Who's The Boss

"And 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 fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth. So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them. And God blessed them, and God said unto them, Be fruitful and multiply and replenish the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth." Genesis 1:26-28 KJV

When last we met we saw that man was created to be God on earth. Now, we should begin to understand what that means. There are words like "dominion", "replenish" and "subdue". What are they doing there?

"Dominion" - God said, "let them have dominion", He did not say, "let them be dictators." For anyone who is familiar with the computer game "The Sims" and it's ilk know that being in charge is not as simple as it looks. There's a lot more to being in charge than just telling people what to do.

The position of dominion involves a fair amount of balance. If you want the golden eggs, you best not kill the goose. This is merely pragmatic. However when combined with the idea that man was created to be God on earth it takes a sense of obligation rather than privilege.

"Replenish" - God said to replenish the earth. One question asks, "If the earth needs to be REplenished, when was it first plenished?" To some this may seem a silly question, but it does fall in line with an interesting interpretation dealing with the fall of Lucifer, but that's for another time.

The thought of replenishing the earth brings to light another concept, and that is filling the earth. Part of man's initial charge was to fill the earth. Each of God's creations was to reproduce "after its kind" and there is no reason to think that man is any different in this regard. God expected man to reproduce with the end result being an earth populated with God's reflection.

"Subdue" - This word is probably the most interesting. Partially because it seems so out of place and we don't really know why it's there. Subdue is not a friendly word. It typically means to control by force an unwilling subject, a rebel. The very presence of the word implies that there was something in creation that was not fully cooperative, that was rebellious by nature. The fact that man was told to subdue means, if nothing else, that his existence was meant to be more than simply lounging about soaking up rays. From the time that man was created, there was potential for trouble.

From the beginning of time man had responsibility. Still, I am convinced that God made man with all the skills and resources necessary to fulfill these responsibilities. After all, He said, "it is very good."

The Making of a Man

"And 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 fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth. So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them. And God blessed them, and God said unto them, Be fruitful and multiply and replenish the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth." Genesis 1:26-28 KJV

I'm guessing that even if you've never gone to church, you've heard this passage. Chances are you've also heard about the elevated position of man in creation. And, you may have even heard about the authority implied by dominion. All these things are quite nice, but they really don't tell you anything you can use to make you a better Christian.

There is a lot to be had in these three verses, but before any of it can be put in its proper perspective we'll need to look at the part that says, "Let us make man in our image, and after our likeness ..." because God is not simply being verbose.

Current usage might lead us to believe that the words "image" and "likeness" are effectively the same thing. They are not. The word "image" is more properly understood as "reflection." God did not say "let us make a little model of us" instead He said, "Let us make man as a reflection of us."

The difference between a model and a reflection is significant. While a model may look like the original, and it may even move like the original but it is separate from the original. A reflection on the other hand is, in effect, the original. A model stands apart from the original; a reflection cannot exist without the original. A reflection can do nothing without a direct connection to the original and does only and exactly what the original does. God created man so that creation could see Him through man.

The word "likeness" is not "this picture is like that picture", but that boy is like his father. Likeness does not concern itself with structure, but action and attitude. A boy who is like his father responds in the same way his father would in the same situation. A boy who is like his father thinks in similar ways and has similar conclusions. The similarity is so close that at times it could be said that the boy is his father. God created man to think His thoughts and have His attitudes; do His actions.

Man was created to be God on earth.

Possibly the most important thing we can learn from this part of the creation story is God's intention when He created man. With this knowledge we can appreciate the prophet Jeremiah when he quotes God saying, "Let not the wise man glory in his wisdom, neither let the mighty man glory in his might, let not the rich man glory in his riches: but let him that glorieth glory in this, that he understandeth and knoweth me ..." Jeremiah 9:23-24a

In The Beginning and The End

Christians are regularly accused of looking for "pie in the sky," and the accusation is often justified. Too many Christians treat their Christianity as fire insurance, something that will protect them from loss in the final fire. While there may, in fact, be "pie in the sky" the sky is not necessarily where man will end up.

In the first chapter of Genesis we find the creation story. Most interpretations focus on the seven days and from there attempt to establish some sort of factual history. An evaluation of evolution is not the point here. Instead I'd rather look at the other group of seven in chapter one.

Along with the seven days, there are also seven goods. Seven times during creation God says "it is good", the seventh time He says "it is very good." The word good is significant. Unlike current usage which is more the equivalent of "acceptable," good means "as it should be."

A quick scan of the text will show that each time God said "it is good," He completed a phase or category of creation and never returned to that phase or category. When God said "it is good" He was done with it. This is significant because while land animals and man were both created on the sixth day, they were created in different phases. Thus, man is not a continuation of land animals, but something distinct.

After God had created man He was finished with creation and He declared His creation "very good," or more precisely, "emphatically as it should be." This is important because after this we find that God "rested" from His creating.

Rest is not something God needs or does in the way we think of rest. A more literal interpretation would simply read "God ceased creating." He was done and in all the scripture we have, we never again find God creating anything new. In other words, on the seventh day creation was exactly what God intended it to be.

But then came "The Fall."

Adam and Eve became dissatisfied with their situation and decided to change it. As a result God's creation was altered (read Genesis chapter 3 for details). From that time forward, God has been working to put things back to the way He intended. God could have destroyed everything and started over, but instead, He determined to put things right.

Throughout the rest of the Bible we are given insight into God's work of salvation. The theme throughout scripture is redemption and reconciliation. This can be seen in God's selection, teaching and treatment of the Israelites and is quite explicit in the writings of Paul in the New Testament.

I am convinced that when all is said and done, we will not spend eternity in a placed called heaven. We were created for earth, and it's here we will stay. Our beginning that God declared emphatically as it should be is our end.

Now, you may be asking, "so what?" and I'm going to tell you. The "pie in the sky" accusation has nothing to do with where Christians will spend eternity. Rather it is an indictment of the attitude that many Christians have that they have no obligation to this world. Too many Christians use their Christianity as an escape, a way to avoid interacting with the world around them in any substantive way. Too many Christians are so heavenly minded that they are no earthly good. Rather than reclaiming those things that were once the province of Christ, such as art and science, they have abandoned them to usurpers. Rather than striving for excellence, they settle for cheap and adequate.

Man was created to be the caretaker of the earth. It was his first command. How can we be trusted with responsibility in eternity if we cannot be trusted with the stewardship we have now. There is more to being a Christian than singing, praying and preaching.

? ? Rational Religion ? ?

Some might confuse rational religion with Rationalism, but that would be too easy. Rationalism, without going into detail basically believes that everything can be understood and explained. Why Rationalists believe this is something I don't understand and has never quite been adequately explained, but that's another story.

Religion is a collection of beliefs that "fills the gaps" in empirical knowledge. Religion deals more with why than how. Religion works with motives rather than mechanics. Religion gives answers where science only gives shrugs. Everybody has religion of some sort or another.

Rational deals with reasons. That which is rational is in agreement with reason, but this is not to be confused with logical. Logic is a strict discipline what precise rules that lead to explicit conclusions. Reason, while close to logic is not as rigid or precise. Reason sees connections, though not necessarily rules. While it may be reasonable for a person to be afraid of dogs after having been bit once, it is not strictly logical. Logic says "therefore" where reason simply says "because."

I am a Christian and I am convinced that Christianity is rational. In the coming posts I will cover a variety of what I consider Christian beliefs, some familiar and some possibly unique. Christianity, in my understanding, is not about emotions and wishful thinking, but is consistent with reality.