Sabbath: Restoring Dominion
Read for This Week’s Study: Gen. 1:26-28, Ps. 8:3-8, Gen. 2:15, Rom. 8:20-22, Exod. 20:1-17, Rom. 1:25, 2 Thess. 3:10.
Memory Text: “Then God said, ‘Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over the cattle, over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth’”(Genesis 1:26, NKJV).
Image © Lars Justinen Goodsalt.com
At the Fall our first parents lost more than just their original image of God.
“Not only man but the earth also had by sin come under the control of the wicked one, and was to be restored by the plan of Redemption. At his creation, Adam was placed in dominion over the earth. But by yielding to temptation, he was brought under the power of Satan, and the dominion which he held passed to his conqueror. Thus Satan became ‘the god of this world.’ He had usurped that dominion over the earth which had been originally given to Adam. But Christ, by His sacrifice paying the penalty of sin, would not only redeem man, but recover the dominion which he had forfeited. All that was lost by the first Adam will be restored by the second.” – Ellen G. White, in Signs of the Times, November 4, 1908.
No question, after the Fall, human beings lost so much, including the “dominion” that we originally had been given.
What was this lost dominion? Though the idea of “dominion” often has negative connotations today, it certainly didn’t back in Eden. What did it mean when humans were first given dominion over the earth? And what can the church do to help people regain some of what was lost after the tragic fall of our first parents in Eden?
* Study this week’s lesson to prepare for Sabbath, July 9.
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In rereading the story of creation from the beginning, in Genesis One. I have pondered often, all that was involved in 7 days of creation. To limit it to what was lost during the fall of Adam and Eve is focusing on but one idea. The first thing that God created was light. We have no idea what caused light without a source as we know it. One might spend some time just on that one phenomenon alone. I think about Heavens and Firmament and what earth was before it was formed? As you continue each day, what is noticeable is, God planned each day and what was going to happen. Then He did what He was planning. When God was pleased by affirming\' "It was good" can we imagine that some of this creation could possibly have been marred? Of course we want to know how and why? We also want to know, can it be repaired?
No matter how long and how often the sobering details are brought to light, the facts remain. God is the only source to recreate what is needed, and He also has the ability to change or restore what was good in the beginning. Does man need God's help? Lucifer was sure he did. The word need, is different than want. When I contemplate what God can accomplish, well beyond any human endeavor , man is totally unneeded.
Man wasn't created in the first place because God needed or did not need him. Man was created to display and glorify God in his bestowed dominion of the earth. It was God's purpose that the longer man lived the more fully he should reveal His image- and more fully reflect the glory of the creator. All of His faculties were capable of development. Their capacity were to continually increase. (Ed pg. 15)
The beauty of God's plan is to use man's brain and brawn to further His plan of creation and salvation. It is a good idea don't you think? It makes man feel he is part of the family of God, 'the body of Christ if you will'. James had a purpose for saying faith without works is dead. The Holy Spirit conveyed through James this need to be witnesses to live, attached to the body of Christ if you will. The Holy Spirit had already conveyed through Paul that we are saved by Christ righteousness only, 'not I but Christ'. Now back to creation, Paul don't you think that God created light by being the sun for the 1st two days until He created the sun, moon, and stars on the third day. After all God is light. You probably ask, where did the night and day come from. God was able to restrain His light so Moses would not be consumed. Don't you think He could block the light of His presence to have night for two days? We can't put aside recreate. I remember David's prayer: "(Re)Create in me a clean heart O God, and renew a right spirit with in me." Psalms 51:10. Christ said, that is a daily activity. Luke 9:23.
The Creator is holy and those who serve Him MUST should do it in holliness. What is it that Adam lost? The moment Adam distrusted/disobeyed the Creator, he lost the garment of holiness. The Genesis narrative goes on to tell us that they fearful to appear before the Holy Creator because they were 'naked'. I think this garment empowered them to dominate evil; to rise above evil always.
So, when Adam became 'naked', it meant he had given his power to dominate to Evil. It was now the other way round; evil dominating Adam! What pain must have crossed the heart of the Godhead!
God bless us all with His Spirit to lead us in everyway. Amen.
Genesis is one of the most complicated books in the Bible. It gives creation with its mysteries that are still to date difficult to comprehend. Only those without sin can bring out the mystery. God help us understand by giving us the holy spirit. A very touching lesson unfolding.
I am still amazed when I read through scriptures in relation to the restoration of human race and the devil's third temptation in the wilderness. The tempter showed Him all the kingdoms of the World in their glory and claimed to give back to Jesus only if He falls down and worship him. I thank Jesus for realizing the devil's snare as opposed to our first parents in the garden of Eden. The earthly dominion was soon to be restored to the woman's offspring, yet Satan wanted to retain it through a disguised temptation. Daily victory against evil foes is ours,so long we rely on God's promises, reading His word and engaging in prayers. Jesus restored what the devil snatched from our first parents, also He confronted the tempter alone as did Eve in the garden of Eden. But at this point the tempter thought it would be an easy ground compared to the garden of Eden and of course the wilderness was rugged, with poor vegetation cover and degraded environment. Jesus won for us. It doesn't matter whether our ground or situation is favourable or not we have to resist the tempter and he will flee. Never Ever Give Up!!!!
May the Lord Jesus lead us through every temptation so that we may conquer as He did. We have to lead others to restore their lost relationship with GOD. Amen.
Adam, with all the presidency and the dominion he had been accorded by God, still needed God's constant guidance to enable him to properly execute his power and to stay on top of whatever situation. It is hard to imagine that, after a while, he become just ordinary. He fell. The enemy had stolen all that away. Man became alienated from God. That is the saddest experience in human history. A lesson for each of us comes out clearly-no matter how much power and influence we may have, without the enabling power of God, it is all futile. God alone can make what he has given us work out for the best. With all that in mind, our plight is being fixed. God is sorting things out. We are going to have the dominion back. So our message to the devil is, "It's just a matter of time before we take back what originally belongs to us".
Without help from Hebrew dictionaries, what do you think is meant by having dominion over something and for what reason? Is a time period involved? If so when? Some have mentioned losing something, what was lost? Explain.
Dominion=An in built,inherent ability to control or overcome.Thus with the fall man lost the ability to overcome evil and would himself tend toward evil thus necessitating external help,thus the requirement of a saviour
I do believe dominion means to take care of, nuture. Before sin man did not need to exert power over the lyon to keep him from devouring the lamb. What did we lose? Everything except grace bestowed, if we acept it, and prayer if we use it. Can we get everything back? You bet ya. If we ask in Christ name, through God all things are possible. Mark 10:27. John 14:14. We will have to wait until after the 1st resurrection for some things to be restored, but I am told that they are worth waiting for.
We just have to take God at His word and believe what the Bible says. Adam and Eve disobeyed God and cause all to sin but thanks be to God for His only Son to rescue us. We as Seventh Day Adventist should take more care over what God had created.
It is amazing, that even when we lost dominion, we are a restored by the resurrection of Christ.
We need to fight temptation throughout prayer and fasting.
And I agree God does not need us, but he created us for his glory.
It is amazing, that even when we lost dominion, we are a restored by the resurrection of Christ.
We need to fight temptation throughout prayer and fasting.
And I agree God does not need us, but he created us for his glory.