Last week we saw that the climax of Genesis 1, the ultimate consummation, was that God was expressed and represented. Based on this, we continued this week to see that: 1) God blessed man to be fruitful, 2) man and all other living creatures were satisfied, 3) everything was very good, and 5) God rested – God was satisfied. Expounding on the matter of being fruitful, Witness Lee points out that real gospel preaching is not merely an outward work but is fruit bearing out of the overflow of the inner life. When we bear God’s image and exercise God’s authority, we will be under God’s blessing to be fruitful and multiply. And at the end of all this, God can rest because He is satisfied and we can also rest with God by entering into His rest.
After seeing the desire and purpose of God, the next two messages (10-11) covered God’s procedure to fulfill His purpose, which is by life. This life conforms the believers to the image of God and brings them into glory. In addition, this life gives authority. Before man was created, God had not caused it to rain upon the earth because there was no man to till the ground. Therefore no life had grown out of the earth. Then God created man as a vessel with a spirit, soul, and body (1 Thes. 5:23), to contain Him as life. Specifically, the spirit of man originated from the breath of life (Gen. 2:7; Prov. 20:27) and was formed for the purpose of containing God (2 Tim. 4:22). In other words, if there were no spirit within man, man would be an empty shell. We should praise the Lord that we have a spirit created to contain God!
The second step of God’s procedure to fulfill His purpose is to have man actually receive Him as life by placing man in front of the tree of life. This tree of life is placed in Eden (a place of pleasure), in the east (a place of the shining glory), and in a garden (a lovely and pleasant place) with every tree pleasant to the sight and good for food. All these imply that God’s intention was not that man should work but that he should be pleased and satisfied. In fact, the tree of life typifies God coming in Christ to become man’s life and life supply (John 1:1, 14; 10:10; 14:6; 15:1). Finally, along this tree is a river which waters, quenches thirst, and flows life. Both the tree of life and the flowing river appear in Genesis but continue throughout the Bible until Revelation 22, representing the genuine experience of God as life. “The tree of life and the flowing river indicate this: whenever we take Jesus into us as food, that food will impart divine life, a life that is a watering and flowing life.” (Message 11)
There are many other points covered in these three messages. Please use the comments section below to share your enjoyment or even practice composing a short prophecy. Even if what you write is short (1-2 sentences), this may flow life from your spirit into others!
Links:
To read online: Living Stream Ministry
To purchase the Life-Study of Genesis: (Nook) (Kobo) (iBooks) (Kindle) (Print)
To listen to the corresponding radio broadcasts with commentary: LSM Radio
I would like to share with you saints about God’s blessing man to be fruitful. The qualifications for God’s blessing are image and dominion. Where there are God’s image and dominion there is God’s blessing. Melchizedek is an example of God’s blessing following God’s image and dominion. As a priest of the most High God, Melchizedek bore His image. As the King of Salem, he exercised God’s dominion. The issue was blessing. The priesthood and kingship always brings in God’s blessing.
The blessing God bestowed upon man was that he be fruitful, multiply, and fill the earth. In order for God to have a prevailing expression on the earth, His believers must bear fruit and multiply. This can be applied to us spiritually. As branches in the vine, our fruit is produced from the overflowing life within us. Preaching the gospel to bear fruit should never be considered as a work. It must be a result of the divine flow of life. Hence, “The fruit you bear is an expression of what you are.” This is our main concern in the Lord’s recovery. Lord Jesus, enable us to bear fruit each year! Amen!
5) God rested
The relationship between God and man possesses an inherent quality. Man has no rest apart from God, neither can God find rest until His purpose is fulfilled in man. God’s purpose is to have the proper expression and representation on the earth. His incarnation was a significant step toward this goal. His delight is found only in His Son. While on the earth, God was expressed though Him. This wonderful expression produced a mutual rest for both God and man. His desire, spoken though Isaiah, affirms this. He declared, “Thus says Jehovah, Heaven is My throne, and the earth the footstool for My feet. Where then is the house that you will build for Me, and where is the place of My rest? …But to this kind of man will I look, to him who is poor and of a contrite spirit…” (Isa. 66:1; Acts 7:49). The Lord Jesus, as the temple of God, is the place of His rest. In the gospels, no outward circumstance could agitate Him. He was always intrinsically at rest. When the Lord and His disciples were crossing over the sea, a great storm wind began, waves crashed onto the boat, and the disciples were in a panic, but the Lord was in repose. When the disciples awoke Him, He rebuked the wind and there was a great calm. This is similar to our personal experience. The Lord is able to bring us great calm. Yet, it is not apart from Him. Rest is only found in Christ. We must come to the Lord of the Sabbath! The Lord said, “Come to me…I will give you rest” (Matt 11:28). Where ever the road may lead, we can be assured He is leading us to waters of rest! As a foretaste, this restful destination is in the Spirit with our spirit!
If we did not have a spirit man would just be an EMPTY SHELL. We need to Praise the Lord for our spirit. 2 Tim 4:22 says, The Lord be with your spirit. Grace be with you