Verse 24
And God said, “Let the earth bring forth living creatures according to their kinds—livestock and creeping things and beasts of the earth according to their kinds.” And it was so. And God made the beasts of the earth according to their kinds and the livestock according to their kinds, and everything that creeps on the ground according to its kind. And God saw that it was good.
There are three type or groups of animals mentioned here: First, Cattle, livestock (these would have been domesticated animals), Second, small animals that scurry on the ground (this would have been reptiles and rodents) and then Third, wild animals. Other translations might say “wild beats). These would be lions, tigers, leopards–animals that would live in the wild separate from man.
And once again, like the birds and the sea creatures, God creates them according to their kind or according to their species. As we know, there are different types of animals. And as they reproduce, they will reproduce according to their kind. A kangaroo will produce a kangaroo. A tiger will produce a tiger. Here again we see the order of God in creation, and here we see the set boundaries of God in creation. We also see God’s creatively. That when he created land animals he doesn’t just create one kind but many kind and many different kind.
If you have ever spent time at a zoo and you see all of these different kind of animals and creatures – some that fly, some that swim, some that walk and some that crawl – it just shouts to everyone viewing the animal: there is creator, there is a creative creator and there is a purposeful creator. I believe the Animal Kingdom, in all of it’s creatively and diversity and complexity is one of the great testimonies of a Creator
After God created the animals on the lands, he looked at what he created and once again he declared his creation good.
This is the first time we see God creating something in a creation day and declaring it good. And then continuing to create on that day. And the reason is because he is going to create something next on same day and He is not simply going to declare it as good but but very good.
Verses 26
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 over the birds of the heavens and over the livestock and over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.”
“Let Us Make”
Now I want to make a brief statement about the phrase ‘Let us make” (it is the first time that God uses that expression) and it is an intriguing phrase. It is the first time in the words of God that He is pointing back to him. I think it might be easy to simply assume that God is speaking in the we as a Trinitarian God—as a God who is one God existing in three persons: the Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
But there is a lot of disagreement among biblical scholars and theologians in what this phrase “us” is actually referring to. And it is not the only time we see this type of reference from God.
In Genesis 3:22, “Then the Lord God said, “Behold, the man has become like one of US in knowing good and evil.”
Isaiah 6:8 says, “And I heard the voice of the Lord saying, “Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?”
And so who is God talking to when he says “us”?
One of the things we know is that God is not speaking to other gods.
Isaiah 45:5 says, “I am the Lord, and there is no other, besides me there is no God…”
Some Jewish scholars believe God is referring to the angels. And this belief says that as He begins to make humanity, He is simply talking to those who are watching and observing.
But one of the challenges of that view is that God says, “let us make man in our own image.” We are not created in the image of angels but in the image of God.
Another view is (and this is one that is more common views among conservative theologians) is that Hebrew words are sometimes expressed in the plural to intensify the word. So for example, in Genesis 1:1 when it says, “In the beginning, GOD” the word God is the Hebrew word Elohim which is a plural word that on the surface could be translated “gods” but that is not how it is to be used. The plural in verse 1 is to intensify the world God. Moses is saying, we are not just talking about any God. We are talking about the God who is above all other gods – the one true God who is great and majestic. And so when read “Let us make”, some view that as an intensifying statement that God using to speak of His greatness as He creates humanity.
And then there are those who simply say this is a reference to God speaking as a Trinitarian God.
I share these views so that we understand that this phrase “Let us Make” is not necessarily an argument for the Trinity. Now, there are plenty of other places that give us a strong and clear biblical understanding of God being one God existing in three person but this is not one of those verses we should necessarily use to make our defense for the Trinity.
And that doesn’t take away from the fact the Scripture does tell us that all things were created through the Son and that verse 2 tells us that the Spirit of God was hovering over creation. It doesn’t take away from the fact that a Triune God is clearly active and present here in Chapter 1.
“Made in the image of God”
In verse 26, Here we have one of the first really intriguing statements of scripture: “Let us make mankind in our image, in our likeness”
And this statement has caused many to ask the question: what does it mean that we are created in the image of God?
Now when we ask that question, we have to start with the reality that Scripture doesn’t define that. We aren’t given a detailed explanation of what this means. But we know this distinction is important simply by the fact that it is mentioned three times in verse 26-27. By repeating this phrase, Scripture is saying this is important. Don’t miss this! When we think about the creation of humanity we must think about it through the reality that we were created in the image of God. All of humanity has been formed in a way that we bear God’s image.
Now even though Scripture does not define this phrase, we can begin to develop an understanding based on what Scripture DOES says.
The word “image” simply means resemble. God created us to resemble him. He created us to look like him. But I don’t believe this means that we were created to physically resemble God as if God is a physical being with flesh and bones.
In John 4:24, Jesus tells us that God is Spirit. He doesn’t reside in a physical body. John 1:14 says the Word, the son of God became flesh. He wasn’t flesh before. When he came into the world, he took on a human body. And so I don’t believe the image we are talking about here is a physical resemblance
I also don’t believe the image of God reflects the perfection of God. Because even after the fall, when humans became sinners, Genesis 9:6 says, “Whoever sheds the blood of man, by man shall his blood be shed, for God made man in his own image.” And so after the fall, man was still an image bearer of God. Our sinful nature did not take that away.
Others have said that the image of God relates to us being social and relational beings. That we reflect the relational aspect of the Trinity. Others have said that it relates to our morals and our conscience: We reflect God by being moral beings: having the ability to discern between right and wrong. Others have said that it is our ability to reflect the character of God (to reflect his goodness and mercy and grace, etc). Others have said it relates to our ability to have communion and fellowship with God. And still others have said that it reflects the reality that human’s have a soul and that we were divinely created to live forever. Solomon observed: God “has put eternity into man’s heart.” Others have said that it relates to God giving humanity dominion over the earth. Just as God rules over all things. We rule over the earth.
So what is it?
Well, as I just mentioned we must recognize that Scripture does not define: “made in the image of God.” It may be an aspect of all of the things that we have just mentioned.
But here is we do know.
Humanity is the only part of creation that God created in His image and that alone makes it incredibly significant. God is saying, I have created humanity to be different from all other creation In fact, in the next phrase of this verse He is going to put us in a place of authority over all other creation. And while all of creation reflects the reality of its Creator and reveals the invisible qualities of God (Romans 1:20), humanity is the only part of creation that bears the very image of God.
And because humans are made in the image of God, Scripture tells us that we are to value human life. So much so that if one takes another man’s life there are significant consequences. Genesis 9:6 says, “Whoever sheds the blood of man, by man shall his blood be shed, for God made man in his own image.” Because we are made in God’s image, taking someone’s life is a serious thing that could cause one to lose their own life.
Scripture has declared human life incredibly precious and special because we bear the image of God. He has marked us and set us a part in a manner that we reflect and resemble him in a very personal and intimate way. We have a connection with him that is different than all other creation.
We live in a culture that is de-valuing human life and raising up other aspects of creation so that humans and trees and grass and animals share an equal worth. And Scripture tells us we must think about humanity differently.
Psalm 8 says, “what is man that you are mindful of him, and the son of man that you care for him? Yet you have made him a little lower than the heavenly beings and crowned him with glory and honor.”
That glory and honor that we have been crowned–I believe that is the image of God that we have been created in. This is why Peter instructs us in 1 Peter 2:17 to honor everyone. Sometimes we tend to choose who we treat with dignity and respect. There are some people who honor and then some who we have decided don’t deserve our honor. Maybe that telemarketer who interrupted our dinner. That driver who cut us off in traffic. The neighbor was has been a source of frustration for years–we can determine that they don’t deserve to be treated with dignity.
And yet Peter says honor everyone regardless of their nationality or social status or political party or our own feelings toward them. Why? Because every human being is an image bearer of the one true God who has been crowned with glory and honor.
When James challenges us in how we use our words, Listen to what he says in James 3:9: “With [the tongue] we bless our Lord and Father, and with it we curse people who are made in the likeness of God.”
James is saying we should not be people who praise God with our words and then turn around and curse people with our words. James is saying that it is hypocrisy to say you love God and then curse people. And to emphasis how wrong it is to curse people he makes the point to remind us that people are made in the likeness of God. And so we can’t claim to truly worship God if we also choose to curse those made in the image of God.
How we treat humanity is a reflection of how we view God because humanity bears the image of God.
I see Christians on social media post about how they love God. And then their very next post they write derogatory comments about a politician they don’t care for. In during so, they become the James 3:9 person who blessed God and then turns around curses a human. And they are revealing how they truly feel about God because they are willing to curse the one who bears the image of God.
This is why Scripture connects our love for God and our for people.
Jesus, quoting the Law said, “You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. A second is equally important: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ The entire law and all the demands of the prophets are based on these two commandments.”
To love God is to love those created in His image.
We have made it easy to separate our love, separate who we will honor. But Scripture says honor everyone.
There is no human being that should be treated as trash, as second class and something that can be simply disregarded. The child living in poverty in Ecuador has the same value as the wealthy man living in New York City. They both bear the image of God. They have both been crowned with glory and honor.
Now the image of God does not automatically place salvation on a person. Even though we are created in the image of God, sin still separates us from God and humanity is still in need of a Savior to save them from their sins. And there are many who are created in the image of God and they will reject God. And they will die having never repented of their sins and they will spend eternity separate from God.
Being created in the image of God not only impacts how we treat others but it should impact how we view our own life. It means we have the privilege of reflecting God in a way that nothing else in creation can. We have the privilege of living every day bearing the very image of the one true God.
“Let them have dominion”
When God created us in in his image, he also gave us a responsibility. After saying we were made in His image, verse 26 continues and says that humanity was given dominion over all things on the earth.
The word dominion here means to rule. And so God has given humanity its first responsibility, its first task, its first job, its first God-ordained calling, if you will. Humanity has been given the position and the authority to rule over the earth.
Psalm 8:6, “You make him (meaning mankind) to rule over the works of Your hands; You have put all things under his feet…”
There is a connection here in verse 26 between being made in His image and the responsibility of having dominion over all creation. The New International Version says “Then God said, “Let us make mankind in our image, in our likeness, so that they may rule…”
Part of the idea of being made in the image of God is that we now have the ability to rule, to govern, to shepherd in a manner that reflects God. We can rule over the works of God in a manner that displays His goodness, mercy justice and care.
If your parents or grandparents handed down a family heirloom to you, part of their motivation, I imagine, in giving it to you rather than someone outside of the family is that they know you will value that heirloom the same way they did. I remember seeing my mom value things that her parents owned and passed down to her (that others didn’t necessarily value) but she valued them because he parents valued them.
Part of being made in the image of God is that we care for creation as he cared for it. The word “dominion” or “rule” can seem like authoritarian words. Words like rule can make it seem like we get to do with creation whatever we want. But that is not what is being communicated here. We have been given dominion so that we can be stewards of God’s creation. We rule (not as owners) but as representatives of God as ones who bear his image–caring for the very creation that makes Him known.
Romans 1:20 says, “For ever since the world was created, people have seen the earth and sky. Through everything God made, they can clearly see his invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature.
Not only is it a responsibility but it is a privilege to oversee, to steward this handiwork that day after day and night after night declares the greatness of God.
How do we live out this responsibility in a practical way? I often don’t spend a lot of time thinking about having dominion over this world. It doesn’t impact my day-to-day life. But here are two ways we can live out this responsibility of humanity.
The first way is by recognizing humanity’s place in creation. This verse shows us how we are to understand humanities order in creation. As we have moral and philosophical conversations about the value of animals and nature and humanity (and by the way, those are good conversations to be having) it should never get so blurred that we place the value of humanity on the same level as the rest of the created world. We should never place the value of a human as the same as a tree or a goat or an ant.
Psalm 8:5 says, “Yet you have made (man) a little lower than the heavenly beings and crowned him with glory and honor. Humanity has been created above all other creation. And the verse 5 goes into verse 6 that we just read that says, “God have put all things under (man’s) feet…” We have been given authority over all other creation.
In Genesis 3, God kills an animal to make clothing for Adam and Eve. In Genesis 9, God sets aside some animals for humanity to eat. Part of the dominion we have over the created world, is that God has allowed the created world to serve the basic needs of humanity.
When we have the conversations about animal rights, the rights of nature and the rights of humanity, we have to have those conversations recognizing that God has established an order in creation and He has set humanity apart giving him dominion over all things.
This second way we live out this verse is that our position to rule over creation should impact how we care for God’s creation. Authority comes with responsibility to steward God’s work in a manner that honors God. Just because we have been given dominion over it doesn’t mean we can mistreat it.
Proverbs 12:10: “Whoever is righteous has regard for the life of his beast.”
If we want to honor God, then we care for the creation of God. Yes, creation serves the needs of humanity but we never do it in a way that we disrespect or disregard creation as the very handiwork of God.
I have often been amazed that this idea of “caring for the earth” has been embraced by the secular world and often neglected by the church. It seems like most of the environmental organizations leading the way to protect the earth are secular organizations. And the church is often absent in this area.
I believe the reason is the church is reacting to those who have made the conservation of nature their religion, the earth becomes their god. Scripture talks about this in Romans 1:25 when Paul writes, “They traded the truth about God for a lie. So they worshiped and served the things God created instead of the Creator himself…” And so I think the church has probably said, “we are going to stay away from being associated with that idolatry.”
But even if humanity has distorted their relationship with creation (to the point that they may even see humanity as subservient to the natural world) it does not mean that we give up our responsibility to care for God’s creation.
In fact, think about the bridges we could be building with a secular world that denies God but embraces his creation. Think about the Gospel opportunities to build relationships. You love this planet. You want to protect this plant. I do too and let me tell you why.
We are image bearers of God. We are stewards of the work of God. We have a responsibility with our own lives to proclaim Him. We have a responsibility to oversee His creation and his handiwork and to do it in a way that makes him known. We have the privilege of doing it in a way that brings Him glory.