The order of creation makes sense out of life and the living out of our Faith. If we look closely at how God communicates His creativity in Genesis, He moves the world from chaos to order and from low capacity to creatures having the capacity for God. Day 1-5 is a movement from lower to higher forms of life. But in Day 6 something shifts. The relationship within God, “Let Us make man in Our image”, creates a final creature with the capacity for relationship with God. A creature of so high a form that it can be granted dominion. Man from mud, formed by God’s own hand and breathed into by God’s own mouth, the first Adam. But there still was more.
From Man came Woman, the final and highest in the order of creation. Not highest in authority, but highest in ability. The glory of this amazing being is that, though she had been formed from man, every other man and woman ever born would be formed in her! The first Eve was truly “the mother of all living” (Genesis 3:20), and for thousands of years everyone born is brought forth from woman, until the highest of all women is born.
Yes, here in Genesis chapter 3, after the fall from grace, God points to a future that is even higher in the order of creation. Genesis 3:15 is the first gospel where God says to the Serpent, “I will put enmity between you and the Woman, and between your seed and her Seed…”. He speaks of a Woman set at enmity against Satan whose Seed will “crush” the Serpents head. Who is this Woman and her Seed?
Finally in the plan of God the highest and best of all women is born. Set apart and preserved by God’s amazing grace, she is prepared for the highest calling ever given to a woman. She is invited to cooperate with the Holy Spirit and bring forth Emmanual (God with us). She is the pioneer of 1 Timothy 2:15 “she will be saved through childbearing” and is rightly titled “Woman” by Jesus (John 2:4). As prophesied in Genesis 3:15, she brings forth the Seed Who is “the image of the invisible God” (Colossians 1:15). She is the equal to and opposite of Satan, thus the Dragon makes war against her and her Children (Revelation 12:17). We see this war raging still today in the attacks on women and children in every arena. But her Seed is the crusher of Satan’s head, and He, and all men of goodwill, are protectors of women and children.
“Firstborn of all creation” (Colossians 1:15) doesn’t of course mean “born first”, but rather the heir of all creation as it is all His inheritance by right. Jesus is the highest forever and ever in the order of creation, and may He forever receive the glory due Him as the Last and Second Adam (1 Corinthians 15:45) and Lord of all Creation. Likewise, may His Mother forever receive the honor due her as the Second Eve. For even John the Baptist, of whom Jesus says there is “no one greater” (Matthew 11:11), danced before Jesus in the tabernacle of Mary’s womb (Luke 1:41) as David danced before the Ark of God (2 Samuel 6:12-14) and as Elizabeth, John’s mother, calls her “Mother of my Lord” (Luke 1:43).
But there is even more! Though Jesus is the “Author and Finisher of our Faith” (Hebrews 12:2), as Creator “all things were made through Him” (John 1:3), He Himself declares a new creation and says, “Behold, I make all things new” (Revelation 21:5). Jesus teaches us of “a new heaven and a new earth” (Revelation chapter 21&22), and the Apostle Paul declares to us that “if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation, old things have passed away, behold, all things have become new” (2 Corinthians 5:17). Beloved, we too are invited to cooperate with Him in that new creation. At the highest level in the order of creation, with Him, and being made new in Christ, we too can speak and live out the Gospel for all the world to see and hear.
Brian Cook converted to Catholicism in April 2021. He is available for speaking and teaching engagements in any parish, church, or group setting. He may be contacted at thedtc@protonmail.com or thedevotiontochrist@gmail.com.
