Let’s jump into it, Genesis 1:26-2:1, this is the rest of Day six in creation. Remember, we are looking at the Spirit-inspired ancient text, where the authors are sharing with us the creation story, depicting God’s (Yahweh’s) creative work. Where Yahweh, creates order out of disorder, forms and fills, Creator-King who creates a good kingdom. Now humanity arrives on the scene.
 
Genesis 1:26-2:1- 26 Then God said, “Let us make mankind in our image, in our likeness, so that they may rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky, over the livestock and all the wild animals, and over all the creatures that move along the ground.”
 27 So God created mankind in his own image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them.
28 God blessed them and said to them, “Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it. Rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky and over every living creature that moves on the ground.” 29 Then God said, “I give you every seed-bearing plant on the face of the whole earth and every tree that has fruit with seed in it. They will be yours for food. 30 And to all the beasts of the earth and all the birds in the sky and all the creatures that move along the ground—everything that has the breath of life in it—I give every green plant for food.” And it was so. 31 God saw all that he had made, and it was very good. And there was evening, and there was morning—the sixth day. Thus the heavens and the earth were completed in all their vast array.
 
I want to highlight two things briefly, that will play into the rest of our discussion, but I can’t do it justice, entirely, I think it is another message or two for another time.
 
What I want to briefly tie together is the statement, “Let us make mankind in our image…. God created mankind in his own image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them.”
 
Typically we understand the “us” in relation to God, as the Trinity, which is true. But the Trinity wasn’t an ancient understanding when this was originally written. They would argue that God was singular and plural, because of how he created humanity.
 
The word “mankind/human beings” in the Hebrew is adam, where we get Adam. Adam is related to species, humanity as a singular species, but that God also created humanity as plural, gender, male and female. One species, two genders; humanity, male and female.
 
I think this is really important as we see we are created in God’s image, for ruling and subduing, there is a singular, yet plurality to God and to how we are to function within the created order.
 
Tim Mackie from the Bible Project puts it this way. “Ruling in partnership together is a key part of being the image of God. The gendered, distinct differences between man and woman, while also sharing similarities and becoming one (Genesis 2:24) is a potent image of the nature of God.”
 
Hear me, I am not saying God is male and female, male or female. God is Spirit, who, in Christ, did take the nature of a man, but as you will see shortly in Colossians, God is invisible, but his nature has male distinctions and female distinctions, yet are one, are unified. But humanity is broken and divided. Which is why, a gender discussion about respect and honor, is necessary, but not for this message. Because I believe, once we unpack more of what the ancient author is saying about the image, rule, and blessing of God, it will preach for itself.