Monday, July 1, 2013

God's Special Relationship with Man...

I am back in Genesis again beginning my second reading through the Bible for 2013. I am always (yes, always) amazed at the gems that I find every time I re-read God's Word. Today, I was inspired by a small verse in chapter 5 of Genesis which spoke to my heart in saying...

(Genesis 5:1b-2) "On the day that God created man, He made them in the likeness of God; He created them male and female. When they were created, He blessed them and called them man."

What a special relationship God has bestowed us with! A relationship that originates in Him, draws us close to Him and even offers an eternal audience with Him. The short verse basically says that our relationship is special because...

1. We were created by Him. We are the creature. He is the creator. He has formed us and knows us better than we even know ourselves.

2. We were created in His likeness, His image. All of us are a reflection of the Divine. All have a divine spark, something that makes us worth God's love and care over all other parts of His creation. He didn't make animals or plants in His image. He chose us to bear that blessing.

3. He also created us male and female. Gender is God's plan and God's design no matter what current culture says. I am probably called old-fashioned, out of touch and even backwards by many people today because of my views of gender - they tend to be Biblical. It doesn't bother me. I choose to believe the roles that God created for us.

4. We are also blessed by God. Be fruitful and multiply. Rule over (care for) the rest of creation. We are blessed by being made in His image and He providing a way for us to have a relationship with Himself now and forever. It is so amazing that even the angels are a bit confused.

5. Finally, and don't miss this, we are named by God. "He called them man". Man gave name to the animals. God gave name to man. How special is this?

When I see and reflect on the special place in God's heart for man, it challenges me to never look at anyone as an ordinary person. The poor are not "the poor", they are God-created beings made in His own image. The hopeless are not "the hopeless". They are people created for a special relationship with God. The rich are not "the powerful". They are just like everyone else: created by God, for God and only fulfilled when they are in God.

Small verse; big implications...

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