MAN MADE IN THE IMAGE OF GOD Devotion #2 of 17

"And 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 fowl of the air, and over the cattle , and over all the earth. So God created man in His own image, in the image of God created He him; male and female created He them"

(Genesis 1:26-27)

THE AFFIRMATION In creation

The crowning work of God was the creation of man. Everything else led up to this wonderful creation. Hear the marvelous words again. "And 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 fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth. So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created He him; male and female created He them" (Gen. 1:26-27). The similarities between man and the brute creation have proved a stumbling block to the evolutionist. Viewing apparent progression in various forms of life, the uninformed scientist concludes man was the result of a natural process. Independently of purpose, and without the involvement of a Creator, man is thought to have evolved over a lengthy period. The seriousness of this opinion has escaped the attention of many. If random evolution is the "mother of us all," then morality, or the judgment of right and wrong, is something to be determined by every individual. Rather than supporting the false postulate that man evolved from a lower form of life, the above condition provides evidence of God anticipating His crowning work, humankind. Scripture declares that the world was created as an arena for mankind. It is a stage upon which the drama of redemption is being enacted. Although man was made from the dust of the earth, it is not his mother. The earth owes its existence to God's purpose for mankind, and therefore is not an end of itself. The radical ecologist is in serious error in making the earth a primary consideration. From the viewpoint of redemption, "earth day" is nothing less than idolatry. Persuasive arguments may very well be presented concerning our stewardship of the earth, and how it should not be abused. But after all of the eloquence has ceased, and the lofty arguments have been given, we have only heard the opinions of men. Moses, the prophets, John the Baptist, our blessed Lord, nor the Apostles ever spoke in this manner. Man has been the focus of divine endeavors throughout history.

The foundation of the world

The phrase "from the foundation of the world," frequently used in the Word of God, conveys this truth. This is a perspective revealed after "the Word became flesh." (Matt. 13:35; 25:34; Lk. 11:50; John 17:24; Eph. 14; Heb. 4:3; 9:26; 1 Pet. 1:20; Rev. 13:8; 17:8). The expression, "the foundation of the world," declares that Divine purpose motivated its origin. It was made, we are informed, "to be inhabited" (Isa. 45:18). The beauty of nature may be breathtaking, but the REASON for its existence is even more arresting! The world is a habitation, not a god. It was founded because of redemption, and has been established as the place where the basis for justification would be accomplished. It is also the place of orientation for the world to come. First, God thought of man, then He thought of the world. The entire natural order was created because of the redemptive plan. That is the meaning of the phrase, "the foundation of the world." This is why the world was founded, and we must not allow this to be obscured by the ranting of uninformed people. Relating this to our subject, the divine imagery in man prompted the extensive plan to redeem him. No such plan was instituted for the reclamation of the brute creation, or for the vegetable kingdom, although they also were cursed in the fall (Rom. 8:20). The divine summary of the world's creation accentuates mankind. "This is the book of the generations of Adam. In the day that God created man, in the likeness of God made He him; male and female created He them; and blessed them, and called their name Adam, in the day when they were created" (Gen 5:1-2). No summation about the sun and the moon! No summation about the beasts of the earth, the fish of the sea, or the fowls of the air! The reason for this circumstance is evident: they did not bear the divine image, and humanity did! Scripture alludes to the creation as a time when the angels "shouted for joy." "Where wast thou when I laid the foundations of the earth? declare, if thou hast understanding. Who hath laid the measures thereof, if thou knowest? or who hath stretched the line upon it? Whereupon are the foundations thereof fastened? or who laid the corner stone thereof; when the morning stars sang together, and all the sons of God shouted for joy?" (Job 38:4-7). It was a grand occasion when the determination to display the wisdom of God to heavenly hosts was under way! There had never been an operation like this, and the anticipation of the glory and magnitude of it all produced shouts of acclamation and joy among the heavenly host.

After the flood

Following the flood, humanity received a fresh start. The mandate to replenish the earth was given, as the human enterprise resumed. Had the divine image been destroyed? Indeed, it had not. Capital punishment, for instance, was instituted because of God's image within man. "Whoso sheddeth man's blood, by man shall his blood be shed: for in the image of God made He man" (Gen. 9:6). If it is true that God's image is found in humanity, the effrontery of taking human life is the ultimate rebellion against God. That is why it is not treated lightly. Human life has value because it has come from God in a special way. Men and women are in the similitude of God, and thus must be respected. As seen in this text, the divine image was not destroyed when sin entered the world. Its presence, though marred, became the basis for divine rationality.

-- TOMORROW: THE IMAGE AND GLORY OF GOD --