By Emily Wooten
Humans were positioned by God, in authority over the earth and other living creatures to manage and nurture God’s creation.
Genesis 1:26-28 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 creeps upon the earth. So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them. 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.
The relationship established between humans and all living creatures was for humans to manage and care for the earth and all living creatures. God gave specific instructions to humans as to what they should and should not do.
Human was warned that the tree of the knowledge of good and evil was prohibited. Eating that fruit results in separation from God, who is the source of life. Separation from the source of life and light results in eternal death and darkness.
Genesis 2:15-17 And the Lord God took the man, and put him into the garden of Eden to dress it and to keep it. And the Lord God commanded the man, saying, Of every tree of the garden you may freely eat: But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, you shall not eat of it: for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die.
God created humans male and female. He placed humans named Adam and Eve in a beautiful garden called Eden. Adam named the animals and cared for the garden.
Genesis 3:1-7 (Paraphrased) There was a sly creature in the garden called the serpent. Serpent asked the human Eve, “Did God say you shall not eat of every tree in the garden? Eve replied, “We may eat of the fruit of the trees of the garden: but of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God has said, ‘You shall not eat of it, neither shall you touch it, lest you die.’” The serpent lied to Eve and challenged what God said. He told Eve she would not die. Instead, she would become like God, knowing good and evil. Eve took the fruit and gave it to her husband. They ate the fruit and that was when separation from eternal life happened to all humans. Because of the first human’s disobedience, all humans inherited separation from God.
Romans 5:12 Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned:
Humans are born into sin because the grandfather of all humans, Adam sinned and gave dominion of the earth to the serpent who was Satan.
Later when God came to the garden in the cool of the day, Adam and Eve heard his voice and hid from him. Sin or disobedience entered and death began working on humans. The human Adam gave his authority in this earth to Satan when he chose to disobey God. Thank God for Jesus!
John 3:16-17 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.