A question was asked from the book of Genesis chapter 11 verse 7 where God said, “Come, let Us go down and there confuse their language, so that they cannot understand one anothers speech;” the question being “Who is the “US” being referred to here?” In considering this question we must bear in mind that God does not usually explain all there is to know about a subject in one place in the Bible. Even the biblical writers He inspired did not always fully understand what they recorded (compare Dan 12:8-9; 1 Pet 1:10-12). And He often fills in more details in other passages. So it is with Genesis 11. Throughout scripture we come back to the reality that God has chosen to express His personal nature in terms of a family relationship. Elohim is the Hebrew word for God in every passage of Genesis 1 as well as in more than 2,000 places throughout the Old Testament. Elohim is a noun that is plural in form but normally singular in usage—that is, paired with singular verbs—when designating the true God. For a comparable modern expression, consider the term United States. This proper noun is plural in form but singular in usage. It is used with singular verbs. For example, Americans say, “The United States is going to take action,” not “The United States are going to take action.” The plural form does signify multiple states—but, taken collectively, they are viewed as one nation. It is the same with Elohim. The word Eloah, meaning “Mighty One,” is the singular form. Elohim, meaning “Mighty Ones,” is plural. We should note that since Elohim is the name of the God family, each family member can be called by this name. (Some Bible writers also use the word elohim as a plural noun with plural usage to describe false gods. So one crucial factor in comprehending the meaning of this Hebrew word is determining what is intended by the context.) It is apparent that there are more than one in this God family, “And he said, hear therefore the Word of Yehovah [the LORD]: I saw Yehovah sitting on His throne, and all the host of heaven standing by Him on His right hand and on His left” (1 Ki 22:19), and “Again he said, And hear the Word of Yehovah. I saw Yehovah sitting on His throne, and all the host of Heaven were standing on His right hand and on His left” (2 Chr 19:18). But, collectively, as Elohim, they are seen as one God. Elohim said, “Let Us make man in our image, according to Our likeness” (Genesis 1:26). When Adam and Eve made the momentous decision to disobey their Creator by eating of the fruit God had forbidden them to eat, the divine reaction was, “Behold, the man has become like one of Us, to know good and evil” (Genesis 3:22). And God cut them off from the tree of life (verses 22-24). The phrase “one of Us,” we should note, provides clear evidence that more than one constituted the “Us.” Moreover, to “become like one of Us” was actually our Creator’s original intention for all humanity, but it must be done God’s way and in His own time frame. That way is to submit ourselves to every word that proceeds from the mouth of God (Dt 8:3; & see Mat 4:4). Only our Creator has the right and wisdom to determine what is good and evil for us. He knows what’s best for us and never wanted us to learn what is evil through experimentation. He tells us, “The Torah [law] of Yehovah is perfect, converting the soul; the testimony of Yehovah is sure, making wise the simple; the statutes of Yehovah are right, rejoicing the heart; the commandment of Yehovah is pure, enlightening the eyes” (Ps 19:7-8). He wants us to trust Him and His judgement. The book of Genesis tells us that God created man in His [singular] own image, forming man from the dust of the earth and breathing into his nostrils the breath of life (Gen 1:26-27; 2:7). The fact that God made man in his image and likeness delineates the most fundamental difference between humans and other creatures. All other distinguishing characteristics between man and the animal world fall within its broad spectrum. The image of God imparts special meaning, harmony, intelligence and design to human life. To be human is to be created in the image of God. This is the certain testimony of the Bible! Three scriptures in the book of Genesis refer to our being created in the image of God (Gen 1:26, 27; 9:6). As we will see, they show that the “image of God” is of crucial importance to the grand purpose of humanity on planet earth. They are not just statements of historical fact; they point directly to mankind’s awesome destiny. Men and women were created “in the image of God” (Gen 1:27). Within these words is an indication of the astonishing plan, purpose and relationship He desires with all humanity. Imagine all the abilities and potentialities that being created in God’s image confers on us—all the duties and responsibilities, all the magnificence and varied gifts to be used in His service. What we can know is that God has employed “various ways” at “various times” (Heb 1:1), not only to preserve His Word but to convey it to mankind. The Bible does not define the meaning of “the image of God” in so many words. In a sense it’s a mystery, yet the key mysteries and secrets of the Bible may be unlocked for those whom God calls, for He reveals to them His truth. Yeshua [Jesus] said, “I thank You, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that You have hidden these things from the wise and prudent and have revealed them to babes” (Mat 11:25). God’s truth comes by revelation from Him, not from human wisdom. Yet certain common sense principles do enable us to better understand the Bible. We can best comprehend biblical passages when we consider them in their context. Genesis 5 mentions likeness and image of God again. As we read the opening verses, we begin to discern their broader meanings. The chapter begins: “This is the book of the genealogy of Adam. In the day that God created man, He made him in the likeness of God. He created them male and female, and blessed them and called them Mankind in the day they were created” (verses 1-2). Humanly, the genealogy of Genesis 5 extends down through the centuries all the way from Adam to Noah and his three sons—more than 1,600 years. But it actually begins with the Creator Himself. In Luke’s genealogy of Mashiach [Christ], which stretches back to the beginning of mankind, he refers to Adam as “the son of God” (Luke 3:38). As Paul later explained, “we are the offspring of God” (Acts 17:29). We came forth from God, not in the same way that the land animals and sea creatures were created. They were not made in the image of God. We human beings were! In making this point clear, God emphasized the alternate term “likeness.” Consider the profound meaning of the words of Asaph when he writes, “I [Yehovah] have said, You are gods; and all of you sons of the Most High” (Ps 82:6). In Isaiah 41 Yehovah says, “But you, Israel, are My servant, Jacob whom I have chosen, the seed of Abraham, My friend; whom I have taken from the ends of the earth, and called you from its sides. And I said to you, You are My servant; I have chosen you, and not cast you away. Do not fear; for I am with you; be not dismayed; for I am your God. I will make you strong; yes, I will help you; yes, I will uphold you with the right hand of My righteousness . . . Reveal the near things after this, so that we may know that you are gods. Yes, do good, or do evil, so that we may be amazed and see together” (verses 8-23). Even Yeshua confirms this when he answers the Yehudeans of his time, “Is it not written in your Law, I said, You are gods? (John 10:34). But what does that mean? Again, the context helps. This is perhaps the most important principle governing biblical studies and easily the most abused. Continuing the genealogy: “And Adam lived one hundred and thirty years, and begot a son in his own likeness, after his image, and named him Seth” (Gen 5:3). In context with verses 1 and 2, what conclusions may we draw from the statement in verse 3? It is reasonable to deduce that, although God is spirit rather than flesh (John 4:24), man bears considerable resemblance to His Maker, just as Adam’s son resembled him. Are men, women and children made in God’s image in other ways? Consider the gift of human life itself. The Creator breathed into man’s nostrils the breath of life (Gen 2:7). The gap between the living and the non-living is enormous. How great is the chasm even between human and animal awareness of the world? Consider your innate capacity to imagine, to think sequentially in words and images. Man’s incredible powers of imagination and abstract thinking, though often misused, are an important reflection of our being made in the image of God. Our Creator imagines, and we imagine. God said at the time of the Tower of Babel, “This they begin to do: and now nothing will be restrained from them, which they have imagined to do” (Gen 11:6, KJV). What an incredible testimony to our human potential direct from the Creator Himself! Language and the ability to communicate are other vital aspects of God’s image. But men, women, boys and girls have this precious capacity for language in an unusual way. Adam and Eve possessed it at the time of their creation. Writes Steven Pinker, author of The Language Instinct: “Language is no more of a cultural invention than is upright posture . . . Language is a magnificent ability unique to Homo Sapiens [the human species] . . . The complexity of languages from the scientist’s point of view is part of our biological birthright” (1994, pp. 18-19). So great was Adam’s linguistic ability and mental capacity that he could name all the animals, presumably with names never conceived of before (Gen 2:19). The theory of evolution typically pictures early man as nothing more than a crude grunter. How far from the truth of God! Our first parents understood the principle of cause and effect—the probable consequences of present actions. Although Satan the devil in the form of the serpent imparted lethal misinformation to Eve in Genesis 3, she was well able to reason out the possible consequences of future actions. She reasoned that partaking of the fruit God had forbidden her and Adam to eat would make her wise like God and enable her to live forever. But what Eve lacked was the moral perception to think through the implications of her actions, particularly as to how they would affect the human race, which was to spring from her and Adam.
Posted on: Sat, 09 Aug 2014 10:31:58 +0000
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