Introduction
In a prior article, I attempted to show how Genesis 1:26 is the law to which the rest of the Bible directly relates. In the article, I used a simple example to show how the first clause of Gen 1:26 was supported by the succeeding verse, Gen 1:27, and the first clause of Gen 1:27 was then shown to be supported by Gen 2:7.
In all cases, the language of each verse provided guidance and connective support to show that the verses were all directly related. While more examples will hopefully follow, should the concept find validity and acceptance, further proof will likely be found by others as well.
This article will attempt to highlight how the verses of Genesis 1:26-30 define not only the law (Gen 1:26), but a contract that God has made with man. Not only do the verses represent a contract, they show how we can validate our performance against the contract.
What this article doesn't do is attempt to obviate commandments. The first commandment is viewed as "be fruitful and multiply". I would argue, that while it's the first sequential commandment, this article shows what I feel are the first temporal commandments.
By ignoring the garden, we ignore health. By ignoring health we allow disease to spread, oftentimes undetected.
What we create by ignoring the garden is Genesis chapter 4, but that article is on the list to be written. I will argue that we can't grow the garden of our higher mind without knowing how to tend and eat from the garden on earth.
I've kept this article on the light side to highlight the concept and constructs. Greater detail will hopefully follow in subsequent work.
The Contract
First, all the verses are listed for reference:
26 And God said, "Let us make man in our image, after our likeness, and they shall rule over the fish of the sea and over the fowl of the heaven and over the animals and over all the earth and over all the creeping things that creep upon the earth."
27 And God created man in His image; in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them.
28 And God blessed them, and God said to them, "Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth and subdue it, and rule over the fish of the sea and over the fowl of the sky and over all the beasts that tread upon the earth. "
29 And God said, "Behold, I have given you every seed bearing herb, which is upon the surface of the entire earth, and every tree that has seed bearing fruit; it will be yours for food.
30 And to all the beasts of the earth and to all the fowl of the heavens, and to everything that moves upon the earth, in which there is a living spirit, every green herb to eat," and it was so.
31 And God saw all that He had made, and behold it was very good, and it was evening and it was morning, the sixth day.
Sequencing Our Actions
In the natural course of things, we take the list above, read it top to bottom and treat it like a to-do list. In this case, we go all in for fruitful and multiply, get busy with all the details of family, and spend the rest of our lives trying to find time for the rest.
Mostly we skip ahead to other parts of the book and wrestle with logic, look for inspiration or guidance, try to find proof in the real world for catastrophes, and locate sites mentioned in verse.
While reading this contract top to bottom may seem natural, educational, and meaningful, it's simply not enough. If Gen 1:26 provides the law that provides the overarching theme to the book, we have to actively make the right associations to the right parts in the right order.
Unfortunately, and without guidance, we'll likely be lost somewhere along the way. Confusion has been known to be a source of conflict.
Fortunately, the validation of our performance to the contract appears to be quite simple.
Stand Here, Look There
If we stand on Genesis 1:31, look back on creation, and take the contract in reverse order, it appears we can know when we've performed in accordance with all of the terms of the contract. Let's give it a try.
31 And God saw all that He had made, and behold it was very good, and it was evening and it was morning, the sixth day.
If we are made in the image of God, we can stand and look just as God does in Gen 1:31: back at the entirety of His creation. What's the first thing we see?
First, Feed God's Creatures
30 And to all the beasts of the earth and to all the fowl of the heavens, and to everything that moves upon the earth, in which there is a living spirit, every green herb to eat," and it was so.
Man alone is capable of knowing how to feed and heal all life forms listed in Gen 1:30. Man alone is the only creature on earth capable of actively tending all aspects of the the garden of the earth so all life specified in Gen 1:30 have food to eat. The detail required of performing this clause alone is staggering in complexity.
If this is indeed a first step, is there biblical support for this step being a first requirement? My argument is Genesis chapter 2 presents and expands on the sequence with greater detail. From learning how to care for the elements, to understanding how to tend the garden, to naming all the animals, the second chapter of the Bible clearly sequences, expands on, and supports a high-level perspective of Genesis 1:30.
In the interest of brevity, and to keep the proof of concept focused, I'll skip enumerating all the possibilities and responsibilities associated with performing this clause to satisfaction.
If this is a contract, we can advance to the next requirement once we can validate this clause and in such a way that when God stands and looks, He approves of the efforts of man.
Feed Man
29 And God said, "Behold, I have given you every seed bearing herb, which is upon the surface of the entire earth, and every tree that has seed bearing fruit; it will be yours for food.
After we've learned to feed all the life forms listed in Gen 1:30, we next have to learn to eat and feed man. Without knowing how to use plants, and eat for all parts of our body, our health will fail in some aspect and our mind may suffer.
Each and every plant we eat has ecosystems, seasons, requirements, enemies, invaders, parts, modes of preparation, and so much more, man could be stuck on this step for a while. Learning how to apply plants as medicines increase the complexity.
We have to know how to tend the garden of earth to know how and when to use plants; for food and as medicine, for the health of man upon the planet. It has to be provable such that when God stands to validate our work, He finds it to be very good.
Blessings of Family and Generations
28 And God blessed them, and God said to them, "Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth and subdue it, and rule over the fish of the sea and over the fowl of the sky and over all the beasts that tread upon the earth. "
Once we know how to feed life, we reap the benefits of being able to make, care for, and guide healthy and abundant family. We know how to tend all the earth and we pass the knowledge, wisdom, work ethic, and purpose to our children. We also enjoy longer, healthier lives, which enable us to pass and share wisdom through many generations.
With Wisdom Comes Understanding
27 And God created man in His image; in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them.
Once have performed the previous three clauses? We apparently understand what it means to be made in the image of God. We understand all scripture associated with all that has come before, how to be healthy, get along with one another, heal, care for, feed, be compassionate towards, timely, merciful, understanding; honoring God's commandments, and all God teaches us.
Better Understanding of the Law
26 And God said, "Let us make man in our image, after our likeness, and they shall rule over the fish of the sea and over the fowl of the heaven and over the animals and over all the earth and over all the creeping things that creep upon the earth."
It isn't often one can read a contract in both directions and have it provide better understanding of the law. In this case, doing so may provide greater means for understanding the word of God and the role man plays upon the earth in accordance with the purpose for which God has made man.
If this concept holds true, it represents a staggering level of detail and work to take on. It's hard to see how life can survive without man being involved in the active management of everything directly related to life. In the end, we not only have to know the steps of the contract and how to fulfill them, we have to know all supporting scripture that follows as well as every aspect of God's creation that came before. The entire book is our guide to healthy living, in and for all times and seasons.