Stewardship As The Image Of God

We can reign since we were created in God’s likeness. Let them rule over is the logical conclusion of “Let us make in our image.” God has appointed us to serve as deputy and govern on his behalf. [fn1: According to Dr. Viands, the “image of God” was closely associated with royalty and power in the ancient Near East. Pharaoh was said to as “the image of God,” and rulers erected statues of themselves all throughout their domains to symbolize their heavenly rule over it. Kapolyo likes to speak about “stewardship” instead of “dominion” or “rule,” which sound too much like tyranny and dominance. This stewardship must be practiced while being aware of several factors, including:

1. Our authority over nature is a delegated power: That implies that we govern on God’s behalf and are to govern in accordance with God (eg Ps 145:9). All of creation, both the inanimate and living parts, must be taken care of by us. Noah does not just remark that it is unfortunate that all the animals will perish, but at least some individuals will be rescued when the universe is about to be devastated by the Flood. By bringing two of each animal inside the Ark, Noah realizes he has an obligation to conserve the many species.
2. Humanity and the natural world are in unison: Humans are a component of creation. The phrase “Noah and all living things” appears five times in Genesis 9:6ff; God values all of creation. All of creation praises God in Revelation 5:13: “Then I heard every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and on the sea, and all that is in them, sing: “To him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb, be praise and honour and glory and power, for ever and ever!” “Then I heard every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and on the sea, and all that is in them.”
3. Creation is not anthropocentric; it is theocentric: Who is the main character in the creation story? It concerns God and everything he created, including his rest, glory, and honor. Therefore, rather than reasoning that “Creation exists for man and so man can do what he wants with it,” we should think that “Creation exists for God and man must do with it what God wants.”
4. The idea of creation in the future: Renewing of creation is imminent. One day, there will be no more contention or discord between humans and the natural world (eg Is 11:4-9; Rev 21:10- 22:5).

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What are some of the repercussions if we serve as God’s stewards because we bear his image? We shall start by appropriately utilizing the resources of the earth! Environmental concerns will be properly considered. For instance, we will understand that it is our duty to manage the land in a way that preserves its richness, and that when we clear forests for a legitimate purpose, we must ensure that additional trees are planted to make up for the ones that are lost. Second, we shall see and handle animals properly. There are now two opposing mistakes being made in our treatment of animals. Some people (particularly in the West) are starting to label humanity as “specist.” Why does this matter? The definition of “specist” is “treating one type of animal separately from another species,” much as “sexist” means “discrimination in terms of gender” and “racist” means “discrimination on the grounds of race.” Therefore, some individuals (erroneously) assert that since it is unethical to murder people, it is equally sinful to kill any animals, regardless of species. We shouldn’t slaughter cows, lambs, goats, or chickens if we don’t murder people! Animals should be treated the same way we regard members of our own kind!

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But this notion is flawed! Animals are not as valued as people are! Other creatures are not made in the likeness of God like ourselves! We can all agree that the death of a chicken on the road is far worse than the running over of a child by a car. Although we don’t murder other people for food, we can slaughter animals. Vegetarianism may be practiced for a variety of reasons, such as the fact that it is more environmentally friendly to eat plant-based foods than to raise animals for sustenance. However, when Noah descended from the Ark, he was given “all that lives and moves” as food. “I now give you everything, just as I gave you green plants [to consume]” (Gen 9:3). “The finest end for a sheep or goat is to complete its life on a Christian supper table,” someone once wrote. As a result, some individuals desire to act as though animals had equal value to people. That’s incorrect. But mistreating animals is the opposite wrong. I can still vividly recall being horrified by the sight of a young child holding a lovely bird on a string. The child would swing the cord in circles before letting the bird crash through the home wall. That is awful and totally incorrect! Animals, birds, and insects are not to be mistreated or subjected to needless suffering for human amusement or enjoyment. They are God’s property and not ours. He’ll hold us accountable for how we handled them!

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Thirdly, because we bear God’s likeness, we should work to improve the world and try to comprehend it. Animals were to be given names by Adam and Eve. To do this, they needed to start comprehending the nature of the various species, analyze them, and then assign each kind of animal a fitting name. In order to cultivate the earth, Adam and Eve had to learn the most effective methods for growing various crops. The duty of science, carried out in surrender to the LORD, is one that is essentially Christian since man is called to understand how creation functions.

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It goes without saying that building the world and taking care of creation are labor-intensive aspects of being made in God’s likeness. So, take note that work existed in the world prior to the Fall into sin. Sin does not lead to work! Naturally, there will be labor in the new heavens and new earth; we won’t be lounging about playing harps as the day passes us by on clouds (how dull would that be! ). What kind of labor will we be performing forever? It will be labor that glorifies God, be wonderfully rewarding, and, of course, be free from the annoyance of thorns and thistles.

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