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And God said, “Let us make man in our own image, and after our likeness,” And He commanded them to have ‘dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moves upon the earth.’
It calls for no Solomon to discern that since man was not merely made ‘in the image of God’ but also ‘after His LIKENESS then the injunctions He delivered were but encouragements to become LIKE unto the Father. Here, a son may look like his father: if so, he then is the very IMAGE of his father. But if his language temperament, ideas and conduct resembles that of the father, then it is said that he is LIKE his father.
Again we look at a human father. He has a son. Let us not distort the picture by throwing them into the savage jungle of a modern city, but give them open spaces with a few neighbors.
When the little one is able to walk and run and talk, he is usually found alongside the father. Under the watchful care of the mother, he has become aware of basic dangers such as fire, hot water and falls. On these the father enlarges that the lad should not meet with injury around animals: domestic or otherwise. Then he learns from his father how to perform various labors: first thru observation, then after that thru the experience of DOING the self-same things. The father realizes that the youngster must grow in understanding and develop in dexterity and skills over a long period of time – before he attains that mastery which will fit him to assume the responsibilities of life. Everything that contributes thereto is gradually introduced, and from time to time, that eventually the lad may ‘fill his father’s shoes.’ Schooling, whether by private tutor, or in public school, is also seen to. Neither does the father expect the lad to master all studies in one day; in fact he may have to ‘brush up’ from time to time on lessons long since received.
As clothes wear out begets new ones; as he grows out of his shoes he gets another pair, IF, by chance, the lad gets his clothes contaminated so they are considered unsafe, or unwholesome for further use, they get destroyed – likely in fire. And maybe the tad gets disinfected; in some instances would even get shut up under quarantine.
A right and normal father is not satisfied until the lad has an education suitable for his environment, and has acquired such skills as are deemed good and needful for his future welfare. All this calls for many ‘days’, running into a great many years.
Now, let us look back to the revealed record. Did not God command man ‘to subdue the earth?’ And to gain DOMINION over the fish and fowl and land roving animals?
By what stretch of the imagination can we say that we have gained the slightest dominion over the oceans of fish? Or over the fowls in the air? To be sure, we capture fish and we kill them; but so do many birds and some animals! Capturing and killing has nothing to do with ‘dominion’ which is subjugation. To some extent it could be said that we have gained dominion over the beasts of the earth; but assuredly, not in the slightest measure over fish and fowl. And who among us is vain enough to ‘foresee’ the day that man will have gained even a slight measure of ‘dominion’ over those two life waves?
By that dimly distant day when man has attained such masteries as constitute him a god-man, may we rightfully surmise that he has also achieved ‘dominion’ over all the lesser life-waves. We must assume that God can exercise fall control over all forms of life. (Scripture gives many such instances). Therefore, since man was made ‘after God’s likeness’, and commanded to achieve such ‘dominion’ over all forms of life, then must we assume that to be the ultimate objective. But bear in mind, BEFORE man achieves such dominion, he must gain absolute SELF MASTERY!
Observe: FISH typify emotions; birds are SPIRIT. Birds in flight are thoughts. The various categories of fish and birds comprise the entire strata of human emotions and thought processes. Land roving animals are man’s native talents and propensities. Therefore, the injunction to gain dominion over these life stratas is man’s standing order to achieve COMPLETE MASTERY OVER ONE’S ENTIRE COMPOSITE NATURE!
But did not God say thru Moses that He would lead the Israelites thru the wilderness 40 years to learn to KNOW them: to see what they would do under given circumstances? Were not the prophets of old, severe mouthpieces for God to REBUKE the people for their selfishness, unrighteousness and sins? And does not the last book in the Christian’s Bible, give all its lavish promises (covenants) unto the ‘OVERCOMER’? Thru the second and 3rd chapters of Rev you will find the sevenfold goodness of God, covenant unto the ‘overcomer.’ And His 8th covenant is the consummation of all into that of SONship (see Rev 21:7).
Students familiar with my ‘Number Symbolism’ will know that the number 8 is the greatest by far of all the digits. On man’s plane it is the one and only MASTER number for it alone is the CUBE of another (2 x 2 x 2 = 8). On man’s plane, the cube alone is perfection the sphere links with God. So here again we see thru God’s 8th covenant to man (‘He that OVERcomes shall inherit all things; and I will be his God, and he shall be my SON ) that an absolute SELF-MASTERY is God’s ultimate objective for man, which exalts him into true SONship to God.
Basically, there is no difference between a fully normal earthly father and that of our Heavenly Father. IF there is any basic difference, then is it a lie that man was made ‘after the LIKENESS of God.’ Or, God FAILED to achieve His aim! But on the contrary we are told that He beheld His works to be ‘very GOOD.’
The father who is a carpenter, bears patiently to teach his young son how to drive a nail and to cut a board (or saw to a line). As he progresses he learns how to construct simple objects, graduating into more complex forms and objects of highly finished craftsmanship. Neither is the true parent ever satisfied until he beholds his son EQUALLY AS CAPABLE AND SKILLED AS HIMSELF.
‘Let us make man in our own image, and AFTER OUR LIKENESS’!
Can you not perceive; or how can you fail to perceive the depth and extent of those ‘multitudinous VOLUMES’ which God conveyed it to man, thru that brief sentence?
Think of those words every day of your life henceforth; dwell on them every moment of your spare time UNTIL the spirit of SONship/DAUGHTERHOOD blazes up within. Then shall the zeal thereof give you no peace save in the striving to be like unto the Father. And the infilling, overflowing JOY of that vision shall bring a new song to your lips TO THE TRANSFORMATION of your life!
HEAR the Word of God:
“And all your children shall be taught of the Lord; and great shall be the peace of your children.’ Is 54:13 Why not in the past? And as of now? WHY should God reserve for the future the TEACHING of His ‘children’ – that their PEACE may be great? But HEAR again:
* ‘I will sow her unto me in the earth they shall be my people and I will be their God.” Hosea 2:23.
WHY has He not ‘sown’ them in the earth previously – so that they should be His people.. and He be their God? WHY these reservations for the FUTURE? Yet HEAR once more:
* —- the days of your mourning shall be ended.
* Your people also shall be ALL RIGHTEOUS: they shall inherit the land forever;
* the branch of my planting, the work of my hands, THAT I MAY BE GLORIFIED.
* ——– I the Lord will hasten it IN IT’S TIME.” Is 60:20-22,
You children who believe in a ‘magician’ God who speaks but a word when all oceans immediately FILL WITH FISH; Who created ‘man PERFECT’: Just HOW and WHY is it that in some dimly distant FUTURE day, ALL His people are to be RIGHTEOUS, and, consequently, enjoy the untold fruits of that righteousness? Did He not manifest to Moses? Did He not send a bunch of prophets to teach RIGHTEOUSNESS unto His people – and the world at large? But to ‘hell’ they went in a hurry! So why; yes, ten thousand times WHY this distantly futureRIGHTEOUSNESS of ALL His people, and the glories that go therewith?
The blindly ‘believing’ Christian might reply: He had not brought forth His ATONEMENT at that time! But such should bear in mind that now we have seen almost 2000 years since that ‘Redemption’ took place, and still we search the earth in vain for as much as one tiny community where ALL are RIGHTEOUS! It is even difficult to find as much as one fair sized family where ALL are righteous!
Again speaking of that selfsame distantly future day, did John in Patmos exult in rapture as he saw:
“—anew heaven and a NEW EARTH. —Behold the tabernacle of God is with men, and He will dwell with them. —-And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death; neither sorrow nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away.” Rev 21.1-4
In his prophetic vision, John went much further than all his predecessors; in fact he went as far as it is possible to go and still relate the conditions to earth and man!
But even if you do not accept the ‘New Testament’ of the Christian, the ancient Hebrew prophets concurred – from Moses down – that man would ultimately be RIGHTEOUS, and enter into the transcendent JOYS which God has reserved for those who KNOW him, and who walk with Him.
So WHY the millions times billions of short, miserable human lives, spent in ignorance, want and disease? And usually the INIQUITY which goes with it? WHY thousands of years of a HELL BENT, INIQUITOUS HUMANITY – IF a ‘magician’ God can teach man, and make him ‘RIGHTEOUS’ at His own pleasure? And even bring about the super-Utopian conditions of no sorrow, suffering, pain nor death!
