Impartial Love Shapes How We See Humanity
From the start, God welcomed humanity . . .
This is life in the ancient Near East: Families rise in their stone homes, greeted by the melodic chanting of voices as the light of dawn breaks over the horizon.
Grand temples and large buildings line the cities’ sand-dusted streets, featuring carved images of different gods and political leaders, each of them objects of worship.
The air is dense, mingled with burning incense. The Babylonian, Mesopotamian, and Egyptian creation stories were expressed through everyday life experiences.
Being an Israelite then required moving through a world filled with various conflicting stories about how the world began. The creation narratives of neighboring cultures were the lenses through which many saw and understood their identity, their purpose for existence, and their relationship with the divine.
As we slowly zoom into the Bible’s creation story, we will see how God stands apart from the other stories bombarding the ancient Israelites. God’s impartial love shapes our understanding of who we are and, more importantly, who God is.
Impartial Love and the Image of God
Tugging The Threads: The word “image” in Hebrew, tselem (ֶצלֶם) describes an object that has been carved out and shaped with intention. It’s rooted in the idea of “to shade,” as in a shadow of something else. Many kings had images created to be a distinct resemblance to their appearance.
God uses tselem when He speaks of creating humanity as living, breathing bearers of His image. Unlike the lifeless statues of Egyptian gods, which were merely carved representations, God created us to truly reflect His nature. We are meant to mirror His love, justice, mercy, and presence in the world.
When Moses and the Israelites heard the word tselem in the context of God’s creation of man, they likely couldn’t help but think of the idols and false gods of Egypt, those empty statues that filled the temples and lined the streets.
Imagine being an Israelite, hearing that you were created to be a “carved-out” reflection of God’s very image, a shadow of His love, patience, kindness, and justice. So much so that when others look at you, they will see not just a human being but a reflection of God’s character.
How Impartial Love Challenges Human Status Systems
In the ancient Near East, social status and power weren’t determined by gender alone. Instead, a person’s standing in society depended on factors such as wealth, whether they were a slave or free, family heritage, and more. In our modern, Western world, it’s easy to interpret Genesis through a gender-based lens, thinking of it in terms of a rigid male-female superiority system.
But that’s not how the Israelites would have heard the story of Genesis. Their society was different from ours because gender roles did not dominate the conversations. Their world operated as a more intricate social web of status where occupation, gender, and age assigned positions and power.
And when we take a breath and pause to truly reconsider the assumptions we bring—those that simplify and flatten the rich texture of a world where power wasn’t dictated only by gender—the reality is that the world the Israelites knew was different. It was more intricate, more layered, and more shaped by the dynamic interplay of social structures than we often imagine.
Impartial Love Gives Equal Dignity to Men and Women
What makes Genesis 2 so uniquely countercultural is that it offers a vision of humanity that differs from (and in some ways contrasts with) the stories that surrounded the Israelites. In many ancient Near Eastern narratives, women were missing entirely or portrayed as mere servants of the gods.
In the patriarchal world of ancient Greece, women were seen as inferior, sometimes even thought of as “broken men” or dangerous. In wealthier households, women were secluded in the inner quarters of the home, hidden away from guests, seldom seen in public, and kept out of the social sphere.
Again, the Bible offers a radically different plan for humanity: Both men and women are made in the image of the living God (Gen. 1:27). Together, every woman and every man are crowned with the same dignity by God. This is a status of unparalleled worth.
And in that truth, we find an invitation to receive and extend the impartial love of God.
Impartial Love Revealed Through God’s Help and Jubilee
Tugging The Threads: There’s a hope-filled word in Scripture called ebenezer that connects to the word ´ēzer we just studied. It comes from two Hebrew words: eben (ֶאֶבן) and ´ēzer (ֶעֶזר). Eben means “stone” or “rock,” and ´ēzer means help, signifying God’s active, tangible support, especially in times of crisis.
Together, these words form Ebenezer—literally “Stone of Help”—serving as a powerful picture of God’s unwavering faithfulness and His role as our constant source of rescue.
In 1 Samuel 7:12, Samuel sets up a stone and calls it Ebenezer, saying, “Thus far the Lord has helped us.” More than a marker for memory, this rock stood as a testimony, a living memorial that God is the ultimate source of our support, the unshakable Rock in the midst of every battle. Just as the Israelites leaned on God’s help to face their physical and spiritual struggles, we too are called to depend on His strength to overcome.
Impartial Love Finds Fulfillment in Jesus Christ
Jesus Our Jubilee
In the Old Testament we see how God established a yearly cycle, a pattern meant to bring justice and equity to the people of Israel. During every seventh year a Sabbatical year occurred. The Jubilee year occurred on the fiftieth year after seven cycles of seven years had passed (Lev. 25:1–7).
The Jubilee year was a special period during which people were offered a chance to start anew; land was returned to its rightful owners and debts were wiped away, freeing those who had sold themselves into servitude. During this year of new beginnings things that had gone wrong could be made right.
As we fast-forward to the New Testament, in Luke 4:18–19, Jesus picks up this promise as He reads from the book of Isaiah: “The Spirit of the Lord is on me . . . to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.” With these words, Jesus is announcing the arrival of the ultimate Jubilee. Jesus is saying, “I am the fulfillment of everything the Jubilee represented.” He offers the deep, soul-satisfying liberation that only God can bring: freedom from spiritual debt and bondage to sin. He is our reset, our opportunity to begin again. In Jesus, the long-awaited Jubilee is no longer a year on a calendar, it’s a reality unfolding in the lives of those who follow Him.
He is our year of the Lord’s favor, and He welcomes us to be made new.
Jesus doesn’t leave us where we are. But He also doesn’t meet us in our brokenness and then walk away. He brings freedom to those who are captive. Sometimes, that freedom looks like Him opening our eyes to the truth that we are loved, pursued, and welcomed into His presence.
He welcomes you to give you an identity reimagined.
Adapted from Forever Welcomed: A Study on God’s Impartial Love for All by Oghosa Iyamu (© 2025). Published by Moody Publishers. Used by permission.
About the Author
Oghosa Iyamu, the daughter of Nigerian parents, is a Bible teacher, speaker, and content creator passionate about sharing the life and mission of Jesus Christ. Oghosa holds a Master of Divinity degree from Southwestern Theological Seminary. She has written for YouVersion, She Reads Truth, Lifeway, Radical, Lies Young Women Believe, and many other platforms.
To learn more about Oghosa and stay connected, visit oghosaiyamu.com.
