What then is man? There is a pictorial answer to this question, illustrated in Exodus 1-4.
In calling Moses to go and save the slave nation Israel, the Lord said, "This will be a sign to you - the sign that it is I who sent you: "After you have brought the people out you will worship God on this mountain."
God created man in His image. By worshiping God man can thrive functioning like Him, so that man would be like God serving Him as His child enjoying the fellowship with Him, taking care of His creation.
The Israel of Moses' day fell short of this glorious state. The downward trip began with Abram and eventually all of his 70 going down to Egypt where its ruler began to treat the people Israel as slaves. After about 4 centuries the Lord heard their cry. Through Moses the Lord chose to recover them back to the original state, that is, the life that worships and serves God, deriving from the fellowship with Him the full life and thriving onto His infinite beauty.
No creatures were endowed with this feature, that is, the image of God and the feature to worship Him. Only human beings were created in His image, not even angels. No wonder that the devil also known as Satan grew jealous that through the serpent tried to tempt man causing his downfall and since then continually attempting to pull him down. But still the Lord God chose to save man back to the original state of glory. Speaking of this restoration the Lord God said, "Here on this mountain you (Yes, even you yourself Moses) will worship God!
Man worships God in spirit and in truth. Spirit and truth refer to the Living Word that comes from the mouth of the Living God. After giving Moses the sign for him, the Lord performed three miracles: staff turning to snake, hand turning leprous, water turning to blood. While the three miracles of snake, leprosy, and blood address the way/power of redemption, it denotes the Lord God being holy, who alone is set apart, in that he alone is self-sufficient, so that under His holy wings man though in and of himself self-deficient can stand perfect in righteousness, holiness, and redemption, becoming fully sufficient through God-sufficiency.
Speaking of this truth the Apostle Paul states, "Now if we are children, we are heirs-heirs of God and co-heirs with the Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings, in order that we also may share in his glory." Romans 8:17 [For those who live by faith in the Lord, participating in His sufferings for His name's sake represents opportunities to experience His glory.]
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