Introduction
Today’s lesson deals with two Hebrew vocabulary words. Both found in Genesis 1. The first is Elohim, translated as “God”. The second is selem, which is a statue. Today, I will explain the difference between an image of God and the idol of a god.
Meaning of Elohim
This word essentially means a spiritual being or group of such spirits. The context of Genesis 1 shows that Elohim, the Supreme Spiritual Being, created everything that exists, including spiritual beings like Himself. Psalm 82:1 says that Elohim (the Creator) took His stand among the assembly of the elohim (lesser gods).
So, depending on the context, Elohim could mean the Supreme Spiritual Being, the Creator. Or the word could mean a single or group of lesser gods, seraphs that, at times, served as messengers (angels) to people on Earth.
Meaning of Selem
In Genesis 1, this word is translated as “image”, a physical representation of the Creator. This word is also used later for an idol, a representation of a lesser spiritual being. In both cases, breath is blown into the mouth of both images and the Spirit of God or the god is believed to reside in that image. Therefore, selem could mean a Creator- breathed image called human. Or it could refer to a god- breathed, artificially formed idol.
Rulers on Earth
Genesis 1 tells us that the Creator formed Humanity in His image. Humans are His physical representatives on the Earth, filled with His Spirit/ breath. Humans were deputized to continue His work of creation throughout the Earth, ruling “over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky and over every living creature that moves on the ground.” (Genesis 1:28).
Humans rebelled against the Creator’s command concerning the Tree of Morality (Genesis 3). They followed the words of the nahash, later identified as the Enemy of God and Humanity. Thus, while still rulers on the Earth, humans came into slavery under spiritual beings, false gods.
Genesis 10 tells us that Humanity tried to stay together in Babylon and built a ziggurat into the heavens. The Creator observed that nothing could stop humans from accomplishing anything in this unity. So, He confused their languages and scattered them around the world. According to Deuteronomy 32:8-9 in the RSV, the Supreme Being delegated various other elohim to rule over almost all of Humanity in their various territories. He kept the descendants of Israel for Himself.
Therefore, humans rule over the peoples in the nations of Earth, backed/ ruled over/ motivated by the gods of those nations. Starting with Abraham, Yahweh backed/ ruled over/ motivated the people of Israel. When they worshipped and obeyed Him, the benefits of Eden came to them. When they rebelled and followed the other gods, those benefits were cut off.
The Human Representative of the Creator
Hebrews 1:3 says that His Son, born of a human mother, is the exact representative (charakter) of His nature. While fully God, Jesus is also fully human. While He lived on Earth, He relied completely on the guidance and power of Holy Spirit. On the Cross, He redeemed all of Humanity and broke the status of slavery under the lesser gods.
Risen from His death, Jesus breathed on His apostles (John 20:22). This turned them into His images, His physical representatives on Earth. Empowered by Holy Spirit during the Jewish celebration of Pentecost, the followers of the King became His assembly of citizens, deputized to rule on Earth in His place (Matthew 18:18-19).
His assembly, His ecclesia, must fight the deceptions of false gods over ignorant, unbelieving humans. We must proclaim the kingship of Jesus. We must “reign in life” (Romans 5:17) and bring to all situations the benefits of Eden in His Kingdom (Matthew 6:33).
Questions
You are an image of the Creator, deputized to rule on the Earth. Do you reign under His kingship or the lies of the Enemy?
If you believe in Jesus, do you speak His truths and overrule the lies of the Enemy? Do you speak biblical truth despite the evidence of your eyes or the symptoms of your body?