Topical Bible: Man: More Valuable than Other Creatures

◄ Man: More Valuable than Other Creatures ►

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Topical Encyclopedia

The concept of man's value in relation to other creatures is deeply rooted in the biblical narrative, where humanity is portrayed as holding a unique and elevated position within creation. This distinction is primarily based on the belief that humans are created in the image of God, a status not attributed to any other creature.

Creation in the Image of God

The foundational text for understanding the value of man is found in Genesis 1:26-27 : "Then God said, 'Let Us make man in Our image, after Our likeness, to rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air, over the livestock, and over all the earth itself and every creature that crawls upon it.' So God created man in His own image; in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them." This passage highlights the unique creation of humanity, setting humans apart from the rest of the animal kingdom by being made in the divine image. This imago Dei confers a special dignity and worth upon human beings, establishing their preeminence over other forms of life.

Dominion and Stewardship

The mandate given to humanity to "rule over" the earth and its creatures further underscores the elevated status of man. Genesis 1:28 states, "God blessed them and said to them, 'Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth and subdue it; rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air and every creature that crawls upon the earth.'" This dominion is not a license for exploitation but rather a call to stewardship, where humans are entrusted with the care and management of God's creation. The responsibility to govern wisely and compassionately reflects the moral and spiritual capacities endowed to humanity.

The Value of Human Life

The sanctity of human life is a recurring theme throughout Scripture, further emphasizing the value of man. In Genesis 9:6 , God declares, "Whoever sheds the blood of man, by man his blood will be shed; for in His own image God has made mankind." This divine decree underscores the seriousness of taking human life, as it is an affront to the image of God in which humans are made. The intrinsic worth of human life is thus affirmed, distinguishing it from the life of animals.

Jesus Christ and the Value of Humanity

The New Testament continues to affirm the value of humanity, particularly through the teachings of Jesus Christ. In Matthew 6:26 , Jesus states, "Look at the birds of the air: They do not sow or reap or gather into barns—and yet your Heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they?" Here, Jesus reassures His followers of their worth in the eyes of God, surpassing that of the birds, which are nonetheless cared for by the Creator.

Furthermore, the incarnation of Christ, as described in John 1:14 , "The Word became flesh and made His dwelling among us," signifies the profound value God places on humanity. By taking on human form, Jesus affirms the dignity and worth of human life, offering redemption and eternal life to mankind.

Moral and Spiritual Capacities

Humans are endowed with moral and spiritual capacities that further distinguish them from other creatures. Ecclesiastes 3:11 notes, "He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the hearts of men, yet they cannot fathom what God has done from beginning to end." This verse suggests that humans possess an awareness of eternity and a capacity for spiritual reflection, setting them apart from the animal kingdom.

Conclusion

The biblical narrative consistently affirms the unique and elevated status of humanity in relation to other creatures. Created in the image of God, entrusted with dominion and stewardship, and endowed with moral and spiritual capacities, humans hold a special place in the divine order of creation.

Torrey's Topical Textbook

Matthew 6:26
Behold the fowls of the air: for they sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much better than they?
Torrey's Topical Textbook

Matthew 10:31
Fear you not therefore, you are of more value than many sparrows.
Torrey's Topical Textbook

Matthew 12:12
How much then is a man better than a sheep? Why it is lawful to do well on the sabbath days.
Torrey's Topical Textbook

Library

The Great Duty of Charity Recommended
... this is to God, how delightful it is to man, and how ... And is not the soul more valuable
than the body? ... or a horse- race, with them; but on the other hand, you ...
/.../whitefield/selected sermons of george whitefield/the great duty of charity.htm

On the End of Man
... piece of rag, if the kite"the valuable thing"is ... upon the earth is a thousand times
more nearly our equal than the most perfect creature, man or angel ...
/.../christianbookshelf.org/kinkead/baltimore catechism no 4/lesson 1 on the end.htm

Use to be Made of the Doctrine of Providence.
... of wickedness belongs to the wicked man, why should ... men and then with the other
creatures, he will ... the application, that being more valuable than many sparrows ...
/.../calvin/the institutes of the christian religion/chapter 17 use to be.htm

xiv. Upon the Love of God.
... Now if a man approves of, or hath an affection to ... fixed, steady, equally unmoved
by weak pity or more weak fury ... he hath to do, as in itself right and valuable. ...
//christianbookshelf.org/butler/human nature/sermon xiii xiv upon the.htm

Of the Use of Speech.
... that which possesses us of the most valuable blessing of ... life, I mean Friendship,
which could no more have been ... excellent uses of it in respect to man, we may ...
/.../allestree/the government of the tongue/section i of the use.htm

The General Deliverance
... view of the one, we may conceive the other. ... which was his highest excellence, far
more valuable than all the ... This was the supreme perfection of man; (as it is ...
/.../wesley/sermons on several occasions/sermon 60 the general deliverance.htm

The Well-Beloved.
... think of Him as comparable to anything less valuable than "fine gold ... a whole, in
reference to God, to man, to His ... Some of you are more at home in this assembly ...
//christianbookshelf.org/spurgeon/till he come/the well-beloved.htm

Against Excessive Fondness for Jewels and Gold Ornaments.
... Eve, so also has ornament of gold maddened other women to ... "Happy is the man who hath ...
treasures of gold and silver; and she is more valuable than precious stones ...
/.../the instructor paedagogus/chapter xiiiagainst excessive fondness for.htm

Prayer --Fills Man's Poverty with God's Riches
... school, denial of prayer is the most valuable teacher ... the mightiest work, the divinest
work which man can do ... Supplication is a more intense and more special form ...
/.../bounds/the reality of prayer/ii prayerfills mans poverty with.htm

A Sheaf of Prayer Arrows
... of a traveller who had a valuable cordial of ... needy,' or, as perhaps the words more
accurately mean ... The self-righteous man cannot receive the righteousness of ...
/.../maclaren/expositions of holy scripture j/a sheaf of prayer arrows.htm