Genesis 1:26 "In our image..."

Genesis literally means 'beginning'. It's fitting that it is the first book of the Bible. Over the next couple of Monday Messages, I want to take a look at some aspects of Genesis chapters 1 and 2 that have piqued my interest and will, I'm hoping, pique yours too.

Today I want to look at the following passage:

Genesis 1:26
Then God said, “Let us make human beings in our image, to be like us.

The key part i'd like to focus on is the word 'image'.

To me an image gives the sense of a photo or a painting; Something that shows a scene, person or object, but isn't in itself any of those things.

The apitome of this ideal is the Rene Magritte painting 'Ceci n'est pas une pipe' (This is not a pipe). The point of the words is to remind the viewer that the painting is an image of a pipe, no the pipe itself.

And so, I believe, it is with ourselves. We are not God,but we are an image of Him on earth. This has a twofold responsibility: To remind us that we are not God. We don't have to be God and we don't have to beat ourselves up about it when we fall short of God's ideals.

Secondly is the realisation I had that an image like that we see in a mirror can only act when the original object or person acts. When you look in a mirror you see an image of yourself you'll notice it doesn't move unless you do, It's very unlikely that your mirror self would wave to you without you waving first.

Jesus set this as an example to us, even explaining it.

John 5:19

So Jesus explained, “I tell you the truth, the Son can do nothing by himself. He does only what he sees the Father doing. Whatever the Father does, the Son also does.

Jesus sought His direction from God in all things and this is the example He leaves for us to follow. Admittedly it can be hard to do, but when I've really tried to do this, I've found it to be refreshing when I see God acting in my circumstances.

I pray that He would step in for you as you seek His direction.