January 3, 2025 -In God's Image

GENESIS 7:1-10:5

1 CHRONICLES 1:5-7

GENESIS 10:6-20

1 CHRONICLES 1:8-16

GENESIS 10:21-30

1 CHRONICLES 1:17-23

GENESIS 10:31-32

One Year Bible Audio & Daily Reading (oneyearbibleonline.com)

Genesis 9:1 Then God blessed Noah and his sons, saying to them, “Be fruitful and increase in number and fill the earth. 2 The fear and dread of you will fall on all the beasts of the earth, and on all the birds in the sky, on every creature that moves along the ground, and on all the fish in the sea; they are given into your hands. 3 Everything that lives and moves about will be food for you. Just as I gave you the green plants, I now give you everything.

New year for us and a new beginning for Noah. He is told the same thing that Adam and Ever were told. "Increase in number and fill the earth" but to Adam and Eve he only gave authority over the animals and only the plants to eat. Noah and his family are given the animals as food. Their authority becomes power over the life of the animals not just to care for them but also for their lives to be sacrificed for the nourishment of man.

Genesis 9:4 “But you must not eat meat that has its lifeblood still in it. 5 And for your lifeblood I will surely demand an accounting. I will demand an accounting from every animal. And from each human being, too, I will demand an accounting for the life of another human being.

But there are rules to this food as well. There are rules to their eating of animals. All animals even humans are God's creation and He will keep an account of each of their lives. And anyone who sheds the life of another person will face that accounting.

Genesis 9:6 “Whoever sheds human blood,

    by humans shall their blood be shed;

for in the image of God

    has God made mankind.

There was a clear message sent when Cain murdered Abel that there is a price to pay for taking someone's life. There was an accounting for Cain. For God's reasons and purpose He did not kill Cain he allowed him to live with what he had done. But here he sets up the law for what should happen to the person who murders another human. Human beings are not just another living creature created by God but a living creature created in the image of God. Having greater value than any other animal. That makes me think that however we treat another human being is how we treat God. When we treat another human being with unkindness, disrespect, anger, and violence that is how we are also treating God. And if we show love, honor, respect, and value we are doing the same for God. I should have thought about this before. After all Jesus said...

Matthew 25:35 For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, 36 I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.’

37 “Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? 38 When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? 39 When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?’

40 “The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’

I had never put that together with the idea of being made in God's image. Today is day 2 of the Heal or Land campaign for my camp church. Which means that I am spending 2 hours fasting and praying. Before reading and writing this I asked for direction in what to focus my prayer on for today. I think this is it. For the people of our land to come to know Jesus and understand the amazing greatness of our God for all that He created. To thank Him for creating us just a little lower than the angels and in His image. And to ask for hearts to be softened toward each other in love. That those who are lost would wonder why Christians would be so kind, gracious and loving to them that we might share the amazing truth that they have been created in the image of God and that alone is reason enough to love them. Fill our hearts with love even for those who are unkind to us. Even for those who we do not agree with. Even with those who would say they hate us. Heal our land in one in God's image human being at a time.