Divine Intentions

Why did God create man from the dust of the ground when He directly spoke all the other creatures into being? And what does that mean to us today?

Created in a Divine Image 

Throughout Genesis 1, God speaks each element of creation into being by saying “Let there be…” But in Genesis 1:26, the language shifts when He says, “Let us make man in our image, in our likeness…” Then, in Genesis 2:7, we see the details: “God formed man out of the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life.”

Genesis 1:26 gives us a glimpse into a divine conversation between the three Persons of the Trinity – Father, Son, and Holy Spirit who worked together in the creation process. Here, they agree that humanity is the crown of creation, made to reflect God’s character, creativity, and authority. We are cut out of a divine pattern so we can display God’s image.

But why was mankind formed from dust, and not something grand and precious like gold? What can be more basic than dirt? This imagery underscores man’s total dependence on God for life. As Job 33:4 tells us, “The Spirit of God has made me; the breath of the Almighty has given me life.” We are uniquely created in God’s image.

Created for a Divine Purpose

God also created man to live with purpose. God gave mankind a prominent place in the created world. He gave man responsibility and authority. God’s first command to humanity was to “rule over” creation. This is a call for stewardship, not a license for exploitation. We are called to be caretakers of God’s world and help it to flourish.

But stewardship is only part of our purpose. Genesis 2 makes it clear we were designed for relationship with God and with one another. Adam’s solitude was the only thing called “not good” in a perfect creation. God created Eve as Adam’s perfect counterpart – equal in value, different in role, and united in purpose. A living picture of a covenant relationship.

Recreated Day by Day

It can be difficult to see how ancient acts of creation are relevant for us today. I have found that Ephesians 2:10 makes creation come alive for us today when it says, “For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them.”

Workmanship refers to more than a product of creation. It relates us to our creator. For instance, a painting is called a masterpiece because of the artist's talents and creativity. We are called God’s workmanship because we were created by God to walk in His image and represent Him on earth through our relationship with Jesus Christ in three ways:

He created us for a purpose. Ephesians says we were created for good works. Good works are those things we do with our lives that can only be recreated in us through God’s Holy Spirit. They are not what we do on our own, and they are certainly not those things we do in opposition to God. He created us to live in His image and reflect it to the world.

He redeemed us through Jesus. God knew mankind would rebel against Him. He also knew you and I would sin and be separated from Him for life. So He did what we cannot do on our own. He sent His Son to die in our place and be raised from death to conquer sin. We can claim these truths only when we trust Jesus as our Savior.

He fits us for service. When we let Him take control of our lives, God’s Spirit begins to recreate in us the person He intended us to be. He created us for a new divine purpose. But just like the pot cannot tell the potter what it wants to look like, we cannot tell God to let us live the way we want without consequences. He wants us to follow Him.

The good news for us is that God continues to breathe the breath of life into us through the Holy Spirit. When we claim Jesus as our Savior, we enter into an eternal relationship with God that gives us purpose and brings Him glory.

How does knowing that God created you for purpose impact the way you feel about yourself and other people today?