We’ve been walking through Genesis 1-11 in our Sunday morning sermon series at Perryville Second Baptist Church. I’d like to highlight one of the things we’ve discovered together as we’ve been studying these verses together. Man is designed to be dependent on God — not just sinful man, but from the very beginning. Adam and Eve were created to be dependent creatures. I mean, the word creature seems to imply the need of a Creator anyway doesn’t it?
But Adam and Eve didn’t merely need a Creator, but they were designed (just like we are) to actually be dependent on God in tangible ways. Before we get to that, let me highlight what the 1689 London Baptist Confession says about man’s perfect state in Genesis 1:
After God had made all the other creatures, he created humanity. He made them male and female, with rational and immortal souls, thereby making them suited to that life lived unto God for which they were created. They were made in the image of God, being endowed with knowledge, righteousness, and true holiness. They had the law of God written in their hearts and the power to fulfill it. Even so, they could still transgress the law, because they were left to the liberty of their own will, which was subject to change.
This confession is simply explaining the Scripture’s teaching on the original state and perfection of Adam and Eve. What I want to stress here is that Adam and Eve were never made to be independent of their Creator. Though man is the pinnacle of God’s creation, he is still created. There is still a wide chasm between Creator and creature.
God didn’t create man out of need or loneliness. God doesn’t need man. Man needs God. Man has always needed God, even prior to the Fall.
Let me just highlight man’s dependence from Genesis 1:28-30. First,
Man is dependent on God’s blessing
God blessed them. If God doesn’t bless man, man doesn’t carry out any of God’s commands. Without God’s blessing, humanity doesn’t continue. Man doesn’t have the power within himself to do what God has called him to do apart from God’s blessing. Even before the Fall of Man, mankind was dependent on God in order to do what God called them to do. And how much more so now.
Furthermore, how good is God to us to continue to bless mankind with the ability to multiply upon the Earth? Children are a blessing and we still stand in need of God’s goodness toward humanity if we hope to see humanity continue. As an aside, this makes the sin of abortion all the more heinous.
Finally, in Genesis 2:1-3 God blesses the 7th day and makes it holy as another gift to mankind (Mark 2:27). God blesses Adam and Eve pre-fall with a special day to cease from working and enjoy Him.
Man is dependent on God’s Word
Do you see the wonder of this verse? God spoke to Adam and Eve. He gave them His very Word. This glorious God – the infinite, eternal, sovereign, holy Creator spoke personally to humanity. He gave them His precious Word. “Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth and subdue it!”
Oh, the blessing of God’s Word! God’s Word has been with mankind literally from the very beginning. Of course today, we have God’s Word before our very eyes, the Scriptures. How dependent are we on the Scriptures? Vastly more dependent than the amount of time we spend in them.
The Word of God gives life. Man shall not live by bread alone but by every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God. And this was true even in Genesis 1 in a perfect situation. How much more must we who are alive in this fallen world intentionally feast upon the word of God?
Man is dependent on God’s provision
Consider that little phrase in Genesis 1:29-30, “I have given you.” God says in Job 41:11 “Who has first given to me, that I should repay him? Whatever is under the whole heaven is mine.”
No one has ever given a gift to God, because God is the Creator of all. God is the provider. God is the gift giver. Even pre-fall. Even in Genesis 1. And truthfully, how often does God provide a thankless people what they need? God’s provision should fill us with gratitude and praise.
Think for a moment of the whole universe: Man and Woman are left for the last of the creation because God was preparing creation for them. Like a baby shower where you make sure a young couple has all they need so when the baby gets here he or she is provided for, God prepared creation to be ready for Adam and Eve and provided them with all they needed for life and godliness.
How much more are we dependent on God’s provision today in a fallen world? The air in our lungs, our heart’s beating, the food we eat: all these things come from God’s good and sovereign hand. And in salvation man is wholly dependent on God to move first, that is, God must seek a man for salvation, just like He sought Adam after his sin.
We are taught as southern men that we are to take care of our families and be independent and hard-working. What happened so many times is that we forget that we can only be independent when we are totally dependent on God.