I Am Made In God’s Image
Then God said, “Let us make man in our image, after our likeness. And let them have dominion over the fish of the sea and the birds of the heavens and over the livestock and over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.” So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them.” Genesis 1:26-27 ESV
God’s Word teaches us that we are made in His image. No other created being is awarded this quality.
The Hebrew words used are “tselem elohiym”. Tselem is a word that was specifically used to refer to the idols, or images that the heathen created as gods. Elohiym is a word used in the broad sense for spiritual rulers, occasionally for angels, but specifically for God himself.
God chooses to self-actualise through mankind and in doing so, mankind becomes the special creation through which His plans and purposes are made known and brought to pass. It also attributes unique value to every human being, including the unborn, the elderly, the poor and oppressed- so much so that Jesus said, “whatever you do to the least of these, you do to me!” It means that God Himself ministers to us corporately through others, especially through others in His Church. And ultimately, that God Himself would take on human form, in Jesus Christ.
We are made in God’s image, to reflect His glory on the earth. Ancient people would often make images of their gods and hope that the god’s would dwell in these images, as tokens of their presence. Temples were erected to house particular god’s and craftsmen would build an industry around those temples, creating images of the gods. People who had travelled from far away could take home a little piece of their god with them. We were made in God’s image so that we could be a reflection of His nature on the earth. In the same way that Jesus showed us God’s nature, we are to reveal God to others through our own lives.
2 Corinthians 3:18 in the NLT version says: “So all of us who have had that veil removed can see and reflect the glory of the Lord. And the Lord—who is the Spirit—makes us more and more like him as we are changed into his glorious image.”
Romans 8:29-30 (ESV), says: “For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, so that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. And those whom he predestined he also called, and those whom he called he also justified, and those whom he justified he also glorified.”
God has made us in His image, so He could dwell with us and in us, that His nature may be known to the rest of creation.
The other main reason we were made in God’s image, is for us to rule; to take dominion on the earth. The NIV translation says we were made in His image “so that they may rule”. The Hebrew word used in this verse is “radah” and it means to have dominion, to dominate, to rule and to dominate the opposition. We are made to be benevolent rulers of the earth.
God never intended mankind to be the victims of circumstance or bad luck. We aren’t designed to throw our hands up and give up. God fully intended us to rule in our circumstances, rather than being ruled by them.
