Since God’s eternal purpose is to be expressed, all of the work that He has been doing throughout the ages has been for the fulfillment of His purpose; they are the steps in His expression of Himself in men and among men. This line is recorded from the beginning of Genesis to the end of Revelation. The stories from Adam to the New Jerusalem all show how God manifests Himself. We can only briefly look at this line of God’s expression throughout the ages.
The first step of God’s expression is seen in Adam. Whenever we read the story of Adam, we must remember that his story reveals God’s desire to be expressed through him.
Why did God make man? Why did He make Adam? The record in Genesis 1 clearly reveals that God’s intention in making man was for man to be in His image. God made man in His own image and in His likeness; the man He made was His image and likeness (Gen. 1:26-27). In the universe the man on earth is in the image of God.
We have previously said that the making of man according to God’s image is like a person being photographed. If Brother Huang’s photograph is taken, the photograph will surely be an image of him. He could print thousands and thousands of copies, distribute them to cities all over the globe, and publish them in many newspapers and magazines; consequently, his image would be seen all over the earth. Similarly, when God made man, He made man in His own image. Therefore, we can say that man was a photograph of God. God also wanted man to be fruitful and multiply to fill all the earth; in this way the image of God, His photograph, would fill the earth.
God’s action clearly implies that He wanted to be expressed through man. Although Adam had only the image and likeness of God outwardly, in principle he expressed God. Although man did not have the life and nature of God, he still expressed God and manifested the story of God in part. Look at Adam. He was so thoughtful, wise, loving, and capable in his decisions. All of these characteristics showed forth something concerning God and expressed God in part.
In His making of Adam, God did not put His own life and nature into him, but He formed a spirit in Adam so that Adam would be able not only to contact God but also to receive God (Gen. 2:7; Job 33:4; Zech. 12:1). Contacting God may involve merely communicating with God, but receiving God involves God coming into man. Not only does God want man to contact Him; He also wants man to receive Him.
The Bible is clear in its revelation concerning this matter. After God made Adam, He placed Adam in front of the tree of life. This clearly indicates that He wanted Adam to eat the fruit of the tree of life. This is a symbolic picture. Gradually, the Bible shows that the source of life is God (Psa. 36:9). Therefore, we may also say that life is God. Moreover, to eat is to receive. We all have eaten some food and received it into us. Therefore, symbolically, when God put Adam in front of the tree of life, He wanted Adam to eat Him as food, that is, to receive Him as life. If Adam had received God, he would have received God’s life and nature. Thus, he would not only have been like God outwardly, in outward form; he would also have been like God inwardly, in content, in nature. Even though Adam did not receive the life of God at that time, this was God’s desire. God wanted Adam to receive Him so that he could be like God both outwardly and inwardly in order to express Him. In our reading of the Word, we need to see God’s thought. When God made man, His thought from the very beginning was to express Himself in man.
After Adam, the Bible shows the generations of the patriarchs, including Abel, Enoch, Noah, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, in whom the expression of God can also be seen. We do not have the time to look at them in much detail, but two matters concerning them are important.
The faith and actions of the patriarchs, or rather, their actions due to their faith, all expressed God (Heb. 11:4-21; 12:1). They were people who trusted in God. Through their faith they were brought into a relationship with God. Furthermore, their actions were affected and changed due to their faith. The effects and changes in their actions were expressions of God. While the people around them walked according to the manner of the world and expressed the world, the walk and living of the patriarchs through their faith in God manifested a different condition and manner. Their condition and manner enabled others to know God more and understand God more, that is, to see God to a certain extent. Their actions of faith can be considered as an expression of God.