The Pinnacle of Creation – Genesis chapter 1, verses 24 to 31
“Being human” – what does it mean? The greatest wonder in the world, striding across it like a god? Or just a vanishing footnote on the record of history?
So God created mankind in his own image,
Genesis 1:27
in the image of God he created them;
male and female he created them.
Day 6 – Similar but different: the pattern is the same – the method (“God said”), the swift response (“and it was so”) and the announcement (“it was good”). But different when it comes to Mankind: there is first “Let us”, for God was working in a more intimate way. And the announcement after is now “VERY good”.
Why the differences? Because man is the pinnacle of creation, made in God’s own image. We reflect God in a way that the rest of creation cannot.
- In Relationship: man and woman are separate yet one, united in relationship just as the Father, Son and Holy Spirit are one God.
- In Ruling: mankind were to be vice-regents, under God ruling the creation well. There is great dignity in this. There is great responsibility too – not to exploit the Earth, but to care for it.
- The implications:
- man and woman both share in this. No room for sexism here!
- all races are made in the image of God and are therefore deserving of dignity and compassion.
- all human life is sacred.
- all people are of the same value, regardless of their “usefulness”.
- AI, no matter how useful it might become, cannot have the same value.
- “I just want to be treated like a human being”.
Humanity re-made in God’s image: the mirror reflecting God’s glory has been broken now, but not destroyed. The image of God remains, corrupted, spoiled and tarnished. But it can be restored through Jesus the Son of God.
15 The Son is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation.
Colossians 1:15
And God said, “Let the land produce living creatures according to their kinds: the livestock, the creatures that move along the ground, and the wild animals, each according to its kind.” And it was so. 25 God made the wild animals according to their kinds, the livestock according to their kinds, and all the creatures that move along the ground according to their kinds. And God saw that it was good.
26 Then God said, “Let us make mankind in our image, in our likeness, so that they may rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky, over the livestock and all the wild animals, and over all the creatures that move along the ground.”
27 So God created mankind in his own image,
in the image of God he created them;
male and female he created them.28 God blessed them and said to them, “Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it. Rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky and over every living creature that moves on the ground.”
29 Then God said, “I give you every seed-bearing plant on the face of the whole earth and every tree that has fruit with seed in it. They will be yours for food. 30 And to all the beasts of the earth and all the birds in the sky and all the creatures that move along the ground—everything that has the breath of life in it—I give every green plant for food.” And it was so.
31 God saw all that he had made, and it was very good. And there was evening, and there was morning—the sixth day.
Genesis 1:24-31 New International Version (NIV) Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
