January 27, 2017
Today’s reading from Encounter with God

It Is Finished!

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Opening Prayer

“How many are your works, Lord! In wisdom you made them all; the earth is full of your creatures” (Psa. 104:24).

Read Genesis 1:26—2:3

[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. [1] Thus the heavens and the earth were completed in all their vast array. [2] By the seventh day God had finished the work he had been doing; so on the seventh day he rested from all his work. [3] Then God blessed the seventh day and made it holy, because on it he rested from all the work of creating that he had done.

Scripture taken from the THE HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION, NIV Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

Reflect

This is the culmination of Episode 1 (1:1—2:3). Here is God’s great dream for creation.

Human beings were created on the same day as the land animals, showing a unity in creation and a mutual dependence. However, the change in verb form to the strongly purposeful “let us make” at the beginning of verse 26 is an indication that the climax of God’s creative activity has been reached. This is what it was all for!

Verse 27 expands this idea by explaining that human beings—both male and female—are created “in the image of God.” Exactly what that image consists of is not clarified, but what is very clear is that there is a purposeful link, a direct connection, between the Creator God and human beings that is not part of the rest of creation. This link is not about privilege but about responsibility and accountability. Human beings are given specific responsibility to manage the creation on God’s behalf. They are called to make it work—for themselves, yes, but also for the benefit of the whole creation. It is their—that is, our—responsibility to make sure that God’s creation is managed in such a way that the Creator’s purposes are worked out. Of course, as we shall see, things are much harder in a fallen world, but the basic responsibility is the same.

It is worth noting that in this section it is made clear that gender is a significant element in God’s creation—human beings were created male and female. However, it is also worth noting that there is no significance here given to that difference in terms of identity or value. Both are created in the image of God and both are given responsibility for looking after the world. Both will be held responsible for how they live as human beings.

Apply

What insights do you gain about the character of God from this passage? How do you feel about the idea that you are made in God’s image?

Closing prayer

Creator God, You have made me Your representative, Your “image” (27) in this world. Help me to live so that I reflect Your purposes and show what You are like.

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