From Creation To The Flood / Part 2

From Creation To The Flood – Part 2

DO WE SHOW THE WORLD
WHAT GOD IS LIKE?

There are two ways of describing anyone. One way is by describing the person in isolation; he is tall, short, young, old, etc. The other way is by describing how that person relates to other people or things; he is the son of someone, or the father of someone, or she does a certain job, or has a special skill, or a special purpose.

There has been a long debate among Christians about what the phrase “image of God” means. Mostly, these arguments look at human nature as though it is a specimen in isolation – they use the first method. Is that how the Bible describes people? In particular, does it describe Adam and Eve in isolation? Or does it describe them in terms of how they fit in with God and the rest of creation?

A Powerful Ruler
There are several key parts in Adam and Eve’s job description: “God said, ‘Let us make man in our image, according to our likeness; and let him rule over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the sky and over the cattle and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.’ And God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them. And God blessed them; and said to them, ‘Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth, and subdue it; and rule over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the sky and over every living thing that moves over the earth.’ Then God said, ‘Behold, I have given you every plant yielding seed that is on the surface of all the earth and every tree which has fruit yielding seed; it shall be food for you’” (Gen. 1:26-29 NASB).

Humanity is first described as “in the image of God” – not as having “two arms” or being “an intelligent creature” or any other term that focuses on us as individuals. From the start, we are told what people are like in reference to God. We can’t be understood except in relation to God.

The second part of the description is the purpose for their creation – “that they may rule.” God is sovereign in His creation; God rules! But here God creates people to rule, to act as His agents in creation. Ultimate authority belongs to God alone, but He delegates it to us. We are meant to exercise God’s authority.

The third part of our description can be seen in God’s instructions to the first pair: “Be fruitful and multiply.” God is Creator in His creation, but here He tells Adam and Eve to be creators as well. This is more explicit when the birth of Seth, the line of promise, is described as “Adam lived one hundred and thirty years and begot a son in his own image” (Gen. 5:3). “Be fruitful and multiply” means that men and women are to beget children in their own image, just as God created the first pair in His own image. This relationship down through the generations implies a similar relationship between God and the first pair. They stand to God as children stand to their parents. God is not just their first Creator, He is also their loving Father. He is King over creation, and we are all princes and princesses in His kingdom. And like princes, we have authority from Him within His house.

Next we are told that everywhere is under our authority: “Fill the earth.” God fills all, and here He tells humanity to do the same. No “where” is out-of-bounds to us. The authority and power He entrusts to us are to be used throughout creation.

We are also told that our power within creation is absolute: “and subdue it; and rule over.” I have heard these verses preached to mean that we are to care for this world. This preaching shows a deep gentleness and humility, and a genuine concern for God’s world. But much as these sentiments show commendable piety, this is not what this verse really says. The word here for “subdue” literally means “to force down.” It also means “to rape.” The word for “have dominion” also means “to tread down” as in a winepress. Not very gentle or humble words! But the very brutality of these words makes the meaning clear: people were meant to have absolute power over creation, subject only to God.

Our dominion over creation is not tentative, partial, or inhibited in any other way; creation has no resistance against our actions. We not only have the power to do great good, we also have the power to do great evil.

But even when we try to do good and not evil, we run into problems. We have all seen movies or read stories about one patient having a chance to get a life-saving operation, while another will have to miss out. What gives a doctor the right to save one while allowing another to die? We have all seen that plot line – inevitably, the doctor is accused of “playing God.” But playing, or imitating God is exactly what we were created by God to do! The problem is that we don’t do it very well. We don’t do what God would do, and we don’t do it for the right reasons or in the right way.

How can we know how to use the authority and power God has given us, so as to be true images of God? How can we play God, or imitate Him, in the way that God would want us to? Genesis 1 told us all about our power and our authority. Genesis 2 shows us how to use both in a godly way.

A Respectful Servant
God planted a special garden for Adam and Eve, but the garden was God’s, not theirs. Humanity’s role was “to tend and keep” the garden (Gen. 2:15 NKJV). Again, the words are interesting. The word for “tend” literally means “serve.” The noun form of this word means “servant.” This is someone who doesn’t own the house, but has responsibility and duty within it. Servants can expect to be valued and cared for as they tend to their duties. A servant is someone who is trusted to act in the best interests of the master, and has been given everything needed to do that.

The second word is “keep.” But in Hebrew, the word for “keep” doesn’t just mean “to hold on to” – it means “to protect, honor, respect, defend.” It is commonly used in the phrase “keep this commandment.” The noun form of this word means “a guard” – someone who must be prepared to risk his life for the sake of what he is guarding.

Genesis 1 says we have absolute power over creation, more than the most arrogant dictator could wish for; but Genesis 2 says the way in which we use that power is to serve, honor, respect and protect what is under our control. Even if this involves personal risk, like the guard protecting what has been entrusted to him. How like God Himself! This is how He uses His power over creation. He went to the cross as our Servant! If we are in His image, we would imitate His attitude of selfless service.

So we have seen how people relate to God – by imitating Him as closely as possible and by doing His work in His way for His reasons. We have also seen how we should relate to the creation over which we’ve been given dominion – by serving, protecting and honoring it. But how must a person relate to other humans? How should we act towards each other as we carry out these tasks God has set for us? How does one in the image of God treat another who is also in that same image?

A Loving Friend
This last piece of information about people being in the image of God is seen in these verses: “And the man said, ‘This is now bone of my bones, and flesh of my flesh; She shall be called Woman because she was taken out of Man.’ For this cause a man shall leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave to his wife; and they shall become one flesh” (Gen. 2:23-24). The first words ever spoken by one human about another are a love poem! Our normal English version is “bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh” – but even that understates its impact. English spreads it over nine words, but in Hebrew it takes just four rhyming words: “Etsem metsamay ubasar mibsary.” Short, crisp, definite, powerful.

Every task that God sets before us, every relationship we enter into, must start with love. Everything that God is and does starts with His love; and if we are to act as God acts, show what God is like, and rule as God rules, we also must start from that same love. This is the key. No one makes an image to show what a good copy is like; they make the image to show what the original is like.

Now we are back to the starting point of this article. When people argue about what “the image of God” means, they make the mistake of looking at other people to work this out. Being in the image of God has nothing to do with what we are like; but it has everything to do with showing what God is like. Being in the image of God is not about what we are; it is all about what, why and how we do it. We are only in God’s image as we show His character by doing His will in His way for His reasons. If we are not doing that, we are not being the image we were meant to be. How should this head-knowledge influence the way we live our lives?

Ambassadors For Christ
The supreme purpose of all creation is to declare God’s glory by showing forth His character in our actions – and most of all, in the motivation for our actions. I’ve seen wristbands with WWJD on them. They refer to the question, “What Would Jesus Do?” This is excellent shorthand for what this article is getting at. Perhaps “Why Would Jesus Do It?” might be a good second question, and “How Would Jesus Do It?” would be a good third.

We are to show that God is creative, not destructive, that He serves and protects everything in His care, that He loves everything His hands have made, and that this love springs from a love within the very core of God Himself.

So go out and show God’s character in your life. Be creative, not destructive. Try to find good in everyone and nurture it. Be a servant in your community, rather than demanding that others serve you. Act in the best interests of those around you, rather than seeing them as a resource to be mined for your own benefit. Defend those who need protection, be they family, friends or strangers. And be prepared to sacrifice your own comfort if necessary. Live out the love God has shown to you by showing that same love to others.

By Bob Springett

Next month look for a Part 3 of this series.