Where Did Humans Come From?

Then God said, “Let Us make human beings in Our image, to be like Ourselves. They will reign over the fish in the sea, the birds in the sky, the livestock, all the wild animals on the earth, and the small animals that scurry along the ground.” So God created human beings in His own image. In the image of God He created them; male and female He created them. Then God blessed them and said, “Be fruitful and multiply. Fill the earth and govern it. Reign over the fish in the sea, the birds in the sky, and all the animals that scurry along the ground.” Then God said, “Look! I have given you every seed-bearing plant throughout the earth and all the fruit trees for your food. And I have given every green plant as food for all the wild animals, the birds in the sky, and the small animals that scurry along the ground—everything that has life.” And that is what happened. Genesis 1:26-30 (NLT)

The book of Genesis provides two different creation accounts. One account of creation is provided at Genesis 1:1-2:3 and another creation account is given at Genesis 2:4-4:26. Both creation accounts clearly state that the one true and living God created the heavens, the entire earth, and all living creatures, including humans (see also Ecclesiastes 11:5; Jeremiah 10:16). God “created the heavens and earth and put everything in place” (Isaiah 45:18, NLT). “By faith we understand that the entire universe was formed at God’s command, that what we now see did not come from anything that can be seen” (Hebrews 11:3, NLT). So, all humans owe our very existence to God. God has always been in existence as He is eternal or timeless (Psalm 90:2). Our world speaks to us of God, His eternal existence, His wisdom, and His supremacy (Romans 1:20; Psalm 19:1-3). God is indeed worthy of our wholehearted worship (Deuteronomy 6:13).

Importantly, God created humans in both His likeness and image. In other words, humans are gifted with the very “image of God” (Genesis 1:26). Our human body is God’s work of art. God did not make humans as a MISTAKE or accident to be aborted and mistreated! God made humans in love. Each human is God’s crowning work and worthy of love, honor, and respect (Psalm 8:4-8). God values humans and has created humans for His special and divine purpose (Psalm 139:13-16). Humans are wonderfully and beautifully made by God to reflect His image of love, holiness, and wisdom in the world (Ephesians 1:4-5). God wants our fellowship, love, and worship as our Creator (Deuteronomy 6:4-9, 13-15).Thus, humans enjoy a unique relationship with God over all other created things, including animals and plants

In God, we live and have our moral being (Acts 17:28). God breathed life into human bodies by His Holy Spirit (Genesis 2:7). God’s Holy Spirit continues to live within us through our acceptance and trust in His Son, Jesus Christ. Through faith in Jesus Christ, we become God’s adopted child and He becomes our loving eternal Father with ALL God’s gracious blessings to enjoy (John 1:12; Romans 8:12-17; Galatians 3:26-29; Ephesians 1:3-14). Absolutely nothing can separate us from God’s loving-kindness and care as His child. As our living Father, God is always present (omnipresent) to love, guide, and protect daily (Psalm 139:1-12; Jeremiah 23:23-24). As Creator, God welcomes everyone to accept Him as Father and to receive His providential care and love without division (Matthew 5:45).

So you have not received a spirit that makes you fearful slaves. Instead, you received God’s Spirit when He adopted you as His own children. Now we call Him, “Abba, Father.” For His Spirit joins with our spirit to affirm that we are God’s children. And since we are His children, we are His heirs. In fact, together with Christ we are heirs of God’s glory. . . .  Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow—not even the powers of hell can separate us from God’s love. No power in the sky above or in the earth below—indeed, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord. Romans 8:15-17, 38-39 (NLT)

The phrase “Let Us make . . . in Our image . . . like Ourselves” has many biblical scholars puzzled. Some biblical scholars argue this phrase is a meeting of the Heavenly Court (see also Genesis 3:22; Genesis 11:7; 1 Kings 22:19-23; Job 1:6-12; Job 2:1-6; Job 15:8; Isaiah 6:8; Jeremiah 23:18). However, other biblical scholars argue this phrase describes the Godhead – God the Father, God the Son (Jesus Christ) and God the Holy Spirit. At the beginning of creation, God the Father, God the Son – Jesus Christ (Word of God), and God the Holy Spirit were all actively involved in creation of the world (Genesis 1:1-3; see also Psalm 33:6; Psalm 104:29-30; John 1:1-10; Colossians 1:16; Hebrews 1:2). Nonetheless, all biblical scholars agree that the true and living God is speaking as the Creator-King and He is announcing His greatest work – human creation.

Sadly, all humans have been flawed by sin (Ephesian 4:18-19) because of the Original Sin or the Great Fall of Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden (Genesis 3). When Adam and Eve disobeyed God and ate the forbidden fruit, they immediately tarnished and damaged ALL humans (Romans 5:12-21). But through faith in Jesus Christ and obedience to the work of God’s Holy Spirit, we humans can have the divine and holy nature of God renewed from within (2 Peter 1:4; Ephesians  4:20-24; Colossians 3:9-10; Romans 12:2; 1 Corinthians 15:45-49; 2 Corinthians 3:18).

Then the Lord God formed the man from the dust of the ground. He breathed the breath of life into the man’s nostrils, and the man became a living person. Then the Lord God planted a garden in Eden in the east, and there he placed the man he had made. . . . He (Adam) gave names to all the livestock, all the birds of the sky, and all the wild animals. But still there was no helper just right for him. So the Lord God caused the man to fall into a deep sleep. While the man slept, the Lord God took out one of the man’s ribs and closed up the opening. Then the Lord God made a woman from the rib, and he brought her to the man. “At last!” the man exclaimed. “This one is bone from my bone, and flesh from my flesh! She will be called ‘woman,’ because she was taken from ‘man.’” This explains why a man leaves his father and mother and is joined to his wife, and the two are united into one. Now the man and his wife were both naked, but they felt no shame. Genesis 2:7-8, 20-25 (NLT)

Reference

King James Version Study Bible. Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson, 1988.

Life Application Study Bible. Carol Streams, IL: Tyndale House Pub., 2005.

New Student Bible. New York: Zondervan,1992.

NLT Study Bible. Carol Streams, IL: Tyndale House Pub., 2008.

Zondervan NIV Study Bible. New York: Zondervan, 2008.

Wiersbe, Warren W. Bible Exposition Commentary. Victor Books, 1989.

Bible Reading

Genesis 1 – 3