Genesis 1:26 God said, “Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the birds of the sky, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.”
Often I have examined the nature of God and his character, and the importance of following his ways. Today I take a quick look at where humans fit into the picture.
We have a world that is full of life and resources. It was created for us, not by us. In the scheme of things, humans were not the first living things to be created, but the last. All other life forms that are contained in our world though, are ours to rule over as we please.
God, actually Elohyim or most high god, had just finished creating and making the world a complete, finished off place. He says, “Let’s make man…” The word to make, as it is used here means something like ‘please to make. ‘ God made man, and it was pleasing to him.
God made humans ‘in our image after our likeness.’ Both the words image and likeness could be translated by some of the same words. Resemblance, image, or likeness. The difference is the first word means an intangible similarity, a spiritual nature, or the mannerisms. The second word refers to a physical form or appearance.
Why did God make man? Amazingly, humans were not necessarily made with the purpose of worshipping God. He didn’t say, ‘Lets make man so he will worship, honor, and obey me. To recognize me as lord and master, and always do my commands. God desires those things, but he wants it to be a decision. We have the choice to do those things.
We have been created and place in earth to be rulers over it. We are to be masters of all the other living life forms within the earth, fish, birds, animals, and as a catch all category, all the things that go creepy crawling in it. We are given the earth itself and the resources in it. We can rule, and trample, or do whatever we want. Ideally the thing to do is to take care of it to enjoy it for as long as possible. Read the passage all the way through verse 30. There isn’t anything in our created universe that we are kept from doing or owning, or ruling over.
We have the priveledge to do what we want, but just because you have the ability to do something, doesn’t mean you should do that thing. We need to be responsible, even restrained at times in how we use our natural resources.
Take good care of the world that God created for us to rule over and use.