When we look at how He created everything the earth contains, we clearly see that the first thing we can say is that He is great and powerful. One must be powerful to create the heavens and the earth; to place each element in its rightful place; to create the sun, the moon, and the stars; to make a distinction between day and night; to create animals, trees, etc. The idea of an all-powerful God above, capable of everything, is visible through the nature that surrounds us.

The second image we see is that of a God with a creative mind. Before the nature we now see became tangible and perceptible, it was first immaterial—and to grasp the depth of this creative mind, we simply need to look around us and realize how extraordinary its materialization is.

There are places on earth like the Arctic and Antarctic where the cold reaches such extreme levels that we might think life is impossible in such environments. Yet God, in His wisdom, also ensured that both humans and animals could adapt to these environments. This becomes even more impressive when we face vast bodies of water where neither the beginning nor the end can be seen; when confronted with this, we feel small and insignificant. We easily understand that such things are not the result of human thought.

Whether we are Christians or not, deep down, we recognize that there is something—someone—with an incredible creative capacity.

The third and final image is that of a God who knows what He is doing, who has a clear plan and purpose. Yes, God does nothing by chance, and we can see this clearly because when He creates, He gives names to His creation. This proves that everything He does is planned, and He doesn’t move from one element to another without assigning a specific role to each.

All of this demonstrates the skill and precision with which He creates and organizes everything. We can clearly see that the moon, the sun, the animals in the oceans and on land, the stars, the sky, and the earth all serve a purpose and play important roles in existence. No one—whether us or those who lived centuries before us—can deny that.

For example, before watches and clocks existed as we know them today, it was the position of the sun that helped determine the time of day. If the sun was at its zenith, it indicated the middle of the day—a passage between the end of the morning and the beginning of the afternoon—showing the usefulness and relevance of the sun.

What about the stars that helped mark the change from one season to another? We can clearly see that God does not simply create; when He does, He also assigns meaning, purpose, and function to what He creates. Let us then continue to deepen and better understand our passage. The next part of the passage says:

“Let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, over the livestock, over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.“

It is very interesting to see that He gives man the power to rule not over other men, but over animals. This already shows that He places the human race above all other living beings on earth. This is a very important detail to keep in mind, because the development of all the ideas in this book revolves around what God entrusted to mankind.

Finally, we see that He tells man and woman to be fruitful, to multiply, and to fill the earth. The aspect of multiplication is important—it includes not only procreation but also the expansion of human civilization so that other human beings, in His image, may exist, and so that the transmission of faculties and knowledge may endure. Often, the strength of an army is measured by its human resources. An army of ten thousand men is considered less powerful than one with one hundred thousand soldiers.

If there are many people on earth who are in the image of God, it becomes easier for Him to transmit His plans and thoughts so that His kingdom may be powerful and effective on earth. When we see things in this way, our understanding of reproduction takes on a new meaning. As children of God, this means that one of our missions is not simply to marry and have children for pleasure, but to participate in the growth and expansion of God’s kingdom.

We cannot conquer spheres of influence with an army of just two people; we need to be hundreds and thousands in order to make a great impact…

This text is an excerpt from the book “THE ECONOMY OF THE KINGDOM” written by Emmanuel MENIE.

We invite you to read the next article: “INSTRUCTION: CULTIVATE AND KEEP.”

THE IMAGES OF GOD. THE IMAGES OF GOD. THE IMAGES OF GOD. THE IMAGES OF GOD.