Week 6 of 10: The Questions That Change Everything
Over the past several weeks, we have journeyed together through questions that invite us to look more deeply into Scripture.
We have explored the unseen realm.
We have considered ancient writings connected to the biblical world.
We have examined Enoch, the possibility of an earlier rebellion, and the deeper significance of Eden.
Each question has led us toward the same realization:
The Bible is not a shallow book.
It is a deep well.
And often the questions we overlook are the very ones that reveal its greatest treasures.
This week we come to a question hidden within one of the most familiar passages in all of Scripture.
A passage many of us have read dozens—perhaps hundreds—of times.
Yet within it lies a statement that has puzzled readers for centuries.
What if “Let Us make man” means more than we think?
The words are found in Genesis 1:26:
“Then God said, ‘Let Us make mankind in Our image, in Our likeness…’”
At first glance, we may read right past it.
But pause for a moment.
Read it again carefully.
“Let Us make man…”
Not “Let Me.”
Not “I will.”
But Us.
And immediately a question emerges:
Who Is God Speaking To?
It is one of the oldest questions in biblical study.
And over the centuries several answers have been proposed.
Some suggest God is addressing the heavenly host.
Others see a reference to the divine council.
Many Christians understand the passage as an early glimpse of the relationship between the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
Regardless of where one lands, the question itself is worth considering.
Because Genesis deliberately preserves the statement.
The text could have simply said:
“God made man.”
Instead, it records a divine conversation.
And that suggests something important.
The creation of humanity was not treated as ordinary.
Something unique was happening.
Something worthy of divine deliberation.
The Moment Humanity Appears
Think about everything that has happened up to this point in Genesis.
Light has been called forth.
The heavens established.
The earth formed.
Vegetation has appeared.
The sun, moon, and stars have taken their places.
The seas teem with life.
Animals fill the land.
And after each act of creation, God declares it good.
But then the rhythm changes.
The language slows.
The narrative becomes more deliberate.
It is almost as if heaven pauses.
And then comes the statement:
“Let Us make man in Our image.”
Humanity is not presented as merely another creature.
Humanity is presented as something distinct.
Not because humans are stronger than every animal.
Not because humans are faster.
Not because humans are physically superior.
But because humanity is said to bear something no other earthly creature bears.
The image of God.
What Does It Mean to Bear the Image of God?
This may be one of the most important questions in all of Scripture.
Because the image of God is not primarily about appearance.
God is Spirit.
The image must therefore involve something deeper.
Throughout history believers have pointed to several possibilities:
• The capacity for reason
• Moral awareness
• Creativity
• Relationship
• Stewardship
• Self-awareness
• The ability to know and worship God
Perhaps the image includes all of these.
Perhaps it is humanity’s unique capacity to reflect God’s character into creation.
To represent Him.
To exercise responsibility under His authority.
To bring order, care, and purpose into the world He made.
Whatever the full meaning may be, one thing is clear:
Humanity is given a unique dignity.
Every human being carries value because every human being bears the imprint of the Creator.
A Reflection of Divine Relationship
Now let us return to the question.
Why does God say “Us”?
Even if we cannot answer every aspect with certainty, the language itself reveals something fascinating.
God is not portrayed as solitary and isolated.
Instead, the text hints at relationship.
Communication.
Community.
Shared purpose.
And that should not surprise us.
Because throughout Scripture, God reveals Himself as relational.
Love requires relationship.
Communication requires relationship.
Fellowship requires relationship.
Long before humanity existed, relationship existed within God Himself.
And perhaps that explains something profound about us.
What if humanity longs for relationship because relationship is woven into the very image we bear?
Why do people seek connection?
Why do isolation and loneliness hurt so deeply?
Why do love, friendship, family, and community matter so much?
Perhaps because they reflect something rooted in the nature of our Creator.
The Dignity of Every Person
This question is not merely theological.
It is deeply practical.
Because if every person bears God’s image, then every person possesses inherent value.
Not earned value.
Not purchased value.
Not value based on success, wealth, intelligence, race, nationality, or status.
Value bestowed by God Himself.
This truth changes how we see people.
The stranger.
The neighbor.
The coworker.
The person we disagree with.
The person who hurt us.
The person who feels forgotten.
Every one of them bears the image of God.
And every one of them matters to Him.
The Image Marred—but Not Destroyed
The fall introduced sin.
Brokenness entered the world.
Humanity’s reflection of God’s character became distorted.
But notice something important.
Scripture never says the image disappeared.
It was damaged.
Marred.
Corrupted.
But not erased.
This is why redemption matters.
God’s work throughout Scripture is not merely about forgiveness.
It is also about restoration.
The restoration of what humanity was always intended to be.
People who reflect His character.
People who walk with Him.
People who reveal His goodness within creation.
What If We Have Forgotten Who We Are?
Perhaps this question is ultimately not about who God was speaking to.
Perhaps it is about what He was saying about us.
Because in a world filled with confusion about identity, purpose, and value, Genesis speaks with remarkable clarity.
You are not an accident.
You are not meaningless.
You are not merely the result of blind chance.
You were created intentionally.
Purposefully.
And you bear the image of the One who made the universe.
What if remembering that changes everything?
What if understanding the image of God reshapes how we see ourselves?
How we see others?
How we see our purpose?
The Question Beneath the Question
So perhaps the deeper question is not simply:
“Who was God speaking to?”
Perhaps the deeper question is:
“What does it mean that He chose to create us at all?”
Why create beings capable of love?
Capable of choice?
Capable of relationship?
Capable of bearing His image?
Because perhaps from the very beginning, God’s desire was not merely to create life.
Perhaps His desire was to create a people who could know Him.
Your Turn
When you hear the phrase:
“Created in the image of God”
What comes to mind?
How does that truth affect the way you see yourself?
And how does it affect the way you see others?
Next week we continue our journey with a question that has intrigued Bible readers for generations:
What If Angels and the “Sons of God” Are Not the Same?
Scripture uses language that raises fascinating questions about heavenly beings.
Could there be distinctions we have overlooked?
And what might those distinctions reveal about the unseen realm?
— Carl Schulz
Insight Ministry
What If — The Journey
