Preschool
Peace, be still (Mark 4:39).
What Is Man?
Memory Verses
Primary
And he arose, and rebuked the wind, and said unto the sea, Peace, be still (Mark 4:39).
Junior
And he arose, and rebuked the wind, and said unto the sea, Peace, be still. And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm (Mark 4:39).
Background Scripture: Hebrews 2; Genesis 2
Lesson Scripture: Hebrews 2:6-10; Genesis 1:26-28; 2:7
Introduction
Man is the crowning glory of God’s creation. He is wonderfully and marvelously made. As he faithfully embraces the role God has for him, he brings honor to God.
The beauty of God’s creation extends beyond the human family. The mountains and the oceans, the plants and the animals, the air we breath—these all are God’s handiwork, and He has entrusted the welfare of his beautiful creation into the hands of mankind.
Alas, not all is perfect. The human race is broken. The curse of sin follows every man. In finding his rightful place, man must acknowledge both his glorious beginning and his fallen nature.
Key Verse
What is man, that thou shouldest magnify him? and that thou shouldest set thine heart upon him? (Job 7:17).
Lesson Scripture
Hebrews 2:6 But one in a certain place testified, saying, What is man, that thou art mindful of him? or the son of man, that thou visitest him?
7 Thou madest him a little lower than the angels; thou crownedst him with glory and honour, and didst set him over the works of thy hands:
8 Thou hast put all things in subjection under his feet. For in that he put all in subjection under him, he left nothing that is not put under him. But now we see not yet all things put under him.
9 But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels for the suffering of death, crowned with glory and honour; that he by the grace of God should taste death for every man.
10 For it became him, for whom are all things, and by whom are all things, in bringing many sons unto glory, to make the captain of their salvation perfect through sufferings.
Genesis 1:26 And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth.
27 So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them.
28 And God blessed them, and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth.
2:7 And the Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul.
Studying the Lesson
The opening verse of our lesson scripture presents an intriguing question: “What is man, that thou art mindful of him?” Still today, we are challenged with finding a satisfactory answer to this profound question. Occasionally we need to review the position we humans occupy in God’s order. We hold an honorable place just under the angels but above the rest of the earthly creation. As we embrace our place in this order, we come to better understand our obligation to care for God’s creation. This is the same creation that, upon its completion, was deemed by the Creator to be excellent. “And God saw every thing that he had made, and, behold, it was very good” (Gen. 1:31). As we find our place in God’s created order, we soon realize the great blessing that God extended to us in creating the beautiful and marvelous earth upon which we live.
Hebrews 2:6-8 is taken from Psalm 8, which is also filled with prophetic meaning and applied here to Jesus. Through God’s plan of salvation, Jesus came to earth as a man. In his birth, through his life, and in his death, He physically occupied the same place in God’s created order as the human family. Because of this, our Redeemer and Savior relates with us, and his sacrifice can indeed become precious to us. After his resurrection, He returned to heaven to sit at the right hand of God. Today He calls all the human family to Himself. Even as He resides in the paradise of heaven, so He seeks to “bring many sons unto glory.”
As we read through the biblical creation account, we notice a distinct change in God’s posture as He was preparing to create man. Previously, He had simply spoken the various things into existence. “Let there be a firmament. Let the earth bring forth grass. Let there be lights in the firmament. Let the earth bring forth the living creature after his kind.” Then as God contemplated the creation of man, it seems there was a pause. In his design for the creation, He had reached the very purpose of his plan—the creation of the human family. Until the rest of creation was in place, He was not ready to bring forth the crown of his creation. “And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness.” As God spoke these words, who was He talking to? Was He visiting with Jesus about this most important part of all creation? No longer was it sufficient to merely speak something into existence. No, for this part of the plan, there was an added air of purpose and importance. Was it expressly for this soon-to-be created creature that the entire creation had been brought into existence? And so God, in the full expression of his love and care and tenderness, created man. “In the image of God created he him; male and female created he them.”
Practical Truths for Today
What is man? The secret to a healthy perception of ourselves and others begins with an accurate understanding of the character of God. The person who feels God’s love does not unduly struggle with feelings of inferiority. The person who knows God’s power does not find it difficult to trust Him. The person who understands God’s hatred for sin does not indulge in the vices of fleshly lust. The person who carries a vision of God’s greatness cannot live in a state of self-exaltation. And the person who actually understands God’s plan of salvation does not reject the work of redemption.
So very much of how we view ourselves has its roots in how we view God, and so much of our spiritual and emotional health rests on the relationship we have with the One who seeks to be a Father unto us. Satan is equally happy if we feel worthless or if we feel exalted. Either of these self-perceptions leave us spiritually weakened and less fit for the Master’s use. To both know and feel God’s love creates a self-perception that is wholesome. In this secure place, we need neither to prop ourselves up with wealth, popularity, or fashion, nor do we need to manufacture a false humility to cover our pride. When we are who God created us to be, we are genuine, open, secure, and approachable.
The ability to trust is an important virtue if we are to be victorious Christians. It is far easier to trust God when we understand not only God’s greatness, but also the place we hold in God’s heart. God knows us perfectly. He knows about our ambitions and feels our disappointments. He has the answers for the wounds and perplexities of life. To know ourselves as God knows us opens the door for us to have a relationship of steadfast trust with Him.
Carrying a self-perception that is twisted and degrading is not so uncommon. The thoughts we tell ourselves about ourselves can be negative and deeply ingrained. Early-life disadvantages or tragedy may translate to additional difficulty for some people. Though we may come from a hard place, healing ultimately becomes our responsibility. God so wants to be our healing Physician! As we leave our feelings of worthlessness behind and embrace the reality of God’s love, we will come to a better understanding of our place in God’s sight. We will feel his care, and his healing touch will be ours.
When God created man, He did a marvelous work! The ability to reason, the capacity to love, the splendid variation in temperaments, the rich basket of emotion, the gift of choice—these are but a few of the wonderful attributes God deliberately instilled within the human family. As we reflect upon God’s benevolence, a sense of gratitude fills our hearts. Who am I, and what is my place in this great plan of God? What is his purpose for me? Perhaps we won’t always be consciously aware of the place we are filling, but we can be sure that the One who created us has a rewarding place for us in his plan. The needs of the human family are so large and varied; likewise, the talents God has handed out to his human family are also rich and many. Each of us has been given a portion of these gifts. Use them with gratitude, and be who God wants you to be.
Questions
- God created man in his own image. Does this refer to how we look? What attributes do we carry that are like God?
- What is wrong if one has no sense of purpose?
- Are there ways we can cultivate our human nature to better reflect God’s image?
- How do we get over feelings of inferiority?
- Today there are movements in society that promote extreme measures of environmental conservation and “green” agendas. How does this position differ from the Christian’s care of God’s creation?
Source: COGICM Daily Bible Readings (Daily Bible Readings, PO Box 124, Glenn, CA 95943).