What Does it Mean That Humans are Created in the Image of God?
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The author of Genesis writes about the creation of Man happening through God, who chooses to make humanity in His image. However, because the true God is a spirit, it is important to understand that the image of God does not necessarily refer to physical qualities but is more likely referring to humanity’s purpose and Man’s eternal soul. In Wayne Grudem’s Systematic Theology: An Introduction to Biblical Doctrine, he explains that theologians have “thought that the image of God consists in man’s intellectual ability, others in his power to make moral decisions and willing choices” (443). However, no number of lists could do justice to what it means to be created in the image of God, for if God is infinite and humans are made in His likeness, then Man’s potential is likely much bigger than could be imagined.
Soon after the creation of Man, God grants male and female authority over every living creature on land, sky, and sea, thus highlighting the idea that mankind was created on a higher level in the hierarchy of God's creations.
Humanity was God's special creation separated from the beasts.
However, that didn't mean that humanity was to be spoiled and simply take pleasure in the fruits of the earth without providing a productive effort. The Baker Illustrated Bible Dictionary describes this direct sequence of creation and tasking as an indication of “purpose or result” (Longman 828). Although God gave male and female "every plant yielding seed that is on the face of all the earth, and every tree with seed in its fruit" for food, God still intended humanity to work (Gen. 1:29). God commands humanity to "be fruitful and increase in number" and become caretakers of all the other living creatures made by Him (Gen. 1:28). By populating the earth, humanity would essentially become trustees to God's estate and representatives of His will throughout the earth. Through this writing, the author of Genesis shows that mankind, although superior, was meant to live in harmony with all of God's creation. In Gordon Wenham’s Exploring the Old Testament: A Guide to the Pentateuch, he further explains this idea by stating that being created in God’s image means “to act in a godlike way in caring for the earth and the other creatures in it” (20). Being made in God’s image does not sanction exploitation of His other creations but instead means that male and female must care for all of creation as loving representatives of God for the benefit of all.
Though being made in the image of God might not necessarily refer to physical qualities, the mention of both male and female is talked about in Scripture immediately after the creation of mankind. This hints at the importance God gives to gender, relationships, cooperation, and purpose despite being different. Since man and woman were both created in God's likeness, it implies that they were equals in this world and would be equally responsible for following God's directive (Gen. 1:27-28). The Baker Illustrated Bible Dictionary compares the trinity of God with the creation of male and female, “a unity with a difference” (827). This does not mean that being created in God’s image is like being made into a generic creature that is differentiated later in life. If anything, the physical body is the instrument God initially shapes for an individual’s soul and his or her purpose. In Timothy and Kathy Keller’s The Meaning of Marriage: Facing the Complexities of Commitment with the Wisdom of God, Kathy highlights that “rather from the start we are male or female. Every cell in our body is stamped as XX or XY. This means I cannot understand myself if I try to ignore the way God has designed me or if I despise the gifts He may have given to help fulfill my calling” (194).
Being created in God’s image means being designed with a purpose, and He uses gender to further guide and define those callings in individuals’ lives.
This also means that if an individual does not agree with the image defined by God in his or her life or has any form of disconnect between his or her acceptance of gender, that individual’s life will be confusing and unfocused. However, despite being created differently, Kathy emphasizes and reminds the reader of the equality in which man and woman were created, blessed, and commanded to be “fruitful” and “fill the earth.” Kathy explains this idea when she says, “Both men and women are called to do science and art, to build families and human communities … Here God gives the human race the mandate to procreate, which is a reflection of his own boundless life-giving creativity” (194). Not only equality but creativity is also a result of being made in the image of God.
The way Genesis 1:26-31 was written is significant because it presents God as an entity proud of its creation in contrast to the creation beliefs of other ancient civilizations. In Genesis, the sixth day of creation ends with God surveying all He had made and concluding that it was all "good."
Man and woman were tasked to watch over the rest of God's creation, showing a trusting relationship between the Creator and what He had made.
Humanity, in a sense, was taking part in the creation of God, and being made in His image meant that humans were also “good.” However, to civilizations like ancient Sumer or Babylon, gods weren't viewed as compassionate, Father-like entities. In J.M. Roberts’ and O.A. Westad’s The History of the World, the authors compare how those ancient groups of people had a negative view of the gods, where they saw themselves as slaves created solely for labor (56, 66). In comparison to Hebrew beliefs, humanity was next to worthless in Sumer. Furthermore, in ancient Greece, people viewed the gods as powerful yet petty beings who only intervened in human matters for their entertainment and to cause discord among human beings (Roberts and Westad 170). However, where they saw their gods as selfish beings existing above humanity, the author of Genesis viewed God as a loving creator who was proud of his work, likely highlighting how different cultures and groups of people viewed their dependence on a higher power and what it meant to be created by another being. Finally, other civilizations may have seen their gods as ungenerous beings who would only take and not give, and if they did give or "bless," it was only after given the proper tribute or sacrifice. In contrast, right from the beginning in Genesis, God made humanity in His likeness, which probably included giving the shared capacity for love, compassion, generosity, and wisdom that would allow mankind to take better care of the rest of the earth. Finally, in Gordon Wenham’s Exploring the Old Testament: A Guide to the Pentateuch, he explains that “other oriental peoples believed that kings were made in the divine image, But Genesis affirms that every human is made in God’s image” (20). This shows that being made in the image of God represents equality not just between male and female, but among all the people created.
However, what happens to the image of God in humanity after its fall with Adam and Eve?
It is easy to believe that after Man sins, the image of God is lost, but that is not the case. In Genesis 9:6, after God floods the world to rid it of its corruption, He tells Noah, “Whoever sheds human blood, by humans shall their blood be shed; for in the image of God has God made mankind.” Surely, the image of God has been tainted by sin, and Man is no longer a pure resemblance to God, but there is enough of God in mankind for Him to establish a death penalty for whoever murders another human being. In Wayne Grudem’s Systematic Theology: An Introduction to Biblical Doctrine, he further explains this by saying that even after the fall of Man, “to murder another person is to attack the part of creation that most resembles God, and it betrays an attempt or desire to attack God himself” (444). Human life is still precious because it is still made in the image of God, even if it is now a distorted image. The image of God shows its presence in humans’ capacity to know right from wrong and use reason when thinking, setting them apart from the animals. The image of God is also present in humans’ spiritual lives. An individual’s desire to grow more like God, the Father, shows a deeper connection to the Creator than that of the beasts who don’t have an awareness of sin or the future. This is a reminder, especially when done through prayer, of the powerful ability of communication that humans have by being made in the image of God. God spoke the world into existence (Gen 1:2-26), and the New Testament shows a similar power in humans when it is written that “With the tongue we praise the Lord and Father, and with it we curse human beings, who have been made in God’s likeness” (James 3:9). This same verse also confirms that even after the fall, human beings are made in God’s likeness. These differences are why God establishes a different relationship with Man than with the rest of creation and also explains why man is meant to rule over the rest of creation.
Finally, being made in the image of God means that rest is important.
In Exploring the Old Testament: A Guide to the Pentateuch, Wenham writes that “the creation of man in God’s image may be the climax of creation, but it is not the goal of creation. That is the seventh day, the day when God rested from all his work that he had done in creation. By implication man, who is made in God's image, should also rest on the seventh day" (21). Rest is a moment where humans may spend time with the Lord and dedicate themselves to those characteristics that set them apart from animals: prayer, meditation, reflection, and rational thought. If God rests, and if humans are made in the image of God, then by nature, humans are designed to engage in quiet time, in time that refills the spirit, and time that allows for the cleansing of the mind. Jesus reminds the Pharisees that rest, the Sabbath, was made for man’s benefit (Mark 2:27). If being made in the image of God does not necessarily refer to physical qualities, then not just physical rest, but more importantly, spiritual rest is necessary for Man’s eternal soul. And if a creature is worthy of rest, how much more is a human that is made in the image of God worthy of it. Although the image of God may be distorted in human life, a part of it still remains. Charles Spurgeon reminded others of this when he said, “Consider how precious a soul must be when both God and the devil are after it.”
Resources Used:
New International Version Bible. Zondervan, 2011. (Original work published 1978)
Grudem, Wayne A. Systematic Theology: An Introduction to Biblical Doctrine. Zondervan Pub. House, 2000.
J.M. Roberts and O.A. Westad, The History of the World, 6th ed. Oxford University Press, 2013.
Keller, Timothy and Kathy Keller, The Meaning of Marriage: Facing the Complexities of Commitment with the Wisdom of God. Penguin Books, 2016.
Longman, Tremper. The Baker Illustrated Bible Dictionary. Baker Books, 2013.
Wenham, Gordon J. Exploring the Old Testament: A Guide to the Pentateuch. Vol. 1, InterVarsity Press, 2003.
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