27And God created man in His image; in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them.
28And God blessed them, and God said to them, "Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth and subdue it, and rule over the fish of the sea and over the fowl of the sky and over all the beasts that tread upon the earth. "
Question is on, "subdue it and rule over". “v’chib’shoo’ha,” and subdue it [the earth]. The meaning to this? In order to subdue or rule is the idea of law or to delegated the authority? To rule over creation - being that we are to be the stewards of the earth, correct? The word subdue doesn’t have to imply violence or mistreatment. It can mean “to bring under cultivation".
When both Adam and Eve were tempted, wasn't it on the fact of how they were to rule God's creation? The temptation was in the knowing/knowledge of good from evil? Wasn't the temptation about the differences between what was acceptable and unacceptable (good from evil) accordingly to man (mankind) versus what was termed good and evil by God - who created the heavens and the earth. Remembering at the end of every verse in Genesis .....31 And God saw all that He had made, and behold it was very good, and it was evening and it was morning, the sixth day.
When we read on the giving of the Law at Sinai - would there be a comparison? When we read, 13 To be sure, sin was in the world before the law was given, but sin is not charged against anyone’s account where there is no law. 14 Nevertheless, death reigned from the time of Adam to the time of Moses, even over those who did not sin by breaking a command, as did Adam, who is a pattern of the one to come.
15 But the gift is not like the trespass. For if the many died by the trespass of the one man, how much more did God’s grace and the gift that came by the grace of the one man, Jesus Christ, overflow to the many! 16 Nor can the gift of God be compared with the result of one man’s sin: The judgment followed one sin and brought condemnation, but the gift followed many trespasses and brought justification. 17For if, by the trespass of the one man, death reigned through that one man, how much more will those who receive God’s abundant provision of grace and of the gift of righteousness reign in life through the one man, Jesus Christ!
But then reading more into this: (which these two scriptural passages point towards two good explanations & arguments)
28And God blessed them, and God said to them, "Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth and subdue it, and rule over the fish of the sea and over the fowl of the sky and over all the beasts that tread upon the earth. "
Question is on, "subdue it and rule over". “v’chib’shoo’ha,” and subdue it [the earth]. The meaning to this? In order to subdue or rule is the idea of law or to delegated the authority? To rule over creation - being that we are to be the stewards of the earth, correct? The word subdue doesn’t have to imply violence or mistreatment. It can mean “to bring under cultivation".
- The first human beings, Adam and Eve, are instructed by G-d to observe only a single mitzvah. In Genesis 2:16-17, G-d declares: “Mee’kol aytz ha’gahn, ah’chol to’chayl. Oo’may’aytz ha’dah’aht, tov v’rah, lo to’chahl me’meh’noo,” Of every tree of the garden, you may freely eat. But, from the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil, you shall not eat. The Midrash Rabbah, Genesis 19:11, cogently proclaims that the first human beings had only one single solitary mitzvah to keep, and they blew it.
When both Adam and Eve were tempted, wasn't it on the fact of how they were to rule God's creation? The temptation was in the knowing/knowledge of good from evil? Wasn't the temptation about the differences between what was acceptable and unacceptable (good from evil) accordingly to man (mankind) versus what was termed good and evil by God - who created the heavens and the earth. Remembering at the end of every verse in Genesis .....31 And God saw all that He had made, and behold it was very good, and it was evening and it was morning, the sixth day.
When we read on the giving of the Law at Sinai - would there be a comparison? When we read, 13 To be sure, sin was in the world before the law was given, but sin is not charged against anyone’s account where there is no law. 14 Nevertheless, death reigned from the time of Adam to the time of Moses, even over those who did not sin by breaking a command, as did Adam, who is a pattern of the one to come.
15 But the gift is not like the trespass. For if the many died by the trespass of the one man, how much more did God’s grace and the gift that came by the grace of the one man, Jesus Christ, overflow to the many! 16 Nor can the gift of God be compared with the result of one man’s sin: The judgment followed one sin and brought condemnation, but the gift followed many trespasses and brought justification. 17For if, by the trespass of the one man, death reigned through that one man, how much more will those who receive God’s abundant provision of grace and of the gift of righteousness reign in life through the one man, Jesus Christ!
But then reading more into this: (which these two scriptural passages point towards two good explanations & arguments)
The Law and Sin
7 What shall we say, then? Is the law sinful? Certainly not! Nevertheless, I would not have known what sin was had it not been for the law. For I would not have known what coveting really was if the law had not said, “You shall not covet.”b 8But sin, seizing the opportunity afforded by the commandment, produced in me every kind of coveting. For apart from the law, sin was dead. 9Once I was alive apart from the law; but when the commandment came, sin sprang to life and I died. 10I found that the very commandment that was intended to bring life actually brought death. 11For sin, seizing the opportunity afforded by the commandment, deceived me, and through the commandment put me to death. 12So then, the law is holy, and the commandment is holy, righteous and good.
13 Did that which is good, then, become death to me? By no means! Nevertheless, in order that sin might be recognized as sin, it used what is good to bring about my death, so that through the commandment sin might become utterly sinful.
14 We know that the law is spiritual; but I am unspiritual, sold as a slave to sin. 15 I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do. 16And if I do what I do not want to do, I agree that the law is good. 17 As it is, it is no longer I myself who do it, but it is sin living in me. 18 For I know that good itself does not dwell in me, that is, in my sinful nature. For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out. 19 For I do not do the good I want to do, but the evil I do not want to do—this I keep on doing. 20 Now if I do what I do not want to do, it is no longer I who do it, but it is sin living in me that does it.
7 What shall we say, then? Is the law sinful? Certainly not! Nevertheless, I would not have known what sin was had it not been for the law. For I would not have known what coveting really was if the law had not said, “You shall not covet.”b 8But sin, seizing the opportunity afforded by the commandment, produced in me every kind of coveting. For apart from the law, sin was dead. 9Once I was alive apart from the law; but when the commandment came, sin sprang to life and I died. 10I found that the very commandment that was intended to bring life actually brought death. 11For sin, seizing the opportunity afforded by the commandment, deceived me, and through the commandment put me to death. 12So then, the law is holy, and the commandment is holy, righteous and good.
13 Did that which is good, then, become death to me? By no means! Nevertheless, in order that sin might be recognized as sin, it used what is good to bring about my death, so that through the commandment sin might become utterly sinful.
14 We know that the law is spiritual; but I am unspiritual, sold as a slave to sin. 15 I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do. 16And if I do what I do not want to do, I agree that the law is good. 17 As it is, it is no longer I myself who do it, but it is sin living in me. 18 For I know that good itself does not dwell in me, that is, in my sinful nature. For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out. 19 For I do not do the good I want to do, but the evil I do not want to do—this I keep on doing. 20 Now if I do what I do not want to do, it is no longer I who do it, but it is sin living in me that does it.
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