Gen 9: Chapter 1, verses 26 and 27
Book of Genesis #9
Verses 26 and 27 of the first chapter of Genesis read as follows:
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 air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creeps upon the earth.
27. So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him, male and female he created them.
And these two verses are the subject of this lecture.
What does it mean to be created in the image of God? Why was the word image chosen to convey the mystery of Man? All commentators point out that the word image is repeated four times in these verses and four is symbolic in Scripture for universality, the whole world so then it follows that the author wants us to understand that all of humanity is compassed by this act of creation, that all men share a common universal nature since they are all a reflection of the Divine.
Still, what does it mean to be created in the image of God? In this series we explore this idea and reflect on the relationship of man and God; a relationship that governs our lives and can lead us to everlasting happiness or everlasting damnation. Needless to say, this relationship is the foundation and cornerstone of all that we are and all that we are meant to be.
