The Making of Man
October 16, 2012 - 5:00 am“Then God said, ‘Let us make mankind in our image, in our likeness, so that they may rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky, over the livestock and all the wild animals, and over all the creatures that move along the ground’.” — Genesis 1:26
The Torah portion for this week, B’reisheet, is from Genesis 1:1—6:8 and Isaiah 42:5—43:10.
Bible critics have a field day with the 26th verse of the first chapter in Genesis: “Then God said, ‘Let us make mankind …’” Who is “us” ? Who is God speaking to? Can it be that there is more than one God?
The Ba’al Shem Tov, a Hassidic master in the 18th century, offers the following explanation: Who is God speaking to when He creates man? God is speaking to man himself.
Imagine if you will, God turning to the soul of man and telling him about this great opportunity to take on a physical body and enter into a material world. Then, God continues, man will become something extraordinary — even greater than angels. He will become the first person of the human race.
Now, everyone knows that the first man’s name was Adam. But do you know how he got that name?
Adam has two meanings. The name can mean “earth,” like the Hebrew word adamah. Adam was made from earth. But it can also mean “similar,” like the Hebrew word adameh. Adam was intended to be similar to God. God and Adam had a joint mission — to take the material earth and turn it into something spiritual and God-like. God would start the process, but Adam would have to finish it. Together, they would create the amazing creature called “man.”
Human beings are created unfinished, so to speak. Together, with the help of God, we have the opportunity to become the greatest of God’s creations. Or, heaven forbid, we can turn ourselves into something that is lower than a bug. The choice is ours. God has given us a magnificent opportunity to have a part in the creation and direction of our lives. It’s up to us to create godly lives and become closer to Him.
Try this: Design your ideal self. Every building needs a blueprint, and every person needs one too. What would a blueprint of your life look like for you?
Describe the person that you want to become. Then make an action plan. What kinds of things do you need to do in order to become your ideal self? What kinds of tools will help you reach your goal? Are there people who can help you? Advice you can seek?
Like any great masterpiece, we are works in progress that will take a lot of time to finish. But with patience and persistence we can accomplish a little more every single day.
It Is NOT Only Up To Us What We Will Become!!! BUT It is Up To GOD!!! What HE Wants us To Be!!! We Are Like Clay On The Potters Wheel And Our FATHER Is The Potter!!!
Have A Blessed And Holy Day!!!
Being a christian the first thing that comes to mind is this would be a reference to the existence of Christ in spirit with the father, with that said consider the following, it could also be Lucifer possibly as God had finished creating light, Lucifer was the angel of light and by God sharing with him that man was to be created greater than the angels is what stirred up hurt pride in Lucifer and this is what set Lucifer against God and his creation man
What crazy thinking.
Didn’t the Jews believe in the Holy Spirit in some way?
And who walked with Adam in the garden.
It couldn’t have been Jehovah, since no man has ever seen him.
I just wanted to thank you for deciding to follow the Torah this year. I had decided already that I was going to do so this year and you have made it so much easier, and unforgettable. Thank you.
“Then God said, ‘Let us make mankind …’” Who is “us” ? Who is God speaking to? The Ba’al Shem Tov, a Hassidic master in the 18th century, offers the following explanation: Who is God speaking to when He creates man? God is speaking to man himself.
I question logic of saying “us” is speaking to man. It says in context “let us make” which indicates the “us” participates and is Creator. Since only God is Creator, the us cannot include man. If man was simply present, it wouldn’t be an “us” making anything.
I see more support for the unity within the Godhead working as “us” to create. And by unity I do not mean more than one God but the mystery of the revealed nature of the trinity – three in the unity of one.
I totally disagree with this view. When God said “Let us make man in our image”, He was talking to himself – God, Jesus, Holy Spirit – The Trinity! The theme of Jesus is present throughout the whole Bible from Genesis to Revelation and Colossians 1:16 talks about the supremacy of Christ, that states for by Him (Christ) all things were created. God formed man from the dust of the ground and breathed life into his nostrils (Genesis 2:7). Man did not exist before this. When man was created by God (the Trinity), man was given free will to choose, and we chose to go against God by disobeying. God in his mercy sent his Son Jesus Christ who stepped out of heaven as a man to die for us.
I recently began reading Holy Land Moments (HLM) and have enjoyed the new insights I’ve received from the devotionals on some of the old testament passages. With the beginning of 2013, I wanted to do a Bible in a Year study and because the study begins in Genesis, I looked through previous HLM devotionals to get to the beginning of the devotionals for Genesis so that I can gather more insight. This is only the second HLM devotional from the start of the Book of Genesis and I feel like I’ve fallen off the page. This answers my question about how Jews and Christians differ in their beliefs about God. I love the Jews and my prayer is that God would open their spirtual eyes so that they may behold the only Saviour, Jesus Christ, like He did for Paul the apostle.