In God’s Image

KEY VERSE: “God saw everything that he had made, and, behold it was very good.” —Genesis 1:31

SELECTED SCRIPTURE: Genesis 1:1, 26-31

THE pronouncement stated in the words of our text was made when, after long epochs of time, God’s purposes had found fruition in the creation of man upon the earth. Preceding this, the many steps of preparation leading to this grand event were briefly described in the six days of creation. During the long eons of these days God’s ultimate goal for a human creation was never lost sight of, and as each progressive step was completed upon the earth, God said it was good. One by one, the various formative objectives were met, until the earth finally emerged as a home for man with air to breathe, food to eat, water to drink, animals to keep, and provisions for shelter, etc. And so, near the end of the sixth day, God brought forth Adam.

Genesis 1:26 uses the word likeness, as well as image, in describing Adam’s similarity to his Creator. We read, “God said, Let us make man … after our likeness: and let them have dominion.” This would seem to imply that man’s likeness to God included the fact that he was given a dominion. God is the supreme Ruler of all his great universe, and on earth he delegated authority to man, whom he had created in his image. No such grant was given to any of the lower animals, nor would they be capable of exercising dominion. Man’s authority was limited. He was not given dominion over the weather, or seasons, or tides, but only over the lower orders of sentient creatures—the fish of the sea; the fowl of the air; the cattle; and every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth.

Just as God commanded the lower orders of the animal creation to multiply and fill the earth, the same command was given to man. Thus the animal kingdom, with man as king, was to be extended to encompass the whole earth.

There was every necessary provision to enable this divine arrangement for the earth to function as God had planned. Man needed only to use properly what God had provided. “God said, Behold, I have given you every herb bearing seed, which is upon the face of all the earth, and every tree, in which is the fruit of a tree yielding seed; to you it shall be for meat. And to every beast of the earth, and to every fowl of the air, and to everything that creepeth upon the earth, wherein there is life, I have given every green herb for meat: and it was so. And God saw everything that he had made, and, behold, it was very good. And the evening and the morning were the sixth day.”—vss. 29-31

We know, of course, that tragedy temporarily disturbed the smooth working of man’s dominion. Indeed, he lost his dominion, and with it his life. But God’s design was not changed by man’s failure. Throughout the Scriptures the fact continues to be emphasized that it is still God’s plan for man to live on the earth, the home which was originally prepared for him. In Isaiah 45:18 we read, “Thus saith the Lord that created the heavens; God himself that formed the earth and made it; he hath established it, he created it not in vain, he formed it to be inhabited.”

Man’s dominion will then be restored to him. This fact is attested by Jesus, who prophetically speaks to those who will prove worthy of everlasting life, saying, “Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world.” (Matt. 25:34) By his death as a ransom price for man, Jesus made valid this promise of restoration.

When the angel announced the birth of Jesus, acclaiming it to be glad tidings of great joy, which would be to all people, the heavenly host sang, “Glory to God in the highest, on earth peace, goodwill toward men.” (Luke 2:10,13,14) Jesus did not come to earth to arrange for a transfer of the human race to heaven. He came that there might be peace and joy and health and life for God’s human creatures here on earth.

When the Creator’s design concerning man shall have been fully accomplished, man’s eternal home will be on the earth, and it will be here that, throughout eternity, the Creator will continue to pour out his rich blessings upon his human creation. Then will have come to pass that which God foresaw from the very beginning—that it would be ‘very good’.

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