The Image of God Created Part 2

Order of Service

• Hymn — Come, Christians, Join to Sing
• Call to Worship — Psalm 95:1-6
• Hymn — Come, Christians, Join to Sing
• Prayer of Invocation
• Confession of Faith — Westminster Shorter Catechism Q&A 4
• Scripture Reading — Ezra 7:1-10
• Hymn — Teach Me, O Lord, Your Way of Truth (Psalm 119:33–40)
• Prayer of Confession
• Offering
• Prayer of Dedication
• Hymn of Preparation — Jesus, What a Friend for Sinners
• Sermon
• Hymn of Dedication — We Gather Together
• Benediction — 2 Corinthians 13:14
• Gloria Patri

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Sermon Title: The Image of God Created Part 2

Scripture: Genesis 2:4-25

I. Introduction: Man Created for Fellowship with God

A. Genesis 1:26-27 and Genesis 2:7 show the creation of man as intimate and personal

1. God breathes life directly into man's nostrils — unlike all other creation
2. Man was made by God, for God, and for eternal fellowship with God

B. Three aspects of that fellowship:

1. Worship-based fellowship
2. Word-based fellowship
3. Corporate-based fellowship

II. Worship-Based Fellowship with God

A. Eden as the original temple mount

1. Four rivers flow out of Eden, making it a life source and an elevated place — a mountain (Ezekiel 28:14 calls Eden "the holy mountain of God")
2. The garden faces east, as both tabernacle and temple faced east — patterning the original garden temple

B. Adam as the original priest-king

1. The Hebrew verbs for "work" and "keep" (Genesis 2:15) are used almost exclusively of Levitical priests guarding the temple
2. Cherubim guarding Eden after the fall (Genesis 3) mirror the cherubim on the temple curtain
3. The Spirit hovers over creation (Genesis 1:2) just as the glory cloud and pillar of fire indicate God's presence at the tabernacle and temple

C. Man created to be enveloped in God's holy presence without being consumed

1. Isaiah 43:2 — walking through fire and not being burned
2. Like the burning bush (Exodus 3) — enveloped in God's presence but not consumed
3. The disciples on the Emmaus road: "Did not our hearts burn within us?" (Luke 24)

D. True humanity is defined by worshiping the triune God in his holy presence

III. Word-Based Fellowship with God

A. God's word is the means of fellowship

1. As God named what he created, Adam is granted authority to name the living creatures — mimicking his Father, strengthening the bond of fellowship
2. Luke 3 calls Adam the son of God; the son replicates the actions of the Father

B. The command in Genesis 2:16-17

1. The first recorded words to man are in the form of a command — man is made to obey God's word
2. The Hebrew doubles the verb in both verses: "you may surely eat" and "you shall surely die" — abundance of blessing for obedience, abundance of curse for disobedience
3. The tree of life is a sacramental sign and seal of eternal life in God's presence; confirmed in Revelation 22:3

C. Obedience is to be for God's sake alone — no quid pro quo

1. "Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God"
2. Jesus to the rich young ruler: "Only God is good" — connecting to the temptation in the wilderness
3. Adam was to desire God for God's sake, receiving his word with delight

IV. Corporate-Based Fellowship with God

A. It is not good for man to be alone (Genesis 2:18)

1. God brings the animals to Adam for naming, so Adam himself comes to recognize his need — the Father leading the son to desire what the Father desires for him
2. This reflects the pattern of Hebrews 12 — God disciplines those he loves to align their desires with his own

B. The creation of woman is the climactic finishing touch on the imago Dei

1. Adam's song of praise in Genesis 2:23 — "This at last is bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh" — is the culmination of the naming process
2. The one-flesh union of Genesis 2:24 reflects the corporate solidarity of the three-in-one God
3. Only with male and female united does God rest over his completed creation

C. The imago Dei finds its ultimate completion in Christ and his bride

1. Paul in 1 Corinthians 7 can prefer singleness because the image of God is now most fully seen in the union of Christ and his church
2. Jesus in John's Gospel: "I long for you to be one with me as I am one with the Father"
3. Ephesians 5:25-27 — Christ sanctifying and presenting his bride without spot or wrinkle, echoing Adam's words over Eve
4. At the last day, the last Adam will say to his glorified bride: "At last, bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh"

D. Conclusion: The imago Dei is complete only in Christ

1. Fellowship with God comes through worship of Christ, the word of Christ, and corporate solidarity in Christ
2. In Christ alone the imago Dei is complete