Genesis 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."

Man was at once the offspring of heaven and earth. These are the generations of the heavens and the earth, and now God takes dust  -  man is of the earth and earthy  -  but God breathes into his nostrils the breath of life. Man is not only of the earth, but man is of heaven. 

There are 3 stages of creation given to us:

1) The creation of the world of matter:

"In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth" (Genesis 1:1).

2) The creation of life:

"And God created great whales, and every living creature that moveth, which the waters brought forth abundantly, after their kind, and every winged fowl after his kind: and God saw that it was good" (Genesis 1:21).

3) The creation of man with spiritual capacities:

"So God created man in His own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created He them" (Genesis 1:27).

These 3 phases find their conclusion in apostle Paul’s great statement:

"… your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ" (1 Thessalonians 5:23).

On the physical plane man is similar to the animal world. Man has two eyes, he has two ears, and he has a mouth, as also does the animal world, because both live in the same environment. This does not however prove that one evolved from the other but that on the physical side man was made of dust, as the Scripture says. On the psychological side he has a soul, the functional part of man with his drives and urges  -  which are too often depraved and perverted.

Then there is his spiritual side which came from God when God breathed into him the spirit of life. 

Man has a humble origin, and he has a high origin. 

He is both earthy and heavenly.

God created out of dust one in His own image, and He remembers that we are dust.  

All too often we forget this. 

The psalmist said, "I am fearfully and wonderfully made."

Man the creature was made a free, moral agent.

We have been given the right of choice between good and evil, which is essential to personality; otherwise we would be an automaton. Having been given this right of choice we were put to the test, not to prove we could commit a crime, but rather to test our obedience to God. 

And here we find that when the devil tempted man, instead of resisting, he listened. God could have made man an automaton, but He did not. So man was able to break from this divinely arranged fellowship. 

Man doubted God, denied His Word and disobeyed Him. 

Disaster came and man became depraved.

Genesis 3 is the most important chapter in the Bible in explaining the tragic fruits of disobedience, from the Garden of Eden through the centuries of man’s march to the present hour. This chapter draws a clear picture of the life of the town in which we live. 

In Genesis 1 and 2, we see man created and placed in the Garden of Eden. We read in chapter 3 which outlines our modern life, and we cannot but conclude that man is not in the Garden. 

Something tragic has happened  -  man disobeyed God. 

If we really want to know how great was that disobedience and how tragic the results, then  

listen to the Apostle Paul as he looked at the human story, and said:

Romans 21:1-24   "Because that, when they knew God, they glorified Him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened. 

Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools, and changed the glory of the uncorruptible God into an image made like to corruptible man, and to birds, and fourfooted beasts, and creeping things. 

Wherefore God also gave them up to uncleanness.…"

If we look around we will see that uncleanness all around.

When man fell, his disobedience plunged an entire race into sin.

Whether we consider man laboring with an implement of the Stone Age or see him  laboring  under the tensions and pressures of this push-button civilization, it is still true that it is 

" ... by the sweat of his face that he eats bread." 

It is God’s judgment upon man.

This is the human story. 

It is a sad story.

We find today that life is filled with irritations, annoyances, disappointments, and resentments. Peoples hearts are filled with frustrations, tensions, and complexes which can often lead a person to some high bridge or building to take the plunge to their death. It is a story of broken homes, hungry children, and neglected old people.  

The song of  Broadway is a theme in which the drunkard, the harlot, and the thief weave their way into the stream of honest people. 

The light of liberty is gone out. 

Bitterness and wrath are in the hearts of men; envy and hatred are among nations, and strife and gossip are in the house of God. 

Such is the human story. 

Scripture says:

"For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good, traitors, heady, highminded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God; having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof.… (2 Timothy 3:2-5).

But praise God that is not the final chapter. It is true that 

"by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin,"

but it is also true that

"   ...   as by the offence of one judgment came upon all men to condemnation, even so by the righteousness of One the free gift came upon all men unto justification of life" (Romans 5:18).

Today there stands a cross between us and the Garden of Eden. 

That cross is not  an ambulance sent to a wreck! 

The Lord Jesus Christ is the Lamb of God slain before the foundation of the world. 

The cross is not God’s second best; it is His very best. 

God closes the record of man’s fall with this verse:

"So He drove out the man; and He placed at the east of the garden of Eden Cherubims, and a flaming sword which turned every way, to keep the way of the tree of life. (Genesis 3:24).

The cherubim were not to block the way, but  

God was saying in effect, 

"In spite of man’s sin, I will keep the way of life open for him."

And before the curtain goes down on man’s little day, God lets us hear the strains of the finale, a mighty crescendo of praise  -  

"And they sung a new song, saying … Thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God by Thy blood out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation; and hast made us unto our God kings and priests: and we shall reign on the earth. (Revelation 5:9-10).

Now who are they?

"They" indicates that both the living creatures and the elders sing this song. 

The angelic hosts join the church in praise.

"Sing" (present tense) denotes the continuation of praise.

Praise is directed to the Lamb with the book. He is praised as the Redeemer.

"They" sing of His shed blood.

Our Lord Jesus said, 

"My sheep hear My voice."

This means clearly that there are 2 kinds of sheep in this world.

Those who are His and those who are not His.

But let us understand one thing: 

They are sheep and not goats; all are sheep in His eyes.

Now it is true that the nation Israel was spoken of in just that fashion back in the Old Testament. In 

Psalm 74,  we read this reference to the nation Israel: 

"O God, why hast thou cast us off forever? Why doth thine anger smoke against the sheep of thy pasture?"

This is the nation Israel. Then in 

Jeremiah 23:1: "Woe be unto the pastors that destroy and scatter the sheep of My pasture! saith the Lord." 

Here Jeremiah is speaking of the nation Israel.

In Christ’s day, when He was here upon the earth, it was true that the nation Israel was considered in Scripture as being in a particular way God’s sheep. 

The religious rulers, however, assumed that those of Israel were the only sheep that God  ever had or could have. 

That is where they made their blunder! 

The Lord is their Shepherd.

The Lord Jesus told them that He had "other" sheep that were not part of the flock of Israel.

"I am the good shepherd, and know My sheep, and am known of mine. As the Father knoweth Me, even so know I the Father: and I lay down My life for the sheep. And other sheep I have, which are not of this fold: them also I must bring, and they shall hear My voice; and there shall be one fold, and One shepherd" (John 10:14–16). 

The Lord is the Shepherd of Israel; 

He is also my Shepherd and yours  -  if we belong to Him.

Psalm 100:3   "Know ye that the Lord He is God: it is He that hath made us, and not we ourselves; we are His people, and the sheep of His pasture."

There are many people who do not know that the Lord is God. 

Many Christians are not aware of this fact. 

In the early Christian church when the first persecution broke out, the apostles came back to the church in Jerusalem and reported what was happening. Their report moved the church to pray, and they began their prayer by saying,

"Lord, Thou art God …" (Acts 4:24). 

Someone may say,

"That is easy to say." 

Yes,

but the question is, 

Do you believe it today? 

There are many Christians who act as if He is not God.

"It is He that hath made us, and not we ourselves"  -  

God is the Creator. 

We ought to worship Him because He is the Creator! He made this universe!

Not only do we worship Him as Creator, but "we are His people, and the sheep of His pasture." 

How do we become a sheep? 

We must be redeemed. 

This is a case where the Shepherd died for the sheep; 

the sheep did not die for this Shepherd. 

God made for us the plan of salvation.

God knows everything that’s actual and possible.

He not only knows the plan He is working on today, but He chose this plan because it is the very best plan. 

He knows the end from the beginning, and He chose this plan because it was the best one; that’s what omniscience means.

In our attempt to bring God into focus, consider this very carefully: 

We were in the plan of God. 

The very fact that we exist today means that in eternity past we were in the mind of God. 

David wrote:

Psalm 139:13-16   "For You have formed my inward parts; You have covered me in my mother’s womb. I will praise You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made; marvelous are Your works, and that my soul knows very well. 

My frame was not hidden from You, when I was made in secret, and skillfully wrought in the lowest parts of the earth. 

Your eyes saw my substance, being yet unformed. And in Your book they all were written, the days fashioned for me, when as yet there were none of them."

Such knowledge is too wonderful for me! 

The One who counts the hairs on your head, the One who knows you as no one else does, can say this to you: 

John 5:24   "Most assuredly, I say to you, he who hears My Word and believes in Him who sent Me has everlasting life, and shall not come into judgment, but has passed from death into life."

In "he who hears My Word," he is generic, meaning any human being. Well, you are a human being and you are hearing it right now. After reading this passage you cannot say that you never heard it. You did! 

"He who hears My Word and believes in Him who sent Me" -  that’s where you come in. 

He has provided an opportunity for you to believe.

It is now up to you; the responsibility is all yours.

Isaiah 55:1  "Ho! Everyone who thirsts, come to the waters."

"Just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love"  (Ephesians 1:4).

Our Lord said,

John 10:16   "And other sheep I have, which are not of this fold: them also I must bring, and they shall hear My voice; and there shall be One fold, and One Shepherd."

The important issue is 

to know the Lord Jesus Christ.

Do you hear His voice; do you know the Shepherd?

There is no other Shepherd like this One. 

The Son of God gave His life for His sheep.

There is a limitation.

You must thirst. 

Are you thirsty?

Do you desire what God has to offer you?

You can walk away and say,

"I want none of that!" 

It is up to you, it is your business. 

God has made a way for you. 

The Son of God says,

Revelation 3:20   "Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and dine with him, and he with Me."

Anyone  -  that is you dear reader. You can open the door, but you yourself have to do it. Or you can leave the door shut. You can even slam it in His face. He lets you do that now, but someday the opportunity to turn to the Savior will end.

God permitted His only begotten Son to die in order that you and I, guilty as we are, could be saved.

Behold me standing at the door,
and hear me pleading evermore,
With gentle voice: O heart of sin,
May I come in? May I come in?

Chorus:

Behold Me standing at the door,
and hear me pleading evermore:
say, weary heart, oppressed with sin,
may I come in? May I come in?

I bore the cruel thorns for thee,
I waited long and patiently:
Say, weary heart, oppressed with sin,
May I come in? May I come in? Refrain

I would not plead with thee in vain;
Remember all my grief and pain!
I died to ransom thee from sin,
May I come in? May I come in? Refrain

I bring thee joy from heaven above,
I bring thee pardon, peace, and love:
Say, weary heart, oppressed with sin,
May I come in? May I come in?

Thanks: Cyber Hymnal

Most Gracious God, Abba Father,  Thank You for creating me before the foundation of the world. Thank you for sending the Lord Jesus Your only begotten Son into this world to die in my guilty room and stead. Thank You Lord Jesus that You came. Father,  I do believe that Jesus Christ is very God and I accept the gift of salvation. Father I have nothing at all to offer You for this glorious gift and I desire to lay my life down before You this day and trust You to begin Your work of salvation in my life. Father I want to be obedient and I ask You to fill me with Your Holy Spirit. Please help me Lord Jesus not to yield to temptation but to call out for help each time I feel myself begin to fall. Father I need Thee,  Lord Jesus never leave me 24/7. Thank You for Your promise in Your Word that You will not ever leave nor forsake Your sheep and that You never slumber nor sleep. Please help me at all times to hear Your voice and teach me Your way O Lord. I ask this in Jesus precious name.

Amen!

Hark, sinner, while God from on high doth entreat thee; 

And warnings with accents of mercy do blend; 

Give ear to His voice, lest in judgment He meet thee; 

"The harvest is passing, the summer will end." 

"The harvest is passing, the summer will end."

How oft of thy danger and guilt He hath told thee! 

How oft still the message of mercy doth send! 

Hast, haste, while He waits in His arms to enfold thee; 

"The harvest is passing, the summer will end." 

"The harvest is passing, the summer will end." 

Despised and rejected, at length He may leave thee: 

What anguish and horror thy bosom will rend! 

Then, haste thee, O sinner, while He will receive thee; 

"The harvest is passing, the summer will end." 

"The harvest is passing the summer will end."

Ere long, and Jehovah will come in His power; 

Our God will arise, with His foes to contend: 

Haste, haste thee, O sinner! prepare for that hour; 

"The harvest is passing, the summer will end." 

"The harvest is passing, the summer will end."

Special Thanks:  Enos E. Dowling Hymnal Collection

Amen! 

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THIS PAGE UPDATED:  7-10-2008.