Verse 17
heaven
i.e. the "heaven" of the stars; e.g. Genesis 15:5; Luke 23:43.
Verse 21
every living creature
The second clause, "every living creature," as distinguished from fishes merely, is taken up again in verse 24, showing that in the second creative act all animal life is included.
Verse 24
living creature
"Creature," Heb. nephesh, trans. soul in Genesis 2:7 and usually. In itself nephesh, or soul, implies self-conscious life, as distinguished from plants, which have unconscious life. In the sense of self-conscious life animals also have "soul." See verses ; Genesis 1:26,27; 2:7,21-23. (See Scofield "Genesis 1:26").
Verse 26
make man in our image
Man. Genesis 1:26,27, gives the general, Genesis 2:7,21-23 the particular account of the creation of man. The revealed facts are:
- (1) Man was created not evolved. This is
- (a) expressly declared, and the declaration is confirmed by Christ Matthew 19:14; Mark 10:6,
- (b) "an enormous gulf, a divergence practically infinite" (Huxley) between the lowest man and the highest beast, confirms it;
- (c) the highest beast has no trace of God-consciousness--the religious nature;
- (d) science and discovery have done nothing to bridge that "gulf."
- (2) That man was made in the "image and likeness" of God. This image is found chiefly in man's tri-unity, and in his moral nature. Man is "spirit and soul and body" 1 Thessalonians 5:23.
"Spirit" is that part of man which "knows" 1 Corinthians 2:11 and which allies him to the spiritual creation and gives him God-consciousness. "Soul" in itself implies self-consciousness life, as distinguished from plants, which have unconscious life. In that sense animals also have "soul" Genesis 1:24. But the "soul" of man has a vaster content than "soul" as applied to beast life. It is the seat of emotions, desires, affections Psalms 42:1-6. The "heart" is, in Scripture usage, nearly synonymous with "soul." Because the natural man is, characteristically, the soulual or physical man, "soul" is often used as synonymous with the individual, e.g. Genesis 12:5. The body, separable from spirit and soul, and susceptible to death, is nevertheless an integral part of man, as the resurrection shows ; John 5:28,29; 1 Corinthians 15:47-50; Revelation 20:11-13. It is the seat of the senses (the means by which the spirit and soul have world-consciousness) and of the fallen Adamic nature. Romans 7:23,24.
us Genesis 11:7
Verse 28
DISPENSATION
A dispensation is a period of time during which man is tested in respect of obedience to some specific revelation of the will of God. Seven such dispensations are distinguished in Scripture. (See Scofield "Genesis 1:28"), note 5.
And God blessed them
The First Dispensation: Innocency. Man was created in innocency, placed in a perfect environment, subjected to an absolutely simple test, and warned of the consequence of disobedience. The woman fell through pride; the man deliberately. 1 Timothy 2:14 God restored His sinning creatures, but the dispensation of innocency ended in the judgment of the Expulsion Genesis 3:24 See, for the other dispensations;
Conscience (See Scofield "Genesis 3:23")
Human Government (See Scofield "Genesis 8:21")
Promise (See Scofield "Genesis 12:1")
Law (See Scofield "Exodus 19:8")
Grace (See Scofield "John 1:17")
Kingdom (See Scofield "Ephesians 1:10")
Be fruitful
The Edenic Covenant, the first of the eight great covenants of Scripture
