“Created in the Image of God”
[Genesis 1:26-31]
March 13, 2011 Second Reformed Church
When the One God created humanity, we read that They created humans – male and female – in Their Image. Human beings were created in the Image of God. What does it mean that we were created in the Image of God?
Lord willing, during the five Sundays in Lent we will look at some of the Scriptures that deal with the concept of the Image of God. Today, we begin at the beginning, with the creation of the first man and the first woman when God said, “Let us make man in our image, after our likeness. ... So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them.”
When we say that someone is the “spitting image” of someone else, we mean that they look just like that person – their physical features look just like the other person. Is that what we mean when we say that we are created in the Image of God?
No, that is the one thing it cannot mean. We do not look like God physically. God did not even possess a physical body until the Son came to earth. Someone who looks like an average male from the Middle East might say that he has the physical image of the Incarnate Son, Jesus. But, we know that God is Spirit – and we are talking about the Creation – a time before the Son incarnate, so God would not have ever had a physical body. So, we do not look like God physically. We are not in the Image of God as far as our physical form is concerned.
So, what does it mean? The Hebrew words that are translated “image” and “likeness” are two words that mean “image” or “semblance.” But since we are not talking about a physical image or likeness that doesn’t help us a whole lot, except to suggest that our being in the Image of God has to do with something non-material.
The commentators look at this passage and give us many options – they say that being created in the Image of God means that we were created with “right judgment,” “harmonious reason,” “sound and well-regulated senses,” “a gift of excelling in goodness,” “rule/government/stewardship over the Creation,” and as “lord over the world” and “care-taker of the world.”
Our text actually gives us the answer when it tells us that humans were created in the Image of God, so – therefore – this means, we were created to “have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over the livestock and over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.” Humans were created in the Image of God, meaning that humans were given dominion over the fish, the birds, and every living thing, including the plants.
But...what does “dominion” mean? Some say that having dominion means that we have the authority to do what we want. We can kill the animals and destroy the environment – use up and throw away the Creation. But does that really seem right?
If we are created in the Image of God and that is seen in our having dominion over the Creation, then God also must have dominion – since we are like Him, but what does “dominion” mean?
The author of Hebrews quotes David and comments on him, “‘[God] made [man] for a little while lower than the angels; [God] have crowned him with glory and honor, putting everything into subjection under his feet.’ Now in putting everything in subjection to him, he left nothing outside his control” (Hebrews 2:7-8a, ESV).
So, God has put humanity in charge of all of Creation, but does that mean we can do what we want?
It may help to hear how the Image of God in humanity has been marred or broken through sin. This is our condition now – this is how things have changed from the original endowment of the Image of God: “And to Adam he said, ‘Because you have listened to your wife and have eaten of the tree of which I have commanded you, “You shall not eat of it,” cursed is the ground because of you; in pain you shall eat of it all the days of your life; thorns and thistles it shall bring forth to you; and you shall eat the plants of the field. By the sweat of your face you shall eat bread, till you return to the ground, for out it of you were taken; for you are dust and to dust you shall return” (Genesis 3:17-19, ESV).
So, what are we seeing?
Human beings were created in the Image of God.
Being created in the Image of God means that humans were given dominion over the Creation as God’s stewards, under-shepherds, sub-regents, representatives, etc..
So, we were created to exercised dominion over the Creation in the same way that God exercises dominion over the Creation – since we are created in His Image – and thus, we ought not do things to or for the Creation that are contrary to God’s Nature.. (And by “the Creation,” let us understand everything God created – animals, plants, humans, and so forth.)
Thus, humans were created to interact with the Creation, to care for the Creation, to love and protect the Creation, to rightly rule and judge over the Creation, working with everything that we are – body, soul, mind, and heart – for goodness and wholeness and harmony amongst everything that God created. That is what it means to be created in the Image of God.
However, through sin, we no longer communicate and interact with the Creation well, we do not always care for the Creation as we should, we have become corrupt judges, lazy workers who think someone else ought pick up the slack. It is often hard to see the Image of God in fallen humanity.
Here is another description of the dominion in which humanity was created in the Image of God, “Then Lord God took the man and put him in the garden of Eden to work it and keep it” (Genesis 2:15, ESV).
Hear the parallel to this in the blessing that God gave His people: “The Lord bless you and keep you; the Lord make his face to shine upon you and be gracious to you; the Lord lift up his countenance upon you and give you peace” (Numbers 6:24-26, ESV).
Do we see? God created everything that is, including us, and made us in His Image so we would be loving, just caretakers, stewards, and judges of the Creation that God put us in charge of. But through sin, our understanding and ability and desire to have dominion – to love and care and steward and judge the Creation for God – as God would – – has been marred and corrupted. We do not exercise dominion as we ought – we abuse and neglect the Creation to our shame.
If the Lord is willing, over the next four weeks, we will see what God’s Plan is to restore His Image in us. But for now, let us remember these two points:
First, humans we created in the Image of God, which means we have been given dominion over the Creation.
And second, having dominion over the Creation means that we are to care for, steward, love, and judge the Creation with all that God has created us to be – in heart and soul and mind and body, as God’s representatives, in the same way that God exercises dominion over the Creation, even with us having dominion over it for God.
What might it look like if we – as Christians – were rightly exercising the dominion that God has given to humanity? What might it look like if we – as Christians – were truly exhibiting the Image of God in which we were created?
We would recognize that the physical creation, including our bodies, was created by God and God called it “good.” We would care for the physical creation, including our bodies, doing all that we can to promote health and healing and well-being. We would seek to have all of Creation live in safety and peace.
We would seek to know how to understand and heal the mind and spirit, as well as how to make them flourish.
We would be passionate about the things of God – for His Providence, His Care, His Love, His Authority, His Wisdom, His Salvation, and so forth – and we would bring that passion to everything that we do.
We would be involved in every field and call and job and career in existence to make sure that the Image of God is seen and dominion is exercised in love and for the good of the Creation and to the Glory of God.
We would recognize that all truth is God’s truth, and we would seek to learn and understand as much about everything as we can, and use that knowledge for the good of the whole Creation and to the Glory of God. (That does not mean that each of us has to know everything, but that each of us would do everything we can to know and understand all that we can in those areas that God has gifted us and given us interest, so that, together – collectively, all of humanity would have the knowledge and the wisdom of God – as much as we can known it – to use for the good of the Creation and to the Glory of God.)
We would especially seek to know the True Truth of Salvation in Jesus Alone as it is expressed and taught in the whole Bible – as well as we can – that we might be able, as Jesus said to “Go into all the world and proclaim the gospel to the whole creation” (Mark 16:15b, ESV).
Does that make sense?
You and I – and all humans – were created in the Image of God. That means we have dominion over the Creation. That means we are to love and care for the Creation like God and engage it to the Glory of God.
Through sin, the Image of God is marred in us, and we do not exercise dominion as we ought. But we can begin to picture what it would look like if we did exercise that dominion as we ought, and as Christians, by the Power of the Holy Spirit, we can begin to rightly live out the dominion we have been given, so all of the Creation would look at us and know God and give Him the glory.
May it be so in us.
Let us pray:
Almighty God, as we begin to consider how You created us in Your Image, we ask that You would make it clear to us that You have entrusted us with the care of whole of Creation – including our fellow humans. Help us to understand where we have failed as Your stewards, and give us strength and wisdom to live out Your Image that Your Salvation through Jesus Alone would be known by the whole Creation. For it is in Jesus’ Name we pray, Amen.
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