Text 1: Genesis 1:26-27
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. So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them.
What do I draw from this text
1) God made man.
When dealing with men and women, the bible wastes no time in slamming up against the worldview of naturalistic evolution (not explicitly theistic evolution). The very basis of the biblical understanding assumes design, purpose, and ultimately, ownership of man. God made man, therefore man belongs to God. He may do as he pleases for man is his invention.
2) God made man in his triune image.
This jumps out at us from the text where it says “Let US make man in OUR image, after OUR likeness”. God is either talking to the angels or he is talking to another person/s within himself. This is clarified a few verses later were the text says, “ in the image of God he created him”. In light of the whole tenor of scripture, we can know that this is referring not just to the Son and the Father, but also to the person of the Spirit. Man is therefore made in the image of all three.
What we can safely deduce is that man, both male and female (as we will see later), reveal, like a rippled reflection, something of the trinity. This is truly an incredible statement. God does not refer in this way to anything else in all creation. Man is made from the dust of the earth, yet at the same time, in the image of God. It's not surprising that man is so different to all other creation in so many ways (creativity, moral awareness, consciousness etc,etc). While man's body is made from that which already existed (the dust of the earth), there appears in man something totally original and reflective of eternity, his spirit. Unlike all other things, he bears a likeness to the Creator!
3) God gave man dominion over all the earth.
God gave man (male and female) authority over the earth and all its organisms. This is also a reflection of what God is like for He, ultimately, has dominion of all creation.
4) Male and female are together a reflection of the of the image of God.
Man, as it is used in this passage, refers to mankind which included male and female. Male alone is an incomplete image of God as God intended. In the same way, female alone is an incomplete image of God as God intended. Both together are required to bear the image of God as He intended. Even though sin had not entered into man, it was “not good” for him to be alone. Only after the women was created could it be said that the work of creation was “very good”.
5) Equal in value.
If the idea that mankind has distinct value (greater than the rest of creation) because he is created in the image of God, then this has massive implications. In many cultures, men are seen to be superior in value to women. The implication from this passage, however, is that men and women are equal in value. The reason being is that the very thing that gives man value, namely being made in God's image, is present in male and female. This may not seem very relevant in western culture where equality in value between male and female is a given; but this biblical truth is precious and needed in cultures where women are viewed as lesser beings. Emphasizing this truth from the outset is vital when looking at this issue of male and female. To God, we are equal in value. The same should be amongst his people.
