A number of years ago, I recorded the Westminster Shorter Catechism for Ligonier.

The recording was done on a Saturday morning.

But lying in bed on the Friday night, I realized I had a problem. Not a theological problem,

but a rhetorical one. Most of us know the first question and answer of that catechism.

My problem was, how am I supposed to ask the question? Is it what is the chief end of man?

Or is it what is the chief end of man?

Or what is the chief end of man?

Or should it rather be what is the chief end of man?

In a sense, the answer to my question was surely all of the above.

So my musings underline for me just how rich this question really is.

And the answer is even richer.

Our chief end is to glorify God and to enjoy him forever.

These words are actually earthed in the opening chapters of the

Bible. God, we are told in Genesis 2, made man from the dust of the earth. Incidentally, that's

why it shouldn't surprise us that we humans have much in common with the other living creatures

God brought forth from the earth.

But that statement about our origin is set in a larger and more fundamental context.

What God did in the creation of man, as we've seen, was to make his image and likeness in a miniature form. And we saw yesterday how vital

this truth is, not only for ourselves, but perhaps especially for our young Christians today.

But not only does Genesis 2 explain that man was made from the dust, it tells us that God also created the woman.

And the story is exquisitely told. The only not good that God noticed in the original

creation was that Adam, the man, was all in his own.

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