God the good and almighty Ruler
When God in the beginning created the heavens and the earth, the climax of his creational work is found in what the triune God said concerning the people he was about to create:
Then God said, �Let us make humankind in our image, according to our likeness; and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the birds of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the wild animals of the earth, and over every creeping thing that creeps upon the earth.� So God created humankind in his image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them. God blessed them, and God said to them, �Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth and subdue it; and have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the air and over every living thing that moves upon the earth.� (Gen. 1:26-28)
Mankind was created in the image of the triune God to rule and reign on God�s behalf. God has the right to rule as He is the Almighty Creator and it is He who holds the whole creation in existence. God can do everything He wishes to do, He has no restrictions. He knows everything and is able to do everything.
In the beginning, before anything existed, the triune God was the sovereign Lord who decided to create the world. He included humanity in his plan. Man was the crowning piece of God�s creation, created in the image of God to be a picture of Him and to represent his rule - God�s kingdom on earth.
God created the most beautiful surroundings for man in the Garden of Eden and placed him to guard it and subdue it, to make it a garden for the Lord. Man had a wonderful fellowship with God, the Creator. They lived in peace and harmony together with open lines of communication. God and man lived in a glorious fellowship and God revealed his plans to man and established a covenant with Adam, the first man.
The Almighty Creator and King gave the people created in his own relational image the chance to choose good or evil represented by the Tree of Knowledge. Mankind was made responsible for the choices they made and the consequences of these choices. From the very first records in the Bible we discover that even if God is almighty he never forces his good will on people against their wishes. God�s desire is that people, of their own free will, shall love and serve him and live securely under his dominion and protection.
Unfortunately the first man chose to be disobedient and rebel against God and his plan. He sinned. Because the wages of sin is death, man died spiritually and was separated from God, and at that moment no longer represented the rule of God. The Devil, God�s opponent and the originator of sin, had managed to seduce man and apparently foil God�s plan.
But even so God had full control over the situation which was not a surprise to him. Because God is a holy God, a community of love, he used what had happened to begin to make known his love to mankind in a new way through the plan of salvation for mankind in his kingdom. In the fullness of time the woman would play a deciding role in bringing salvation to mankind by giving birth to a Saviour who would free humanity from the tyranny of sin.
I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and hers; he will strike your head, and you will strike his heel. (Gen. 3:15)
God shows, in this way, that he always overrules the attacks of the evil one and allows good to come out of every situation. Because God is good he always rules in such a way that is for the good of humanity. God loves us and will always rescue us when evil threatens to destroy us.
Even though you intended to do harm to me, God intended it for good, in order to preserve a numerous people, as he is doing today. (Gen 50:20)
We know that all things work together for good for those who love God, who are called according to his purpose. (Rom 8:28)
Even though God had to throw Adam and Eve out of the Garden of Eden, it was done to hinder that their sinful state became permanent. When they found themselves overwhelmed by guilt and shame, and were unable to cover their nakedness, God provided a covering for them. Through the promise of the offspring of the woman to overcome the enemy God showed himself as a God of forgiveness and restoration. God did not leave mankind to on their own but was with them in securing that the Seed of the woman would overcome and bring in his kingdom.