Genesis 1:27 - In His Image.
Genesis 1:27 - In His Image.
Genesis 1:27 (NIV) So God created man in his own image, in the
image of God he created him; male and female he created them.
Imagine God's creativity. Of all we don't know about the
creation, there is one thing we do know - he did it with a smile. He
must've had a blast. Painting the stripes on the zebra, hanging the
stars in the sky, putting the gold in the sunset. What creativity!
Stretching the neck of the giraffe, putting the flutter in the
mockingbird's wings, planting the giggle in the hyena.
What a time he had. Like a whistling carpenter in his
workshop, he loved every bit of it. He poured himself into the work. So
intent was his creativity that he took a day off at the end of the week
just to rest.
And then, as a finale to a brilliant performance, he made
man. With his typical creative flair, he began with a useless mound
of dirt and ended up with an invaluable species called a human. A
human who had the unique honor to bear the stamp, "In His Image."
[Grace For The Moment SB By Max Lucado]
After the earth with its teeming animal and vegetable life
had been called into existence, man, the crowning work of the
Creator, and the one for whom the beautiful earth had been fitted up, was
brought upon the stage of action. To him was given dominion over all
that his eye could behold; for "God said, Let Us make man in Our
image, after Our likeness: and let them have dominion over . . . all
the earth. . . . So God created man in His own image; . . . male and
female created He them." Here is clearly set forth the origin of the
human race; and the divine record is so plainly stated that there is
no occasion for erroneous conclusions. God created man in His own
image. Here is no mystery. There is no ground for the supposition that
man was evolved by slow degrees of development from the lower forms
of animal or vegetable life. Such teaching lowers the great work of
the Creator to the level of man's narrow, earthly conceptions. Men
are so intent upon excluding God from the sovereignty of the
universe that they degrade man and defraud him of the dignity of his
origin. He who set the starry worlds on high and tinted with delicate
skill the flowers of the field, who filled the earth and the heavens
with the wonders of His power, when He came to crown His glorious
work, to place one in the midst to stand as ruler of the fair earth,
did not fail to create a being worthy of the hand that gave him
life. The genealogy of our race, as given by inspiration, traces back
its origin, not to a line of developing germs, mollusks, and
quadrupeds, but to the great Creator. Though formed from the dust, Adam was
"the son of God." ...
Man was to bear God's image, both in outward resemblance and
in character. Christ alone is "the express image" (Hebrews 1:3) of
the Father; but man was formed in the likeness of God. His nature
was in harmony with the will of God. His mind was capable of
comprehending divine things. His affections were pure; his appetites and
passions were under the control of reason. He was holy and happy in
bearing the image of God and in perfect obedience to His will. {PP 45}
When Adam came from the Creator's hand, he bore, in his
physical, mental, and spiritual nature, a likeness to his Maker. "God
created man in His own image" (Genesis 1:27), and it was His purpose
that the longer man lived the more fully he should reveal this
image--the more fully reflect the glory of the Creator. All his faculties
were capable of development; their capacity and vigor were
continually to increase...
But by disobedience this was forfeited. Through sin the
divine likeness was marred, and well-nigh obliterated. Man's physical
powers were weakened, his mental capacity was lessened, his spiritual
vision dimmed. He had become subject to death. Yet the race was not
left without hope. By infinite love and mercy the plan of salvation
had been devised, and a life of probation was granted. To restore in
man the image of his Maker, to bring him back to the perfection in
which he was created, to promote the development of body, mind, and
soul, that the divine purpose in his creation might be realized--this
was to be the work of redemption. This is the object of education,
the great object of life. {Ed 15}
Knowing that we are made in God's image and thus share many of
his characteristics provides a solid basis for self-worth. Human
worth is not based on possessions, achievements, physical
attractiveness, or public acclaim. Instead, it is based on being made in God's
image. Because we bear God's image, we can feel positive about
ourselves. Criticizing or downgrading ourselves is criticizing what God has
made and the abilities he has given us. Knowing that you are a person
of worth helps you love God, know him personally, and make a
valuable contribution to those around you. [Life Application SB]
One of the most stunning expressions found in Scripture lies
here in Genesis 1. "Let Us," God says, "make man in Our image, in Our
likeness." And the text continues, "So God created man in His own image, in
the image of God He created him; male and female He created them."
The two Hebrew words used here to define the human essence
are selem, meaning "image" or "representation," and demut, which
implies comparison. When linked they make a decisive theological
statement. The essence of human nature can only be understood by comparison
with God Himself. We can never understand man by referring back to
some supposed emergence from prehistoric beasts. In a totally unique
creative act, God gave Adam not only physical life but also
personhood--his own capacity to think, to feel, to evaluate, to love, to choose,
as a self-aware individual.
The Genesis account itself emphasizes human uniqueness. All
other aspects of Creation were called into being by God's spoken word.
Yet for man God stooped to personally fashion a physical body, and
then gently, lovingly infused that body with life. In order that
there should be no mistaking God's intent, God fashioned Eve from one
of Adam's ribs. Genesis is clear. Adam and Eve share the same
substance. They participate alike in the image and likeness given to beings
alone.
This account does more than explain man's origins. It has the
power to shape our most basic attitudes toward ourselves and others.
Consider. If I am made in the image of God, then I must have
worth and value as an individual. It's irrelevant to compare myself
with others if my essential being can be understood by comparison
with God! Knowing God made me in His image, I learn to love and to
value myself.
Have you ever noticed how we handle things we value? We wear
the new watch or pin proudly. When we lay it aside, we do so
carefully, putting it in a drawer where it won't be damaged or harmed. If
you and I grasp the value of being created in God's image and
likeness, we will come to appreciate ourselves too. We'll refuse to be
degraded by others, and we will reject temptations that would harm us
physically or spiritually. Because we bear the image and likeness of the
Creator, we are too significant to mar.
Consider. If others are made in the image and likeness of
God, they must have worth and value as individuals, whatever
weaknesses they display. When I understand that every human being shares
the image-likeness of God, I will treat others with respect. I learn
to overlook failures and to communicate love. I realize that the
existence of God's image-likeness, however distorted by sin, means that
the other person can respond, as I have, to the love of God
displayed in Jesus Christ. So I reach out to him or her in love.
Consider. If men and women truly share the image and likeness
of God, each must have a worth and value that is independent of
sex, race, or social status. When I truly understand that every human
being shares with me God's image and likeness, I begin to set aside
the prejudices that drive so much of human behavior. I learn to see
women as people and appreciate all they have to contribute in the
family, the workplace, and the church. I become color-blind, and set
aside categories like black and white, rich and poor, and begin to
treat each person I meet with respect and affection.
When this happens, I have learned the lesson of Genesis
1:26-27, and begun to understand how precious others are to the God who
made them, and who made me. [The 365-Day Devotional Commentary]
Because we are created in the image of God, we are different
from the other creatures God has made, and we must be careful how we
treat one another (Gen. 9:6; James 3:9). Sin has marred that divine
image, but one day all true believers will bear the image of Christ
(Rom. 8:29). [Chapter by Chapter Bible Commentary by Warren Wiersbe]
MINI-VIDEO DEVOTIONALS ON THIS PASSAGE:
http://www.itiswritten.com/television#episodes/2662 [A Better
Way To Live By Shawn Boonstra]
http://www.itiswritten.com/television#episodes/2063 [A Better
Way To Live By Shawn Boonstra]
