The Fundamental Re-Contextualization of Love 2

Or... Why Genesis 1 is a really big deal... I could not figure out which title to go with, so I figured I would offer both. Again, we are exploring a healthy view of both love and sexuality in these notes. Ideally, the simplest expressions that we find to be true should be for all people in all relationship statuses. However, the deepest expressions should be manifested within the highest relationship statuses (i.e. marriage and family.)

Genesis 1: 26 says that God created male and female in God's own image. The Hebrew word for God is Elohim, which hints to the fact that God is plural and yet one in the Hebrew language. Elohim says, "Let us make man in our image." So, Elohim creates man and woman in His own image and in His own likeness. Later on in the book we call Scripture, a poet will say that Elohim "knitted him together in his mother's womb." Also, at the heart of the Israelite's Torah (covenant guidelines) are the 10 Commandments. Three of these commandments deal with man's relationship with Elohim, and the other seven are the basis for man's relationship with man. Therefore, at the heart of Elohim's intent for His people, a relationship between one man, who is made in the likeness of God, and another man, who is also made in the likeness of God, must be in some sense governed by God. (Strangely, God does not mandate marriage, but He assumes it by giving a command for no adultery. Therefore, the pre-Torah community of Israel must have had the practice of marriage in existence already for the "adultery" command to make any difference.) These universal and community-based commands ensure that love exists within God's people.

This makes a difference in our discussion of love and sexuality because all (both genders) of our relationships must first be filtered through the fact that both parties are made in the image and likeness of God. Your wife, your husband, your girlfriend, your boyfriend, and the person whose picture is on the internet is made in the image and likeness of God. Your best friend, your worst enemy, your casual acquaintance, your restaurant waitress, and the guys sitting in front of you in bumper to bumper traffic gabbing endlessly on a cell phone are all made in the image and likeness of God. The relationship you have with that person must therefore be governed by God's intent for that relationship. While the Torah (and any law for that matter) at its worst is manifested in legalism, God's intent for the Torah was to promote healthy expressions of love and life for the whole Israelite community.

This is quite simply why Jesus said that all of the Law and Prophets are manifested by and can be summed in saying, "Love God with all of your heart, soul, mind, and strength. And, love your neighbor as yourself." Why? Loving the Creator means loving all the things that are created and far more so for the things that are created in His image and likeness.

In short, Genesis 1 says that every person, whether in God's people or out, is made in the image and likeness of God, and each of them have unimaginable and extraordinary significance and value.