The Human Verb
Then God said, “Let Us make man 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 cattle and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.” Genesis 1:26 NASB
Image – In God’s image. How many times have we heard this expression as the justification of human tolerance? “We are all created equal, therefore we all have the same rights and privileges.” This idea is fundamental to Western democracy, perhaps even to Western civilization. But is it biblically true? We might argue that God is the sole creator and therefore all human beings are to be treated as His creation. But this is an ethical appeal, not an ontological one. I believe the biblical text of this verse does not suggest that all homo sapiens are born in God’s image. As far as I can determine, Hebrew thought is verbal. That means we become God’s image as we act like God. Since God is spirit, His image is seen in action, not object. Therefore, this verse implies that we are made with the potential to become human, that is, to participate in the actions of God so that our lives reflect His actions. We are born to be verbs.
But, of course, a verb does not exist independently of its performance. In other words, I can’t paint a verb on the ceiling of a cathedral (although obviously I can paint nouns, i.e., pictures of “God”). A verb exists only as it operates. I throw only when I am throwing. So, if being in God’s image means being a verb like God, then doing what God does means being human. If I don’t do what God does, I am not human. I might still be a homo sapien with the potential to become human, but Genesis 1:26 doesn’t make me human by being born with a human shape.
Notice what Heschel says with regard to actions: “Creed and commitment are final; but how does one live one’s creed? How does one exercise one’s ultimate commitment? Neither [Kierkegaard or the Kotzker] was satisfied to accept a definite, final commitment, once and for all. The issue was: how does one renew his commitment day after day? Man lives in time, and there is no finality, no standstill in existence. Human personality, the Kotzker and Kierkegaard insisted, was never to be interpreted as a simple, static state. The self was always in motion. Because it lacked permanence, because it was in conflict with itself and passionately concerned with itself, the essence of self was fraught with danger. The great task was to perpetuate one’s condition to challenge it. To many people the inner life is a no-man’s land. To Kierkegaard and the Kotzker it was the deepest concern.”[1]
The inner life is the place of becoming, and that is the true measure of being human. What am I becoming? How do my desires, actions and intentions shape my direction? At the end, will I be able to say, “Now, with God’s help, I have become His image”?
Topical Index: image, human, become, Genesis 1:26
[1] Abraham Heschel, A Passion for Truth, pp. 86-87.
Created in the likeness of Elohim. In what way is that? Skip, would you agree with this? We were created, a limited sense, in the likeness of His functionality. We have mind, will, and emotions in the likeness of Him, including having good and evil inclination. We were created with the capacity for relationship with Him and others, and all of the cosmos, with His same purpose of order, being echad (one) with Him in all things. It is a matter of the likeness of having the choice to be echad, to align ourselves with the purpose of His functionality that we become like Him in the character of His being, thus fully reflecting, being created in, His image. We are not yet fully created in the character of His being, “direction”, because that is left to our choice of relationship with Him, in response to His actions upon us, and the co-creation of being in His image.
I think John 1:10-13 carries this idea, with John 8:37-47 (cf. 5:37-40) its antithesis.
Wow, this is really good and very timely…
In my limited way, I have studied a few words central to organized Christianity. Words that we commonly use to describe our devotion, our love, and our pursuit of truth. What I found and continue to find, is that the English language and culture is OBSESSED with nouns. In order to ‘possess’ a truth, we must first ‘possess’ the noun. For example, I must first get a license or a title granted before I can be a minister. The practical application of this however, is that it is not possible to ‘possess’ a truth with nouns, no noun can grant you truth. The more I study, the more I am becoming convinced that the English language is ‘bent’ towards individualism….. (I can think of no better way to say that ?). Truth is substantive and indifferent to all forms of persuasion, coercion, or debate. It isn’t within our framework or ability to decide what truth is, to bend it to our will. We have to seek and find it. That, I believe, is where I have to change the way I think about God. Prayers full of nouns meant to shape my spiritual life and circumstances are little more than commandments shouted into the wind. The purpose of asking is that you do not know the answers. A question asked when already believe you know the answers, is instructing, not asking. We can possess verbs, but in order to do that we have to do. Purpose is found in the doing. God and truth are likewise found in the doing……
Hello Amber; you and I seem to have a liking to seethe discontentment with behavior modification this is not what God is looking for but . Yahweh is lost in the self-improvement and empowerment toward good works without his spirit the movement of Behavioral change is exciting but without his spirit it is detrimental to find the change within God and his love for us to change.
Hi Amber, thank you for the encouragement, I’ve seen many try to find God through prayer, fasting and study and though all those are good things and have their place, it would seem that God is found in the act or the “doing” of compassion and grace, because that’s where He lives. The rest is a bonus and a calling. Speak a word of encouragement to those who are defeated, to those who are convinced of their worthlessness, that they are made in the Image and likeness of God. Not because it’s a good thing to do (it is) but because that’s where God lives.
YHWH bless you and keep you………
Skip and All
Again a timely reminder of the intent for pass over and birth by His spirit…
Yeshua and Paul state this as clothing with, taking on, doing, becoming and even crucifying the old Adam.
Hosea says a three day event as was the promised travel to the promised land, which became an 8 day detour that ended in an 80 year struggle through the desert… Are these later events the implication of this creation or the procedure of cultural changesvbin the era of the intervention….
As Jeremiah 6:16 says old ways, was this a reference to Adam, Job, Abraham, Jacob, Moses or other process we are not familiar with…
Hey Skip. Always you present a thoughtful Hebraic vision of the Word. And again it is clear and appeals to the desires to be more like the Father. This view has been presented many times throughout history though not as positive thinking to obtain godliness but to define who is human and who is nonhuman. Even before the Egyptians thought of the Isralites as creeping things and murdered their children, nonhumans thinking they were the real humans oppressed others. This view only works if humans view nonhumans with the potential to become human. But then, who sets the standard to define who is human? That has been the question and the power play throughout the centuries.
The essential activities that make us human are defined in Exodus 34:6-7 where they describe the image of God as a verb. Reflecting on these activities clearly demonstrates that each of these divine actions can be seen in human form and as such, define what it means to be like God. I’ve lectured on this several times, examining each of the characteristics in some detail, but it is worth reminding ourselves that godliness is the way we BEHAVE, not the way we BELIEVE (as a cognitive function). I recently read an interesting research finding about trauma. “All creatures need a purpose–they need to organize themselves to make their way in the world,” This seems to me to be a scientific way of saying that Scripture says about humanity. It is PURPOSEFUL and from a biblical point of view, the purpose of humanity is to become like God in word and deed.
Oh my- We have a long way to go in changing this thought pattern- time to weep for the Body of Messiah. Bo Yeshua Bo
Wow!! I was just talking with my 17 yr old daughter tonight on what does it mean to be made in the image of God. Not merely physically but in our hearts i.e. our Spirit. Being formed into His image in His likeness being as He is. Thank you Skip for sharing this I will share this with my daughter.