[07/22/2023 “teEn-MAIL”]
When God came to what has sometimes been noted as the crowning point of Creation, we read that He created man (male and female) in His image. (Genesis 1:26-27) It was not the glorious heavenly bodies, nor the majestic mountains, nor the towering trees, nor any of the creatures of the air or land or sea, but humanity that was to share this Divine essence. As we consider our connection with God we are to keep this in mind as we allow His design and purpose to govern the manner in which we live our life.
As we understand sin raised its ugly head even in the paradise of Eden (Genesis 3), though there were those who strove to live faithful to the Will of God, the tendency of many moved further and further from the life He desires. (Genesis 6:5) Therefore, God chose to bring a flood upon the earth but used His righteous servant Noah for the preservation of life to provide what we might call a new beginning.
Following the flood, in the commands God gave to Noah, we read. . .
“(1) And God blessed Noah and his sons and said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth. (2) The fear of you and the dread of you shall be upon every beast of the earth and upon every bird of the heavens, upon everything that creeps on the ground and all the fish of the sea. Into your hand they are delivered. (3) Every moving thing that lives shall be food for you. And as I gave you the green plants, I give you everything. (4) But you shall not eat flesh with its life, that is, its blood. (5) And for your lifeblood I will require a reckoning: from every beast I will require it and from man. From his fellow man I will require a reckoning for the life of man. (6) “Whoever sheds the blood of man, by man shall his blood be shed, for God made man in his own image.” (Genesis 9:1-6 ESV)
Perhaps with all the life lost through the flood, one might consider the value of life to not be much. However, God drew attention to the value of life and the seriousness regarding the taking of it. There would be a reckoning for the shedding of blood. And as God noted this seriousness among humanity, He again noted He had “made man in his own image.” Therefore, the consideration of the Divine essence God created us to share not only is to impact the view of our relationship with God, but also our relationship with humanity as a whole. Though not all duly acknowledge their origin with God, the reality of it remains true. (i.e. Acts 17:26-28) Knowing the Divine essence God created us to possess — though marred by sin but is being renewed in Christ (2 Corinthians 5:17; 2 Peter 1:3-4; 1 John 3:2) — may we continually bear this in mind as we consider both our relationship with God and our relationships with one another!
Have a great day VALUING LIFE IN VIEW OF THE GOD CONNECTION!
Carl
