The Bible and us

It is most important that we should understand what the Bible has to say about us, our origin and our nature. It is the only authoritative account anywhere of how we came to exist.

The book of Genesis is about our origin. It tells us clearly that man was a created being: that is, he depended upon a Creator for his very life. He was not responsible for his own origin. This is how it happened:

“The Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul.” (Genesis 2:7)

Notice man’s lowly origin: from the ground. Genesis tells us also (at 6:17 and 7:22) that the animals too share “the breath of life” with mankind. But it is the expression “a living soul” which claims our attention and teaches us the first and essential condition for understanding the Bible: we must understand Bible terms in its own sense, and not in ours. Now to many people “the soul” suggests some spirit within man which “survives the death of the body”. But that is not at all how it is used in Genesis, where the word translated “soul” is used of the animals as well. In Genesis 1:21,24 it is translated “living creature”. The Revised Standard Version (RSV) renders “living soul” as “living being”. So does the New International Version (NlV). The New English Bible (NEB) has “a living creature”.

The conclusion is clear: Genesis is telling us that by origin and nature man was created a living being. Of course, he has greater powers of mind than have the animals, but basically his nature is the same as theirs.

The coming of death

The question as to how man’s life might come to an end is treated very early in Genesis. Adam was told by God that if he disobeyed the commandment he had received, he would die. He did disobey, and this is the judgement which was pronounced upon him:

“… in the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread, till thou return unto the ground; for out of it wast thou taken: for dust thou art and unto dust shalt thou return.” (3:19)

The record is devastatingly simple: death is not a door opening to a new life – it is a judgement for disobedience. Man returns to the ground. So in the Genesis record of the Flood, when “the earth was corrupt before God, and the earth was filled with violence … for all flesh had corrupted his (God’s) way upon the earth” (6:11,12), the waters of judgement came, and men and animals perished in the same way:

“All flesh died that moved upon the earth, both of fowl, and of cattle, and of beast … and every man: all in whose nostrils was the breath of life … died.” (7:21,22)

Man and animals

The Bible frequently compares the nature of man to that of the animals. The Psalmist declares, speaking of both:

“Thou (God) takest away their breath, they die, and return to their dust.” (104:29)

The writer of Ecclesiastes is quite categorical: he desires men to see –

“that they themselves are beasts. For that which befalleth the sons of men befalleth beasts; even one thing befalleth them: as the one dieth, so dieth the other; yea, they have all one breath … All go unto one place; all are of the dust, and all turn to dust again.” (3:18-20)

Men and animals have by nature the same fate: they all return to the ground. Some may object that the next verse gives a different sense, but all modern versions (RV, RSV, NIV, NEB) put it thus:

“Who knows whether the spirit of man goes upward and the spirit of the beast goes down to the earth?” (verse 21)

That is, who can tell whether there is any difference? Incidentally, the word translated “spirit” here is the very same as is rendered “breath” in verse 19; which shows that “spirit” here is the life resulting from breathing. It ceases when breathing stops.

So the “soul” can die. The Psalmist, speaking of the judgement God brought upon the proud Egyptians by the ten plagues, says: “He (God) spared not their soul from death”; and then immediately adds: “and gave their life over to the pestilence” (Psalm 78:50), showing that the soul and the life are the same thing.

Twice God declares through Ezekiel: “The soul that sinneth, it shall die” (Ezekiel 18:3,20). Samson, in his final appeal to God, prays: “Let me die with the Philistines” (Judges 16:30). But the margin of the AV shows that what Samson literally said was: “Let my soul die …”

The soul then, is the person, the living being. When he perishes, the soul, or life, perishes with him.

Man in God’s image

Does this mean that men are no better than the animals? Not quite that, for Genesis 1:26 tells us that man was made “in the image” of God. In other words, the physical nature of mankind is just like that of the animals; but man has a superior mind, capable of understanding and responding to God. The Psalmist has this most valuable comment:

“Man that is in honour, and understandeth not, is like the beasts that perish.” (Psalm 49:20)

So it is understanding which can make the difference between a man and the animals. When we ask, “Understanding what?”, then the New Testament comes powerfully to our aid, as we shall see.

In view of the Biblical evidence so far reviewed, it is no surprise to learn that the dead rest, completely unconscious in the grave. Do not trust in princes or in man, says the Psalmist, for –

“his breath goeth forth, he returneth to his earth; in that very day his thoughts perish.” (Psalm 146:4)

David prays that God will deliver him, for –

“in death there is no remembrance of thee: in the grave who shall give thee thanks?” (Psalm 6:5)

Psalm 115 says the same:

“The dead praise not the Lord, neither any that go down into silence.” (verse 17)

The writer of Ecclesiastes is most emphatic:

“For the living know that they shall die: but the dead know not anything … Also their love, and their hatred, and their envy, is now perished … Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do, do it with thy might; for there is no work, nor device, nor knowledge, nor wisdom, in the grave, whither thou goest.” (9:5-10)

The place of the dead is consistently described in these emphatic passages as “in his earth” (the dust of the ground from which man was made), “in the grave” and “in silence”.

The sleep of death

Daniel has a remarkable statement on this subject. It is especially significant because of the use made of the same idea in the New Testament. His prophecy contains this reference to events in “the last days”, when God will show His power once more in the earth, at “a time of trouble such as never was”:

“Many of them that sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt.” (Daniel 12:1,2)

Now that this statement refers in part to the faithful servants of God is clear from the assurance that they will receive “everlasting life”. But look where they are until they receive this reward: they sleep “in the dust of the earth”, a testimony entirely consistent with all we have seen so far.

At this point some readers may say: “So far you have been quoting the Old Testament. Surely the New Testament is a new revelation of Jesus and the Gospel? Does it not say something quite different?”