Genesis 1:26-30: the Purposed Creation

The following is a sermon written and published for all of Ancient Orthodoxy, by Ecumenical Metropolitan of Antioch, Auriel Jones. This is the first sermon for the liturgical and calendar year.

“’LET’S MAKE MAN IN OUR IMAGE, AFTER OUR LIKENESS. LET THEM HAVE DOMINION OVER THE FISH OF THE SEA, AND OVER THE BIRDS OF THE SKY, AND OVER THE LIVESTOCK, AND OVER ALL THE EARTH, AND OVER EVERY CREEPING THING THAT CREEPS ON THE EARTH.’ GOD CREATED MAN IN HIS OWN IMAGE. IN GOD’S IMAGE HE CREATED HIM; MALE AND FEMALE HE CREATED THEM. GOD BLESSED THEM. GOD SAID TO THEM, ‘BE FRUITFUL, MULTIPLY, FILL THE EARTH, AND SUBDUE IT. HAVE DOMINION OVER THE FISH OF THE SEA, OVER THE BIRDS OF THE SKY, AND OVER EVERY LIVING THING THAT MOVES ON THE EARTH.’ GOD SAID, ‘BEHOLD, I HAVE GIVEN YOU EVERY HERB YIELDING SEED, WHICH IS ON THE SURFACE OF ALL THE EARTH, AND EVERY TREE, WHICH BEARS FRUIT YIELDING SEED. IT WILL BE YOUR FOOD. TO EVERY ANIMAL OF THE EARTH, AND TO EVERY BIRD OF THE SKY, AND TO EVERYTHING THAT CREEPS ON THE EARTH, IN WHICH THERE IS LIFE, I HAVE GIVEN EVERY GREEN HERB FOR FOOD;’ AND IT WAS SO.”

To all God’s beloved assembled—who are called to be saints—grace and peace from God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. Since God has created the heavens and the earth over an unspecified period of time—as the word “day” or “era” or “time” is yom as has been translated according to the ancient Hebrew manuscripts in this Book of Genesis and contextually understood—most of humanity throughout existence have pondered the thought as to why humanity and this grand universe even exists.

The Bible has inspired countless people to seek the purpose of creation faithfully just as it has encouraged others to diminish hope on vain philosophical theories including the “Question or Problem of Evil” for example, or the evermore enraging and contradicting philosophy of naturalism which forgoes any notions of the supernatural; and confining the mind and spirit to the schemes of credible yet also non-notable theories as all that will ever exist and disappear, the notion of which should technically usurp all laws that exist for the governing of just societies, organizations, and institutions.

Inspiring the good while encouraging the bad through proper and improper exegesis—meaning, interpretation—of Holy Scripture, looking to the ancient Near East as the Bible in itself is an Eastern text which should be properly interpreted according to its ancient Eastern context by the eras the various texts comprising the Bible were written and distributed throughout, the answer as to why this grand universe—even humanity—exists can be understood as one with purpose.

One with purpose—that is, the true purpose of God which is love—the planetary objects and stars near and very far give testimony to the glories of God; in their purpose giving testimony to the glories of God, the very planets, comets, stars, and other things above in the heavens have assisted humanity in determining the seasons and times—even assisting with the very purpose of terrestrial travel such as through the instance of the Magi seeking the Emmanuel, or the “God With Us” as He lay in the manger with Joseph the Carpenter, and the Blessed Virgin Mary.

One with purpose—by the heart of God—the beasts of land and sea, and the birds of air which have existed since life was possible through His creation of the earth have given a beautiful and harmonious example of the order that comes from God in His Eternal Kingdom.

One with purpose—through each and every good thing from God—humanity gives testimony to the care of God; giving testimony to the care of God in the love from His heart, the formation of humankind from the dust of the earth has by this measure been authorized to care for all the earth and its inhabitants—male and female, beast and bird of every kind, even the vegetation on the earth of which all greenery as described was to be eaten and not become mastered or intoxicated by as is misinterpreted among even the faithful—as the term “for food” according to the passage means 'āḵlâ in the ancient Hebrew manuscripts which refers to literal consumption or eating with the mouth and swallowing of actual food and not some characterized medicine, as all food should.

God—in His triune being as God the Father Who has no physical form and Who through the Son impregnated nothingness with substance by His divine sperm or seed in speech; God the Son our Lord Jesus the Christ Who bodily ascended into Heaven after His crucifixion and resurrection, and Who sits at the Throne; and God the Holy Spirit Who breathed upon the earth and breathes into the Church the breath of life everlasting—has given humanity or Ha’Adam which is the Hebrew translation for “humanity” or “mankind in general” and not simply a “male person,” the purpose to care for this beautiful creation because understanding the heart and mind of God, He chose to not let anything remain without a beautiful order and stewards to lead in this order by example; God is perfect in all His ways, and all His ways are in decency and in order, being the loving Source of All Sources.

Trusting humanity with the earth and all its being, even commanding humanity as this purposed creation to be fruitful and multiply, filling the earth and subduing it as He did the whole expanse of creation—a commandment which many have simply interpreted as for the purpose of freely acting out sexual reproduction against the false gods of the ancient world who sent plagues, famine and drought to establish population control for they feared a humanity that was great in number whereas the God of the Bible says to fill the earth without fear of such travesties from Him—He, God, calls forth the image of God in His children as humanity to by mastering or subduing the earth which in Hebrew is kāḇaš which is to “bring under subjection,” to also embrace and conquer in the dominion which He has charged or committed to humanity, which means to “dominate” or rāḏâ in Hebrew according to this contextual emphasis from the author whom the faithful attribute to Saint Moses the Prophet and Patriarch.

Calling forth humanity to bring under subjection all things on the earth, and then dominate them as His chosen caretakers—and not the angels as they handle other functions in the material and immaterial—God has desire that in seeking to bring all things under subjection through humanity being purposed creations, that humankind testifies to understanding the functions of the beasts of land and sea, birds of the air, the shifting lands and seas, and all other things moving on the earth; for how can anyone bring something or someone under their subjection unless they know them whether it be through seeing what they like or dislike by trial and error, or asking, or other charitable and sincere means.

Likewise calling forth domination after subduing those, God’s desire in humanity as purposed then testifies to the rulership or authority accepted by knowing them.

To any that speculate either after hearing or reading this sermon as it will be published in whatsoever languages fitting for the expansion of the Kingdom of God, this was practice for both male and female to see in their own relation to God that being under His subjection by beginning to know Him as their Father and friend, and dominated in the heart by Him as they have grown in love of and toward God.

That same practice can be witnessed as an archetype for God’s revealed plan in prophesy after humanity fell as recorded in the third chapter of this historical and holy book.

It can be witnessed as an archetype for God’s revealed plan to restore humanity to Him in this original role of subjection and dominion over all the earth to His glory through care, because while the souls of men and women have become corrupted through impatience, God in His divine perfection was born of the Blessed Virgin Mary and walked the earth in flesh by the second Person of the Trinity—Jesus the Christ.

While the souls of men and women have become corrupted through impatience, God in His divine perfection taught humanity the ways which were so swiftly forgotten; subduing humanity back unto the Triune Blessedness—a beautiful, harmonious mystery like no other—God, teaching the ways which were so swiftly forgotten, exemplified care for brother and sister; those who are in agreement, and those who are in disagreement; for the hurting and sick; for the rich and the poor; and for the intelligent and simple among others.

Exemplifying the purposed creation in humanity, Jesus dominated the hearts of men and women by His knowing of humanity, and by humanity’s intimately restored knowing of Him, dying on the cross which was seen as a symbol of defeat and shame.

Dominating the hearts of those purposed with care as God’s own image, Jesus brought everlasting light which no person, fraternal gathering, or institution could ever give no matter how much they may say in their preaching and evangelization.

Dominating the hearts of those purposed with care as God’s own image in spite of the corruption—He exemplified that even though in caring, when what or who someone or something cares for falls, in the purpose of care as the purposed creation, regeneration, justification, and sanctification will come to the blessed charity of restoration.

Shall anyone assembled recall in themselves the very act of God calling forth the reason for humanity’s existence and a continued personal preservation in spite of continuing to falter?

For God has promised, again, that there is a purpose; and that purpose is the care of God.

Know one another, conquer each other’s hearts to the glory of God as intended before the fall, and charged again to humanity with the Gospel message; therewith, humanity through the ways of God may truly exert subjection and dominion over all things of the earth in unity with His will, no longer questioning why humanity and the universe even exists then or now; though it may seem impossible in the now to do such, remain faithful over the few, and in the New Jerusalem when transfigured all will be possible in its fullness. Do not become lazy or doubtful anymore as the purposed creation.