Annotated Genesis 1:24-26 ‘In our image’

And God said, Let the earth bring forth the living creature after his kind, cattle, and creeping thing, and beast of the earth after his kind: and it was so./ And God made the beast of the earth after his kind, and cattle after their kind, and every thing that creepeth upon the earth after his kind: and God saw that it was good.

The Lord God is perfect and we have been seeing here progressive revelation of the world He set about to shape. The earth was without form and void. Having made a distinction between light and darkness we see in broad brush strokes a visible universe where the sky above and the ground below our feet gives us a viewpoint as a being created. Suppose one could see these progression of creatures in the waters and on the land it would be somewhat similar to what the 24 elders said from the vision of St John, ‘Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honour and power: for thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created(Re.4:11). The memorial of 24 elders and four beasts give us an insight as to the form God had in mind. The Lord God is eternal and the memorial in a manner of speaking is divine Will given a form and motions so what they speak are given utterance as we would. The Spirit in organizing the Scripture gives the divine Will its own narrative power as the wisdom of the eternal Word bringing to fruition. So two narrative threads are plaited as one. Thus each of the four beasts have the face of man, the eagle, the calf and the lion. The man is what holds these as one. To sum the form of the earth had been settled as anthropomorphic,- and in the shape of God, the Son. In v.26 we read it and the Spirit is providing us the narrative from POV of God the Father. In the next chapter we shall find the reverse of it from POV of the Son. In cinematography we can see the first chapters, one a long shot and the other close up shot. God creates man in our image, after our likeness where in the close-up we get all the details, creation of Eve etc.,

²⁶ And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth.

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Exodus 27:9-13 “The court “

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“Except the Lord build the house, they labour in vain that build it:(Ps.127:1a) It is God who specifies as to the kind of house he delights in. ‘Let them make me a sanctuary’ God commanded Moses.”And let them make me a sanctuary; that I may dwell among them./ According to all that I shew thee, after the pattern of the tabernacle, and the pattern of all the instruments thereof, even so shall ye make it (25:8-9)”. From specifications it is clear God that was very particular about the divisions within the tabernacle and spaces around.Considering that the entire tabernacle was to be fenced off from the rest ought to give us an understanding to the divine Will and as to its direction. This we see in the Garden of Eden which was set apart or consecrated for man who represented his Son. In this connection we can appreciate this passage from…

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Exodus 26:5-6 “One Church”

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“Fifty loops shalt thou make in the one curtain, and fifty loops shalt thou make in the edge of the curtain that is in the coupling of the second; that the loops may take hold one of another./And thou shalt make fifty taches of gold, and couple the curtains together with the taches: and it shall be one tabernacle.”

The curtains are coupled together to enclose a single space within which the tabernacle in the wilderness signified the most holy place and holy place. Entry to it carried a veil that only the High Priest was allowed to enter with blood in his hands and with dread.All these were made distinct by the use of gold in the form of 50 taches. There was at the entrance also a veil for which the sixth curtain as mentioned in the next verse makes clear.(vv.8-9)

⁸ The length of one curtain shall…

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Annotated Genesis 1:20 ‘The waters’

And God said, Let the waters bring forth abundantly the moving creature that hath life, and fowl that may fly above the earth in the open firmament of heaven.(v.20)

These waters are drawn from the creative act of God. He separated waters below the firmament (1:9) to form seas and God commands the waters to bring forth every living creature including whales.

His command is His breath, which not only has sets stars to give lights but also as signs. The earth was in divine Will. “He divideth the sea with his power,…By his spirit he hath garnished the heavens; his hand hath formed the crooked serpent(Job 26:11-12)”.In Psalm 89 we have these verses to indicate His divine Power and Wisdom had foreseen its shape and direction.”Thou rulest the raging of the sea: when the waves thereof arise, thou stillest them./Thou hast broken Rahab in pieces, as one that is slain; thou hast scattered thine enemies with thy strong arm./The heavens are thine, the earth also is thine: as for the world and the fulness thereof, thou hast founded them(Ps.89:9-11).”In the Book of Jonah we read that God had prepared a great fish. His mercy and Judgment when we associate with the creation calendar the Four number is referring to the sovereignty of heaven while the three days which we shall follow anon are concerning man. Fellowship of God with man had already envisaged the shape of the earth where Jesus Christ shall fulfill the will of His Father.

He makes his angels spirits. Four angels in the River Euphrates are loosed on command and these have been kept reserved for judgment that shall come upon the ungodly

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Exodus 26:5-14 “Coverings”

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“And thou shalt make a covering for the tent of rams’ skins dyed red, and a covering above of badgers’ skins(v.14)”.

Four kinds of covering were which served practical purpose from inclement weather and desert conditions. Quality of outer coverings,- dugong skins, badger and ram’s skins dyed red and fine linen differed in quality with respect to texture and all these were from the bounties of nature attesting to the glory of God’s creation. Number four reminds us that.

Here is a quote from the commentary provided by Adam Clarke,” …And while the reader is struck with the curious and costly nature of this building, as described by Moses, let him consider how pure and holy that Church should be of which it was a very expressive type; and what manner of person he should be in all holy conversation and godliness, who professes to be a member…

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Exodus 26:1-5 ‘in fives, tens and fifties’

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Moreover thou shalt make the tabernacle with ten curtains of fine twined linen, and blue, and purple, and scarlet: with cherubims of cunning work shalt thou make them.

twined linen is indicative of righteousness “for the fine linen is the righteousness of saints(Re.19:8). The numbers that are attached to it merely goes to show the quality of the material refers to the order of heaven, where holiness of God and the glory shall be an ever remainders as to what is expected of an holy nation Cherubim refers to the glory and majesty of the one who dwells in unapproachable light, array of colors similarly points to many aspects of God,- eternal Law, its sovereign lordship and atonement. The specific measurement has nothing to do with our righteousness. Either we observe the law with all our heart mind and soul or be found a lawbreaker. The parable of the linen…

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Annotated Genesis 1:15-19 “Signs”

“And let them be for lights in the firmament of the heaven to give light upon the earth: and it was so./And God made two great lights; the greater light to rule the day, and the lesser light to rule the night: he made the stars also”.

Here the Spirit illustrates the glory of the Lord, which is in operation of his Holiness. Power and Wisdom alike established and it constitutes His name. ‘I Am That I am’ has no human equivalent either in comprehension or speech. He is revealed in his works so a sign is an indicator of His glory. The two lights are the Sun and the moon glory of which is in their context than in themselves. The effect of the sun on the earth is different than its moon affecting the tidal waves and daily rhythm of nature. These are taken together as a sign.

God the Father wills and God the Son accomplishes them is how the Spirit explains God. Principle of Power finds equilibrium in the principle of Wisdom so much so I am That I am is the ultimate basis for the worlds exist.  

1:17-19 

       And God set them in the firmament of the heaven to give light upon the earth,/And to rule over the day and over the night, and to divide the light from the darkness: and God saw that it was good./And the evening and the morning were the fourth day.

The light denotes natural phenomenon. It is also a sign.

The sun is a sign for righteousness. The moon similarly is a sign for grace, both of which are employed in the vision of the Woman Clothed with the Sun. “And there appeared a great wonder in heaven; a woman clothed with the sun, and the moon under her feet, and upon her head a crown of twelve stars: (Re.12:1)”

Benny

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Exodus 26:1 “Glory of the Lord”

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Moreover thou shalt make the tabernacle with ten curtains of fine twined linen, and blue, and purple, and scarlet: with cherubims of cunning work shalt thou make them.

The tabernacle in the wilderness is a dwelling place, a pavilion for Jehovah who being omnipresent does not need anything got up of man’s hands. It is merely a token for a nation on the move and so constructed that it might be easily taken to pieces, for the greater convenience of carriage, as they were often obliged to transport it from place to place, in their various journeyings. For the twined linen, blue, purple, and scarlet first we shall consider the Adam Clarke commentary, ‘Blue – תכלת techeleth, generally supposed to mean an azure or sky color; rendered by the Septuagint ὑακινθον, and by the Vulgate hyacinthum, a sky-blue or deep violet.

Purple – ארגמן argaman, a very precious color, extracted from…

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Exodus 25 – conclusion

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“According to all that I shew thee, after the pattern of the tabernacle, and the pattern of all the instruments thereof, even so shall ye make it(v.8)”.

God has set a memorial pattern of which is reflected in the tabernacle and ‘of all the instruments thereof.’ Precious stones mentioned in the v.7 we have left out and we shall consider these. Righteousness of saints is compared to a garment., “And to her was granted that she should be arrayed in fine linen, clean and white: for the fine linen is the righteousness of saints(Re.19:8). Tabernacle of the wilderness in the primary sense refers to the fellowship of God with Man. ‘Male and female he created them.” Christ and the church is after the image of God (Elohim). This same duality ‘Two-in-one problem of body and the spirit) we reconcile by being hid in Christ. It was thus in the Holy…

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Exodus 25: 31-37 Tabernacle Lampstand-

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Here are three verses:

“And thou shalt make a candlestick of pure gold: of beaten work shall the candlestick be made: his shaft, and his branches, his bowls, his knops, and his flowers, shall be of the same.”

In the Book of the Revelation we have the risen Christ among the lampstands. “And I turned to see the voice that spake with me. And being turned, I saw seven golden candlesticks;/ And in the midst of the seven candlesticks one like unto the Son of man. (R.1:12-13)

“and round about the throne, were four beasts full of eyes before and behind….And the four beasts had each of them six wings about him; and they were full of eyes within: (Re.4:6-8)”

When the risen Christ presents before Apostle John in his majesty we have a composite image of the Father and the Son. Ancient of the Days and the Son…

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