Created In God’s Image?

Post # 18

Genesis 1:26-27,   God said, “Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the birds of the sky, and over the livestock, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.” ²⁷ God created man in his own image. In God’s image he created him; male and female he created them. (WEB)

“Let us make man in our image, in our likeness, and let them have dominion – .” Being made in God’s image appears to be directly connected with ruling over the fauna and flora for the purpose of enabling humans to provide caring supervision as God would do himself. He willed to delegate and share responsibility to manage the ecosystem with humans giving TLC to it. I’m sure most environmentalists would agree that we should love the creation and care for it rather than exploit it mercilessly and cause many species to disappear.

Everything got off to a good start and there was rest and peace in Genesis chapters 1 & 2, but the train went off the rails in chapter 3. Adam and Eve fell under the spell of Satan disguised as a serpent, and ate the forbidden fruit. This symbolized that Satan damaged their relationship with their Creator and they were separated/distanced from him, and Satan actually came between them (between them and God and between each other).  2 Corinthians 4:3-4 says,  “ Even if our Good News is veiled, it is veiled in those who perish; ⁴ in whom the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelieving, that the light of the Good News of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God, should not dawn on them.

This disconnection from their environment-loving Creator affected how the ecosystem has been treated ever since. But in the beginning it was not intended to be so. That is the main point of this posting.

Also we have a number of other attributes of God, such as, the ability to design, plan and make things; make rules of ethics and morality; and we can have a relationship with God, if we so desire.

The main message of the Bible is about how people can be reconciled to God and enter his spiritual rest and peace in the Kingdom of God – Hebrews 4. Jesus died and is there now in the Kingdom of God, sitting beside his Father.. We can also be resurrected and join him after this life is over.