Genesis 1:26-2:1

After God created this world and all kinds of creatures, He created us.

26 Then God said, “Let us make humankind in our image, after our likeness, so they may rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air, over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over all the creatures that move on the earth.”

27 God created humankind in his own image,
in the image of God he created them,
male and female he created them.

The Hebrew word translated as “humankind” in v. 26 is ‘adam. Depending on the context it can mean all humanity, including males and females, or an individual male human being, or it can be used as a proper name for a particular man. Here it refers collectively to the whole human species or human race. Older English translations of the Bible have typically translated this as ‘man’.

We were created by God in His image, after His likeness. The Bible teaches that God is spirit, so the likeness of God has to do with spiritual attributes rather than physical ones. What makes us human is not our physical body, though that is a part of our humanity, but that we were created to bear a spiritual resemblance to God. We are not on God’s level, but we were given the ability to make moral choices and to be in a relationship with God.

Since the introduction of sin into God’s creation, our ability to make the right choices and to relate to God has been severely and adversely affected. We have become a combination of God’s creation and sin’s effects. We sometimes show signs of being God’s creation, and at other times show little resemblance to God’s attributes of love, righteousness, justice and mercy. But this is a whole other subject!

Verse 27 underlines that we were created in God’s likeness as both male and female. Both sexes have qualities which reflect our Creator and both have equal value in His sight. This world’s tendency to view men as intrinsically superior to women really has to do with the effects of sin on our world; there is no suggestion here that it was God’s desire or intention.

28 God blessed them and said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply! Fill the earth and subdue it! Rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air and every creature that moves on the ground.” Then God said, “I now give you every seed-bearing plant on the face of the entire earth and every tree that has fruit with seed in it. They will be yours for food. 30 And to all the animals of the earth, and to every bird of the air, and to all the creatures that move on the ground — everything that has the breath of life in it — I give every green plant for food.” It was so.

Like the animals, we are a combination of a physical body and a spirit from God (see Ch. 2 v. 7). But unlike the animals, we were created in His likeness and given the ability to relate to Him. Also, as part of His creation we were given a position of authority over “all the creatures that move on the earth.” (v. 26) In v. 28, “subdue” is Hebrew kabas, literally ’stamp on’, and “rule over” is radah, literally ‘tread down’. Mankind was given a mandate to exercise dominion over the earth and its creatures and use them for his own benefit. However, this is balanced by the Bible’s teaching that we are not to mistreat or inflict cruelty on animals but should extend some care and concern for what God has created and placed under our control. Verse 30 shows that God makes provision for the well-being of all the earth’s creatures (see also Exodus 23:11-12; Leviticus 25:7; Deuteronomy 22:6-7; 25:4; Proverbs 12:10;  Ezekiel 34:17-24).  We do not own this world, God does. We have been given stewardship of it, which means we have some responsibility for it.

31 God saw all that he had made — and it was very good! There was evening, and there was morning, the sixth day.

2:1 The heavens and the earth were completed with everything that was in them.

When God had finished creating the universe and everything in it, including this world and us, He saw that it was “very good” — there was nothing wrong with it. The Master Artist does not create any junk! The creation was a perfect expression of the Creator’s love and creativity. It still is filled with beauty; it still can amaze us and fill us with awe.