7 Truths about God’s Creation of Man and Woman from Genesis 1: Points 4-5

What is a man and a woman?

In this series we are exploring seven truths derived from Genesis 1:26-28 concerning God’s creation of man and woman so that we would understand God’s design of manhood and womanhood for our lives today.

Here’s the two previous three truths that we looked at:

1. 7 Truths about God’s Creation of Man and Woman from Genesis 1: Point 1
2. 7 Truths about God’s Creation of Man and Woman from Genesis 1: Point 2 & 3

In this post we will look at point 4 and 5.

Truth #4 : Man and woman are commanded to work and rule over every living thing

1. Point: Man is supposed to rule over every living thing according to God’s ways.
2. Proof
   1. “God created man as uniquely qualified to rule over his creation” [1] That’s because man and woman was created in the image of God.
   2. “and let them rule over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the sky and over the cattle and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.” (Genesis 1:26b)
      1. Note how comprehensive this is with the types of creatures listed:
         1. Creatures on water: “the fish of the sea”
         2. Creatures in the air: “the birds of the sky”
         3. Creatures on land: “the cattle and over all the earth”
         4. Creatures crawling low on the ground: “every creeping thing that creeps on the earth”
      2. Is the mandate to rule only for man? No, woman are also included since it says “let them rule” with the third person plural pronoun pointing back to the previous verse that was talking about “male and female”
   3. “and subdue it; and rule over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the [al]sky and over every living thing that moves on the earth.” (Genesis 1:28b)
      1. Again notice how similar this is with Genesis 3:26, two verses before this one.
      2. If it repeats, it is for emphasis so we don’t miss the point.
      3. The additional detail in Genesis 1:28 is God saying “subdue it.” To subdue the earth requires work. Thus God created man and woman to work.
   4. Notice that male and females were created first before the Dominion Mandate is stated in verse 28 of what mankind is supposed to do.
3. Practice:
   1. In order to rule over everything that requires work. Do you know that you were created to work?
   2. Do you see work as a virtue?

 

Truth #5: Man and woman are commanded to be fruitful and multiple

1. Point: God’s created vision also involves producing future generations.
2. Passage: “and God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth,.” (Genesis 1:28b)
3. Proof
   1. Two people, a man and a woman, is unable to rule over all the animals and subdue and work over all the land. There is a need for others.  So God has a solution: the procreation of others.
   2. In the Hebrew the two commands “Be fruitful” and “multiply” are a hendysis stating the same command in two different ways for emphasis.
   3. The goal: “and fill the earth.” (Genesis 1:28b)
   4. Notice the clause about multiplying is sandwiched between God’s command of ruling over God’s creation.

[1] Ray Ortlund, Marriage and the Mystery of the Gospel (Wheaton, IL: Crossway, 2016), 17.