In the Image of God

In the Image of God

The Bible begins its story with perhaps the most amazing example of power. With words: God spoke, and His words manifested physical realities. It once occurred to me that God could never lie, at the utterance of His word, whatever He uttered would be manifest. If He spoke something that was not yet truth – it would be truth by the time He finished the statement.

What is remarkable also, is the concept that we are made in His image.

The word ‘image’ is ‘tselem.’ (Hebrew) It is used 17 times in the Old Testament. A few times about man being made in the image of God. More times than not it is used to represent an idol.

But, this array of uses gives a good picture of what it actually means to be made ‘in the image of God,’ in particular (strangely enough) the idol.

I am not saying that we are idols. But, the idol was an icon for something, it was fashioned to resemble something they believed to be greater. They were icons, not solely carried for worship, but they also were carried to receive the blessing from whatever deity they represented. Fertility, harvest, war – the idol was carried and represented whatever demonic deity they sought to transact with.

Unlike the idols, we are made in the image of the Almighty God. Nobody needs to pray through another person, because we are ourselves the ones fashioned in His image. We are icons to the greatest of all things, we are living tributes to the One who spoke and created the world. But as icons, we ourselves carry attributes of God through our humanity – although in a corruptible form.

All humans have an inherent creativity, although it flourishes more in some than others.

All humans desire justice, although how that manifests can depend on our perception in our limited scope of understanding.

All humans carry a level of authority – a realm of influence. We can choose to encourage people to better themselves, or manipulate them in our own selfishness.

All humans love, and desire love – although when partnered with selfishness this desire can be easily tainted.

Each human has the capacity to reflect our creator, with varying degrees of imperfection – but as we know God and His Holy Spirit indwells within us, each day we can reflect him more and more.

The more you think about that, the more you see how great that honour is.

I hope that encourages you.