The first assignment for man

In our first Bible class for young people, we gave a children’s reading of the first chapter of the book of Genesis.

We saw there how Jehovah God is the Maker of all things. We also heard how after He created man he gave a first command: to take care of what the Lord has created.

Genesis 1:26-28

“26 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 birds of the heavens, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth. 27 And God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them. 28 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 birds of the heavens, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth.” (Ge 1:26-28 ASV)

We saw how God had created order out of chaos and how He placed man on this planet. Now we hear here that He asks man to multiply and populate the earth while this man is also there for that world, full of planets, moons, stars, animals and plants, must take care.

“4 What is man, that thou art mindful of him? And the son of man, that thou visitest him? 5 For thou hast made him but little lower than God, And crownest him with glory and honor. 6 Thou makest him to have dominion over the works of thy hands; Thou hast put all things under his feet: 7 All sheep and oxen, Yea, and the beasts of the field, 8 The birds of the heavens, and the fish of the sea, Whatsoever passeth through the paths of the seas. 9 O Jehovah, our Lord, How excellent is thy name in all the earth!” (Ps 8:4-9 ASV)

In all those things around us we see the glory of the Divine Maker. The Genesis story is clear and clear, but it never pretends to provide a detailed scientific explanation of the existence of the planets, plants, animals and humans.

From the text we should understand that God did not create all this just like that, but did with a plan in His head. When God placed Adam (the man from red earth) in the Garden of Eden, this was to take care of it and build a good life there. God even gave man an important role in His creative work. Man was allowed to name and manage the plants and animals.

Management is supposed to take good care of it. Such a concern for something or someone requires work. This means that God expects man not to sit on his lazy butt, but to roll up his sleeves.

And that is the first important task for humans in addition to multiplication. It was then an assignment at the beginning, and it is still an important commission, or commandment given by God. Those who love God should then keep to it.