Genesis 1:26 is one of the most foundational verses in Scripture, yet it is often read too quickly.

“Then God said, ‘Let Us make mankind in our image, in our likeness, so that they may rule…’”

To understand this verse, we have to ask a simple but important question.

What does “image of God” actually mean?

In the Hebrew text, the word translated as image is tselem. It does not describe physical appearance. It describes representation. In the ancient world, an image was placed to signify the authority of the one who ruled. Wherever the image stood, it declared who was in charge. That is why Genesis immediately moves from image to purpose. We are created as God’s representatives on the earth, entrusted with delegated authority to rule with care, steward creation faithfully, and reflect His glory in the world (Genesis 1–2). To bear God’s image, then, is to exercise that authority in alignment with God’s character and will, never independently or in place of Him.

Representation is delegated authority, and delegated authority cannot function apart from surrender and submission.

An image that no longer reflects the original ceases to function as a true image. In the same way, authority only functions when it remains submitted to God. The moment humanity acts independently of God’s instructions and will, authority breaks down.

This is exactly what unfolds in Genesis 3. Adam and Eve did not lose authority because the serpent appeared. Genesis 1:26 and 1:28 are clear that humanity had already been given authority to rule over the wild animals and every creature that moves along the ground, which includes the serpent. The failure was not a lack of authority, but a failure to uphold God’s word and instructions. Instead of guarding what God had said, they allowed another voice to redefine reality. Delegated authority collapses the moment representation is replaced with independence. This is why Scripture later points to Jesus as the last Adam. Where (the first) Adam failed to hold God’s word, Jesus held it fully. Where Adam stood silent, Jesus answered, “It is written.” And because Jesus represented the Father perfectly in obedience and submission, all authority was entrusted to Him.

Jesus shows us what true image-bearing looks like. He does nothing on His own initiative. He does only what He sees the Father doing (John 5:19). He obeys fully. In every moment, Jesus represents God perfectly, not acting independently, but living in complete alignment with the Father’s will.

The image of God is not something we redefine. It is something we are called to reflect. And we reflect Him most clearly when we live in obedience to what He has spoken. That is why knowing God’s word matters. We cannot represent Him faithfully if we do not know His commands, His ways, and His heart. Scripture has always been consistent.

“Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.” - Deuteronomy 8:3