The Glorious Dust that we are
by John Parsons
www.hebrew4christians.com
While writing the other day I remembered something I had once read regarding mankind’s grandeur and lowliness. In a discussion regarding capital punishment, the Talmud states: “If a man strikes many coins from one mold, they all resemble one another, but the King of Kings, the Holy One, Blessed be He, made each man in the image of Adam, and yet not one of them resembles his fellow. Therefore every single person is obligated to say, bishvili nivra ha’olam, “The world was created for my sake” (Mishnah Sanhedrin 4:5). This is why murdering another human being created b’tzelem Elohim (in the image of God) is considered so horrendous. The sages reasoned that whoever destroys a single soul is accounted as if he had destroyed the whole world; and whoever saves one soul is accounted as if he had saved the entire world.
On the other hand, each of us must remember (as did father Abraham) that we are anokhi afar ve’efer - “but dust and ashes” (Gen. 18:27). While it is true that we are esteemed by God as His image bearers, our flesh (basar) comes from the dust of the ground. Even our beloved Lord Yeshua clothed Himself in such dust, demonstrating the ultimate form of humility and compassion for us (Phil. 2:7).
A chassidic tale says that every person should walk through life with two notes, one in each pocket. On one note should be the words, anokhi afar ve’efer — “I am but dust and ashes.” On the other note should be the words, bishvili nivra ha’olam — “For my sake was this world created.”
Our true worth comes from being loved by the LORD God of Israel. May we all understand how precious we are in the true humility that marks our beloved Lord Yeshua.