WEBVTT 00:00:01.679 --> 00:00:05.599 Welcome to NECF. We're thrilled you're here. 00:00:06.320 --> 00:00:09.339 Make sure to stay with us till the end, where 00:00:09.339 --> 00:00:12.199 we'll share some great resources to deepen your 00:00:12.199 --> 00:00:16.179 faith. Now, let's dive into this week's sermon. 00:00:21.739 --> 00:00:24.879 Genesis chapter 1, let's read from verse 26. 00:00:25.199 --> 00:00:29.839 Then God said, let us make man in our image. 00:00:30.589 --> 00:00:34.689 According to our likeness, let them have dominion 00:00:34.689 --> 00:00:39.509 over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the 00:00:39.509 --> 00:00:43.649 air, and over the cattle, over all the earth, 00:00:43.950 --> 00:00:49.189 and over every creeping thing that creeps on 00:00:49.189 --> 00:00:54.210 the earth. Verse 27. So God created man in his 00:00:54.210 --> 00:01:00.250 own image, in the image of God. He created him 00:01:00.250 --> 00:01:08.069 male and female. He created them. So last Sunday, 00:01:08.930 --> 00:01:13.829 we began our study on this matter. And we tried 00:01:13.829 --> 00:01:19.609 to look at how initially we interpret these texts. 00:01:20.030 --> 00:01:26.310 And we saw that particularly true interpretation. 00:01:26.549 --> 00:01:31.609 And we saw why. We may be missing some things 00:01:31.609 --> 00:01:38.709 if we go that way. And so, actually, the essence 00:01:38.709 --> 00:01:41.590 of this part of the teaching is to understand, 00:01:41.689 --> 00:01:46.090 essentially, what is the image of God? What is 00:01:46.090 --> 00:01:48.310 the image? So, whatever we're going to do, the 00:01:48.310 --> 00:01:52.530 end goal is to arrive at a point where we can 00:01:52.530 --> 00:01:56.909 specifically define what the image of God is. 00:01:57.239 --> 00:02:01.000 And that would help us to know that the image 00:02:01.000 --> 00:02:05.000 of God, it will even help us to know what Jesus 00:02:05.000 --> 00:02:11.659 was trying to point out when the Pharisee, I 00:02:11.659 --> 00:02:13.819 mean, yes, the Pharisee asked him concerning 00:02:13.819 --> 00:02:18.000 divorce. And then he pointed them back to this 00:02:18.000 --> 00:02:22.139 text. So I want you to note something. The first 00:02:22.139 --> 00:02:27.469 thing that God said. about man. Isaiah says, 00:02:27.750 --> 00:02:33.969 let us make him in our image. In our image. That's 00:02:33.969 --> 00:02:37.770 what in our image, verse 26. Then God said, let 00:02:37.770 --> 00:02:45.050 us make man in our image. Now by saying man in 00:02:45.050 --> 00:02:50.750 our image, God gives an identity. Please follow 00:02:50.750 --> 00:02:56.939 me gradually. I am begging you to pay attention. 00:02:57.300 --> 00:03:00.979 You know, sometimes it pains me when I understand 00:03:00.979 --> 00:03:03.860 that some of us at the back of our camera were 00:03:03.860 --> 00:03:06.060 just playing. I don't know whether I'm still 00:03:06.060 --> 00:03:09.699 interested in online search. I mean, I don't 00:03:09.699 --> 00:03:18.840 know. So, okay. So, it's verse 26. Now, by saying 00:03:18.840 --> 00:03:25.469 man in our image, God... gives or he gave man 00:03:25.469 --> 00:03:31.430 an identity different from created things before 00:03:31.430 --> 00:03:35.229 him. You know, there are many things which have 00:03:35.229 --> 00:03:39.110 been created, but man now came into the picture, 00:03:39.229 --> 00:03:44.110 but not as other created things. He said, let 00:03:44.110 --> 00:03:47.289 us make man in our image, which means that man 00:03:47.289 --> 00:03:51.389 have a different identity. than other created 00:03:51.389 --> 00:03:54.590 things. And I want you to note very, very well 00:03:54.590 --> 00:03:59.849 here. Man, look at verse 26, particularly verse 00:03:59.849 --> 00:04:03.189 27, look at verse 27. He says, so God created 00:04:03.189 --> 00:04:06.750 man in his own image, in the image of God, he 00:04:06.750 --> 00:04:12.530 created him male and female, male and female. 00:04:13.229 --> 00:04:19.339 And I want you to know that male and female you 00:04:19.339 --> 00:04:24.079 understand, is man. That is, man is male and 00:04:24.079 --> 00:04:26.500 female. So I want you to know that. Don't forget 00:04:26.500 --> 00:04:30.339 that. We're coming to it. Again, that male and 00:04:30.339 --> 00:04:33.600 female are all in the image of God. They are 00:04:33.600 --> 00:04:35.540 all in the image of God. So it means, therefore, 00:04:35.740 --> 00:04:41.800 that God is saying the male is just like the 00:04:41.800 --> 00:04:48.199 female. Or we can say the male man is just like 00:04:49.040 --> 00:04:51.639 The female man is just like the female man. So, 00:04:51.680 --> 00:04:56.600 and from now, I want you to be acquainted with 00:04:56.600 --> 00:04:59.079 Bible words. You know, some people, I think when 00:04:59.079 --> 00:05:01.519 we are dealing, I think last time when we were 00:05:01.519 --> 00:05:03.620 talking about understanding the Bible, I made 00:05:03.620 --> 00:05:07.160 mention about a particular translation that is 00:05:07.160 --> 00:05:11.439 trying to bring these gender guards, you understand, 00:05:11.519 --> 00:05:15.529 into the scripture. They try to see how... Instead 00:05:15.529 --> 00:05:18.370 of saying sons, you now say sons and daughters. 00:05:18.649 --> 00:05:22.589 I mean, we don't need to do that because if you 00:05:22.589 --> 00:05:25.470 interpret the Bible well, you understand. Because 00:05:25.470 --> 00:05:29.790 don't bring social issues into the Bible. Handle 00:05:29.790 --> 00:05:33.769 things sociologically, psychologically, scientifically. 00:05:34.490 --> 00:05:36.649 Settle them. They have a way of settling themselves. 00:05:37.129 --> 00:05:40.050 Don't bring them into the Word of God. You understand? 00:05:40.569 --> 00:05:44.709 Now... Note, as we said, man here does not mean 00:05:44.709 --> 00:05:50.689 the male. No, it means male and female. Now, 00:05:50.810 --> 00:05:54.550 we have seen that also used in the New Testament. 00:05:54.629 --> 00:05:57.910 Sometimes you'll be wondering, you know, I mean, 00:05:57.930 --> 00:06:02.449 for example, 2 Timothy 3, verse 16 and 17, it 00:06:02.449 --> 00:06:07.029 says that all scriptures is given by the inspiration 00:06:07.029 --> 00:06:13.069 of God and is profitable. for doctrine, for reproof, 00:06:13.069 --> 00:06:16.889 for correction, for training in righteousness. 00:06:17.670 --> 00:06:22.769 What Servetus says, he said that the man of God, 00:06:23.269 --> 00:06:27.649 don't miss it and say, oh, what about woman of 00:06:27.649 --> 00:06:32.209 God? Remember again, man is male and female. 00:06:32.290 --> 00:06:35.370 That word, I think, is anthroposed in Greek. 00:06:35.509 --> 00:06:41.860 By the time if you get the... If you do that, 00:06:41.879 --> 00:06:44.019 you understand that he's talking about what we 00:06:44.019 --> 00:06:46.920 will be talking about now also. So he's talking 00:06:46.920 --> 00:06:51.639 about human beings, not the male man. Are we 00:06:51.639 --> 00:06:55.920 together? Hallelujah. So, and the question is 00:06:55.920 --> 00:07:01.540 that, is the male and female we read in Genesis 00:07:01.540 --> 00:07:08.120 1, 26 and 27, talking about Adam and Eve? Adam 00:07:08.120 --> 00:07:11.740 and Eve. Now, first, I want you to know that 00:07:11.740 --> 00:07:14.540 just like we noted that the man there, well, 00:07:14.660 --> 00:07:18.839 the word man there is Adam. You know, most times, 00:07:18.939 --> 00:07:23.740 each time we mention Adam, many people just, 00:07:23.819 --> 00:07:26.379 the first thing, we just go to first man. It 00:07:26.379 --> 00:07:30.319 could be because you can use a general word for 00:07:30.319 --> 00:07:34.360 a single person. For example, you can say, I 00:07:34.360 --> 00:07:40.490 met with a man today. You understand? If you 00:07:40.490 --> 00:07:44.110 talk, I mean, if you are speaking in Bible language, 00:07:44.370 --> 00:07:47.649 it doesn't mean that you meet with a male man. 00:07:48.129 --> 00:07:50.689 So, but that doesn't mean that, again, I cannot 00:07:50.689 --> 00:07:53.310 use that for a male man. You understand? There's 00:07:53.310 --> 00:07:58.129 a way I can say there were 70 human beings. You 00:07:58.129 --> 00:08:00.730 understand? There are 70 human beings. Now, you 00:08:00.730 --> 00:08:04.970 are not human being, or a human being means Adam, 00:08:05.110 --> 00:08:09.839 or it means... A man, you understand, anthropos 00:08:09.839 --> 00:08:15.779 in Greek, man, or Adam. Are we together? Man, 00:08:16.000 --> 00:08:20.220 Adam, you understand, in Hebrew. So the point 00:08:20.220 --> 00:08:23.680 is that when we see, when we hear man, which 00:08:23.680 --> 00:08:29.019 means in Hebrew, Adam, it means actually mankind. 00:08:29.399 --> 00:08:34.100 It means mankind. It means all human beings, 00:08:34.179 --> 00:08:38.539 all human beings, you understand. So, it is also 00:08:38.539 --> 00:08:42.480 used, just like I said, it is also used in Genesis 00:08:42.480 --> 00:08:45.980 to refer to the male, man, you understand. But 00:08:45.980 --> 00:08:51.360 actually, it means mankind. So, in context, it 00:08:51.360 --> 00:08:55.600 means mankind is male and female. So, definitely, 00:08:55.899 --> 00:08:59.720 and I want us to read, because let's read 26 00:08:59.720 --> 00:09:15.830 again. And you see, he says 26, Now, note that 00:09:15.830 --> 00:09:21.970 we'll let them have dominion over the fish of 00:09:21.970 --> 00:09:26.950 the sea. over the birds of the air. Now, if you're 00:09:26.950 --> 00:09:29.690 talking about air, this is not air in Cyprus. 00:09:29.929 --> 00:09:31.889 You have to think about air. It's okay about 00:09:31.889 --> 00:09:35.049 air because by the time you read to the end, 00:09:35.110 --> 00:09:38.809 it said on the earth. So it's talking about the 00:09:38.809 --> 00:09:42.450 entire earth, not just in Cyprus or not just 00:09:42.450 --> 00:09:46.629 in a particular area. So the fish of the sea, 00:09:46.830 --> 00:09:51.509 you rig it on earth, birds on earth, cattle on 00:09:51.509 --> 00:10:21.960 earth. You understand? Look at verse 28. over 00:10:21.960 --> 00:10:26.159 every living thing that moved on the earth. So 00:10:26.159 --> 00:10:29.720 you can look at the influence in the earth. God 00:10:29.720 --> 00:10:33.700 could not have been talking to two people. God 00:10:33.700 --> 00:10:35.759 could not have been talking to two people. Remember 00:10:35.759 --> 00:10:38.840 how we said Adam is mankind. Are we together? 00:10:39.100 --> 00:10:44.320 So what he's trying to say is that God is talking 00:10:44.320 --> 00:10:49.649 about mankind, not just two people. Not just 00:10:49.649 --> 00:10:53.429 two people. He's talking about mankind. And if 00:10:53.429 --> 00:10:55.690 you look at it, Adam just had, I mean, the ones 00:10:55.690 --> 00:10:58.909 we know their name. Adam had three children. 00:10:59.710 --> 00:11:02.649 Are we together? Cain, Abel, and Seth, which 00:11:02.649 --> 00:11:05.269 we know. Cain, if you read Genesis 4, 1, you 00:11:05.269 --> 00:11:09.789 see Cain. Verse 2 of Genesis 4, you see Abel. 00:11:09.789 --> 00:11:14.929 Verse 25 of Genesis chapter 4, you see Seth. 00:11:15.049 --> 00:11:18.620 And also chapter 5, verse 3. Of course. In chapter 00:11:18.620 --> 00:11:23.480 5 of Genesis verse 4, you hear also Adam had 00:11:23.480 --> 00:11:28.779 other sons and daughters. He had other sons and 00:11:28.779 --> 00:11:31.159 daughters. But remember, God is not just talking 00:11:31.159 --> 00:11:34.220 to two people. He's talking to mankind. So he 00:11:34.220 --> 00:11:36.279 couldn't have talked, even if you look at it 00:11:36.279 --> 00:11:40.740 as he's talking to just the ones Adam gave birth 00:11:40.740 --> 00:11:45.639 to. I mean, how could God have done, I mean, 00:11:45.659 --> 00:11:49.700 spoke about all these? That is what he intends 00:11:49.700 --> 00:11:55.419 mankind to do on the earth. He could not have 00:11:55.419 --> 00:11:59.440 been just two people. I mean, sorry, maybe let's 00:11:59.440 --> 00:12:03.500 see, even if it's 50 or 60, how many are we in 00:12:03.500 --> 00:12:06.360 Cyprus? Can you be able to cover all the earth? 00:12:07.559 --> 00:12:11.139 So he could not have been talking to two people. 00:12:11.259 --> 00:12:14.580 So it's really God is talking to mankind, just 00:12:14.580 --> 00:12:16.799 like we said. Now, I make you appreciate that. 00:12:17.279 --> 00:12:20.399 The word Adam means mankind. Therefore, male 00:12:20.399 --> 00:12:25.419 and female are not referring to Adam and Eve 00:12:25.419 --> 00:12:28.500 alone, but they are included when talking to 00:12:28.500 --> 00:12:33.860 mankind. Now, what is image? What is image? Now, 00:12:34.019 --> 00:12:36.500 since we now understand that he's talking about 00:12:36.500 --> 00:12:41.059 mankind, what is image? What is image? The word 00:12:41.059 --> 00:12:47.000 image is Salem. The word image is Salem. Salem 00:12:47.000 --> 00:12:56.720 is S -E -L -E -M. S -E -L -E -M. Salem means 00:12:56.720 --> 00:13:01.740 a representative figure. It means a representative 00:13:01.740 --> 00:13:07.919 figure or a form. Something that represents something. 00:13:08.100 --> 00:13:13.659 A representative figure in Hebrew. That word 00:13:13.659 --> 00:13:18.600 Salem. Now, if you look at that text, for example, 00:13:18.600 --> 00:13:22.379 you will see another term, our likeness. That 00:13:22.379 --> 00:13:25.580 is not just image. It says, let us make man in 00:13:25.580 --> 00:13:30.500 our image according to our likeness. Are we together? 00:13:30.659 --> 00:13:36.080 According to our likeness. That word likeness 00:13:36.080 --> 00:13:42.679 is bemut. Bemut means, bemut in Hebrew is D -E 00:13:42.679 --> 00:13:51.620 -M -U -T. D -E -M -U -T. It's actually the same 00:13:51.620 --> 00:13:57.460 thing as philem. It means a representation or 00:13:57.460 --> 00:14:00.879 representative. It means a model, I mean, or 00:14:00.879 --> 00:14:04.740 a resemblance. So it's actually the same thing. 00:14:05.000 --> 00:14:10.019 I want you to read Genesis chapter 5, verse 3. 00:14:10.080 --> 00:14:14.669 You see that used... they're used together to 00:14:14.669 --> 00:14:18.029 mean the same thing in reference to Seth, the 00:14:18.029 --> 00:14:23.409 son of Adam. He said, and Adam lived 130 years 00:14:23.409 --> 00:14:29.909 and begot his son in his own likeness after his 00:14:29.909 --> 00:14:32.690 image. You understand? Which means, or you can 00:14:32.690 --> 00:14:36.149 read it this way, that in his own likeness, which 00:14:36.149 --> 00:14:39.590 is after his image, you understand, and name 00:14:39.590 --> 00:14:44.200 him Seth. So actually, Whether you say likeness 00:14:44.200 --> 00:14:47.600 or image, you are talking about the same thing. 00:14:47.899 --> 00:14:52.200 So to understand this word image, how it is used, 00:14:52.399 --> 00:14:56.559 remember how we did with rip, how we also did 00:14:56.559 --> 00:15:01.379 with the bones of my bones. We went through also 00:15:01.379 --> 00:15:04.820 the teaching material of Moses because Moses 00:15:04.820 --> 00:15:08.019 was the one who first used these words. So we 00:15:08.019 --> 00:15:10.580 want to understand what did Moses mean when he 00:15:10.580 --> 00:15:13.460 was using the word. And so we will read through 00:15:13.460 --> 00:15:19.679 the Moses teaching materials and look at that. 00:15:19.740 --> 00:15:22.519 And if possible, maybe look at other texts because 00:15:22.519 --> 00:15:25.519 remember we said all the other prophets also 00:15:25.519 --> 00:15:29.820 read from Moses and taught from Moses. Are we 00:15:29.820 --> 00:15:34.019 together? So we will read also maybe to see how 00:15:34.019 --> 00:15:40.139 other prophets use the same word, that word Salem. 00:15:41.100 --> 00:15:44.399 I will, first and foremost, I just read chapter 00:15:44.399 --> 00:15:49.840 5, verse 3. We're coming back to this text. There's 00:15:49.840 --> 00:15:53.360 another text in Genesis chapter 9. We're not 00:15:53.360 --> 00:15:55.320 going to read it now because we're going to return 00:15:55.320 --> 00:15:57.700 to it. There's a lot of story we need to do with 00:15:57.700 --> 00:16:02.279 that text. And I want us to just jump to Numbers 00:16:02.279 --> 00:16:09.960 chapter 33. Numbers 33, verse 52. Numbers 33. 00:16:11.149 --> 00:16:16.289 Verse 52. Let's first look at how Moses used 00:16:16.289 --> 00:16:21.730 that word. Numbers 33, 52. Then you shall drive 00:16:21.730 --> 00:16:25.470 out all the inhabitants of the land from before 00:16:25.470 --> 00:16:30.090 you. Destroy all their engraved stones. Destroy 00:16:30.090 --> 00:16:35.269 all their molded images. That word images is 00:16:35.269 --> 00:16:42.299 selim. And demolish all... are their high places. 00:16:42.820 --> 00:16:47.740 Note that the word high places actually are places 00:16:47.740 --> 00:16:51.220 of idol worship. They are elevated places like 00:16:51.220 --> 00:16:53.639 a hill. Normally, those of us that have been 00:16:53.639 --> 00:16:55.539 following us and reading the Bible in the air, 00:16:55.559 --> 00:16:58.460 we must have read a lot of places. And if you 00:16:58.460 --> 00:17:00.740 have not, probably you have heard our man, what 00:17:00.740 --> 00:17:05.599 is his name? Patrick from Edu, who used to quote 00:17:05.599 --> 00:17:12.359 that Bible popularly. The beauty of Israel is 00:17:12.359 --> 00:17:16.299 slain upon the high places, how the mighty are 00:17:16.299 --> 00:17:19.539 fallen, telling not in God, publishing not in 00:17:19.539 --> 00:17:22.180 the streets of Ashkelon, lest the daughter of 00:17:22.180 --> 00:17:23.839 the Philistine rejoice, and lest the daughter 00:17:23.839 --> 00:17:25.960 of the uncircumcised triumph. And he will start, 00:17:26.079 --> 00:17:28.900 Master Speaker, I believe some of us that have 00:17:28.900 --> 00:17:31.380 been following, we know. So when he said the 00:17:31.380 --> 00:17:33.299 beauty of Israel is slain upon the high places, 00:17:33.480 --> 00:17:35.920 high places are just innovative places where 00:17:35.920 --> 00:17:39.509 then in those days, Israel used those for idol 00:17:39.509 --> 00:17:42.289 worship anyway. The inhabitants of the land normally 00:17:42.289 --> 00:17:44.470 used them. So they would go on top of a mountain 00:17:44.470 --> 00:17:47.869 or hill and build all those places of where you 00:17:47.869 --> 00:17:50.490 worship idols. So I want you to see that they 00:17:50.490 --> 00:17:54.150 say molded images. So they say form. They molded 00:17:54.150 --> 00:17:57.009 something in the sense to represent something. 00:17:57.369 --> 00:18:00.170 Are we together? Look at 1 Samuel chapter 6. 00:18:00.390 --> 00:18:05.369 1 Samuel chapter 6 verse 5. 1 Samuel chapter 00:18:05.369 --> 00:18:39.299 6. Verse 5. He says, You understand? So you can 00:18:39.299 --> 00:18:44.400 see that now images of tumor, images of rat is 00:18:44.400 --> 00:18:49.240 a pattern. They've understood that. Those images 00:18:49.240 --> 00:18:53.140 represent something. You understand? They represent 00:18:53.140 --> 00:18:58.480 something. So the representative is what we call 00:18:58.480 --> 00:19:04.680 as image. 1 Kings chapter 11 verse 18. 1 Kings. 00:19:06.410 --> 00:19:11.869 11, 18. Then they arose from Midian and came 00:19:11.869 --> 00:19:15.650 to Parham, and they took men with them from Parham 00:19:15.650 --> 00:19:18.250 and came to Egypt. Am I reading the right place? 00:19:19.170 --> 00:19:23.369 Verse 18. Sorry, let me check that text. Maybe 00:19:23.369 --> 00:19:27.069 I missed that text. Okay, it's 2nd. It's supposed 00:19:27.069 --> 00:19:30.890 to be 2nd. 2nd Kings, sorry. 2nd Kings. It's 00:19:30.890 --> 00:19:35.619 supposed to be 2nd Kings. 11. verse 18. And all 00:19:35.619 --> 00:19:39.259 the people of the land went to the temple of 00:19:39.259 --> 00:19:44.900 Baal and tore it down. They thoroughly broke 00:19:44.900 --> 00:19:51.940 in pieces its altar and images and killed Muthan 00:19:51.940 --> 00:19:55.619 and priest of Baal before the altar and the priest 00:19:55.619 --> 00:19:59.619 appointed officers over the house of the Lord. 00:20:00.109 --> 00:20:02.910 So, again, you can see. Now, I want you to see 00:20:02.910 --> 00:20:06.609 that images is in relation to temple. Because 00:20:06.609 --> 00:20:11.789 you can't, I'll show you, again, some words. 00:20:11.930 --> 00:20:16.250 Let's go, maybe I'll talk about that more. Verse 00:20:16.250 --> 00:20:19.809 is 2 Chronicles, the next text, 2 Chronicles 00:20:19.809 --> 00:20:27.029 23, verse, 2 Chronicles, sorry, not 3, 23, verse 00:20:27.029 --> 00:20:34.670 17. 2 Chronicles 23 verse 17. 23 verse 17. And 00:20:34.670 --> 00:20:39.630 all the people went to the temple of Baals and 00:20:39.630 --> 00:20:43.690 tore it down. They broke in pieces its altars 00:20:43.690 --> 00:20:47.829 and images. Again, its images. I want you to 00:20:47.829 --> 00:20:51.150 know that these images are in relation to temple. 00:20:51.410 --> 00:20:56.460 And kill Mutan. You understand? and the priest 00:20:56.460 --> 00:20:59.240 of Baals before the altar. Just the same as we 00:20:59.240 --> 00:21:04.559 read in 2 Kings. And go to Psalm 39. Psalm 39, 00:21:04.960 --> 00:21:12.240 verse 6. Psalm 39, verse 6. Surely every man 00:21:12.240 --> 00:21:16.559 walks about like a shadow. Surely they busy themselves 00:21:16.559 --> 00:21:20.299 in vain. He heaps up riches and does not know. 00:21:20.970 --> 00:21:23.809 Who will gather them? I miss this scripture. 00:21:24.109 --> 00:21:32.349 Look at 73 verse 20. 73 verse 20. Psalm 73 verse 00:21:32.349 --> 00:21:37.809 20. I said, dream when one awakes, so the Lord, 00:21:37.890 --> 00:21:41.630 when you awake, you will despise their images. 00:21:42.089 --> 00:21:49.400 Not what images there is salame. Look at Ezekiel. 00:21:49.400 --> 00:21:55.660 Look at Ezekiel 7 verse 20. Ezekiel 7 verse 20. 00:21:55.859 --> 00:22:00.579 As for the beauty of his ornament, he set it 00:22:00.579 --> 00:22:05.339 in majesty. But they made it the images of their 00:22:05.339 --> 00:22:08.859 abomination, their detestable things. Therefore, 00:22:09.019 --> 00:22:13.160 I have made it like refuse of things. I want 00:22:13.160 --> 00:22:16.200 you to know that what images of their abomination 00:22:16.200 --> 00:22:19.400 and detestable things. So which means that the 00:22:19.400 --> 00:22:23.720 images represent something that is their abomination 00:22:23.720 --> 00:22:29.259 and their detestable things. Go to Ezekiel 23. 00:22:29.599 --> 00:22:33.339 Just move ahead a little bit. Ezekiel 23 verse 00:22:33.339 --> 00:22:39.029 14. Ezekiel 23 verse 14. But she increased her 00:22:39.029 --> 00:22:43.130 lot. She looked at men portrayed on the world. 00:22:43.950 --> 00:22:50.470 Images of Chaldeans portrayed in Vermilion. Again, 00:22:50.589 --> 00:22:53.849 I want you to note that images of Chaldeans. 00:22:54.549 --> 00:22:58.470 Did you see that? So which means that these images 00:22:58.470 --> 00:23:02.990 are something that they portrayed. Or represent. 00:23:03.309 --> 00:23:06.500 They represent. something. Now, Amos chapter 00:23:06.500 --> 00:23:10.000 5, that's the last scripture that we have. Amos 00:23:10.000 --> 00:23:15.640 chapter 5. Look at verse 26. He said, you also 00:23:15.640 --> 00:23:21.119 carried Silco, your king, and Chium, your idol. 00:23:21.220 --> 00:23:26.480 Actually, the name looked like an idol. Chium, 00:23:26.619 --> 00:23:33.019 your idol, the star of your God, which you made. 00:23:33.500 --> 00:23:36.480 for yourself. So I want you to know that word 00:23:36.480 --> 00:23:40.539 idol means image, salem. It's the same word with 00:23:40.539 --> 00:23:45.180 image, salem. So in other words, an idol is an 00:23:45.180 --> 00:23:51.920 image of the gods. That's why it says you and 00:23:51.920 --> 00:23:59.920 your idols, the star of your gods, which you 00:23:59.920 --> 00:24:04.319 made. for yourself. So what can we see in how, 00:24:04.480 --> 00:24:10.519 this is how the writers of the Bible use it. 00:24:10.660 --> 00:24:14.619 So we can see that how the writers of the Bible 00:24:14.619 --> 00:24:19.119 use the word Salem is as a representative or 00:24:19.119 --> 00:24:23.400 representative figure of something. Like in the 00:24:23.400 --> 00:24:26.859 last text we saw, you understand, an idol. So 00:24:26.859 --> 00:24:29.930 in this ancient time they use it. as something, 00:24:30.029 --> 00:24:40.450 a representation or a representative of an unseen 00:24:40.450 --> 00:24:42.730 God or deity. You understand what I'm saying? 00:24:42.849 --> 00:24:46.589 Or deity. So an image, we can then define that 00:24:46.589 --> 00:24:51.710 an image is a concrete, tangible expression or 00:24:51.710 --> 00:24:57.829 representative figure of something. that is not 00:24:57.829 --> 00:25:01.009 seen or something unseen. Now, when you go back 00:25:01.009 --> 00:25:08.289 to Genesis 1, Genesis 1, verse 27, if you look 00:25:08.289 --> 00:25:12.190 at verse 27, it says, so God created. Now, this 00:25:12.190 --> 00:25:16.250 is used in reference to God, not in reference 00:25:16.250 --> 00:25:22.609 to gods or other things we see they use image 00:25:22.609 --> 00:25:30.099 for. Now, God created man in his own image. In 00:25:30.099 --> 00:25:34.720 the image of God, he created him, male and female. 00:25:34.819 --> 00:25:40.359 He created them. So, that word, God created man 00:25:40.359 --> 00:25:42.980 in his own image. Now, since we now understand 00:25:42.980 --> 00:25:46.559 that image is representative. Which means that 00:25:46.559 --> 00:25:52.759 man is a representative figure of an unseen or 00:25:52.759 --> 00:25:55.180 invisible God. Let me come back, come again. 00:25:55.440 --> 00:25:59.960 So, Salem, we can then explain it as the image 00:25:59.960 --> 00:26:03.900 is the representative figure. Or we can say man, 00:26:04.240 --> 00:26:08.759 because our focus is man, man is the representative 00:26:08.759 --> 00:26:16.500 figure of an unseen God or an... invisible God, 00:26:16.700 --> 00:26:21.319 a representative figure. Now, I want you to note 00:26:21.319 --> 00:26:24.140 something before I move here. Pay attention now. 00:26:24.299 --> 00:26:29.259 Now, in that Genesis, verse 26 and 27, we can 00:26:29.259 --> 00:26:31.720 therefore, from all this understanding we have 00:26:31.720 --> 00:26:34.319 now, you know, in this place, when you look at 00:26:34.319 --> 00:26:39.160 it, it says that word in our image. Now, And 00:26:39.160 --> 00:26:44.000 I want you to do that. When you look at our other 00:26:44.000 --> 00:26:46.319 Bible resources, you understand, in wanting to 00:26:46.319 --> 00:26:51.119 take the word in Hebrew, in the original, you 00:26:51.119 --> 00:26:55.859 will see that that word in our image, is that 00:26:55.859 --> 00:27:00.180 a word? A phrase, rather. In our image is what 00:27:00.180 --> 00:27:03.579 is referred to the Salem. Actually, Salem is 00:27:03.579 --> 00:27:08.059 the image. But you see, that word in our was... 00:27:08.240 --> 00:27:11.660 like an addition, you understand, all together. 00:27:11.920 --> 00:27:13.720 So that because when you are reading it in English, 00:27:13.759 --> 00:27:15.920 so that it can make sense. Not that you say, 00:27:16.099 --> 00:27:21.220 so God created man image. Do you understand what 00:27:21.220 --> 00:27:24.079 I'm saying? You get what I'm saying. So you say 00:27:24.079 --> 00:27:26.980 in our image. So what that means is that also 00:27:26.980 --> 00:27:29.799 when you read 27, you will discover both when 00:27:29.799 --> 00:27:33.740 you check whether BibleHawk or BLB Bible, you 00:27:33.740 --> 00:27:38.079 will see that also in 27, that word. They are 00:27:38.079 --> 00:27:42.079 in his own image. Altogether is what is called 00:27:42.079 --> 00:27:45.920 the Salen. So what that means is that by our 00:27:45.920 --> 00:27:47.980 understanding now that it's a representation. 00:27:48.619 --> 00:27:52.200 So instead of us to say image, we can explain. 00:27:52.900 --> 00:27:56.319 I mean, instead of us to say in, we can explain 00:27:56.319 --> 00:28:03.539 it now and say that God created man as his image 00:28:03.539 --> 00:28:07.079 or as his representative. You know, remember 00:28:07.079 --> 00:28:12.500 we said representative is Salem. So if you substitute 00:28:12.500 --> 00:28:16.480 Salem as image there, you can see, so God created 00:28:16.480 --> 00:28:22.099 man in his own representative figure. No. So 00:28:22.099 --> 00:28:26.380 if you can see that, we can explain it that way, 00:28:26.400 --> 00:28:31.900 that man is created as God's representative figure. 00:28:32.160 --> 00:28:35.609 Now just come with me. I'm trying to build the 00:28:35.609 --> 00:28:39.930 cases somewhere. I'm going. So, verse 27 again 00:28:39.930 --> 00:28:42.710 gives us something I want you to note before 00:28:42.710 --> 00:28:45.849 we move away from here, from there. He said he 00:28:45.849 --> 00:28:49.289 created him male and female. He created them. 00:28:49.549 --> 00:28:53.769 This indicates that image is a collective identity. 00:28:54.210 --> 00:28:56.509 Please, I don't want you to forget this. Image 00:28:56.509 --> 00:29:01.329 is a collective identity because it's a male 00:29:01.329 --> 00:29:06.460 and female. So, image. It's what unites us. Are 00:29:06.460 --> 00:29:08.440 we together? It's what unites us. I'm going to 00:29:08.440 --> 00:29:11.779 return back to that term. It's a collective identity. 00:29:12.200 --> 00:29:15.640 So because it's a collective identity, it means 00:29:15.640 --> 00:29:20.720 that I, as a man, don't have a unique identity 00:29:20.720 --> 00:29:24.500 from the woman. As a man, I do not have a unique 00:29:24.500 --> 00:29:28.420 identity from the woman. That means our identity 00:29:28.420 --> 00:29:31.720 is the same. Now, in relationships, the woman, 00:29:32.019 --> 00:29:36.710 yes. It's a wife. And in the wife, she plays 00:29:36.710 --> 00:29:39.869 a different role. We see that, for example, she 00:29:39.869 --> 00:29:42.869 gives back to children. Even though these days 00:29:42.869 --> 00:29:45.029 there is some confusion happening in the world, 00:29:45.150 --> 00:29:48.690 some people say they move, you know, they say 00:29:48.690 --> 00:29:51.569 they want to give back. I don't understand. I 00:29:51.569 --> 00:29:54.009 mean, that a male wants to give back. It was, 00:29:54.029 --> 00:29:58.269 anyway, she was a female, but now she says she 00:29:58.269 --> 00:30:00.769 is a male. You understand? You know what I mean 00:30:00.769 --> 00:30:04.289 by she's a male? But now, From she, she say, 00:30:04.349 --> 00:30:08.569 he now. You understand? And then because it's 00:30:08.569 --> 00:30:13.650 he now, so he now said, I am pregnant and I'm 00:30:13.650 --> 00:30:16.710 going to give birth. So the he was a she before, 00:30:16.869 --> 00:30:20.650 but now turns he and say, oh, a man give birth. 00:30:21.049 --> 00:30:24.849 But the he was a she, but now transited to a 00:30:24.849 --> 00:30:28.190 he and say, now a man give birth. Anyway, so 00:30:28.190 --> 00:30:32.430 even by signs. They removed a womb or created 00:30:32.430 --> 00:30:36.630 a womb. Of course, we have bottles that are intubators. 00:30:36.869 --> 00:30:40.750 So we can create a form of an environment whereby 00:30:40.750 --> 00:30:44.390 a child can go. So even if science succeeded, 00:30:44.650 --> 00:30:48.109 we know it doesn't change like they say man and 00:30:48.109 --> 00:30:50.210 they say woman. Are we together? Hallelujah. 00:30:50.849 --> 00:30:53.690 As I said, let's study Bible. Leave science alone. 00:30:53.869 --> 00:30:55.390 All of them, they will be confused and return 00:30:55.390 --> 00:31:00.900 back again. What am I trying to say? I am trying 00:31:00.900 --> 00:31:07.359 to say that that image is a collective identity. 00:31:07.799 --> 00:31:12.819 In identity, we are the same with the female. 00:31:13.539 --> 00:31:19.180 Men, we are just like the female. So, we should 00:31:19.180 --> 00:31:23.579 know that God doesn't have two kinds of human. 00:31:23.759 --> 00:31:27.519 He has singular kinds of man. He's a male and 00:31:27.519 --> 00:31:31.539 female, both in the image of God. Remember, we 00:31:31.539 --> 00:31:34.920 have already come to a point to know that man 00:31:34.920 --> 00:31:41.019 is a representative figure of God. We're going 00:31:41.019 --> 00:31:44.339 to build on that, but hold that very well, which 00:31:44.339 --> 00:31:49.140 that's what it means by image. So in the image 00:31:49.140 --> 00:31:54.000 of God, he created him male and female. He created 00:31:54.000 --> 00:31:59.420 them. This tells us also, not just that we have 00:31:59.420 --> 00:32:03.859 a collective identity, but that it tells us again 00:32:03.859 --> 00:32:07.519 who we are. That is our identity. But it also 00:32:07.519 --> 00:32:11.339 tells us whose we are. Whose we are. Because 00:32:11.339 --> 00:32:16.819 he said God. So it tells us again whose we are. 00:32:16.900 --> 00:32:20.839 Not just who we are, but it tells us whose we 00:32:20.839 --> 00:32:22.720 are. You understand? Whose we are. We came from 00:32:22.720 --> 00:32:28.009 God. We... represents God on the earth. So we 00:32:28.009 --> 00:32:33.150 are of God. We belong to God. So you can see 00:32:33.150 --> 00:32:37.410 two things connecting us. We belong to God. We 00:32:37.410 --> 00:32:41.130 are also, remember, who we are, which is our 00:32:41.130 --> 00:32:44.950 identity. But that identity unites us. We say 00:32:44.950 --> 00:32:49.390 it's a collective identity. It unites us with 00:32:49.390 --> 00:32:52.130 others. So I want you to know that. So when we 00:32:52.130 --> 00:32:54.269 say representative, we're not talking about the 00:32:54.269 --> 00:32:58.450 man alone. We're talking about both the man and 00:32:58.450 --> 00:33:03.329 the woman. Which means is that it is anti of 00:33:03.329 --> 00:33:08.849 your identity to say you want to stay alone. 00:33:09.069 --> 00:33:13.970 It is anti of your identity to say you want to 00:33:13.970 --> 00:33:18.519 stay alone. Actually, loneliness... Is actually 00:33:18.519 --> 00:33:22.819 anti -God's agenda. Did you understand what I'm 00:33:22.819 --> 00:33:26.599 saying? Isolation is anti -God's agenda. It's 00:33:26.599 --> 00:33:28.779 not in God's plan. When you say you are in the 00:33:28.779 --> 00:33:32.700 image. Means that he is supposed to be together. 00:33:33.059 --> 00:33:36.799 Remember what Jesus told the Pharisees. They 00:33:36.799 --> 00:33:41.700 are saying divorce. Jesus said no, no, no, no. 00:33:41.880 --> 00:33:45.980 In the beginning it was not so. He made them. 00:33:46.380 --> 00:33:49.559 male and female, which means that he made them 00:33:49.559 --> 00:33:52.039 male and female in the image. In the image means 00:33:52.039 --> 00:33:55.660 also that it's a collective identity, not for 00:33:55.660 --> 00:33:59.819 them to stay apart, but to unite in the agenda 00:33:59.819 --> 00:34:01.680 of God. I don't know whether you get what I'm 00:34:01.680 --> 00:34:04.859 trying to say. So you cannot use the word and 00:34:04.859 --> 00:34:07.539 say, me, I just want to stay alone. I want to 00:34:07.539 --> 00:34:09.820 be alone. You should know that you're already 00:34:09.820 --> 00:34:13.280 working against your identity. You understand? 00:34:13.880 --> 00:34:16.739 It's not correct. Say, Sami, I don't know how 00:34:16.739 --> 00:34:20.119 to speak with people. No, it's not how to speak 00:34:20.119 --> 00:34:23.179 with people. You are actually faking your life. 00:34:23.219 --> 00:34:25.099 That's a fake life you are living if you are 00:34:25.099 --> 00:34:28.659 living an isolated life. It's a fake life. Because 00:34:28.659 --> 00:34:32.460 how God desire and plan it is for you to walk 00:34:32.460 --> 00:34:37.300 in unity with others. It's to walk collectively 00:34:37.300 --> 00:34:40.840 because we have a collective identity. It's not 00:34:40.840 --> 00:34:45.889 to put away, but... to stay together you know 00:34:45.889 --> 00:34:49.130 another thing again sometimes that has been found 00:34:49.130 --> 00:34:54.369 into the scripture unfortunately which has caused 00:34:54.369 --> 00:34:57.230 perversion of scripture and actually the theology 00:34:57.230 --> 00:35:00.289 of the of the bible or the theology of the church 00:35:00.289 --> 00:35:03.650 is this what we call the theory of uniqueness 00:35:03.650 --> 00:35:06.050 you know that's the way we speak of uniqueness 00:35:06.050 --> 00:35:09.469 you know in the bible when the bible speaks of 00:35:09.469 --> 00:35:12.269 our uniqueness it speaks of our uniqueness as 00:35:12.269 --> 00:35:19.010 a collective term, not as individualistic. Please, 00:35:19.030 --> 00:35:22.469 I want you to know that. When he said in 1 Peter 00:35:22.469 --> 00:35:29.530 2 .9 that ye are, you understand, a chosen generation, 00:35:29.789 --> 00:35:35.769 a royal priesthood, a unique people or peculiar 00:35:35.769 --> 00:35:39.429 people. That uniqueness is not talking about 00:35:39.429 --> 00:35:45.360 as individualism or as As independent, each other. 00:35:45.460 --> 00:35:47.500 No, he's talking about, that's why he said, a 00:35:47.500 --> 00:35:53.260 choosing generation. So you must know that any 00:35:53.260 --> 00:35:58.940 uniqueness that seek to make you an individual, 00:35:59.179 --> 00:36:02.659 independent of each other, is not actually of 00:36:02.659 --> 00:36:05.699 God. It's not in the agenda of God to be independent 00:36:05.699 --> 00:36:08.880 in the sense that you do not need anyone. We 00:36:08.880 --> 00:36:11.960 ought to work collectively. Because our identity 00:36:11.960 --> 00:36:15.119 is collective. So you hear all this kind of inspiration. 00:36:15.320 --> 00:36:18.019 Of course, sometimes it's good to inspire people, 00:36:18.199 --> 00:36:24.599 but not without an understanding of the agenda 00:36:24.599 --> 00:36:27.980 of God. So you see all this one, hey, you are 00:36:27.980 --> 00:36:31.639 unique. Hey, you are this. Hey, you are that. 00:36:32.360 --> 00:36:35.980 Oh, you are only the only one in the world. Nobody 00:36:35.980 --> 00:36:39.019 is like you. You are the only, only one in the 00:36:39.019 --> 00:36:42.190 sun. Your DNA is different. Your DNA fingerprint. 00:36:42.449 --> 00:36:44.670 I mean, do you know what I mean? Your fingerprint 00:36:44.670 --> 00:36:48.210 is different. The color of your eye is different. 00:36:48.349 --> 00:36:51.849 You understand? You are an individual. So, we 00:36:51.849 --> 00:36:56.329 use those terms to look as if that suggests uniqueness. 00:36:56.949 --> 00:36:59.650 I want to make you to understand that those differences 00:36:59.650 --> 00:37:05.510 does not depict uniqueness. Hallelujah. So, we 00:37:05.510 --> 00:37:10.679 are all humans in the image of God. Whether you 00:37:10.679 --> 00:37:13.960 are tall or slim, fat or light -skinned or dark, 00:37:14.219 --> 00:37:20.420 you are a human being. Humanity unites us all. 00:37:20.559 --> 00:37:25.639 Now, we would actually miss the will of God each 00:37:25.639 --> 00:37:30.260 time we look at ourselves from this. So when, 00:37:30.340 --> 00:37:36.159 look at it, even when Christ came, he brought 00:37:36.159 --> 00:37:40.119 us into oneness, whereby... There is neither 00:37:40.119 --> 00:37:43.980 Jew or Gentile. You understand? All these divisions 00:37:43.980 --> 00:37:47.719 that says to separate us. He tried to bring us 00:37:47.719 --> 00:37:51.119 to make us know that we are one. And if you are 00:37:51.119 --> 00:37:54.559 going to walk in the will of God, you must understand 00:37:54.559 --> 00:38:01.679 that God desires a family. God desires a community. 00:38:01.980 --> 00:38:05.500 God is not walking with an individual. He is 00:38:05.500 --> 00:38:08.610 walking with the church. So that when you read 00:38:08.610 --> 00:38:11.409 your Bible, read it correctly. When he says Christ 00:38:11.409 --> 00:38:14.889 in you, the hope of glory, he's not talking about 00:38:14.889 --> 00:38:18.190 an individual. He's talking to a church. When 00:38:18.190 --> 00:38:20.449 he says you are the temple of the Holy Spirit, 00:38:20.550 --> 00:38:23.269 he was talking to a church and not just a single 00:38:23.269 --> 00:38:27.070 individual. Yes, you can claim it as an individual, 00:38:27.150 --> 00:38:30.989 but because you are in a community. Glory to 00:38:30.989 --> 00:38:34.489 Jesus. So I want you to note, so that you don't 00:38:34.489 --> 00:38:39.230 see that. You are away from the community and 00:38:39.230 --> 00:38:42.630 you feel happy. You understand? No, not at all. 00:38:42.829 --> 00:38:47.889 Okay, what is image? Again, we said an image 00:38:47.889 --> 00:38:52.849 is the representative figure or we said is a 00:38:52.849 --> 00:38:56.610 form of an unseen God, physically, tangible, 00:38:56.809 --> 00:39:00.110 concrete expression of the invisible God. It's 00:39:00.110 --> 00:39:03.730 a collective term. I'm talking about to say that... 00:39:03.929 --> 00:39:09.369 We are God's representative on earth. So man 00:39:09.369 --> 00:39:12.789 is God's representative on earth. Now, I want 00:39:12.789 --> 00:39:16.690 to just say another thing regarding image again. 00:39:17.050 --> 00:39:19.829 Now, one of the very reasons why some, remember 00:39:19.829 --> 00:39:23.869 we said image is an identity. It's a collective 00:39:23.869 --> 00:39:26.969 identity. One of the reasons, yes, which again, 00:39:27.050 --> 00:39:31.110 we normally move faster to talk on that, that 00:39:31.110 --> 00:39:36.619 word image. means the man in christ again is 00:39:36.619 --> 00:39:41.000 when we read also verse 28 and then we connect 00:39:41.000 --> 00:39:44.760 it that's jesus 120 and then we connect it with 00:39:44.760 --> 00:39:48.300 uh hebrews let's go to hebrew hebrews chapter 00:39:48.300 --> 00:39:54.300 2 hebrews chapter 2 verse 6 let's read from verse 00:39:54.300 --> 00:39:57.239 6 the writer of hebrew was quoting from psalms 00:39:57.239 --> 00:40:28.090 8 So he says 6, he says, in subjection under 00:40:28.090 --> 00:40:33.070 his feet. Did you see what? This is just an echo 00:40:33.070 --> 00:40:35.969 of Genesis. You have put all things under his 00:40:35.969 --> 00:40:41.630 feet. Did you see that? Set him over the works 00:40:41.630 --> 00:40:45.130 of your hands. But look at verse 8. You have 00:40:45.130 --> 00:40:49.429 put all things in subjection under his feet. 00:40:49.650 --> 00:40:53.889 He didn't say he will. He said you have. You 00:40:53.889 --> 00:40:59.119 understand? But look at the continuing statement 00:40:59.119 --> 00:41:05.800 of verse 8. He said, For in that he put all in 00:41:05.800 --> 00:41:11.219 subjection under him, he left nothing that is 00:41:11.219 --> 00:41:19.460 not put under him. But now we do not yet see 00:41:19.460 --> 00:41:24.909 all things put under him. But we see Jesus, verse 00:41:24.909 --> 00:41:30.289 9, who was made a little lower than angels for 00:41:30.289 --> 00:41:33.210 the suffering of death crowned with glory and 00:41:33.210 --> 00:41:38.090 honor. Now, because we see the word there, he 00:41:38.090 --> 00:41:44.469 said, but now we do not yet see all things put 00:41:44.469 --> 00:41:48.469 under him. But we see Jesus. You know, because 00:41:48.469 --> 00:41:51.539 we see that line. And then connected with verse 00:41:51.539 --> 00:41:55.300 28 of Genesis, we say, He blessed them, multiply, 00:41:55.500 --> 00:41:59.159 have dominion, and so on and so forth. You understand? 00:41:59.820 --> 00:42:02.360 Subdue, you understand? Feel, replenish, all 00:42:02.360 --> 00:42:05.960 those things. And we say, ah, because we do not 00:42:05.960 --> 00:42:10.820 yet see man exercising those functions. You understand? 00:42:11.219 --> 00:42:13.800 Then we say, ah, no, no, no, no, no. Man is not 00:42:13.800 --> 00:42:17.739 in the image. So it is Jesus that brought us 00:42:17.739 --> 00:42:22.369 the image of God. But you see, here he's not 00:42:22.369 --> 00:42:25.570 talking about, remember, that's why I say you 00:42:25.570 --> 00:42:31.210 should note verse 7 and also 8. He said, you 00:42:31.210 --> 00:42:35.369 have put all things in the sand, which means 00:42:35.369 --> 00:42:41.329 that image is an identity, it's not a functionality. 00:42:42.269 --> 00:42:45.650 The fact that, please, I want you to know that 00:42:45.650 --> 00:42:49.130 because we're coming to expand that. The image 00:42:49.130 --> 00:42:53.309 is an identity, not a functionality. You understand? 00:42:54.289 --> 00:42:59.070 Not a functionality. So, in other words, if you 00:42:59.070 --> 00:43:04.469 check that place where he says, where he says, 00:43:04.730 --> 00:43:10.429 what is man? You know, you see that verse 6, 00:43:10.530 --> 00:43:16.510 right? What is man? He didn't say man is defined 00:43:16.510 --> 00:43:20.699 by what? he put under him or by those things. 00:43:20.760 --> 00:43:26.059 No, he's not defining man by what man does. Man 00:43:26.059 --> 00:43:29.360 is not defined by what he did or did not do. 00:43:29.840 --> 00:43:34.139 Because that's where we are mixing the two, you 00:43:34.139 --> 00:43:39.119 understand. So the point I'm making is that functionality, 00:43:39.380 --> 00:43:44.860 that's why we said human beings, Adam or Anthropos 00:43:44.860 --> 00:43:49.300 talks about the being. not the doing. So we don't 00:43:49.300 --> 00:43:53.780 say human doing, but human being, because that's 00:43:53.780 --> 00:43:58.280 the identity. You understand? The identity. So 00:43:58.280 --> 00:44:03.059 it's the same thing, for example, if you have, 00:44:03.199 --> 00:44:07.219 let's say, a person who is born again and has 00:44:07.219 --> 00:44:09.760 never prophesied before. Will you say that this 00:44:09.760 --> 00:44:11.840 man is not born again? No, no, you can't say 00:44:11.840 --> 00:44:16.340 that. The fan that is not functioning, doesn't 00:44:16.340 --> 00:44:19.860 make or doesn't invalidate his identity in Christ. 00:44:20.300 --> 00:44:22.880 You understand? He doesn't invalidate that. But 00:44:22.880 --> 00:44:29.300 then, yes, his functioning actually emanates, 00:44:29.300 --> 00:44:32.039 will emanate from his identity. That's just what 00:44:32.039 --> 00:44:35.019 I'm trying to say. But not on the other way around. 00:44:35.179 --> 00:44:38.139 Again, you could find somebody probably like 00:44:38.139 --> 00:44:40.360 trying to mimic and prophesy. You cannot say 00:44:40.360 --> 00:44:43.159 he's born again because functionality does not 00:44:43.159 --> 00:44:46.599 actually produce identity. But of course, identity 00:44:46.599 --> 00:44:50.380 will eventually produce the functionality. But 00:44:50.380 --> 00:44:52.260 what we're trying to say is that when it comes 00:44:52.260 --> 00:44:57.159 to the image of God, it's an identity issue and 00:44:57.159 --> 00:44:59.960 not functionality. So that when you are reading, 00:45:00.119 --> 00:45:04.380 when you see dominion, and you have not yet seen 00:45:04.380 --> 00:45:08.079 man exercising those rights, doesn't mean that 00:45:08.079 --> 00:45:11.659 he's not man. Understand? But it's just that 00:45:11.659 --> 00:45:14.710 it means... to functionality as well. Eventually, 00:45:14.710 --> 00:45:17.269 we're going to talk about that. How does that 00:45:17.269 --> 00:45:22.969 relate together? Very important. So again, image 00:45:22.969 --> 00:45:27.610 speaks of identity, which is being, not functionality. 00:45:28.369 --> 00:45:33.789 Not functionality or function. So identity is 00:45:33.789 --> 00:45:39.699 not what we do. Identity... is why we do what 00:45:39.699 --> 00:45:45.300 we do. So it speaks of the why, not speaks of 00:45:45.300 --> 00:45:49.960 what we do, but why we do what we do. So image 00:45:49.960 --> 00:45:54.679 is being while doing, of course, because we are 00:45:54.679 --> 00:45:56.480 a human being, we will have to do something. 00:45:56.599 --> 00:45:59.900 You understand? The doing, you understand, will 00:45:59.900 --> 00:46:04.760 come from the being, which is identity and then 00:46:04.760 --> 00:46:09.119 functionality. Hallelujah. Okay, so let's go 00:46:09.119 --> 00:46:14.739 back to, let me introduce some thoughts in Genesis 00:46:14.739 --> 00:46:18.940 chapter 5 before we close for today. Genesis 00:46:18.940 --> 00:46:21.460 chapter 5, let's return back there. Now, I'm 00:46:21.460 --> 00:46:25.739 going back now to start with Genesis chapter 00:46:25.739 --> 00:46:30.980 5. Let me read from verse 1 because it echoes 00:46:30.980 --> 00:46:37.780 Genesis also. 1 Corinthians 6 and 37. He said, 00:46:37.820 --> 00:46:41.199 this is the book of the genealogy of Adam. I 00:46:41.199 --> 00:46:44.099 want you to pay attention. Genealogy of Adam. 00:46:44.900 --> 00:46:48.840 This chapter 5, genealogy of Adam. Let me emphasize 00:46:48.840 --> 00:46:53.820 again. In the day that God created man, he made 00:46:53.820 --> 00:46:57.719 him in the likeness of God. He created them, 00:46:57.840 --> 00:47:01.440 male and female, and blessed them and called 00:47:01.440 --> 00:47:07.670 them mankind. In the day they were created. Verse 00:47:07.670 --> 00:47:13.829 3. And Adam lived one hundred and thirty years 00:47:13.829 --> 00:47:19.730 and begot a son in his own likeness after his 00:47:19.730 --> 00:47:25.170 own image and name him Seth. So we can see now 00:47:25.170 --> 00:47:28.469 again the word image, not the word image and 00:47:28.469 --> 00:47:32.190 likeness. And the image and likeness is Seth. 00:47:32.780 --> 00:47:37.920 In the image of Adam. You understand. And likeness 00:47:37.920 --> 00:47:42.340 of Adam. So what can we see. About the word again. 00:47:42.739 --> 00:47:47.960 Image here. So we can just see that. This word 00:47:47.960 --> 00:47:51.840 image. Is relational. Remember I told you. That 00:47:51.840 --> 00:47:55.380 the image is a collective identity. Here we see 00:47:55.380 --> 00:47:59.159 that. Image is relational. So we can say that. 00:47:59.239 --> 00:48:04.130 Image is some. Because. Here he said he begat 00:48:04.130 --> 00:48:07.110 a son in his image. So image relates to what 00:48:07.110 --> 00:48:11.449 we can say image is son or image is family. Or 00:48:11.449 --> 00:48:16.889 talks about family, talks about kingship. Again, 00:48:16.949 --> 00:48:20.989 pay attention to these words. So image means 00:48:20.989 --> 00:48:26.530 son. Image means family. Image means kingship. 00:48:26.530 --> 00:48:30.309 Image means... This collective, remember again 00:48:30.309 --> 00:48:33.829 we said, is a collective identity. It's a collective 00:48:33.829 --> 00:48:39.050 identity. So remember also, very, very important, 00:48:39.230 --> 00:48:44.010 that, let me return back where those words I 00:48:44.010 --> 00:48:48.650 said, which means that image means we belong 00:48:48.650 --> 00:48:53.090 to one another. It's not isolation. Image is 00:48:53.090 --> 00:48:56.900 family. Image is a collective term. Image means 00:48:56.900 --> 00:49:01.380 we belong to one another. Image means we are 00:49:01.380 --> 00:49:06.179 not independent. This already is a message to 00:49:06.179 --> 00:49:09.519 many of those, again, that wants to be isolated. 00:49:09.940 --> 00:49:14.820 I want to be left alone. No. You see, in the 00:49:14.820 --> 00:49:19.360 image of other means they are relation. They 00:49:19.360 --> 00:49:25.880 are a family. Set is a family. is a family of 00:49:25.880 --> 00:49:30.019 Adam. That family. Now, to close, let me take 00:49:30.019 --> 00:49:36.559 you to Luke. Go to Luke chapter 30. I want to 00:49:36.559 --> 00:49:42.480 start introducing. Maybe I will continue next 00:49:42.480 --> 00:49:49.579 week. Why is Jesus called the image of God? Why 00:49:49.579 --> 00:49:53.929 is Jesus called the image of God? So I'll start 00:49:53.929 --> 00:49:57.650 introducing it. Go to Luke. Let's come to the 00:49:57.650 --> 00:50:00.230 New Testament. I mean, the part of the scripture, 00:50:00.469 --> 00:50:03.750 the gospel that we see. Luke chapter 3. Look 00:50:03.750 --> 00:50:06.150 at Luke chapter 3. Let's read from verse 23. 00:50:08.010 --> 00:50:14.610 Luke chapter 3, verse 23. Now Jesus himself began 00:50:14.610 --> 00:50:20.820 his ministry. At about 30 years of age, being 00:50:20.820 --> 00:50:26.059 as was supposed, the son of Joseph, the son of 00:50:26.059 --> 00:50:30.940 Heli, the son of Matat, the son of Levi, the 00:50:30.940 --> 00:50:38.340 son of Melchi, the son of Jana, the son of Joseph, 00:50:38.519 --> 00:50:43.460 the son of Matatia, the son of Amos, the son 00:50:43.460 --> 00:51:14.309 of Nahum, the son of Isli, the son of... Forgive 00:51:14.309 --> 00:51:19.639 my pronunciation of these names. The son of Malti, 00:51:19.739 --> 00:51:24.400 the son of Adi, the son of Kosan, the son of 00:51:24.400 --> 00:51:29.179 Elmodan, the sons of Er, the sons of Joseph, 00:51:29.320 --> 00:51:34.320 the sons of Elisa, the sons of Jerome, the son 00:51:34.320 --> 00:51:40.420 of Matat, the son of Levi, the son of Simeon, 00:51:40.500 --> 00:51:43.119 the sons of Judah, the sons of Joseph, the sons 00:51:43.119 --> 00:51:50.519 of Jonah, the sons of Eliak. the sons of Malia, 00:51:50.559 --> 00:51:58.300 the sons of Manan, the sons of Matahat, the sons 00:51:58.300 --> 00:52:03.159 of Nahum, the sons of David, the sons of Jesse, 00:52:03.420 --> 00:52:08.360 the sons of Obed, the sons of Boaz, the sons 00:52:08.360 --> 00:52:12.860 of Salmon, the sons of Nahum, the sons of Aminadab, 00:52:12.960 --> 00:52:19.519 the son of... Ram, the son of Hezron, the son 00:52:19.519 --> 00:52:23.960 of Perez, the sons of Judah, the sons of Jacob, 00:52:24.179 --> 00:52:28.519 the son of Isaac, the son of Abraham, the son 00:52:28.519 --> 00:52:33.420 of Terah, the son of Naum, the son of Zerubb, 00:52:33.420 --> 00:52:37.760 the son of Rehu, the sons of Pelech, the sons 00:52:37.760 --> 00:52:42.460 of Eber, the sons of Shelah, the sons of Canaan, 00:52:42.539 --> 00:53:10.699 the sons of... The sons of Adam, the son of God. 00:53:11.820 --> 00:53:16.059 Now, you see how, now this is, what Luke did 00:53:16.059 --> 00:53:21.260 was to restate Genesis chapter 5. It also, it 00:53:21.260 --> 00:53:26.880 talks about Adam and Seth. Born, set in the image 00:53:26.880 --> 00:53:32.559 of Adam. But this just restated Genesis chapter 00:53:32.559 --> 00:53:35.320 5. Remember I told you to note verse 1. He said 00:53:35.320 --> 00:53:39.559 the genealogy of Adam. Now he, because... Matthew, 00:53:39.559 --> 00:53:43.420 we studied that in the cell, Matthew traced the 00:53:43.420 --> 00:53:47.039 genealogy of Jesus and stopped at Abraham. But 00:53:47.039 --> 00:53:49.559 Luke, because he's talking to the Gentiles, he 00:53:49.559 --> 00:53:53.340 traced them back to Adam. But not just to Adam, 00:53:53.460 --> 00:53:57.179 Luke said the son of God, all together came from 00:53:57.179 --> 00:54:00.119 God. So he went back not just only to Genesis, 00:54:00.300 --> 00:54:02.800 you know, he moved back also to Genesis chapter 00:54:02.800 --> 00:54:08.360 1, verse 26 and 27. I want to note this. Remember, 00:54:08.440 --> 00:54:11.019 if you note here, you see that if you are using 00:54:11.019 --> 00:54:14.380 King James, you see that the son is in italics. 00:54:14.400 --> 00:54:17.960 Normally, we taught that. If you see in italics, 00:54:17.980 --> 00:54:23.380 it means that the authors just introduced that. 00:54:23.599 --> 00:54:26.780 Are we together? It wasn't the original. So, 00:54:26.800 --> 00:54:31.280 when I mean by the authors, I mean the translators. 00:54:32.079 --> 00:54:34.599 But you see, if you go back to Genesis chapter 00:54:34.599 --> 00:54:37.639 5, you will see that that relationship is father 00:54:37.639 --> 00:54:40.500 -son relationship. So this addition is not wrong. 00:54:41.119 --> 00:54:43.320 You understand? Because they're father -son relationship. 00:54:43.679 --> 00:54:47.400 You understand? So in Luke chapter 3, what we 00:54:47.400 --> 00:54:51.980 see is that it took us back to Genesis. So what 00:54:51.980 --> 00:54:56.280 can you see about Jesus now here? Jesus is a 00:54:56.280 --> 00:55:00.460 son of man, so he's a son of God. His son of 00:55:00.460 --> 00:55:04.320 God is because he become a man. So image, image 00:55:04.320 --> 00:55:10.639 has to do, you understand, with man, not spirit. 00:55:10.840 --> 00:55:12.599 I don't know whether you get what I'm trying 00:55:12.599 --> 00:55:18.719 to say. So Jesus become in a man is why he is 00:55:18.719 --> 00:55:25.050 called the image. You understand? So again, Because 00:55:25.050 --> 00:55:28.829 he became a man. So remember we say image is 00:55:28.829 --> 00:55:32.530 a son. So that's why it's not like a confusion 00:55:32.530 --> 00:55:36.590 here to say he is the son of God. But remember 00:55:36.590 --> 00:55:40.829 we said image is son. But then also we trace 00:55:40.829 --> 00:55:45.110 his human genealogy back to Adam. We're going 00:55:45.110 --> 00:55:49.110 to expand on that. It's not just only here because 00:55:49.110 --> 00:55:53.900 we said theology. I mean, it has to do through 00:55:53.900 --> 00:55:57.679 the scripture, not just only on one. So I will 00:55:57.679 --> 00:56:02.420 continue next time on these thoughts from here. 00:56:02.460 --> 00:56:09.900 We will continue from here. Hallelujah. We're 00:56:09.900 --> 00:56:13.480 thankful you joined us today. Don't forget to 00:56:13.480 --> 00:56:16.360 subscribe so you're always connected to our latest 00:56:16.360 --> 00:56:20.199 sermons. You can also explore more about NECF 00:56:20.199 --> 00:56:24.119 on our website or follow us online. We look forward 00:56:24.119 --> 00:56:27.099 to having you with us next time. God bless.