God’s Desire To Be With Us – SWO26 Summer

Genesis 1:26–31

“Then 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 birds of the heavens and over the livestock and over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.’

So God created man in his own image,

in the image of God he created him;

male and female he created them.

And God blessed them. And God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth and subdue it, and have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over every living thing that moves on the earth.” And God said, “Behold, I have given you every plant yielding seed that is on the face of all the earth, and every tree with seed in its fruit. You shall have them for food. And to every beast of the earth and to every bird of the heavens and to everything that creeps on the earth, everything that has the breath of life, I have given every green plant for food.” And it was so. And God saw everything that he had made, and behold, it was very good. And there was evening and there was morning, the sixth day.”

What’s The Point?

We have to get one thing clear before we get too far into this study about God being with us. He did not have to make us! Make sure you take time to try and digest that idea.

God is perfect. He is perfectly content within himself. He did not create us out of a need to have some inferior creatures to watch out for. He did not make us so he would have people to worship him. He did not make us because of something he needed; he made us out of an overflow of his goodness. He did not bring us into being by his spoken Word because of something he lacked, but rather, out of an overflow of his fullness.

We must understand this because it makes the idea of this study so much richer. It really would have made more sense to have just done away with us when Adam and Eve sinned. It would have been much simpler and much less messy. There was nothing that we provided for God that he needed. Thankfully, God does not do things the easiest way or the simplest way; he does things the best way, and we were a part of his wonderful plan.

That is what we see in Genesis 1. God said, “Let us make man in our image, after our likeness” (Genesis 1:26). Why is God referring to himself in the plural? Because he is triune. God is Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. This truth holds a profound reality for us. God has eternally existed in community with himself because he exists in three persons. Since we were created in his image we were made to live in community!

There are two aspects of this truth that are important. First, we were created to live in community with each other. Each of us has a built-in desire for connection and relationships. We were created to be with other people. Secondly, and most important for this study, we were created to be in community with God! Not only was God gracious enough to create us out of an overflow of his grace, but he created us to be in a relationship with him. He brought every plant and animal into existence, but they were not made for fellowship with him. He made us to dwell with him! It is our purpose.

The amazing truth that we must realize is we were made to be with God; we were created to dwell with God for eternity; we were brought into existence that we might fellowship with the Lord. No matter how you phrase this, it still seems too good to be true, but God really does desire this and take joy in it.

Notice in v. 31 what God says about his creation when he is finished, “God saw everything that he had made, and behold, it was very good.” Take special notice of “Very good,” because on every other day of creation he says, “it was good” (Genesis 1:10, 12, 18, 21, 25). Creation was perfect; there was no sin in the world; God had made everything exactly as he wanted it to be, but it was not until he made man and woman in his image, after his likeness, that he claimed his creation to be very good.

This was all according to God’s plan, and because God’s plan always works, there is nothing we could do to mess up God’s desire to be with us.

Even if God’s very good creation disobeyed him…

Even if those he created in his likeness did not listen to him…

Even if his image bearers followed a liar instead of their Creator…

Even though Adam and Eve sinned, God still desired to be with us. There were consequences for their actions. They would now die (Genesis 2:17), and they could not dwell with him in the same way they did before in the garden (Genesis 3:23). But before God sent his image bearers away he promised them a redeemer, “I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and her offspring; he shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise his heel” (Genesis 3:15).

Someone would come and stomp his heal on the head of the serpent. Adam and Eve didn’t know it then, but we know now this is referring to Jesus. God’s desire to be with us stretches that far; he was willing to sacrifice his Son so that we could be back in right relationship with him. So, as we study God With Us always keep in mind, from the beginning God has always desired and planned for us to be with him.

Scripture Memorization

Revelation 21:3

“And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, ‘Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God.'”

Prayer

Lord, you are so good to me. I have done nothing to deserve your grace, but you sent Jesus as my sacrifice so that I could have a relationship with you. I do not understand your plan or why you would think about caring for me, but I thank you that your mercy and grace stretch so far to include me in your plans and purposes. Remind me it is not because of something in me that you have chosen me; it is only from an overflow of your goodness and love. Thank you for always being faithful.

Reflection

1. Reflect on the fact that God didn’t need to make us, and after we fell into sin he didn’t have to redeem us. He did both of these things not out of obligation but out of a desire to be with us.
2. God created us to live in community with others and himself; in what ways do you cut yourself off from one or both of these?

Discussion Questions

1. There is a clear distinction in Genesis 1 between the first five days of creation and the sixth day. What is it about the creation of Adam and Eve that makes God say it is “very good?”
2. Discuss a time or event in your life where God showed you his grace even when you were disobedient.