Nothing to say, yet
Transcription
In this recording, Phillip Black discusses the concept of man being created in the image of God. He explores the Hebrew word pictures and how they relate to understanding this concept. He also examines the creation story in Genesis 1, highlighting the importance of God bringing balance and order to the chaotic world. Black emphasizes the responsibility of humans to maintain the harmony and reflects on the purpose of man in reflecting God's image. He delves into the symbolism of the shepherd's staff and its representation of authority and influence. Black concludes by emphasizing that our purpose is not solely to fulfill our own desires, but to preserve God's image and bring honor to His name. Hello, this is Phillip Black, and it's good to be with you once again from Voice to Humanity. As we had discussed in earlier sessions, what is man? Is man in the image of likeness of God? And as we tried to answer that question, we used a few illustrations by looking at what we would call the Hebrew word pictures. Of course, the Hebrew word pictures are symbols that represented things that make us try to understand what it means for the word God and the word image. What do they have in common? As we have found through that discussion, through the word pictures, there are two letters that are common in the word Elohim and the word Selim, which is image. And those two letters we found that are in common, I believe, helps us to better understand what it means to be in the image of God. As we read Genesis 1, we read from verses 2 through verses 26. We read how God himself speaks and moves by his spirit on a world that, as I would say, is chaotic because there's no order. The world is covered in darkness, and the world also is covered by water. The world is empty and has no purpose. So with that understanding, we see that God begins to move. He breathes upon the waters to drive the waters to a place that would uncover the dry land. He also brings, in an extremely dark situation, light. He doesn't do away with the darkness. This is the thing that when I look at and I question in my mind, why is it that you bring light and you leave the darkness? In this extreme situation, I can only think God brings balance to something that is very extreme. He brings light to balance the darkness, and he drives the waters to expose land to balance land and water. That is something that's amazing. Then he begins to fill an empty situation. As it says, the earth was void and empty. So what does he do? He calls forth living creatures. He calls forth and begins to make a declaration that humanity would be the rulers over all of his creation. Although at this time we discuss that man is in spirit form, man has not yet been made in a physical body. God has made a very good work, and he so states it in Genesis 1 30. And God saw everything that he had made, and it was very good. And the evening and the morning were the sixth day. Wow, that is a great responsibility as humans that we have to maintain the order and the harmony that God had created. So with that understanding, I think it would be safe to say what he expected from us. I think that at a minimum that is clear. So what man has done and what we do as humans is we try to control things by creating governments, creating rules to keep everything in order. Many times we fail because we don't have a complete picture of the consequences of the decisions that we make. Only the Creator, only God knows what the end is from the beginning. This is the process of us learning, learning to walk with God on how to maintain this beautiful creation. I would like to go further and say this. In the human mind and in many religions, man has been the focus of receiving what we would say blessings from God. But the focus really is, as I read it, is God's image in the earth. Because what he desires to see is a reflection of himself. And not that he would be there to answer man's dreams or wants or desires, but his first order is that I would like to see my image in the earth. And because of the fact that's most important to him, he would give unto humanity whatever is necessary to maintain his image. I want to say that again. The image of God is what is the most important thing to him to see in the earth. And that he will grant unto humans whatever is necessary to maintain his image. What I have found and what I have learned is man always focuses on his own needs. He doesn't focus on why or what purpose I'm here. My purpose is instinctive, like an animal, how to be able to provide for myself. This is how we fall short of understanding what it means, or as I would say, our responsibility to reflect the image of God. Genesis 2 begins to give us a better picture of what happened to man, the human being, the one who was made in the image and likeness of God. And as I discussed in the earlier session, where the Lamed are the staff, the ox goad, the shepherd's staff, how symbolic it is throughout scripture, as well as the men. But the most important part is how that is a symbol of man's authority. And as we will see throughout scripture, and this is what I found fascinating, that the Lamed is the 12th. I want you to hear that clearly. It is the 12th letter in the Hebrew words, the alphabet. There are 12 tribes of Israel. I find that fascinating for the sense that I'm trying to understand this symbol, the Lamed, how we are to see what God expected man to do. And man, in that fashion, for other humans, is also, with the staff in his hand, is to, and I would say, influence other men to seek out their purpose in the earth. Israel as a nation would be used as an ox goad to take and prod, or move humanity forward, in seeking its purpose from God. That is why, as I study and I see, he asked Moses, what is in your hand? A staff. And how he uses the staff of Moses to drive a nation towards God. That is fascinating. That is one very good, clear example of what I mean. We will see that staff throughout scripture. And we will also see man's authority being symbolized in crowns upon the head. This is how we see an example. So man was supposed to be able to influence other human beings to move towards the living God. To find out how to walk with him and to be able to work in harmony with his fellow man. This to me, one of the greatest symbols in the word of God, is his staff, the Lamed. What we would say is the ox's goad. As we discussed in previous sessions, where Jesus, Yahshua is his name in Hebrew, says to Paul, Paul, why do you kick against the pricks? In other words, why are you kicking against the ox's goad, when I am trying to get you to move in another direction? So this is why human beings should seek to know and understand what our purpose is here on earth. And as I stated earlier, our purpose is not here so that God can give us all the desires of our heart to use it as we see fit. His most important desire is to see his image in the earth. And he will give whatever is necessary to preserve his name and honor and his image in the earth. This is what is the duty of man. This is our purpose as human beings. So I hope that as we continue to discuss this and we look at more scripture, that it will continue to become more clearer of what our responsibility is, and that we will yield to his way, and in that fashion that we will bring glory and honor to his name, not because of the fact we say we praise him for what he gives unto us, but that we will begin to understand why he gives it to us and praise him for understanding the honor that he has bestowed upon man. Until then, the next session, my name once again is Philip Black, and this is Voice of Humanity signing off, and we hope to see you once again in the next session.
