April 06, 2022

Understanding Genesis #2: Image of God

55 minutes

In this study, Rob leads a group through Gen 1:26-28 and discusses the questions of "what does it mean that humankind is made in the Image of God"? and "who was God speaking to when He said, "Let us make man in Our Image"?

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Notes for today's study

1:24-31: Day 6: Land animals and Man

5 elements in the formation of humankind

God blessed them

Fruitful and multiply

Fill the earth

Subdue the earth

Rule over all the earth

Cp 1:28; Noah 9:1-7; Abraham 12:2-3; 17:2, 6, 8; 22:17-18; Isaac 26:3, 4, 24; Jacob 28:3-4, 13-14; 35:11-12; 47:27; 48:3-4; Israel Exod 1:7, 12, 20; Num 23:10-11; Deut 7:13; Ps 107:38

Cp Lev 26:9; Deut 7:13; 15:4-6; 28:11-12; 30:16; 1 Chron 4:10; 17:9-11, 27; Ps 8:5-8; 107:37-38; Isa 51:2-3; 54:1-3; Jer 3:16, 18; 23:3; Ezek 36:9-12; Hos 1:10

Creation of mankind (26)

Change from ‘let there be . . .’ to ‘let us make . . .’

Repetition of ‘God created man . . . He created them . . . male and female He created them’

Addition of ‘subdue and rule over’

‘Let us make man in our image and in our likeness’: stress point in the formation of mankind

Hebrew parallelism? No difference between the two terms?

All are made in God’s image

To be human is to bear God’s image

Rom 8:29; 2 Cor 3:18; Eph 4:23-24; Col 3:10: one is becoming the image of God through the process of salvation

‘Let them rule’: (26): Subdue (kabas) the earth and Rule (radah) over the creatures (28)

Subdue the earth: may suggest no more than the task of agriculture

Rule over the creatures: exercising dominion over the rest of creation

God delegates to mankind His own kingly authority

This is the role of Image Bearers

1:28: adds ‘subdue’: more forceful; indicates subjecting the one to slavery; here it probably parallels 2:5, 15 ‘keep the land’

Man is distinguished sexually; not by various species (sexual distinction with the animals comes in 6:19)

‘Male and female’: specifies who it was that was made in the image of God

The dominion was not for the sake of ruling in itself; but for the well-being of that which they rule over

Be fruitful and multiply (28; Cf Isa 45:18) Created it to be inhabited

Commission given to Noah (9:1, 7); Abraham (12:2-3; 17:2, 6, 8; 22:16-18); Isaac (26:3, 4, 24); Jacob (28:3-4, 14; 35:11-12; 48:3, 15-16); to Israel (Gen 47:27; Deut 7:13; Exod 1:7; Ps 107:38; Isa 51:2; Lev 26:9; Jer 3:16; 23:3; Ezek 36:10-11, 29-30;

Thus, Israel was to embody the purpose for humanity

‘It was very good’ (31)

Adam and Even fail and the commission of Gen 1:28 is given to:

Noah 9:1, 7

Abraham 12:2-3; 17:2, 6, 8, 16; 22:18

Isaac 26:3-4, 24

Jacob 28:3-4, 14; 35:11-12; 48:3, 15-16

Israel Deut 7:13; Gen 47:27; Exod 1:7; Ps 107:38; Isa 51:2

Understanding Gen 1 in light of the NT!

Rev 1:6 Kings/queens priests

Rev 5:9-10

Rev 20:4

Mark 10:42-45

Luke 22:29-30

Exod 19:4-6

Exod 17