Okay, so it’s a stretch, but it’s cute. Genesis is about beginnings and within a span of a few short verses the building blocks of Scripture are laid. It has been said that all good theology starts with Genesis (don’t ask me who said it or where – but I think someone said it – if not, I still think it is true).
‘A’ is for Im(A)ge
“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 them; male and female he created them.” (Gen. 1:26-27 ESV)
Of course there is much to ponder here. What is meant by image and likeness? Are they the same or are they to be seen as two different aspects of our createdness like the Eastern church teaches? Do the words “Let us make…” give glimpses already to the Triune nature of God?
There are some uncertainties to the passage, but what seems to be clear is that being made in the image of God has at least two characteristics that are mentioned here: having dominion and being relational. On the first pages of Scripture God sets out how he intends life to work. First, we are given charge of God’s good creation – what a responsibility! Nathan Bierma has pointed out that we are to serve as lieutenants (tending God’s garden in lieu of the Master). We are to run things and care for things just as he would. Oh, how sin has twisted things! Rather than tending to God’s creation with him in mind, we seek to DOMINATE creation for our own purposes and for our own pleasures. Secondly, male and female, we are created in the image of God. Just as God exists in perfect community in the Godhead, so we need community. It is only in community that we find true communion with God.
‘B’ is for (B)lessing
“And God blessed them. And God said to them, ‘Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth and subdue it and have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over every living thing that moves of the earth.’ … And God saw everything that he had made, and behold, it was very good.” (Gen. 1:28,31 ESV)
I’ve read these words a lot, but this time I was surprised! In the past, for whatever reason, I mentally separated “And God blessed them” and the later so called cultural mandate. This time, however, when I read these words it made sense that the blessing IS the cultural mandate. It’s as if God’s work of creation is done and now He raises his words and gives Adam and Eve a concluding benediction: “Go, work, make culture in my Name!” What a radically different view of work than the image ingrained in our modern minds (“Thank God it’s Friday” and “I’m working for the weekend).
‘C’ is for (C)easing
“And on the seventh day God finished his work that he had done, and he rested on the seventh day from all his work that he had done. So God blessed the seventh day and made it holy, because on it God rested from all his work that he had done in creation.” (Gen 2:2,3 ESV)
There seems to be a repetition here that is interesting: ‘Done’ = 3x; ’seventh day’ = 3x; ‘work’ = 3x. God has created us to have dominion, blessed us to do the work, and then gave us a pattern of REST. Eugene Peterson has pointed out that in the Christian order of events, the Sabbath is the first day of the week – Sunday. We begin our work-weeks in restful worship and then join God in his work on Monday morning. In fact, says Peterson, from a Jewish perspective a day begins at sunset rather than at sunrise. Thus, we begin our days by going to sleep, by resting. What a profound act of trust! There’s so much work to be done and yet God invites us to rest, to go to sleep and trust that he is still at work!
On the first pages of Scripture, we have our biblical ABC primer – we are created in God’s im(A)ge to have dominion and to be in community, we are blessed to “Go, work, and make culture”, and we are invited to rest and trust in God.
