The Divine Indelible Image

V 26 Then God said, "Let us make man in our image, in our likeness, and let them rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air, over the livestock, over all the earth, and over all the creatures that move along the ground."
V 27 So God created man in his own image,

in the image of God he created him;

male and female he created them.

v 28 God blessed them and said to them, "Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it. Rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air and over every living creature that moves on the ground."

v 29 Then God said, "I give you every seed-bearing plant on the face of the whole earth and every tree that has fruit with seed in it. They will be yours for food.

v 30 And to all the beasts of the earth and all the birds of the air and all the creatures that move on the ground—everything that has the breath of life in it—I give every green plant for food." And it was so.

God grants His living image to all humanity, to every human being, investing in everyone equally. All persons have access to God by virtue of being human. Since you are created and endowed with the breath of God, you are important.

God is One who chooses to share power in this relationship. There is no mandate for humans to rule each other, only the earth and animals. So the call is a non-coercive, shared dominion. It is a generous loving power, it is the power to nurture, enhance and empower; it is not dominion for self aggrandizement. Given the image of God as Creator, this commission to stewardship and dominion means to be creative in word and deed.

The word "God" in this chapter primarily refers to God as one who creates. This indicates those created in the image of God are fundamentally creative beings. From the beginning, God chooses not to be the only one with creative power and the ability to exercise it.

Human beings are created to "subdue the earth." The word "subdue" makes clear that the creation is not "perfect." The creation is not presented as "a finished product," to be preserved as it was originally created. [Indeed there is no Divine vision of returning to the Garden; we are headed for a city! Revelation 22] Human beings are not to assume that God will take care of everything, but instead we are called to creative engagement. God creates world in which the future is open to dynamic possibilities in which creative activity is essential to bring order out of disorder and draw out the fullest possible potential of the earth experience.

The image of God is a gift, along with food and fertility. God does not ask for anything in return, [humans are not regulated to the status of servants, to meet some need of God] but are, in gratitude, to share as they had been shared with, and have the opportunity to be in a transformative relationship with God as a friend and lover. This is presented as the way God normally operates, rather than some special exception to the rules. Do we act like someone who bears the image of God? God has invested the image in each one of us. What does this mean to you?
　
Humans are given the administration of God’s own work, as His representatives on earth. They will become the shapers and creators of history. Also, they will brinfg forth murder, polygamy, violence, metallurgy, music & animal husbandry, vineyards etc.

YHWH is the king until the 10th century when Saul is anointed and the kingship is established against Gods' wise counsel. After Israels' failed experiment with kings, Israel is held in captivity.

It's worth noting that God is in relationship with the human and the non-human worlds alike - this understanding underlies Genesis 9, which includes not only God's relationship with Noah and his family but also, God's relationship with the earth itself (9: 13) and with every "living thing" (9:11, 12, 15, 16, 17).

It is also worth noting that the divine indelible image continues through Noah and does not need to be re-established.

In our beginnings and endings, let us remember Gods' spirit is here. When life is chaotic, even when we are surrounded by darkness, something else is here with us even in the middle of the darkness - God Spirit which moves and speaks, and the Word of light arises in spite of the darkness. All praise to the Holy One!