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From Eliyahu

 

What I am about to say applies to literally everybody.

“God said, ‘Let’s 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 livestock, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.’ God created man in his own image. In God’s image he created him; male and female he created them” (Genesis 1:26-27).

There are few statements in Scripture more important than this one. Before we are told about Abraham, Moses, David, the prophets, the exile, or the coming of Messiah, we are told what a human being is. Man is not introduced as a clever animal who accidentally rose higher than the rest. Man is introduced as the deliberate creation of God, made in His image, after His likeness, and entrusted with dominion over the earth.

 

That single truth changes everything.

 

If a man is only an animal, then right and wrong are impossible to explain. Love becomes chemistry. Worship becomes instinct. Human dignity becomes a social preference. But if man is made in the image of God, then man has agency to choose, life is sacred, moral responsibility is real, love has meaning, and every person carries a significance that does not come from government, society, wealth, power, intelligence, or usefulness.

 

Genesis places mankind in a category of its own. Animals are living creatures made by God, and we should never treat them with cruelty. But they are not given the dominion mandate. They are not addressed as moral covenant partners. They are not told to subdue the earth. They are not described as male and female in the image of God. That distinction belongs to mankind.

 

We can see this difference in at least three plain ways.

 

First, humans possess moral awareness. We do not merely act; we exercise agency and we judge our actions. We ask whether something is right or wrong. We feel guilt, shame, honor, duty, compassion, and responsibility. A lion does not apologize for killing prey. A wolf does not hold court over injustice. But mankind builds laws, writes moral codes, asks forgiveness, and wrestles with conscience. This points to something more than instinct. It points to the image of a moral Creator.

 

Second, humans possess unique spiritual capacity. Across history, men have built altars, temples, synagogues, churches, and houses of prayer. They have looked beyond the visible world and asked, “Who made us? Why are we here? What happens after death? What does God require?” Animals may fear danger, seek food, and care for offspring, but they do not seek the face of YHWH. Man alone is called to worship, obey, repent, and enter covenant relationship with the living God.

 

Third, humans possess extraordinary creative and governing ability. We use language to preserve knowledge across generations. We write books, record history, compose music, design cities, develop tools, heal diseases, cultivate land, and explore the heavens. Animals build nests, dams, hives, and dens by instinct. Man builds libraries, hospitals, farms, ships, sanctuaries, observatories, and nations. This does not make every human wise or righteous, but it does show the unique capacity God placed in mankind.

 

Genesis also says man was given dominion “over all the earth.” That dominion can be seen all around us.

 

We see it in agriculture. Man plants, irrigates, cultivates, harvests, stores, and distributes food. He takes seeds from the earth and turns them into orchards, vineyards, fields, gardens, and bread. He domesticates animals, manages herds, breeds livestock, and uses the strength of creation for human life and service.

 

We see it in civilization. Man builds roads, bridges, homes, wells, cities, ships, and systems of order. He turns raw materials into instruments, tools, shelters, and technologies. He maps rivers, crosses oceans, lights cities, and carries words around the world in moments.

 

We see it in our ability to understand and harness creation. We study the stars, measure the seasons, discover medicines, use fire, shape metal, generate power, and even send instruments into space. This is not the achievement of a random beast. It is the mark of a creature designed to rule under God.

 

But here we must be careful. Dominion does not mean man owns the earth apart from God. The earth is YHWH’s. Man’s dominion is delegated authority. We rule as stewards, not as thieves. We have authority over animals, but not permission for cruelty. We have authority over the earth, but not permission to destroy it for greed. The dominion mandate is not a license for arrogance. It is a calling to responsible rule under the Creator.

 

Now we come to the deeper question: what does it mean to be made in the image of God? What does that fact require of us?

 

We are physical beings. We have bodies formed from the dust. We hunger, thirst, grow tired, feel pain, and eventually die. Yet Scripture teaches that we are more than flesh. God “breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul” (Genesis 2:7). Man is earth and breath. Dust and spirit. Body and inner life.

 

This is why human beings can stand with their feet on the ground and still lift their hearts toward heaven. We can work in a field and pray to YHWH. We can bury our dead and hope in resurrection. We can suffer injustice and still appeal to the Judge of all the earth. We are physical beings, but we are not merely physical beings. We were made in the image of God to know God, and to do His will.

 

 

This also helps explain why sin is so tragic. When animals act according to appetite, they are being animals. But when humans live only by appetite, we fall beneath our calling. We were made for more than hunger, pleasure, fear, and survival. We were made to reflect the character of God.

 

That brings us to another part of the image of God: the capacity to reflect divine attributes. Galatians 5:22-23 says,

“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faith, gentleness, and self-control. Against such things there is no law.”

These are not animal instincts. These are marks of God’s life working in human beings. Love that sacrifices. Joy that endures sorrow. Peace that remains steady under pressure. Patience that refuses revenge. Kindness toward the weak. Goodness when no one is watching. Faithfulness in covenant. Gentleness with power under control. Self-control over appetite and anger.

 

When humans live this way, we show what mankind was created to be. We become living witnesses that man was not made merely to consume, compete, and die. We were made to bear the image of God.

 

But Scripture is honest. Man can also behave like a beast.

 

Nebuchadnezzar is a powerful example. When his heart was lifted up in pride, he was humbled until he lived like an animal. His reason departed from him, and he ate grass like oxen until he learned “that the Most High rules in the kingdom of men” (Daniel 4:32). That story is not only about one Babylonian king. It is a warning to all humanity. When man rejects God, exalts himself, and lives by pride, appetite, violence, and domination, he becomes beastlike.

 

We see the same contrast in daily life. A man can use his strength to protect, or he can use it to oppress. He can speak truth, or he can deceive. He can love his family, or he can abuse them. He can rule his desires, or be ruled by them. He can worship YHWH, or bow before idols of money, power, pleasure, and self.

 

This is why the image of God is both a gift and a responsibility. It tells us what we are, but it also calls us to become what we were made to be.

 

And this truth has powerful implications.

 

First, every human life has dignity. Male and female, young and old, rich and poor, strong and weak, born and unborn, healthy and disabled - human worth is not measured by productivity or status. It is rooted in creation. Every person bears the image of God.

 

Second, every human being is morally accountable. Because we are not animals, we cannot excuse sin as instinct. We may be tempted. We may be weak. We may be shaped by pain, habit, and environment. But we are still called to repent, obey, forgive, love, and walk before God.

 

Third, true human greatness is not found in domination, pride, or self-exaltation. It is found in reflecting the character of YHWH. The world often celebrates beastlike power - the power to crush, consume, and control. Scripture points us higher. The greatest human life is one conformed to God’s will. This is the life of the Son of God living in us.

 

Finally, the image of God points us toward restoration. Sin has damaged mankind, but it has not erased God’s purpose. Through Messiah, the people of God are being renewed, to each become the unique expression of the image of God we were meant to be. By His Word and Spirit we are being taught and empowered to live as image-bearers - not as beasts of appetite, not as slaves of pride, but as sons and daughters who reflect the holiness, mercy, truth, and love of YHWH.

 

Genesis tells us where we began. The prophets show us what went wrong. Messiah shows us what man was meant to be, and He empowers us to achieve that. And the Kingdom of God shows us where history is going.

 

Man was made in the image of God. That means we were made for worship, wisdom, dominion, covenant loyalty, love, and holy responsibility. We were made to rule the earth under God, not rebel against heaven. We were made to reflect His character, not replace His authority.

 

So in a world that often tells us man is only another animal, Scripture calls us to remember who we are.

 

We are dust, but we are more than dust.

 

We are flesh, but we are more than flesh.

 

We are creatures, but we are image-bearers.

 

And the highest calling of human life is not merely to survive, succeed, or rule. It is to know YHWH, obey His Word, and reflect His glory in the earth.

 

That is what we should do, but there are powerful forces arrayed against us to deter us from fulfilling that calling. That is the challenge of the righteous – to live in an unrighteous world and yet to rise to the highest level of our noble calling. This takes resilience, but we have been equipped with everything we need to overcome.

 

 The Tsiyon Dudes are offering some practical ideas about maintaining our resilience in the faith, even in the face of challenges. Tune in tonight at 8 PM Central at Tsiyon.Net and other popular video streaming platforms, and invite others you know who are serious about walking in the image of God. Come and be inspired.

 

In His Name, Eliyahu

 

PS - We have a special program for out Tsiyon Members next week. Don't miss it!

 

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