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After creating the vast stage of the earth, God filled it with life. He felt that he needed rulers, a pair, to govern. In order for them to rule, they would have to be magnificent. The most magnificent being that He could make to place over creation would, of necessity, have to be made in His image and likeness. Who they were would match the grand purpose in mind. He wanted this magnificent stage dominated by a creature capable of greatness. So to give them the depth of ability and character they needed, God said, “We will have to make this ruler in our image and likeness. Otherwise, they will not fulfill the grand purpose.” They needed to be made in God’s image and likeness, otherwise the rule would not take place effectively. The only way to find sufficient rulers was to create the regents like God. A couple was required because the Trinity is always communicating to one another. One human person by himself or herself does not reflect the deity of the Bible. The deity of the Bible is the Godhead, and those of the Godhead communicate in fullness and in love. To have a barely adequate picture of what God is like, at least two persons, a male and female, are needed. The essence of Christianity is relationship in love. So the statement is made, “Let us make humanity in our image, according to our likeness, and let them rule [The plural - “them” - is used, which is why it should be translated as “humanity”] over the fish of the sea.” When was the last time you ordered a fish, not in the restaurant, but in the waters? When was the last time you commanded a school of fish to swim to the surface and roll over? At one time, our destiny was to be in command of the life in the oceans. Presently, the only thing we can do with the fish is to catch them and eat them. An order exists in what we are supposed to govern, going from the most difficult to govern to the easiest. It says “let them rule,” starting with the fish of the sea, and moves to the birds of the heaven. Proceeding along in levels of difficulty the text goes to the next least difficult, the cattle and every creeping thing that creeps on the earth. Women were supposed to be the queens of the lizards and of snakes and of crawling things. They were supposed to be able to command them, not just drive over them. The cattle, the horses, and the birds of the air were supposed to be governed and dominated. God thought that in order for that to happen this couple had to be glorious in appearance and capacity. Practical applications flow from this creative reality. The first principle for any married couple is this: they must have a purpose greater than themselves, or else they will become unhealthy. Without a purpose greater than ourselves, we will never be fully satisfied. Humanity was made, woman and man, to fulfill the grand purpose of governing the earth. Instinctively, we respond to great challenges and great purposes. In Genesis 1:28, God blessed the man and woman and commanded: “Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth and dominate it.” They were not supposed to kill the creatures of the earth, but to master them. The word for “dominate” is “absolutely subdue” – bring the creatures of the earth to heel. Make sure that they are controlled. It doesn’t mean to kill them or destroy them, but to control them under the kingship of God. Rule over the fish of the sea. Again, don’t consume them, but control them - and the birds of the sky as well. Innate in humankind was the ability to command the foul of the heavens. Innate in humankind was the ability to control the oceans. If we try it today, it won’t work. All of nature is in rebellion against us because we have rebelled against nature’s God. Nature has simply walked away, shrugged its shoulders and said, “We cannot deal with man now.” But the intention was that we would be lords of this earth. We were supposed to be able to command nature to respond to us. In the original intention of God the plants - but not animals - were given as food. The text in Genesis states, “Then God said, ‘Behold, I have given you every plant yielding seed that is on the earth, and every tree . . . . They will be food for you’” Genesis 1:29. It was only after the catastrophe of the flood that God permitted the use of animals as food. The implication seems to be that the further humanity degenerated, the less purpose the animal world had, so that it was left with simply being food. Returning to the story proper in Genesis 1, God’s comment on all that he created is in verse 1:31, “. . . and God saw all that He had made, and behold, it was very good.” This was the first time that the statement “very good” was made. On all the other days, God said it was “good.” But this day was “very good.” We have this amazing creation in the image and likeness of God. We have the differentiation of sexes. We have sexuality created, and God looks at it and says it is “very good” – exceedingly good. What follows in Genesis 2:1-3 is commentary, wherein God has finished His work and then He stops to enjoy it. The implication is that if God can rest, we can too. If He can afford to do nothing, His creatures can certainly afford to do nothing every once in awhile. What is the significance of being human? It is being made in the image and likeness of God, and it is being made a person with a gender. The first gives humanity the capacity of doing great things; the second gives humanity the ability to have and sustain relationships. This is why God takes humanity with great seriousness. It is because humanity is great. When looking for governors for this planet, the Creator God used Himself as the model. The other implication is that human significance lies in the capacity to sustain relationships. God is relational; God is three persons in everlasting, loving relationship. Humanity was created to reflect that quality of relationship.
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When we speak of human significance, we
need to speak of the significance of gender. For human
significance does not lie in being a genderless human, but in being
a human with a gender. T he first humans were created to be a couple
with two opposite genders. As we examine human significance we
will visit the book of Genesis and see what men and women have in
common and how they differ. Those realities are well
illustrated in the text. We will go more in depth regarding
the significance of the opposites of gender in the
