Why was Man Created?

[Vine Abider]

11 hours ago, A friend of admin said:

Man and Woman were created because Jesus Christ has shared His love with them.

Love creates. Love creates babies.

Yes, we will exhibit the character of God (love), being created in His image and likeness.  However, if you look at the rest of Genesis 1:26 you will see He created man to also have dominion over all the earth and everything existing on it.

Edited May 30, 2023 by Vine Abider
typo

[NConly]

1 minute ago, Vine Abider said:

Actually, that quote was not from me, but @NConly so you may want to reply to him on that!

Im Sorry. My mistake.

[Vine Abider]

21 hours ago, JimmyB said:

I have an aversion to quoting single verses as a) the source documents are not divided that way and b) it can lead to misunderstanding.

Here is that verse -- in context -- (from the NRSVue), with the verse numbers removed and the footnotes inserted)...

Then God said, “Let us make humans [the Hebrew word is "adam"] in our image, according to our likeness, and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the air and over the cattle and over all the wild animals of the earth [and over all the earth] and over every creeping thing that creeps upon the earth.”

So God created humans [the Hebrew word is "adam"] in his image,
    in the image of God he created them; [Hebrew: him]
    male and female he created them.

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 air and over every living thing that moves upon the earth.” God said, “See, I have given you every plant yielding seed that is upon 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 air 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. God saw everything that he had made, and indeed, it was very good. And there was evening and there was morning, the sixth day.

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Regarding the OP, I believe that human beings were created because God wanted children!  I am a father and grandfather, so I can identify.  God created plants and animals (including fish, etc.), but He didn't have a relationship with any of them.  He clearly had a relationship with the first humans, and showed true fatherly behavior when, after justly punishing them for their disobedience, He made garments of skins for the man and for his wife and clothed them.

Of course, after many, many years of dealing with His creation, He had to send His true son to redeem people and thereby make them His actual children.

 

He did want children!  All part of the plan, along with giving us dominion over all the earth.  He said it.

[Vine Abider]

17 hours ago, Marilyn C said:

You didn`t say why God didn`t fix things up earlier. You just mentioned the B/C, but then how does that make a difference if all God is doing is fixing up the earth and placing man there again?

Not sure what you are driving at, Marilyn - why don't you jump to what you see is the answer?

[JimmyB]

3 hours ago, Vine Abider said:

He did want children!  All part of the plan, along with giving us dominion over all the earth.  He said it.

So when He created humans and clothed them and later created His "children" -- the Israelites -- and later sent Jesus to be the eldest of many brothers and sisters He was making a mistake?

[farouk]

22 hours ago, NConly said:

I answered that too,

  created to learn how to apply love in all situations encountered while on earth the beginning of pure love. when we leave this earth will not have attained pure love just found the path that leads to it.

it appears you did not read my post at all. My post answered both your questions before you ask. Thanks  

@NConly I do find the writings of John (Gospel, Epistles, Revelation) to be so heartening and special and sublime with themes such as Divine love, and eternity and assurance.

[NConly]

10 minutes ago, farouk said:

@NConly I do find the writings of John (Gospel, Epistles, Revelation) to be so heartening and special and sublime with themes such as Divine love, and eternity and assurance.

Yes. There is much in the Gospels.

[Vine Abider]

1 hour ago, JimmyB said:

So when He created humans and clothed them and later created His "children" -- the Israelites -- and later sent Jesus to be the eldest of many brothers and sisters He was making a mistake?

Huh?  What does God say in Genesis 1:26 about His purpose for man?  Nothing there precludes Him wanting/having a family, does it?

[farouk]

58 minutes ago, NConly said:

Yes. There is much in the Gospels.

@NConly Indeed so..................

[Marilyn C]

9 hours ago, Dennis1209 said:

Good morning again, Marilyn,

Now I am getting a little confused, which is becoming more and more common with me these days LOL. I was relating my thoughts between people (humans), and the spiritual realm (ʼĕlôhîym).

The Hebrew word ʼelôhîym can mean lessor or little gods in the Bible. Capitalized (ʼElôhîym) indicates the One true superior Creator God. Overall, ʼelôhîym generally means spirit. I do not recall any human people called or referred to by that name.

Psalm 82:6 I have said, Ye are gods אֱלֹהִים ʼĕlôhîym; and all of you are children of the most High. [emphasis added]

Romans 8:16 The Spirit (pneûma) itself beareth witness with our spirit (pneûma), that we are the children of God: [emphasis added]

John 1:12 But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name:

It seems, by extension, if the angels and heavenly host (ʼelôhîym) are children of the most High and we are also, that makes us siblings, the family of God.

I know that angels and the heavenly host are not eligible for crowns or rewards, and it is also not said angels or the heavenly host were created in God's image. As imagers of God, it seems we were created to occupy this planet and dimension for eternity. In eternity will we be allowed to leave Earth and explore the new creation and universe? I do not know.

Where God physically dwells, I would say that would also be Heaven. Our eternal home, the New Jerusalem, comes to Earth, and Jesus Himself will live with us for all eternity. It appears planet Earth will be our eternal home, not Heaven, where the Father and His throne reside.

John 14:9 Jesus saith unto him, Have I been so long time with you, and yet hast thou not known me, Philip? he that hath seen me hath seen the Father; and how sayest thou then, Shew us the Father?

I am unclear on what you refer to as "spiritual people?" I speculated before the fall Adam & Eve could see, communicate and interact with the elohiym (spiritual) realm. Today we might call that dimensional. Some of the prophet's and witnesses' eyes were opened to see armies of angels, ascending and descending ladders, Jacob physically wrestling with an Angel (I suspect it was the pre-incarnate Jesus), as well as a donkey who did not want to be whacked with an angelic sword.

But anyway, I am not dogmatic on these views; they are merely thoughts of how I interpret and formulate scripture. This got a little long 😊

Hi Dennis,

Sorry, I seemed to have misunderstood you. So, thank you for your great explanation. All`s good now.

You may want to answer the question I am about to give to VA.

Marilyn.