Us Reaching for God

Known around the world as the Crocodile Hunter, Steve Irwin fearlessly subdued deadly snakes, faced down wild hippos, and yes, wrested powerful crocodiles. Rising to fame in the 1990's, Irwin amazed television audiences, but his adventures were not without close calls. Whenever he cried out "Crikey," the audience knew just how precarious an encounter had been.

But he didn't just dominate animals, he was committed to protecting them. An environmentalist and conservationist, Irwin used his platform to help others realize their responsibility to care for our world and the creatures in it. Tragically, the very natural world he was committed to taming and preserving was the cause of his death.

On what should have been a harmless outing among normally docile stingrays, one massive bull ray fatally pierced Irwin through the heart. Cradled in his cameraman's arms, Steve Irwin spoke his final words, "I'm dying."

In the life and death of Irwin, we see the shadow of man's glorious calling and tragic end. In the beginning, God created out of nothing the glorious reality we know as the heavens and the earth and all that is within them (Genesis 1). Yet in all the myriad of creation, He made only one image bearer - mankind. Imbued with life by His own breath and made with attributes to reflect His own character, God gave them dominion over all the earth.

READ

Genesis 1:26-31 (NLT) Then God said, “Let us make human beings in our image, to be like us. They will reign over the fish in the sea, the birds in the sky, the livestock, all the wild animals on the earth, and the small animals that scurry along the ground.” So God created human beings in his own image.
In the image of God he created them; male and female he created them. Then God blessed them and said, “Be fruitful and multiply. Fill the earth and govern it. Reign over the fish in the sea, the birds in the sky, and all the animals that scurry along the ground.” Then God said, “Look! I have given you every seed-bearing plant throughout the earth and all the fruit trees for your food. And I have given every green plant as food for all the wild animals, the birds in the sky, and the small animals that scurry along the ground—everything that has life.” And that is what happened. Then God looked over all he had made, and he saw that it was very good!

Consider

• How does man's authority reflect the image of God?
• What might it have been like to be God's appointed rulers in such a perfect place?
• What would have been satisfying about the role?
• How would you describe this kind of harmony with God and nature being different than mankind's experience today?

In the beginning, there was complete harmony.

In God's perfect creation, which displayed His goodness and loving-kindness, mankind ruled over a cooperative creation. Neither the elements of the earth nor the creatures on it posed any threat to the ones given dominion. As God's appointed caretakers, man, and woman served their God as He walked in peace with them.

That harmony was shattered when Adam and Eve decided to put their wisdom and will above that of their Creator. Scripture records how God's image bearers defied God's authority by taking from the only forbidden tree in creation. Completely disregarding God's gracious warning that to do so would lead to death, they gave in to the temptation to believe God was withholding something good, desirable, and empowering from them. They believed the words of a talking serpent rather than the words of the living God.

READ

Genesis 3:4-8 (NLT) “You won’t die!” the serpent replied to the woman. " God knows that your eyes will be opened as soon as you eat it, and you will be like God, knowing both good and evil.” The woman was convinced. She saw that the tree was beautiful and its fruit looked delicious, and she wanted the wisdom it would give her. So she took some of the fruit and ate it. Then she gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate it, too. At that moment their eyes were opened, and they suddenly felt shame at their nakedness. So they sewed fig leaves together to cover themselves... So they hid from the Lord God among the trees.

Consider

• Why do you think opened eyes led to shame?
• What do you think they were really trying to hide?
• Why were they hiding from God?
• Considering your own experience with the knowledge and practice of evil, how can you argue the goodness of God was being demonstrated in what He desired to withhold from them?

God made mankind to enjoy an unhindered relationship with Himself forever. Mankind broke that relationship by rejecting the authority of their Creator. Take time to read the fullness of this story in Genesis 3. What you will find is that even in their rebellion, God's mercy shines bright. He covered their nakedness. The death they brought on themselves was not immediately executed. Instead, they were sent out of the Garden and out of God's immediate presence, into a world that was now cursed by sin and would no longer be hospitable or harmonious. Now there were thorns and thistles and creatures that would not welcome the rule of man - and death would be inevitable.

From that moment on, every person born enters this world with the metaphorical cry, "I'm dying."

We strive to dominate a world that is dangerous and difficult, hoping to tame it, subdue it, and master it so that we can get back to our rightfully appointed position - and maybe back to God. We all have our own Steve Irwin ways of wrestling with our place in the world knowing that our ultimate end will still be death at the hands of the world our sin broke.

Yet our longing to know God and be known by God has not died! We still strive to reach for a connection with God.

🚫 We try by doing good works hoping to bring to life His good image in us.

🚫 We try by looking for God in nature, even worshipping the created things as a substitute for the Creator.

🚫 We try by inventing systems of religion to appease the God we fear is still angry at us all.

🚫 We try by imposing our version of justice on an unjust world.

REFLECT

• In which of these ways have you tried to find a connection to God?
• In what ways have those attempts failed to bring intimacy, approval, and friendship with God?
• How can you relate to how Adam and Eve felt when they were separated from God?

CRIKEY! If broken people in a broken world cannot reach God through our efforts, is there any hope? There is!