Biblical View of Man’s Kingdom
Corona Privilegiata
Adam and Eve were created on the sixth day of Creation (Gn 1:27), as were the land animals (Gn 1:24). God instructed Adam and Eve to be fruitful and increase in number, fill the earth, and subdue it (Gn 1:28). This command reveals that God made man to be greater, above, and more important than all other animals of nature. Yet, this did not give him any right to be abusive to animals, but he was to be a good steward of the animals God entrusted to him. After all, God allowed Adam to name the animals (Gn 2:19-20), so evidently God expected mankind to have a close connection with the animals he created. Animals would be of benefit to mankind to help him farm (e.g., horses and oxen), be used as a means for helping make clothing (e.g. sheep and alpacas), for domestication (e.g., canines and felines), and their beauty would demonstrate God’s glory, sovereignty, and diversity.
Initially, it seems God expected Adam and Eve to be the rulers of a kingdom of humans and that they would live forever. We can glean this understanding from realizing that they seemed to be clothed with something like God’s Shekinah glory as they were naked but were not ashamed, likely meaning they could not readily see each other’s nakedness (Gn 2:25). This glory clothing was removed when they rebelled and, thus, became ashamed of being naked (Gn 3:7). It seems eating of the Tree of Life gave them immortality (3:22). Therefore, they were removed from its presence, and their bodies then began on a path toward death. Even though they lived a long time, they did not live forever (Gn 5:5). What they also lost was their close connection with God as he seemed to have visited them daily and walked with them while they lived in Eden (Gn 3:8), likely discussing how they would lead such a kingdom of humans under his leadership.
Their disobedience/rebellion interrupted this plan God had for them. Rather than them being in charge of a kingdom of humans under the blessing and leadership of God, Adam’s rebellion allowed this kingdom to be handed over to Satan. We’ll discuss how this became possible in a future post. This did not mean humans did not create kingdoms on the earth, but they were not the ones totally in charge but were heavily influenced by Satan and those whom he governed going forward. This created a choice for humans. They could either be influenced by God or by Satan. One choice yielded to life and the other to death. God stated because of this choice, man should choose life (Dt 30:19), meaning they should choose God.
Because the rebellion of Adam and Eve severed the intimate connection they had with God, man has struggled with not having this connection and has sought significance and belonging in all sorts of ways rather than having that connection with God himself. This has led to one group of humans subjugating others to establish that longing for importance which has led to an almost infinite number of wars. Dominance of groups of others became a counterfeit for the feeling of importance that Adam once had with God, and dominance of individuals became a counterfeit for the feeling of closeness that Adam once had with God. It is counterfeit because it does not satisfy. It is an illusion that lasts for a time but quickly fades and can quickly turn to hate because it did not meet expectations. Mankind, both collectively and individually are trapped in this endless cycle until God is brought back into the equation. Only he can satisfy this longing that is inside every human because he is the Creator of those very emotions which bind and satisfy via a connection with him.
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Visit Books & Words to Inspire by Randy C. Dockens