Christianity Oasis Forum

[cimi]

November 18
Wednesday


GOD WORKS
IN MUD

READ:
Genesis 2:1-7
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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 being.
__Genesis 2:7
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In a 1950s novel, there is a scene in which four village men confess their sins to one another. One of the men, Michelis, cries out, "How can God let us live on earth? Why doesn't He kill us to purify creation?" "Because, Michelis," one of the men answered, "God is a potter; He works in mud."

This is literally what the Lord did in Genesis. The sovereign Creator formed and shaped humanity by unique design. This process involved fashioning a man from the dust of the ground. the word formed in Genesis 2:7 describes the work of an artist. Like a potter, molding and fashioning mud into a pot or some other earthen vessel, so the Lord God formed humanity from clay.

God's work with dust and mud continued by breathing into man the breath of life, changing his form into a living soul. This made man a spiritual being, with a capacity to serve and fellowship with the Lord.

After Adam and Eve sinned, God continued working in and with mud, sending His Son Jesus to die for humanity and then regenerating those who receive Him so that we can enjoy fellowship with Him. In gratitude, let's use our hands to do good works for His glory. __Marvin Williams
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``````````````````In His own image God created man,`````````````
```````````````He formed his body from the dust of earth;``````````
```````````````But more than that, to all who are in Christ```````````
``````````````He gives eternal life by second birth. __Hess``````````
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God is the only One who can make the dirty clean.

**************Today's Bible Reading __ Genesis 2:1-7*************

1 Thus the heavens and the
earth, and all the host of
them, were finished. 2 And
on the seventh day God
ended his work which He
had done, and he rested on
the seventh day from all His
work which He had done.

3 Then God blessed the
seventh day and sanctified
it, because in it He rested
from all His work which
God had created and made.

4 This is the history of the
heavens and the earth when
they were created, in the
day that the LORD God
made the earth and the
heavens, 5 before any plant
of the field was in the earth
and before any herb of the
field had grown. For the
LORD God had not caused it
to rain on the earth, and
there was no man to till the
ground; 6 but a mist went
up from the earth and
watered the whole face of
the ground.

7 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 being.

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>INSIGHT<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<

Genesis 2 pictures God's creative order. God rests (vv.1-3), followed
by a review of significant works (vv.4-7). God designed Eden to
enable adam to use the capacities of personhood that He had given
him (vv.9-20). When a "helper comparable to" Adam is not found,
God forms Eve (v.18,20-22). In taking a rib from Adam, God
teaches that man and woman share a common identity in the image
of God (vv.21-23). Man and woman bond together as husband and
wife in mutual support (vv.24-25). The family is here established as
the building block of society. _DENNIS FISHER