Then God said, “Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over the cattle, over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth”
(Gen 1:26)
God equipped Adam for leadership with wisdom, compassion and stewardship, guiding him to care for creation with grace and integrity, beyond mere knowledge or authority.
DEVOTIONAL BIBLE READINGS
Mon. 17: Leaders’ Paths, They Twist And Bend (Acts 20:22)
Tue. 18: Secrets Spill, No Place To Mend (Acts 20:23)
Wed. 19: Leaders Stand, Their Strength To Lend (Acts 20:24b)
Thur. 20: In God, They Find Their Trend (Acts 20:24b)
Fri. 21: With God’s Strength, They Transcend (Acts 20:24c)
Sat. 22: Testifying Grace, Their Stories Blend (Acts 20:24e)
DEVOTIONAL BIBLE READING
God prepared Adam, revealed his purpose and leadership role in creation, and required his obedience, trust and action in response.
INTRODUCTION
TEXTUAL SOURCE: Genesis 1:26-28; 2:19-20; 3:9-11
We praise God for granting us insight into His will through UNIT1: LEADERSHIP CHALLENGES AND GOD’S PEOPLE. We trust that we have gleaned valuable lessons.
Lesson Ten, “God Prepares Adam for Leadership”, marks the beginning of UNIT ll: LEADERSHIP PREPARATION IN THE OLD TESTAMENT (l). Leadership holds fundamental roles in the Scripture the society at large, with men typically expected to lead in various spheres-the home, society, church etc. It is essential for men to provide effective leaders that can nurture rather than hinder these domains. Successful leadership requires 2 types of preparation: personal development and readiness for the task Focusing solely on one aspect can lead to shortcomings in leadership Ultimately, Adam’s failure to obey God’s specific command resulted in consequences for himself and all humanity. This highlights the importance of both God’s preparation and man’s responsibilities in fulfilling leadership roles according to divine guidance and principles Therefore, it is crucial for leaders to align their convictions with God’s to avoid failure in their roles. Let us seek God’s guidance for becoming the leaders He intends us to be through this lesson.
LESSON OUTLINE
- ADAM’S PREPARATION
- ADAM’S FAILURE
LESSON EXPOSITION
ADAM’S PREPARATION (1:26-28;2:19-20)
So God created man in His own image; in the image of God He created him, male and female He created them
(Gen. 1:27).
a) 1:26-28: God created and equipped Adam to lead not just his family but also his community, society and nation. Why?
- God desires the extension of His kingdom on earth (cf. Matt. 6:10). He needs one to have dominion over His creation (Gen. 1:27), hence man’s creation as the head and God’s foreman.
- Generations will be built on Adam (Gen. 5:1ff) and God expects man to lead his generation aright (18:19).
b) A 27: How did God prepare Adam for leadership? To prepare him for leadership, God made him in His Own Image and Likeness. Only humans received this image. Since God is not human (Jn. 4:24), the ‘image’here is symbolic.
c) Adam was given the ability to communicate with God in spirit. God made him in His image and likeness for the sake of sovereignty and dissemination of God’s authority on earth
d) v. 28: To …subdue… and have dominion over.. suggests supremacy, authority and responsibility divinely conferred on man as the image of God.
e) 2:19-20: To show that He had deposited some leadership qualities in man (wisdom, foresight, etc.), He commissioned man to name other creatures. Are you allowing God to prepare you?
ADAM’S FAILURE (3:9-11)
Then the LORD God called to Adam and said to him, “Where are you?” So he said, “I heard Your voice in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked; and I hid myself”
(Gen. 3:9-10).
a) v. 6,7: When the first human leaders took hold of the fruit from the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil, they impaired their ability to be God’s image-bearers.
b) Adam was a perfect creature, who had never sinned, but he was a free moral agent,who had the liberty to choose between good and evil. God made Adam a king with dominion (1:26 ff), but a ruler can only rule othersifhe can successfully govern self
c) Wv. 1-4: Where was Adam when the serpent chatted with Eve? Could he have gone AWOL? He might be in the wrong place even in the Garden of Eden. When they fell, God never called on the woman but the man- -everything rises and falls on leadership.
d) One sin leads to another. Lack of focus will lead to disobedience and idolatry. Because you have heeded the voice of your wife… He put her counsel before God’s, thereby breaking the first commandment (Exod. 20:3-6)
e) V.6: God has always wanted His creatures to love and obey Him of their own volition. So, He allowed the serpent to use the physical desire for food to test Adam’s level of obedience and spiritual discernment.
f) Decision-making process in leadership must start with spiritua reflection, not physical appetite. If Satan wants to attack anywhere, he usually goes after the leadership to make them faulty.
g) Adam, whom God had appointed as leader of the family through which He intended to populate the Earth, led the entire humanity in him into depravity. What a high level of disappointment!
LESSONS DERIVED
- Leadership is not funfair; it needs cooperation with God in Christ Jesus for quality all-round preparation.
- You have power over your choices in leadership but the far-reaching consequences, you cannot control.
QUESTIONS
- How well did God prepare Adam for the task of leading His creatures?
- Effective leadership requires both working and watching. (Gen. 2:15 NLT). Why was Adam neglectful in watching over Eve while he was preoccupied with work and other responsibilities in the Garden?
