The Servant, the Idol, & the Image of God: Isaiah’s Conversation with the Creation Account

Genesis 1–3 introduces the reader to a unique creature. One who is not only animate and gendered, but one who, unlike all the other creatures, is made in the ṣélem (“image”) of the Almighty. Genesis describes the animation of the creature and its installation in God’s garden as a precursor to the calling of all callings—the stewardship of creation. As the great story of redemption makes clear, the role of image-bearer is ̒ādām’s first and final calling. Yet with the fall, the image is twisted, and thereby God’s servant perverts his calling. In this lecture, Richter connects these great themes of Genesis—creation, fall, restoration—with the prophet Isaiah’s vision of what was and what is to come.

Sandra Richter (PhD Harvard University) is the Robert H. Gundry Chair of Biblical Studies at Westmont College. She is the author of multiple books, including The Epic of Eden (IVP Academic, 2008) and Stewards of Eden (IVP Academic, 2020).