Man And Woman; They Are A God Thing!

Hello and welcome back to this study in Genesis. The stage having been set in the first chapter, the spotlight of Genesis in the second half of chapter two shines fully on the man whom God created to play a lead role in the drama of history. Shakespeare said “all the world’s a stage,” and he added that the people on it are “merely players.” He went on to outline with keen insight and savage humor the seven acts or ages man passes through, beginning with the infant and ending “sans teeth, sans eyes, sans taste, sans everything.”

That’s certainly one way of looking at man, but Genesis chapter 2 has much more to offer. Before we look into this chapter’s teaching on God’s masterpiece, it should be pointed out that some scholars talk about two creation accounts. The writer of Genesis uses a simple technique of introducing a subject in general terms and then leaving most of it on the sidelines to concentrate on the part which is of particular interest. This is certainly true of the first two chapters. In addition it should be noted that the New Testament draws freely from both chapters and on occasion quotes from both without any differentiation. For example, the Lord Christ Jesus’ famous teaching on marriage draws from both as follows: “But from the beginning of the creation, God ‘made them male and female’ [see Gen. 1:27]. For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife [see Gen. 2:24]” (Mark 10:6–7).

1. THE BEGINNING OF MAN AND WOMAN (v. 7)

There is a story about a group of scientist that told God that they had finally progressed far enough that they could like Him create a man. God said, “Fine, I would like to see this.”

The scientist reached down and scooped up a handful of dirt to start. To this God said, “Not so fast, you have to use your own dirt.”

This account of the origin of man differs here from the one in chapter one. There man's creation as an integral whole is recorded with special reference to his higher nature by which he was suited to hold communion with his Maker, and exercise dominion over the inferior creation.

The process of man's creation is described minutely here, because it serves to explain his relation to God and to the surrounding world. He was formed from dust (not from a clod of the earth, but the finest part of the material of the earth), and into him a breath of life was breathed, by which he became an animated being. Therefore the nature of man consists of a material substance and an immaterial principle of life.

The Hebrew verb yāṣar (yaw-tsar'), to form, is used of a workman who carves statues in wood and metal, or of a potter who molds clay. It must be considered as used in the human-like style as applied to Creator God; but it is an appropriate term, as expressive of the artistic skill which is so strikingly displayed in the organic mechanism of the human frame. ʾādām (aw-dawm') [OT:120], not "man," as in our version. But `the man,' from ʾadāmâ (ad-aw-maw') [OT:127], the ground, vegetable earth or a mould; and hence, arose the generic term Adam, of "the earth, earthy.”

In short, the erect form, the features of the appearance, expressive of intelligence; the number, variety, and symmetry of the body parts; the outer configuration, as well as the inner structure, of the body of man, with its complement of ligaments, canals, glands, and so on were reflective of God's mighty workmanship. If you stop and think about the complexity of a human being, you would have to exclaim that "we are fearfully and wonderfully made." From its beginning, however, the body of man, so exquisitely organized, was no more than a mass of inert matter, until the Lord God endowed it with life.

That strange combination of dust and deity produced a marvelous creation:47 The first man is from the earth, earthy; the second man is from heaven. 48 As is the earthy, so also are those who are earthy; and as is the heavenly, so also are those who are heavenly. 49 Just as we have borne the image of the earthy, we will also bear the image of the heavenly. (1 Cor 15:47-49), made in God's own image.

This language of Scripture does not suggest that man bore physical resemblance to God. Rather, he was made like God a spiritual being. To him were given the powers to think and feel, to communicate with others, to discern and discriminate, and, to a certain extent, to determine his own character

2. THE GARDEN OF EDEN (VV.8-17)

A garden (gan)... in Eden (be` eden). The author represents God as planting a beautiful garden for his new creatures. The word means an enclosure or a park. The Septuagint here uses a term that forms the basis for our word "paradise." Man's work in that garden was to exercise dominion while serving - a good combination. The duties probably were rigorous but enjoyable. Eden, or the land of Eden, probably lay in the lower part of the Babylonian valley.

Though many rival claims for the location of Eden have been advanced, the evidence seems to point to the area between the Tigris and the Euphrates as the cradle of civilization. The Hebrew word Eden probably means "enchantment," "pleasure," or "delight." In this quiet place of indescribable beauty, man was to enjoy fellowship and companionship with the Creator, and to work in accord with the divine blueprint to perfect His will. Magnificent trees furnished sustaining food, but man had to work to care for them. Adequate water supply was ensured by a vast irrigation system, a network of rivers that flowed in and about the garden with its life-giving waters. In order to lead man to full moral and spiritual development, God gave him specific commands and a specific prohibition to govern his behavior. He also gave him the power of choice and set before him the privilege of growing in divine favor. And so began the moral discipline of man.

The corresponding term paradeisos (par-ad'-i-sos)[NT:3857], paradise, gives the more precise idea of a spacious enclosure-an extensive park, like those in which Eastern monarchs enclosed their palaces, and which abound with every species of trees, flowers, and garden culture, enlivened besides by numbers of choice animals, which are kept there for pleasure.

But man was not placed in this chosen spot to pass his days in dreamy laziness or luxurious enjoyment, because it is said "the Lord God took the man, and put him into the garden of Eden to dress it and to keep it." But God did not take the man and put him into the garden of Eden merely for the secular purpose of "dressing and keeping it." The words undoubtedly represent it as a place both for the healthful exercise of the body and for a course of secular work. But was this all? Was this noble creature, who was formed in the image of God, placed in that situation solely to follow the manual trade of a gardener?

Unquestionably not; and the Scripture plainly points to more than this, by designating it "the garden of God," "the garden of the Lord"-a title which not only, according to a common Hebrew idiom, describes a great and delightful garden, but further seems to denote a special appropriation to sacred purposes, as is evidently the case in similar phrases (Gen 28:17; Deut 33:1; Josh 14:6; Ps 43:4) with which the sacred volume abounds. All of them imply that the persons and things described by that epithet were consecrated to the more immediate service of God; and judging by this analogy, it appears a warrantable conclusion that "the garden of the Lord," the trees of which were all planted by His own divine hand, would not form a solitary exception to the rule, that whenever persons and things throughout the Bible are mentioned as the special property of God, they were consecrated to His service. Viewed in this light, then, the garden of Eden was a rootless temple, in which the newly created man worshipped his Maker, and daily offered the bloodless sacrifices of thanksgiving and praise.

This is the first positive precept God gave to man; and it was given as a test of obedience, and a proof of his being in a dependent, probationary state. It was necessary that, while constituted lord of this lower world, he should know that he was only God's surrogate and must be accountable to him for the use of his mental and corporeal powers, and for the use he made of the different creatures put under his care.

Literally, "a death thou shalt die," or, "dying thou shalt die." Thou shalt not only die spiritually, by losing the life of God, but from that moment you will become mortal, and will continue in a dying state until you die. This we find literally accomplished; every moment of man's life may be considered as an act of dying, until soul and body are separated. Are you living for Christ Jesus or dying separated from Him?