In His ImageНамуна

Day 22: The Generations of Man

Discover: Chapter 5 starts an entirely new section of Genesis with the genealogies of God’s people, spanning over 1,000 years. In verses 1 and 2, Genesis 1 is echoed in that God created man in His own image and distinguished them as male and female. This truth establishes the family structure and the trajectory of centuries of descendants that we read throughout the rest of the chapter. Seth, the son of Adam and Eve, is the first of these descendants after Cain and Abel. He is considered in the likeness and image of his father. Because of this, he is the representative of Adam, meant to carry on the family's lineage. Adam dies at the age of 930 when Seth is 800 years old. This holds great significance as Adam was never meant to die, but the introduction of sin into the world shows us he possibly died of old age.

Learn: The terms “image” and “likeness” are common to Genesis. These words are repeated and emphasized as a defining characteristic of humanity. Adam is created in God's perfect image and likeness, while Seth is born in Adam’s fallen image and likeness, just like every one of us. Adam was not born with a sinful nature. Before he eats the forbidden fruit, he is perfect as Jesus is perfect, but his disobedience in the garden introduces sin into his nature, which is passed down to every person born after that. The only person born without this sin nature is Jesus, due to His conception by the Holy Spirit (more on this on Day 3). As we go down the family tree, we continue to see that the perfect image of God remains corrupted by sin since Adam. Sin is taking its toll on humanity, and as a result, death becomes a familiar concept.

Apply: Being an "image bearer" of God carries significant responsibility. C. S. Lewis said every Christian should become a “little Christ,” a reflection of Jesus. As each of us may reflect the image of our parents physically or otherwise, we are to reflect our Heavenly Father by how we live. The label “Christian” is another name or title that carries significance, as it places you directly into the family of Christ. When you accept this term, you declare yourself a member of the body of Christ for eternity. As members of this family, let’s make a daily effort to represent and reflect Christ. When we raise families that follow Christ and share the good news with others, we grow the body of Christ. What are some similarities or “likenesses” you notice between yourself and other family members? How does this relate to the fact that you are made in the image and likeness of God? What qualities do we have that suggest we are made in God’s image?