Creation, Authority,

A new perspective on the first few chapters of Genesis has transformed my reading of the the rest of the bible. Somehow I missed a significant point of these first couple of chapter. Not surprising really, since I've only ever heard one or two really insightful teachings on the subject. The part that I missed so completely was all the language about kingship or rule. Here's how it goes...
God creates the realms first, the sea, the land, the heavens, the day, the night. Then he creates the lights--the greater light to govern (rule) the day, the lesser light to govern the night. After filling the realms with creatures he creates mankind: "Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; and let them rule over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the sky and over the cattle and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth."
Of course, this authority to rule was derivative and not inherent. That is, the authority to rule the earth and its creatures was contingent on our allegience and obedience to the King of Kings. We blew it having barely started.

Genesis further recounts that after we royally screwed up in the Garden, the order of authority became totally distorted. This distorted order affected all the primary relationships:
(a) Between the woman and the man, "Yet your desire will be [to rule over] your husband, and he will rule over you." Permanent power stuggle. Since man would not submit to the rule of God, even his most intimate relationships lack peace and order.
(b) Between mankind and the earth, "Both thorns and thistles it shall grow for you; and you will eat the plants of the field; by the sweat of your face you will eat bread, till you return to the ground, because from it you were taken; for you are dust, and to dust you shall return.". Since we would not willingly obey the King with regard to the fruit of the tree, the ground would not longer submit to rule of mankind so as to willingly yield its fruit.
(c) Between God and mankind, "therefore the LORD God sent him out from the garden...He drove the man out". Since we would not submit to the rule of God, we lost the relationship with God.

So what difference does this make? Think about it. What did Jesus preach about when he travelled around Judea? The message was, the Kingdom (Rule) of God is at hand -- right here, just beyond our sight, breaking into our dismal world with brilliant rays of light. Hearing this message of Jesus in the light of Genesis 1-3 revolutionizes my ideas about what it means to be 'saved', what it means to be a 'christian', what it means to pray, and what it means to call Him Lord!

The King has come and will come again. Those who love Him and submit to His rule begin to see the restoration of authority in life and in prayer and will enjoy future fullness of restored authority in the New Creation when He returns. There's so much that could be said here, but this is merely five loaves, two fishes...