire for man--for us?
One day, an old man commented about the manner in which people treat Divinity. "One says, Here is a person who fears God. But actually, she only fears Him, without loving Him, just as children fear a teacher who punishes them, or as a bad servant fears the blows of the one he serves--solely out of fear, but not really caring for his interests. Would we like a child or even a servant to treat us as we treat God? Then it has to be because we don't know Him. If we knew Him, we would love Him!
" 'God is love.' That is what the apostle John tells us. Someone who doesn't know Him doesn't love Him. How could it be otherwise? So, people who only fear God do not know Him as He deserves." --S. de Piétés, 1719.
How could this old man come to the knowledge of a God full of love and worthy to be loved? He said, "By reading the holy Book, by looking around me, and by listening to the inner voice that speaks to me about righteousness and love."
Back to the beginning
Concerning this world at the beginning, we can read in Isaiah 45:18: "For thus saith the Lord that created the heavens; God Himself that formed the earth and made it; He hath established it, He created it not in vain; He formed it to be inhabited: I am the Lord; and there is none else." Isaiah 45:18.
After the earth was created and fitted to be man's dwelling place, and after everything, animate and inanimate, was formed for man's well being and pleasure, God said to His Son: "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." Genesis 1:26.
And David affirmed this. "The heaven, even the heavens, are the Lord's: but the earth hath He given to the children of men." Psalm 115:16. The earth was God's gift to man.
"After the earth was created, and the beasts upon it, the Father and the Son carried out Their purpose, which was designed before the fall of Satan, to make man in Their own image.…
"As Adam came forth from the hand of his Creator, he was of noble height and of beautiful symmetry. He was more than twice as tall as men now living upon the earth, and was well proportioned. His features were perfect and beautiful. His complexion was neither white nor sallow, but ruddy, glowing with the rich tint of health." --The Story of Redemption, pp. 20, 21.
After creating everything, "…God saw every thing that He had made, and, behold, it was very good." Genesis 1:31.
According to Ecclesiastes 7:29, "God hath made man upright;…" Man was considered the crown of God's creation; He was made in the image of his Creator. "So God created man in His own image, in the image of God created He him; male and female created He them." Genesis 1:27.
For happiness
After each day of creation, God observed that everything was good.
"The earth came forth from the hand of the Creator exceedingly beautiful. There were mountains and hills and plains; and interspersed among them were rivers and bodies of water. The earth was not one extensive plain, but the monotony of the scenery was broken by hills and mountains, not high and ragged as they now are, but regular and beautiful in shape. The bare, high rocks were never seen upon them, but lay beneath the surface, answering as bones to the earth. The waters were regularly dispersed. The hills, mountains, and very beautiful plains were adorned with plants and flowers and tall, majestic trees of every description, which were many times larger and much more beautiful than trees now are. The air was pure and healthful, and the earth seemed like a noble palace. Angels beheld and rejoiced at the wonderful works of God." --The Story of Redemption, p. 20.
There was no death here, no sorrow. Even the animals ate plant foods. "And to every beast of the earth, and to every fowl of the air, and to every thing that creepeth upon the earth, wherein is life, I have given every green herb for meat: and it was so." Genesis 1:30.
So man would be completely happy, God gave him specific responsibilities: "And the Lord God took the man, and put him into the garden of Eden to dress it and to keep it." Genesis 2:15.
He also gave him plenty of food. "And God said, Behold, I have given you every herb bearing seed, which is upon the face of all the earth, and every tree, in the which is the fruit of a tree yielding seed; to you it shall be for meat." Genesis 1:29.
And a companion like himself was also given to him. "And the Lord God said, It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him an help meet for him." "And the rib, which the Lord God had taken from man, made He a woman, and brought her unto the man. And Adam said, This is now bone of my bones, and flesh of my flesh: she shall be called Woman, because she was taken out of Man." Genesis 2:18, 22, 23.
"Everything God had made was in the perfection of beauty, and there seemed nothing wanting upon the earth which God had created to make Adam and Eve happy, yet He manifested His great love to them by planting a garden especially for them. A portion of their time was to be occupied in the happy employment of dressing the garden, and a portion in receiving the visits of angels, listening to their instruction, and in happy meditation. Their labor was not wearisome but pleasant and invigorating. This beautiful garden was to be their home.… Very happy were the holy pair in Eden. Unlimited control was given them over every living thing. The lion and the lamb sported peacefully and harmlessly around them, or slumbered at their feet. Birds of every variety of color and plumage flitted among the trees and flowers and about Adam and Eve, while their mellow-toned music echoed among the trees in sweet accord to the praises of their Creator.
"Adam and Eve were charmed with the beauties of their Eden home.… They raised their voices in harmonious songs of love, praise, and adoration to the Father and His dear Son for the tokens of love which surrounded them. They recognized the order and harmony of creation, which spoke of wisdom and knowledge that were infinite. Some new beauty and additional glory of their Eden home they were continually discovering, which filled their hearts with deeper love and brought from their lips expressions of gratitude and reverence to their Creator." --The Story of Redemption, pp. 21, 22.
Intellectual and moral abilities
God not only gave man great intellectual and moral abilities but he placed him in an environment where he could use them. As to his character, He committed to him the task of forming it. He was like a grown child who was assigned the task of forming his character and personality.
But man, who was created upright, had to pass from an original ignorance of evil to victory over evil. Although innocent, man was not fully mature. Perfect holiness can be obtained only through the use of the human will that chooses to accept God's will. Moral perfection was intended to be the result of free choice, of an entirely freewill decision. Man, a free moral agent, a person endowed with sound judgment and intelligence, had to act freely by himself. This freedom meant that he was able to make decisions--morally able to decide, and physically able to make choices. In this place, he would decide for or against God; he was able to change his condition of original purity into a desired, freely chosen holiness. Thus he would change that implicit union with God, which he received at his creation, into an act of voluntary love.
This liberty to decide had to change into the liberty of decision.
| Discussion questions |
| 1. |
Try to imagine and then describe the world which Adam and Eve first enjoyed. What do you think they were thinking? |
| 2. |
Name and describe the place you have been that most closely resembles Eden for you. Why do you like that place, and how much time would you spend there if you could? Why can't you spend more time there? |
| 3. |
Is there anything that can be done to make the place where you stay more like the place where you would like to be? |
| 4. |
Who is responsible for the lack of Edenic beauty in the place where you live? Can "I," should "I" try to make it different or just accept it as it is? |
| 5. |
Discuss the difference between accepting what we cannot change (about our world) and choosing to change what we can. |
| 6. |
What will accepting responsibility for improving our own environment do for our own character development? |
| 7. |
What negative characteristics are strengthened when a person does not take responsibility for making improvements in the things s/he can do something about? |
| 8. |
In the light of our subject, discuss some of the implications of the following statement: "In order to understand what is comprehended in the work of education, we need to consider both the nature of man and the purpose of God in creating him. We need to consider also the change in man's condition through the coming in of a knowledge of evil, and God's plan for still fulfilling His glorious purpose in the education of the human race." --Education, pp. 14, 15. |
