Then God said, “Let us make mankind in our image, in our likeness, so that they may rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky, over the livestock and all the wild animals, and over all the creatures that move along the ground.” Genesis 1:26 NIV
God’s creation reaches its pinnacle in Genesis with the creation of mankind. Saying, “Let us make man in our image,” God pluralizes his creation statement for the first and only time in the entire story. This may puzzle the reader. Who is God talking to when he says “us’ and “our” in this statement?
Scholars have debated the meaning of the biblical words “in our image” for centuries. Some say that the Lord may refer to angels in this passage. This is not likely as they are presented as servants and messengers in other scriptures and not creators.
Others say that it may refer to God alone and he is using a sort of “royal” language used by kings and rulers on earth. This argument proposes that God is merely using the plural language in formality as a ruler might when making proclamations that apply to the entirety of a kingdom. This seems unlikely as the plural forms were not used when describing other aspects of creation.
The Trinity
A third possible explanation of the phrase “in our image” is that God refers to the Trinity of Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. This seems to be the most likely explanation of the use of the plural words “us’ and “our” in the creation of mankind. Genesis 1:2 mentions the Spirit of God saying, “The earth was formless and empty. Darkness was on the surface of the deep and God’s Spirit was hovering over the surface of the waters. WEB”
Further, scripture also describes Jesus’ participation in creation. We read in John 1:1-3, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. WEB”
The Word Became Flesh
John makes clear that the Word he refers to is Jeus Christ. In John 1:14 he writes, “The Word became flesh, and lived among us. We saw his glory, such glory as of the one and only Son of the Father, full of grace and truth. WEB” And so, from this, we have a clear understanding that all three aspects of the Trinity that comprises the one true God of creation were present during the Genesis account of the creation of mankind.
In addition, Genesis describes God giving mankind authority over a portion of his creation. As God has dominion over man, man, created in the image of God, has dominion over the other living creatures of the earth.
Prayer: “Father God, thank you for the breadth and depth of your holy scriptures. Give me wisdom and discernment to apply what I learn from your holy word to my daily life. In Jesus’ name – Amen”
Yesterday’s Devotional: He Will Wipe Away Every Tear
