January 18 – LD 3, Day 4: Adam as Office Bearer
by Prof Herman Hanko
Read: Genesis 2:18-25, Psalm 8.
When our teacher tells us
that man was created in the image of God, he adds, “. . . that he might rightly
know God his Creator, heartily love Him, and live with him in eternal happiness
to glorify and praise him.”
Adam was created with a
body and soul, in the image of God, in order that he might represent God in the
creation God had made. He represented God by his relation to the creation, by
subduing it, and by using the whole creation in the service of God. He was
God’s covenant friend who brought the creation as a sacrifice of praise to his
Creator. In this way, he was office bearer.
As an office bearer, Adam
was prophet, priest and king. As prophet, Adam could know God and speak God’s
word in the creation. When Adam named the animals, Adam was functioning as
God’s prophet, knowing God’s glory through and in each animal, and giving a
name to each animal, which expressed how that animal revealed God’s greatness.
Adam was also priest. As
priest in God’s house, he dedicated the whole creation to God and brought it
all as a sacrifice of praise and glory to God. As a king, Adam ruled over the
creation in God’s name. He ruled, not as a cruel and heartless tyrant, but as a
benevolent ruler who was kind and gentle to God’s world.
One can notice a certain
beautiful pattern in this creation of man. Adam was created:
With a body – to be righteous in God’s image – to rule as king.
With a soul – to have the true knowledge of God – as a
prophet.
With a spirit – to bear God’s image of holiness – to be
priest.
What a glorious creature
Adam was! How wonderful
And yet, although we are
jumping ahead in our lessons, it is well to remember that God’s purpose to
glorify himself was in a better way than in Paradise I. God was looking to Christ,
Christ is God’s true Prophet, Priest and King – in God’s house, the new heavens
and the new earth. And we are and will be prophets, priests and kings with
Christ forever and ever.