Reflecting God’s Image—Part 1: Insights from Scripture and Reflection Questions
Introduction
Activity A
Let’s do a little activity. Take out a piece of paper, and describe one of your good friends or loved ones.
Activity B
Now look in a mirror. Write down what you see.
Reflection Questions
- What exactly is an image?
- How is your image the same as you? How is it different?
- How did you describe your friend? Did you mention her physical or internal qualities?
- How did you describe yourself? Did you mention your physical or internal qualities?
- How do you view the image of another person compared to yourself?
Review of My 3 Questions
In my previous posts, I stated that I believe that there are vital questions in Genesis that each person needs to grasp in some capacity in order to understand the purpose of Jesus. The questions we need to answer are—
- Who is God?
- Who did God intend us to be?
- And why was eating the forbidden fruit was so significant?
We reflected on the first question in my posts about Understanding Elohim and the Kingly Attributes of God and Understanding God: The Significance of Logos in the Gospel of John-Part 1, Part 2, and Part 3. Now in this post we are going to explore the second question by digger deeper into the concept of the image of God.
Note: This series of posts are to give more background upon my Genesis 2 Image Lesson and Genesis 2 Homework found on Psalm 8 on my Genesis page.
The Image of God
Genesis 1: 26-27 states the following:
“Then God said, “Let Us make mankind in Our image, according to Our likeness; and let them rule over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the sky and over the livestock and over all the earth, and over every crawling thing that crawls on the earth.” So God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them.” [NASB]
So what exactly is an image? And what does it mean to be made in the image of God?
Definition of an Image
Let’s start with English. Here is the definition of an image by Merriam Webster’s Dictionary:
- 1a: a visual representation of something: such as
- (1) : a likeness of an object produced on a photographic material
- (2) : a picture produced on an electronic display (such as a television or computer screen)
- 1b : the optical counterpart of an object produced by an optical device (such as a lens or mirror) or an electronic device
- 2a
- (1): a mental picture or impression of something had a negative body image of herself
- (2): a mental conception held in common by members of a group and symbolic of a basic attitude and orientation a disorderly courtroom can seriously tarnish a community’s image of justice—Herbert Brownell
- 2b : idea, concept
- 3: a popular conception (as of a person, institution, or nation) projected especially through the mass media promoting a corporate image of brotherly love and concern—R. C. Buck
- 4a : exact likeness : semblance God created man in his own image—Genesis 1:27 (Revised Standard Version)
- 4b : a person strikingly like another person she is the image of her mother
- 5a: a tangible or visible representation : incarnation; the image of filial devotion
- 5b archaic : an illusory form : apparition
- 6: a vivid or graphic representation or description
- 7: a reproduction or imitation of the form of a person or thing especially : an imitation in solid form : statue
- 8: figure of speech
- 9: a set of values given by a mathematical function (such as a homomorphism) that corresponds to a particular subset of the domain
Reflection on Miriam Webster’s Definition
Notice that when we think of our own image, we usually (especially as females) focus on our physical representation (Miriam Webster’s definition of 1a). Yet when we think of a friend or loved one, we focus more on an idea or concept about their personality (Miriam Webster’s definition 2a). Notice Miriam Webster uses the example of the image of God in definition 4a and defines it as an exact likeness or semblance, and I also like definitions 4b and 5a.
Yet we aren’t exactly like God, so what does it mean to be made in God’s image?
Tzelem Elohim
Orthodox Jewish Translation
The Bible wasn’t written in English, it was written in Hebrew. Since I can’t read Hebrew, I sometimes like to look at the Orthodox Jewish Translation to get a flavor for the Hebrew thinking on the matter. Here’s Genesis 1: 26-27:
“And G-d said, Let Us make man in Our tzelem, after Our demut: 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 ha’aretz (the earth). So G-d created humankind in His own tzelem, in the tzelem Elohim (image of G-d) created He him; zachar (male) and nekevah (female) created He them.” [OJB]
Notice the Hebrew uses the terms “tzelem, demut, and tzelum Elohim.”
Tzelem vs Demut
Tzelem translated image in English means a shadow or outline of a figure. Interestingly in the Bible it’s used most often to describe idols; although that’s not the case in Genesis 1. Demut translated in English as likeness means a portrait or copy of a figure.
Commentaries vary on whether the terms are meant to convey similar ideas about God’s image or if they are meant to just be synonyms. According the Pulpit Commentary and Keil & Delitzsch, early church fathers thought they were separate ideas. In Latin they differentiated them as imago and similitudo. Whereas those of the reformation such as Luther and Calvin though they were synonymous terms. We may delve into this more in later posts, but for now we are going to just focus on tselem and the idea of shadows.
Shadow of an Image
Reflection Question: How is a shadow like an image? How is it different?
Read the following verses:
- “They serve at a sanctuary that is a copy and shadow of what is in heaven. This is why Moses was warned when he was about to build the tabernacle: ‘See to it that you make everything according to the pattern shown you on the mountain.’” Hebrews 8: 5 [NIV]
- “The law is only a shadow of the good things that are coming—not the realities themselves. For this reason it can never, by the same sacrifices repeated endlessly year after year, make perfect those who draw near to worship.” Hebrews 10: 1 [NIV]
- “Therefore do not let anyone judge you by what you eat or drink, or with regard to a religious festival, a New Moon celebration or a Sabbath day. These are a shadow of the things that were to come; the reality, however, is found in Christ.” Colossians 2:16-17 [NIV]
The shadow is not the actual object, but it shows you some information about the object. At times its proportional giving a clearer understanding of its object, but at other times it elongated or squished. I feel like it’s similar to the idea conveyed about a dim mirror in 1 Corinthians 13:12. A dim mirror is more shadowlike that a true reflection.
“For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I have been fully known.” 1 Corinthians 13:12 [ESV]
But to get a true picture of the shadow, we need to look at the actual object. So in order to understand tzelum Elohim, we need to see what Scripture reveals about Elohim.
Shadow or Mirror
John Piper has an insightful take on the concept of a shadow when discussing the image of God in Episode 153 on his August 19, 2013, broadcast titled, “What does it Mean to Be Made in God’s Image?“
“Now what would it mean if you created seven billion statues of yourself and put them all over the world? It would mean you would want people to notice you. God created us in his image so that we would display or reflect or communicate who he is, how great he is, and what he is like. Here’s the picture in my mind. I was created like a mirror. And a mirror that was supposed to be 45 degrees with the clear reflective side pointing upward so that as God shone on it at the 45 degree angle, it would bounce off, and it would make a 90 degree turn and be reflected out into the world. And at the fall, Satan persuaded me that my image is more beautiful than God’s image, and so I flip the mirror over. Now the black back side is toward God. It doesn’t reflect anything. Instead, the mirror casts a shadow in the shape of itself on the ground, and I fell in love with the shadow. That is what happened. And we have been loving ourselves ever since.”
Activity
In order to properly reflect God, we need to know who He is. Thus far in Genesis, he has only revealed himself as Elohim. Reread Genesis 1:1-2:3 and write down everything you know about Elohim and anything else the text says about what it means to be made in the image of God (tzelum Elohim). Remember Elohim is a God of action, so you will gain a greater understanding of Him, by looking at what he does.
If you read my posts Understanding Elohim: The Kingly Attributes of God and Noticing and Wondering Routine: Unleash the Power of Observation Part 1 and Part 2, you may have already done the majority of this work. If that’s the case, look back on your notes and reread the text and see if there is anything else you can add to your list.
Tune in to Part 2 when we delve deeper into the image of God and our driving question: Who did God intend us to be?
Don’t forget to check out my Genesis 2 Image Lesson and Genesis 2 Homework on Psalm 8 on my Genesis page.
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