Written by Paul Lane
The Word
26 Then God said, “Let us make man in our image, after our likeness. And let them have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over the livestock and over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.”
27 So God created man in his own image,
in the image of God he created him;
male and female he created them.28 And God blessed them. And God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth and subdue it, and have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over every living thing that moves on the earth.”
Genesis 1:26-28 ESV
18 But I will establish my covenant with you, and you shall come into the ark, you, your sons, your wife, and your sons’ wives with you. 19 And of every living thing of all flesh, you shall bring two of every sort into the ark to keep them alive with you. They shall be male and female. 20 Of the birds according to their kinds, and of the animals according to their kinds, of every creeping thing of the ground, according to its kind, two of every sort shall come in to you to keep them alive. 21 Also take with you every sort of food that is eaten, and store it up. It shall serve as food for you and for them.” 22 Noah did this; he did all that God commanded him.
Genesis 6:18-22 ESV
12 For what have I to do with judging outsiders? Is it not those inside the church whom you are to judge? 13 God judges those outside. “Purge the evil person from among you.”
I Corinthians 5:12-13 ESV
Reflection
I always hated it when the teacher would punish the whole class because of what a few people did. It always seemed very unfair and it felt like the teachers were just being too lazy to deal with the standard troublemakers. And it was always the same kids messing up. Funny, it is only now that I can consider the possibility that their behavior may have had something to do with things happening at home. At the time, I could only think of how it affected me.
When I read Genesis, I discover that God intended us to live in community. Genesis describes God as being in community with Himself, and He created man as a community (e.g. “And God blessed them. And God said to them….” Genesis 1:28) So, not only am I slow on picking up on the fact that some of my classmates might have had trouble at home, but I also must accept that the punishment of a community for the misbehavior of a few might be acceptable in God’s sight.
But this thought cannot be taken by itself. If one person does evil, does that mean that all mankind should be judged the same? That would be too broad, and the lesson God intends to teach could not be learned. So, to make judgements about communities, we must accept that communities have to be exclusive to. You must have some way of identifying members of a community for the group to be distinguished as a community. Whether it be clothes that they wear, things they communicate, values they hold, or games that they play, communities are to be judged by what they allow and what they reject. If there is one community that loves its children, feeds them well and teaches them wisdom for life, they should not be judged to be the same as another community that sacrifices their children to the fire god. In the one case, parents take on the responsibility given to them by God, but in the other case parents are using their children to please themselves, via a very evil practice.
I use this example because I believe that we can agree that one practice is objectively good, while the other is objectively evil. And we can make this type of judgement based on what we think of the nature of man. If you think that man is simply an animal, then you will have a hard time explaining that feeding and educating your child is better than sacrificing them, so one type of community is as good as the next. However, if you believe that man is a special being, one created in God’s image, then your choices for dealing with your children are limited to those things acceptable to God. And the associated practices and values of the community are also limited, and informed, by God’s wisdom.
Application
Think of a teenager going to a sleepover. Does she go with just the clothes on her back? Clearly not. There is an entourage of clothes, stuffed animals, and lots of accessories that also make the trip (items often make the return trip on another day.) While this image is a bit funny, it is not far off from how God sees us every day. He does not look at you like you are a doll completely separated from everything. He does see you as an individual, but also as a person immersed in the detritus of earthliness and community life. Needs, wants, desires, fears, and every emotion you have is readily available to Him, and He knows what is best to support you as you go through life. And so much of that support comes through the God led, Spirit empowered, people staffed church. Connect with God’s people and find God in His community.
Prayer
Dear Lord, thank You that you lead us in all righteousness, and that You supply all our needs. Lord, I pray for the relationships in the church. I pray that You strengthen them and use them to build and encourage the church members. And that You teach us how to live in true community, laying down our lives to serve one another. In Jesus’ name I pray, amen.
City Life Starter 
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