A relationship that reflects

Then God said, "Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness..." Genesis 1:26 (NKJV)

Before we leave the Book of Genesis, there's one more insight into God's original intent for marriage we need to note. In order to see it, we need to examine the verse above where God declares that He will make man in His own image and likeness.

When taken together, these words literally mean image bearer in the original Hebrew language. This refers to much more than a physical resemblance. It's a reflection of God's abstract attributes. Or in other words, God is saying, "I'm going to make man something that uniquely represents and reflects My nature."

We don't have much trouble following along up to this point. It's a basic biblical truth…man was created to uniquely reflect God's image. But here's the part we often miss:

So God created man in His own image; in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them. Then God blessed them, and God said to them, "Be fruitful and multiply; fill the earth and subdue it…" Genesis 1:27-28 (NKJV)

Did you see it? The application of bearing God's image doesn't just end with the man. It actually extends to both the man and the woman, and not just in an individual or independent sense but in a collective sense as they come together as husband and wife. Notice how God specifically blesses their union as a couple and calls them to be fruitful, to multiply, and to fill and subdue the earth.

What does this mean? It means when God originally initiated the institution of marriage, He was actually creating something that would bear His image, something that would reflect His nature. That's an important connection for us to make, because it means we can get a better idea of God's will for marriage by looking at His nature.

Think about it…

What does this passage reveal to me about God? 
What does this passage reveal to me about myself? 
Based on this, what changes do I need to make? 
What is my prayer for today? 

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