GENESIS 1:26
Then God said, “Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over the cattle, over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.” [NKJV]
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.” [BSB]
Bible Teacher:
When God first said this Word to make man in God's Image, the projected pronouns of the Word pluralized God as "Company" and not just as "Individual." This implied the Word was not a monologue but a Dialogue of "God with God." And, "God with God" is a "Council of God" also known as "Godhead."
In the Beginning, the Word was with God and the Word was God (John 1:1-2): there was "God with God." And the Father, the Word and the Spirit, are One in the Godhead [1 John 5:7].
Therefore being a Word to the Council of God, this Word was not a Command but a Counsel. You may say like "Psalms 148:5" said, "God Commanded, and all things were created;" but do not include "Man" among all things created by God's Command. It was not by commanding anything that God created man; Mankind are the only Creatures of God that were not products of God's creative Command, because they are offspring of Godhead or God-Council. Sadly, Mankind kept breaking God's Commandment.
[Acts 17:28-29] — "For in Him we live, and move, and have our being; as certain also of your own poets have said, For we are also His offspring. For as much then as we are the offspring of God, we ought not to think that the Godhead is like to gold, or silver, or stone, graven by are and man's device."
Commentaries:
What God wanted in exchange, for the dominion He was letting Mankind have over all the earth, included to have Mankind in God's Image, after God's Likeness. The first kindness in every living creature was the kindness of resemblance, taking after the likeness of someone or group in image or nature. Taking after God's Resemblance in God's Image was the first virtue in Mankind that qualified them to have dominion over every earthly thing that had been before them, even though Mankind was like the last born in God's creation then.
Bible Teacher:
There's a whole Family inside God that would make man in their Image, after the Likeness of the Divine Family of God. God communicated His First Love for man in His first quest for Him to make man in God's Image, and according to God's Likeness and Kindness. Mankind would only become a part of that Union/Family of those having the true Image and Likeness of God, but man is neither the first nor the only one to possess the Image and Likeness of God.
Commentaries:
Some have said that the Devil or Serpent collected the Dominion from Mankind after they sinned. But that's not possible because that would mean the Devil or Serpent became an image of God. To have that Dominion over all the Works of God's hand, one must first be made or transformed in the Image of God and after His Likeness. Unless the devil is in God's Image, the devil cannot have or wield this Dominion over all the Works of God's Hands in earth.
The call to man's dominion is as sure as the quest for man to fulfill God's Image and Likeness. But to have dominion, God ordained greater things for man to conquer or subdue in battles through the dominion.
Remain in the communication with the Family or Union of God, to gain more of the Likeness of God. Do not be in God's Image without having God's Likeness and Holiness.