Hey Friends,
When Jesus faced temptation, he quoted the Scriptures. When Jesus was confronted with religious zealots who did not understand the Kingdom of God, he quoted the Scriptures. When Jesus taught the people, he quoted the Scriptures. When Jesus walked the earth, he became the Scriptures.
Join us as we begin a year long discipleship journey with Jesus. Starting November 1, Pastor Dave will be blogging through the Bible and you can too. Simply download this .pdf as a reading guide, read the passages for the day, and come here to participate in the discussion. Jesus said that when he went away he would send the Holy Spirit to those who followed him and the Spirit would guide them in all truth and remind them of everything Jesus had taught. Let us see how the Holy Spirit works in us as we embark on this journey together. Click above on “Comments” to add your own thoughts.
Click on the section of Scripture below that you read for the day, and read the blog! (the newest posts will be at the top)
Here are some of my thoughts:
(1) It does seem as though the “likeness” is being passed down, and as it’s passed, it changes from a divine likeness to a human likeness. However, I’d like to suggest another interpretation.
God created us in his image – meaning that Adam and Eve possessed the image of God.
What does the “image of God” mean? Does it mean that we have an emotional component to our lives? Or is our being someone intimately connected to God? Or both?
I would suggest that perhaps, by being created in the image of God, we participate with God in His creative acts (i.e., being fruitful and multiplying, for example). So, by God giving life to Adam and Eve (and with them taking God’s likeness), that Adam passes on his “image” to his children as well.
I get a strong sense of familial language between God to Adam/Eve and Adam to children.
*shrugs* Just a thought.
(2) This is one of the very confusing passages in Scripture where the reader stops and says, “Huhwhat?!?” God is God, and God does certain things. He looked at all that was made and it was all “good.” So, then, how is this same God, only a couple chapters later, grieving over making humanity.
I think it gets back at the image of God I was talking about. There are certain things that comprise God’s identity – most of which are unknown to us. We only have a glimpse of God (though we are given a full glimpse in Jesus Christ). And some of the things of God can be unsettling and confusing. How is God a God of wrath and love? Things like this are very paradoxical – seemingly contradictory yet still true.
How I personally deal with unsettling passages like this is by simply trusting in God. I have never been let down by God, and He has never given me reason to doubt him. The author of Genesis obviously had a reason for including that sentence, and though we might not know why, it IS part of Scripture.
I’m more encouraged to wrestle and think about these “hard things” more than get upset and worry about what it means. The Spirit is the one who gives the ability to understand Scripture, so I’m praying that some light might be shed on this passage for me (and for all that read these kinds of passages).
A bit long, I know – but I suppose I’m a long-winded person. :-p
-Zac
First and foremost – Thank you Pastor Dave for your brilliant blogging. (I just discovered that my software is so old it doesn’t have “blog” in the spellchecker!) In any case, your commentary has been thought provoking and cause for reflection. So thank you.
Next: Zac, you are a hard act to follow in many ways. One reason it is hard to blog after you is sheer intimidation. If I write as much this year as you did in a single post, I will be pleased with myself! Please expect noticeably less print from me. And the second reason (and clearly the more challenging reason) to blog after you is this – bingo! You said it man. I have nothing to add, except I like what Zac wrote.
Okay, I guess I do have something to add – to your first point; I really like your suggested interpretation. I have always finished reading that section feeling assured of my connection to God in a close, paternal way. That is to say, in the way I am connected to that seventy-year-old guy over there, who is my father, and not to that seventy-year-old who is not. And that lends me to my father’s creative acts naturally (or by divine intent). …if that makes any sense. Thanks for sharing your thoughts Zac!
Excuse me please, I have some reading to do. I am not yet on Job! That means I have a job with Job to do. “Job with Job?” …English makes NO sense!
G.S.
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