Genesis 2:4-25

In The Beginning  •  Sermon  •  Submitted   •  Presented   •  55:09
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Background
Last week we finished looking at the big picture of creation, with man being created in God’s image and concluding with the Sabbath rest. Genesis was given to show us the past, the beginning, and to show us the God who created it all. History is His story.
Gen. 2:4-9
We notice here that this is an account of creation, but it’s different. Sometimes there is some confusion about why there are two accounts, one in Genesis 1 and here in 2.
Genesis 1 is an overview of God’s creation in one week. Genesis 2 is a focused snapshot of the creation of man and woman.
Remember from last week, Genesis is about God’s story with mankind. This section is a zoomed-in view of man’s beginning.
In spite of the focus being on the creation of man, we do learn some additional things about the general creation from this account.
On Day 3, God created seed-bearing plants and fruit trees. In this account, we learn that God had not yet created plants of the field because there was no man to cultivate them.
There also was no rain on the earth. Instead, there was a mist that covered the earth (Heb: fog) and watered the plant-life on the earth. At minimum, this meteorological state persisted at least until the creation of man, and perhaps for longer. There is a lot of scientific debate about this, with no need for any particular view to be correct.
Man was formed from the dust of the ground, there is significance here:
APHAR
This is almost always translated dust, but of note the definition denotes that the source is clay, earth, and mud (Isa. 64:8).
ADAMAH
This shows from what Adam gets his name and his occupation: the land, the earth (Psa. 103:12-18). Recall back to v. 5 - there was no man to cultivate the ground.
As seen last week, it was not his physical form that reflected God’s image. It was the immaterial in Adam that did this (Psa. 139:13-18).
God’s image in man was made manifest in the breathing of God’s breath of life into him.
God gives life to all living things by the breath of His mouth (Job 33:4; Psa. 33:4-6).
The Word of God is the source of life (John 1:1-5, 9-14; 1 Cor. 15:45).
(John 20:21-22) Jesus breathed on the disciples to receive new life through the Holy Spirit.
God planted a garden for Adam and placed him there after He had formed him.
In that garden was every fruit-bearing tree for food, as well as the tree of life and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.
Why did God plant these 2 special trees? The first, allusion to what will come in the future, when all is made new (Rev. 22:2; 2:7). The second, a test, to allow for obedience or rebellion (next week).
Gen. 2:10-17
This location is unknown and likely no longer exists because of the Flood. However, 2 rivers still exist and are identifiable: the Tigris and the Euphrates. These are the defining rivers of Mesopotamia, and is currently found flowing through Turkey, Syria, and Iraq.
Adam’s job was to cultivate and keep the Garden of Eden. He was instructed to eat freely from any tree in the garden except from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.
Notice God says, “in the day you eat from it you will surely die.” He knew Adam would (next week).
Gen. 2:18-25
In all of creation, God only says once that something is not good - the man being alone.
There are some who take the teachings of this section and debase them in a variety of ways. But this is actually a beautiful depiction of the nature of God in mankind.
There was no "aid” who “corresponded to him,” (counterpart) who fit the man who God made in His image.
From the ground, like Adam, God made one of every land- and air-dwelling creature and showed them to Adam. Adam gave each of them a name, but none of them was a suitable counterpart.
No other living creature was made like Adam, in the image of God.
Rather than fashion another creature from the ground, God chose to take from the body of Adam and create his counterpart from his own flesh.
Woman is the perfect counterpart, who “corresponds” to man and “fits” according to God’s image and design.
ISHSHAH
This word finds its root in the Hebrew word for man, meaning “an individual mortal.” Interestingly, it is more often translated “wife” than “woman,” which communicates purpose and relationship.
God’s relational nature is best reflected in the marital relationship - individual persons joined to one. God’s spiritual nature is reflected in the becoming of one flesh.
The humility of mankind is found and understood in knowing our origin and our station. We come from dust, and yet we reflect God’s glory (1 Cor. 11:3, 7-12).
God is love, and yet true love cannot occur in a vacuum, without an object (1 John 4:7-11).
Notice in v. 9 that the love of God is expressed through sacrifice. God the Father sent His Son, and the Son sacrificed Himself for mankind (Heb. 2:6-10).
Eph. 5:22-29.
Application
God breathed His life into the clay that is mankind, and we reflect His image and His glory.
God’s relational, loving, sacrificial characteristics are reflected best in the relationship of marriage. Marriage is a symbol, it is not required.
Next week, we will witness the Fall of Man and the ramifications for all creation.
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