We read in Genesis 1:26, And 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 fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth.” (KJV)
Why was man made in God’s Image?
When God created man, He made man in His own likeness and image, in order that he could rule and have authority over all that He had created. Man was the last part of God’s creation, but he was made in God’s likeness and image as a reminder to all other creation that when they beheld man, they would be reminded of God. However, when Satan beheld the image of God in man, it infuriated him, and it was his crafty evil scheme, to destroy the flawless image of God in man, which he carried out most cunningly. All other created beings were made differently, but only man was made in God’s image, as men and women are the crown of God’s creation.
We are made in the image of God, and should reflect Him in such a way when people look at us they must recognize that there is a God of justice. When a baby is born, have you noticed how parents are overjoyed when we tell either of them that their baby resembles them in some way? So also when God made us, His original intention was that when people considered us, they can behold the image of God in us. The image of God does not please everyone, and sometimes even without a cause people may hate us. The reason for this is because something inside of us reminds them of God, and that probably disturbs them.
Let us look at some examples from the bible to see how this image of God was perceived and how they were hated for it.
Cain and Abel
Cain and Abel brought an offering to the Lord, while Abel’s offering was accepted by God, Cain’s got rejected by Him. This filled Cain with hatred and anger toward his brother.
We read in 1 John 3:12, Not as Cain, who was of that wicked one, and slew his brother. And wherefore slew he him? Because his own works were evil, and his brother's righteous. (KJV)
The fundamental reason Cain hated his brother, was because his brother Abel was righteous, and the image of God was reflected through Abel, which Cain despised.
Joseph and his brothers
Joseph’s brothers also hated him without a cause. As Joseph approached his brothers with food which their father had sent for them, as they beheld him at a distance, they plotted to kill him.
We read in Genesis 37:2, “These are the generations of Jacob. Joseph, being seventeen years old, was feeding the flock with his brethren; and the lad was with the sons of Bilhah, and with the sons of Zilpah, his father's wives: and Joseph brought unto his father their evil report.” (KJV)
The reason Joseph’s brothers hated him was because he was a righteous young man, who when he saw the evil deeds of his brothers, brought it to his father’s notice.
John the Baptist and Herod
We read in Mark 6:17-18, “For Herod himself had sent forth and laid hold upon John, and bound him in prison for Herodias' sake, his brother Philip's wife: for he had married her. For John had said unto Herod, It is not lawful for thee to have thy brother's wife.” (KJV)
John the Baptist was preaching in the wilderness about the Kingdom of God and baptizing those who believed. King Herod resented John the Baptist, for the one reason that John the Baptist rebuked Herod for taking the wife of his brother Philip to be his own.
The Pharisees and Jesus
We read in Mark 3:6, “And the Pharisees went forth, and straightway took counsel with the Herodians against him, how they might destroy him.” (KJV)
Though Jesus did so much of good among the people, the Pharisees and other religious leaders hated him and conspired to kill Him, mainly because Jesus was righteous. He reflected the Father, and this annoyed the Pharisees and the religious leaders in Jesus’ day.
The world hates us without a cause simply because they see the image of God being made evident in us. We should therefore not be perturbed or surprised if we are despised by people of this world. The people of this world wish to forget that there is a just God, and when we reflect the image of God as we should, the reaction we receive is one of antagonism. Instead of being afraid we must sincerely desire that the image of God be reflected through us in a powerful way.
Haman hated Mordecai
In Esther 5:12-13 we read, “Haman said moreover, Yea, Esther the queen did let no man come in with the king unto the banquet that she had prepared but myself; and tomorrow am I invited unto her also with the king. Yet all this availeth me nothing, so long as I see Mordecai the Jew sitting at the king's gate.” (KJV)
In this incident, there was a man named Haman, who was next in command to King Xerxes and he hated Mordecai a Jew, who was seated at the entrance of the royal palace. When Queen Esther invited Haman to a banquet, Haman went home and proudly announced to his wife Zeresh and friends that he was the only honored guest to Esther’s banquet. However, he also told them, that the one thing that infuriated him was the fact that Mordecai, the Jew, sat at the king’s gate. Haman was so filled with hatred for Mordecai, that he shared his bitter thoughts with his wife and his friends. Every time Haman saw Mordecai, he was reminded of the righteous God whose image was reflected in Mordecai. His only goal then, was to destroy Mordecai for in so doing, he thought he could destroy the image of God that was so evident in Mordecai.
Haman plotted to kill Mordecai
We read in Esther 5:14,“Then said Zeresh his wife and all his friends unto him, Let a gallows be made of fifty cubits high, and tomorrow speak thou unto the king that Mordecai may be hanged thereon: then go thou in merrily with the king unto the banquet. And the thing pleased Haman; and he caused the gallows to be made.” (KJV)
When Haman shared his vicious thoughts about Mordecai, his wife and friends advised him to make a gallows almost 75 feet high, to have Mordecai hanged on the gallows, on the day of the banquet. This idea from his wife and friends pleased Haman, and he immediately organized for the gallows to be made ready. Haman so despised the image of God in Mordecai that the only spiteful thought on his mind was to have Mordecai killed.
At this particular point Haman was happy, Mordecai was in deep trouble, but the best part of it was that God is always on the throne, and in full control of every situation in the life of those who are His children.
We are created in the image of God, and the chief plot of the devil is to destroy that image in us. Every time we look at ourselves in the mirror, instead of finding fault with our appearance, we must remind ourselves over and over again that we are made in the image of God, made to reflect Him in our lives. This implies that wherever we are, at home with our family, at work, at church, in society we are created by God to reflect His image in every area of our lives. When the image of God is in us, wherever we go, the Lord will use us to change and transform every situation, and people will acknowledge the fact that the Lord is with us.
We share a lot of information through social media, but it is good to be cautious that what we share is edifying to others, and not harmful in any way. Haman shared his hatred with his family and friends, only to end up with an evil scheme.
There are many believers who shy away from any sort of hardship, and wish that their lives would be free from every sort of trials. However, what we fail to realize is that these difficulties are those which makes us strong in our faith, and reveal to others that our God is a living God. It was only when Daniel was thrown in to the lion’s den that the king understood who the God of Daniel really was. Shadrach, Meshack and Abednego had to be thrown into the furnace, for others to discover the God whom they worshipped.
We read in Esther 6:4, “And the king said, Who is in the court? Now Haman was come into the outward court of the king's house, to speak unto the king to hang Mordecai on the gallows that he had prepared for him.” (KJV)
Though Haman had prepared the gallows for Mordecai, he now had to seek the permission of the king in order to execute his evil plan.
No matter what the enemy’s ploy may be against us, nothing will come nigh us without the Lord’s permission and consent. The word of God assures us that we are safe in the palm of His hands, and that the one who touches us touches the apple of His eye, meaning there’s no way any harm can come near us when we are secure in God’s care.
In Esther 6:6, we read, “So Haman came in. And the king said unto him, What shall be done unto the man whom the king delighteth to honour? Now Haman thought in his heart, To whom would the king delight to do honour more than to myself?” (KJV)
We read in Esther 6:7-9, And Haman answered the king, “For the man whom the king delights to honor, let a royal robe be brought which the king has worn, and a horse on which the king has ridden, which has a royal crest placed on its head. Then let this robe and horse be delivered to the hand of one of the king’s most noble princes that he may array the man whom the king delights to honor. Then parade him on horseback through the city square, and proclaim before him: ‘Thus shall it be done to the man whom the king delights to honor!’ ” (NKJV)
As Haman went to obtain permission to get Mordecai to the gallows, the king summoned Haman to enter his presence. The king now asked Haman what he thought should be done to someone whom the king wished to honor. Haman presumptuously thought that the person the king sought to honor was himself, and therefore listed out in great detail all that should be done for such a man.
We read in Esther 6:10, “Then the king said to Haman, Make haste, and take the apparel and the horse, as thou hast said, and do even so to Mordecai the Jew, that sitteth at the king's gate: let nothing fail of all that thou hast spoken.” (KJV)
Haman was totally shocked when he discovered that the man whom the king wanted to honor was none other than Mordecai. By giving Mordecai the king’s robe, the king’s horse, the royal crest and the king’s most noble princes, Haman procured for Mordecai the very honor that was due to the king himself. The king made sure that every part of the plan that Haman proposed be carried out for Mordecai by Haman himself. God made Mordecai parade through the town with the same honor that the king himself would have received.
The tables turn now, Mordecai is elated, Haman is crushed in spirit, and the Lord God is sovereign, seated on the throne and in complete control.
Just as Mordecai represented the king in every way, we too are chosen to reflect the image of the Almighty God in our lives, and the word of the Lord is categorical that the Lord will honor those who serve Him. For in John 12:26 we read, “….If anyone serves Me, the Father will honor him.” (TLV)
When Jesus was here on earth, the ones who followed Him were called disciples. However, after the resurrection of Jesus, the believers started to walk exactly like Jesus, and reflected Him in every way. They spoke like Jesus Christ, they performed miracles and wonders just like Jesus did, which was why the people started to refer to the followers of Jesus as ‘Christians’. The early church faced persecution and we still do, only because the image of God is evident in all of us who believe in Him, but the glorious assurance is that in the midst of it all, the sovereign Lord reigns and is seated on the throne. In times of joy and sorrow, we must remember that the Lord is in total control.
How do we handle persecution?
Esther and all the Jews fasted and prayed
We read in Esther 4:16, “Go, gather together all the Jews that are present in Shushan, and fast ye for me, and neither eat nor drink three days, night or day: I also and my maidens will fast likewise; and so will I go in unto the king, which is not according to the law: and if I perish, I perish.” (KJV)
The first thing that Esther and the Jews did, when they knew that there was a wicked plot against them was to fast and pray for three days and three nights.
Today when encountered with persecution, people resort to all sorts of worldly methods to confront opposition. The way that the Lord calls us to face these antagonistic forces, is with prayer and fasting.
We read in Acts 12:5, “Peter therefore was kept in prison: but prayer was made without ceasing of the church unto God for him.” (KJV)
When Peter was imprisoned and there was a threat to his very life, the church of God got together and prayed without ceasing and that resulted in his miraculous release.
God sent His angel to deliver Peter from prison, but John the Baptist was beheaded and Stephen was stoned to death. The Lord chooses whether or not to deliver His chosen ones from the grip of persecution and the pangs of death. We know that if we live on earth, we will be serving Him and if we die we will live forever and ever with Him in His presence.
We are called to pray and depend on God. The crafty scheme of Satan through all generations, is to destroy the righteous ones, and he has miserably failed because the one who is on the throne is the Almighty God. Our deepest longing must be that we reflect the image of God in every area of our lives. The more time we spend with the Lord, the more we will reflect the image of the Lord Jesus in our lives.
Like Shadrach, Meshack and Abednego we should be able to say in Daniel 3:16-18, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego answered and said to the king, “O Nebuchadnezzar, we have no need to answer you in this matter. If that is the case, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and He will deliver us from your hand, O king. But if not, let it be known to you, O king, that we do not serve your gods, nor will we worship the gold image which you have set up.”
Peter was an unschooled fisherman, but when he preached, thousands were added to the early church. The early church faced tremendous persecution and we should not be surprised when we are challenged with antagonism. We need not fear for our times are in God’s hands, and as long as the Lord wants us to live on this earth, no one can harm us in any way. He will deliver us and even if not, we will continue to be faithful to the Lord.
Let us yearn to reflect the image of Jesus so vividly, in our words, deeds, thoughts, looks and every aspect of our lives, that those who associate with us will recognize that we belong to the Lord. We have this promise of God in 1 Samuel 2:30, that, “for those who honor Me I will honor,” and also the assurance from Him that no weapon formed against us will prosper.
Rev. F. Andrew Dixon
www.goodnewfriends.net
Transcribed by: Sis. Esther Collins
