Genesis 1:26f
‘God said: “Let Us make man in Our image!”… Male and female, He created them. And God blessed them and 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 fowl of the air and over every living thing that moves on the Earth!”… Therefore, a man shall leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave to his wife — and they shall be one flesh.’ Genesis 1:26 to 2:24.
Calvin commented: “Man is…a certain pre-eminent specimen of divine wisdom…. He is deservedly called by the ancients mikrokosmos, ‘a world in miniature’…. The dominion…was given to man, that he might…acts as God’s vicegerent in the government of the world. This truly is some portion…of the image of God…. He (Adam) would have authority over all living creatures. He(God) appointed man…lord…. This authority was not given to Adam only, but to all his posterity….
“Adam with his wife was formed for the production of offspring, in order that man might replenish (or fill) the Earth…. God intends the human race to be multiplied by generation…. He has joined the man to his wife, so that they might produce…a legitimate seed…. Beginning at holy and chaste marriage, He proceeds to speak of the produc tion of offspring.” And the command to ‘fill’ the Earth with children, indicates that this would take a long time. Many generations!
God said to Adam: ‘I will make him a help!’ (Genesis 2:18f). Calvin comments: “Woman is given as a companion and an associate to the man…. In the person of the woman, the human race was at length complete — which had before been like a building just begun…. The husband ought to prefer his wife to his father…. The father is said to be ‘left’ — not his wife!… It is less lawful to desert a wife, than parents.”
In his Institutes (II:12:6), Calvin added: “Man…was created in the image of God (Genesis 1:27). And in him, the Creator was pleased to behold — as in a mirror — His Own glory.”
Finally, not only did Adam reflect God. Eve imaged Adam. And their children image Adam and Eve. And their grandchildren image their parents, and anticipate the rest of the human race which those grandchildren in turn would produce. But all of them together — would anticipate the whole Christian Church!
As Calvin said in his Institutes (IV:19:35): “Adam said…after Eve was brought into his presence…: ‘This is now bone of my bones, and flesh of my flesh’ (Genesis 2:23)…. This was spiritually fulfilled in Christ…. Paul declares …that we are members of His body, of His flesh and of His bones, and so one flesh with Him…. Truly, it is a great mystery that Christ allowed a rib to be taken from Himself, of which we might be formed…. When He was strong, He was pleased to become weak, so that we might be strengthened by His strength.”
So, be fruitful! Consider the blessings of children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren! For thus is the Christian Church expanded!
