It is interesting (and significant) to note that while all of creation was spoken into existence, Adam was not. "Through faith we understand that the world were framed by the Word of God" (Heb 11:3). Here "Word of God" speaks of Christ (who is the living Word of God) as well as His spoken creative words. There was no Periodic Table at that time, and none of the elements existed.
God has infinite wisdom and in His wisdom He chose to create the first man from the dust of the ground. There are several reasons:
1. Adam would be called "the son of God" -- because he would be a direct and personal creation of God. Thus the genealogy of Christ ("the only begotten Son of God") would begin with Adam. Which was the son of Enos, which was the son of Seth, which was the son of Adam, which was the son of God. (Luke 3:38)
2. Adam would be the only creature who possessed a spirit -- that component of mankind that can communicate and fellowship with God directly. So when God breathed His breath into Adam, it was not merely for physical existence, but also for spiritual existence. "And so it is written, The first man Adam was made a living soul; the last Adam was made a quickening Spirit." (1 Cor 15:45)
3. Adam would be a "type" of Christ as well as the antithesis of Christ. "The first man is of the earthy, earthy. The Second Man is the Lord from Heaven" (1 Cor 15:47)
4. When Eve was created out of one rib of Adam and taken out of his side, she represented the Church, which came into existence through the blood and water of Christ crucified. And the LORD God caused a deep sleep to fall upon Adam, and he slept: and he took one of his ribs, and closed up the flesh instead thereof (Gen 2:21)
5. When God presented Eve as the bride of Christ, that represented the Church as the Bride of Christ. And the rib, which the LORD God had taken from man, made he a woman, and brought her unto the man. (Gen 2:22)
6. When God told Adam that he was dust and return to dust, that prefigured the burial of all the saints in their graves. In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread, till thou return unto the ground; for out of it wast thou taken: for dust thou art, and unto dust shalt thou return. (Gen 3:19) They all returned to dust, not dust and ashes, or simply ashes. Hence the importance of Christian burial became a reality.
7. But the saints are not simply buried to remain as dust forever. God promised through Christ the resurrection of all the saints at the Resurrection/Rapture. This would be so that they would live with God and Christ eternally in perfect, glorious, immortal, light-emanating glorified bodies. Thus we have these Scriptures: Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality. So when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory. O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory? (1 Cor 15:51-55)
Then we have this: But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep, that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope. For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him. For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep. For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord. Wherefore comfort one another with these words. (1 Thess 4:13-18)
God wants His saints to have the comfort and hope of a resurrection from dust to immortality. Thus Adam was created out the dust of the ground, and given a body, a soul and a spirit: And the LORD God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul. (Gen 2:7)
And it is only by the grace and mercy of God and the finished redemptive work of Christ that we have this hope and this guarantee of eternal life. Adam failed God and humanity but Christ was victorious over sin, death, Hades Hell, and Satan.
God has infinite wisdom and in His wisdom He chose to create the first man from the dust of the ground. There are several reasons:
1. Adam would be called "the son of God" -- because he would be a direct and personal creation of God. Thus the genealogy of Christ ("the only begotten Son of God") would begin with Adam. Which was the son of Enos, which was the son of Seth, which was the son of Adam, which was the son of God. (Luke 3:38)
2. Adam would be the only creature who possessed a spirit -- that component of mankind that can communicate and fellowship with God directly. So when God breathed His breath into Adam, it was not merely for physical existence, but also for spiritual existence. "And so it is written, The first man Adam was made a living soul; the last Adam was made a quickening Spirit." (1 Cor 15:45)
3. Adam would be a "type" of Christ as well as the antithesis of Christ. "The first man is of the earthy, earthy. The Second Man is the Lord from Heaven" (1 Cor 15:47)
4. When Eve was created out of one rib of Adam and taken out of his side, she represented the Church, which came into existence through the blood and water of Christ crucified. And the LORD God caused a deep sleep to fall upon Adam, and he slept: and he took one of his ribs, and closed up the flesh instead thereof (Gen 2:21)
5. When God presented Eve as the bride of Christ, that represented the Church as the Bride of Christ. And the rib, which the LORD God had taken from man, made he a woman, and brought her unto the man. (Gen 2:22)
6. When God told Adam that he was dust and return to dust, that prefigured the burial of all the saints in their graves. In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread, till thou return unto the ground; for out of it wast thou taken: for dust thou art, and unto dust shalt thou return. (Gen 3:19) They all returned to dust, not dust and ashes, or simply ashes. Hence the importance of Christian burial became a reality.
7. But the saints are not simply buried to remain as dust forever. God promised through Christ the resurrection of all the saints at the Resurrection/Rapture. This would be so that they would live with God and Christ eternally in perfect, glorious, immortal, light-emanating glorified bodies. Thus we have these Scriptures: Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality. So when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory. O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory? (1 Cor 15:51-55)
Then we have this: But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep, that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope. For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him. For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep. For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord. Wherefore comfort one another with these words. (1 Thess 4:13-18)
God wants His saints to have the comfort and hope of a resurrection from dust to immortality. Thus Adam was created out the dust of the ground, and given a body, a soul and a spirit: And the LORD God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul. (Gen 2:7)
And it is only by the grace and mercy of God and the finished redemptive work of Christ that we have this hope and this guarantee of eternal life. Adam failed God and humanity but Christ was victorious over sin, death, Hades Hell, and Satan.
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