The
Beginnings of Men and Women
Genesis 2:4-25
by Paul
George
“And the heavens and the
earth were finished, and all the host of them. And on
the seventh day God finished His work which He had made;
and He rested on the seventh day from all His work which
He had made. And God blessed the seventh day, and
hallowed it; because that in it He rested from all His
work which God had created and made.”
God did not rest for the
same reason we do, because we become tired and weary, He
rested as one well-pleased with the work He has
accomplished what He has set out to do.
The creatures of the
heavens and the earth are the hosts or armies of them,
they are numerous, orderly, disciplined, and under
control. They know their place and keep. They are used
by God in the defense of His people and the destruction
of His enemies. God has overruled nature in the
performance of miracles but He has never changed nor
repealed the law of nature or added to the elements of
nature.
Genesis 2:4-25 is the
third point in Moses’ account of the creation of the
world. The first point is, “The Beginning of Creation,”
(1:1-2), the second point, “The days of creation”
(1:3-2:3), the third point, “The Beginning of Man and
Woman” (2:4-25). Verse 4 is the introduction of the
third point.
In point one and two of the account Moses uses the
name “Elohim.” In the third point he uses the name
“Jehovah Elohim” translated, “Lord God” in the English
text of the account of the creation of the world. The
plants referred to in verse 5 are the plants that need
cultivation
We need to pay close
attention to what is written in verses seven to
seventeen. God formed man from the dust of the ground,
planted a garden toward the east of Eden, some where in
Mesopotamia, modern day Iraq. There is a river flowing
out of Eden into the garden God placed man. Want to know
where the Garden of Eden was located? The river that
flowed into the garden was divided into four rivers.
Where were they divided, in the Garden of Eden? This
garden has an important role in the course of history.
The land where God planted has an important role in the
course of history and is playing an important role in
the events happening in this 21st century. In verses 11,
12, 13, and 14 the names of these rivers are given, they
are the Pishon, the Gihon, the Tigris, and Euphrates.
Around what two rivers
are the major events taking place today? There is a
reason why these events are taking place around these
two rivers. The rivers are the Tigris and Euphrates.
Also, only one major world power is mentioned, Assyria.
Moving on.
In verse 15 we are told
what the man is to do in the Garden of Eden.
In verses 16 and 17 the
man is told he is permitted to eat the fruit from any
tree in the garden, this included the fruit from the
tree of life. He was not to eat the fruit from the tree
of the knowledge of good and evil. If he ate the
forbidden fruit he would die. In the garden Adam was
told he was to do four things, cultivate the garden,
keep it, he is to keep it in the same condition it was
in when he was placed in the garden. There is a very
good reason for this as we will see later. Eat the
fruit that grew on the trees, except the fruit from the
tree of the knowledge of good and evil, and name the
animals and birds, God will bring to him.
Was this asking too much?
Is there any reason why Adam could not do these four
things? Before we point a finger at Adam, remember we
are pointing three fingers at ourselves.
Question, where was Eve
when all this was happening? Was she standing behind
Adam watching what was happening, listening to what God
was telling Adam?
Verse 18, “Then the Lord
God said, It is not good for the man to be alone; I will
make him a helper.” If Eve was standing behind Adam when
God told Adam he could freely eat the fruit from all the
trees in the garden except the fruit from the tree of
the knowledge of good and evil, who is this helper God
is going to make for Adam? It was not one of the beasts
of the field or birds of the sky. We are told God
brought the beasts of the field and the birds of the sky
to name them and whatever Adam named them that was their
name. But for Adam there was not found a suitable
helper.
There was a good reason
why God brought the beast of the field and the birds of
the sky to Adam to be named. The naming of something was
evidence of lordship.
When there was suitable
helper found what did God do, verses 21 and 22? He
caused a deep sleep to fall upon Adam and performed the
first operation performed on this earth. God opened the
side of Adam, took out a rib, closed the incision and
used it to make a helper for Adam, a woman. Then God was
the first to give a bride to a groom and perform a
marriage ceremony. Verse 24 emphasizes the complete
identity of the two personalities in marriage and that
it is to be monogamous and heterosexual. The bond of
marriage is to be a lasting one. Death is the only just
reason for the breaking of the bound and not because the
grass looks greener on the other side of the fence.
What is revealed to us in
the account of the creation of the world is according to
the will of God. His plan for the course of history,
life in the world He created. That world has been
changed and is changing. The change was not God’s doing
but man’s. God does not change. He is the same today as
He was before the creation of the world, in the days of
the creation of the world. He will be the same tomorrow.
We are living in a
revolution unheard of in this nation. It is a rebellion
against God, Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit. There is
a darkness sweeping over this nation and the world that
is going to bring total destruction. Soon and very soon
the One the Ancient of Days gave an everlasting kingdom
to, one that will never be destroyed or given to another
will come and take His place upon that throne that was
given to Him.
For the present the only
reason why He has not come is because God doesn’t want
to see anyone perish. His love is reaching out to
everyone. But there will come a time when He will no
longer extend His love and the side of God that is being
denied today will be revealed. We need to be ready for
that day.
The Holy Spirit is
reaching out to those who are lost in the darkness of
this present world. He will not force anyone to take His
hand. The choice is left to the ones He is reaching out
to, calling to come to the Savior before it is too late.
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