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Wednesday, June 8, 2011

God Creates Mankind

THE CREATION OF ADAM AND EVE

Genesis Chapter 1:24-31 and Chapter 2


I seem to want to ask God why He formed me knowing that I would break His heart. I'm sure we will not understand the purpose of creation until we get to Heaven. God has a purpose. He tells us so:

Rom 8:28 And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, [to them who are the called according to his purpose].

Again the Bible will lead us to Jesus and we can know that the purpose of creation follows in line with the plan of God. He knew what would happen and He gave us a means of salvation and He made this plan before He created anything else in this universe and also in Heaven:

2Ti 1:9 Who hath saved us, and called us with an holy calling, not according to our works, [but according to his own purpose and grace], (which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began),
2Ti 1:10 But is now made manifest by the appearing of our Saviour Jesus Christ, who hath abolished death, and hath brought life and immortality to light through the gospel:

God did not ask anyone else about what He planned to do. God just created it all:

Eph 1:11 In whom also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestinated [according to the purpose of him who worketh all things after the counsel of his own will]:

God did not select just a few to be saved but He wished all would choose to "Believe" on Him.

2Pe 3:9 The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, [not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance].

Until we get to Heaven we may never understand why God would make mankind. If He had just wanted to create life, He could have stopped with the plants and had a beautiful Earth or even added the animals who could cause Him no heart ache. As we read further in this chapter we will see that God created man and woman and only these are created in His image.

All we have seen so far and what we will see in this lesson is that the human and the souls God created are a thing of love for Him. God loves each and every one on this planet.

No greater love:

Joh 15:12 This is my commandment, That ye love one another, as I have loved you.
Joh 15:13 Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.
Joh 15:14 Ye are my friends, if ye do whatsoever I command you.

For God so Loved the world:

Joh 3:16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
Joh 3:17 For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.

When we believe that God had this plan, then everything He created in the first five days were created for His main creation "Mankind".

Eph 2:10 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.

All He ask us to do is to "BELIEVE". (Have Faith)

*****Our text:

Gen 1:24 And God said, Let the earth bring forth the living creature after his kind, cattle, and creeping thing, and beast of the earth after his kind: and it was so.
Gen 1:25 And God made the beast of the earth after his kind, and cattle after their kind, and every thing that creepeth upon the earth after his kind: and God saw that it was good.
Gen 1:26 And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth.
Gen 1:27 So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them.
Gen 1:28 And God blessed them, and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth.
Gen 1:29 And God said, Behold, I have given you every herb bearing seed, which is upon the face of all the earth, and every tree, in the which is the fruit of a tree yielding seed; to you it shall be for meat.
Gen 1:30 And to every beast of the earth, and to every fowl of the air, and to every thing that creepeth upon the earth, wherein there is life, I have given every green herb for meat: and it was so.
Gen 1:31 And God saw every thing that he had made, and, behold, it was very good. And the evening and the morning were the sixth day.

These animals and all these living creatures are not to be confused with any sea bound creature. God made them on different days. Notice the words "after their kind". This tells us that cats and dogs cannot go together. Neither horses and cows. Neither birds and fish. Only animals that are in the same family could replenish the Earth. Notice also that these animals are also created from the dust of the Earth.

God did not create eggs and embryos but mature animals just like He did the plants. The true facts of science prove that life began in a perfect mature state. This what the book of Genesis teaches. There is no one single particle that could cause the diversity of life that we have on this planet.

What is "ecology"?

Ecology is the study of how living things and their environment interact with one another.

What do we know for sure about "ecology"?

Nature's living organisms (humans included) depend on one another.

All animals everywhere at this time were vegetarian. The food chain did not consist of each other. The world was in harmony at this time but it would not last very long. The fallible humans would be next.

You see these things cannot be by accident. It took wisdom for greater than we know on this Earth to create such harmony.

The Glory of the Creator is revealed in His creation. With everything in place it was now time to make "Man" (Mankind).

The main purpose of creation so far was to make a place that would sustain human life. God loves plants and animals and it shows. We have already seen that our very existence depends on these very plants and animals. On this Earth our survival depends on all life surviving. We also know that more plants and animals become extinct every day so this world is dying just as the Bible says:

Psa 102:25 Of old hast thou laid the foundation of the earth: and the heavens are the work of thy hands.
Psa 102:26 They shall perish, but thou shalt endure: yea, all of them shall wax old like a garment; as a vesture shalt thou change them, and they shall be changed:

Isa 51:6 Lift up your eyes to the heavens, and look upon the earth beneath: for the heavens shall vanish away like smoke, and the earth shall wax old like a garment, and they that dwell therein shall die in like manner: but my salvation shall be for ever, and my righteousness shall not be abolished.

Heb 1:10 And, Thou, Lord, in the beginning hast laid the foundation of the earth; and the heavens are the works of thine hands:
Heb 1:11 They shall perish; but thou remainest; and they all shall wax old as doth a garment;
Heb 1:12 And as a vesture shalt thou fold them up, and they shall be changed: but thou art the same, and thy years shall not fail.

You see the proof of evolution depends on evolving. BUT, The truth is the Earth and all creation is aging and dying.

What does it mean to be made in the image of God?

Notice the words "Our image". This is talking about the Holy Trinity of God.

God the Father
God the Son
God the Holy Ghost.

Then God says He created man in His own image still showing us that there is only one God. He just has three forms.

This in itself makes man a unique creation of God. He does not say this about any of the animals. Humanity is far superior to all animals. The "image" of God does not refer to the physical, bodily form of human life! The physical form of humans are more related to animals than to God. You see God is a spirit, so we cannot resemble Him in our looks or form.

Man does have body, soul, and spirit. This cannot be said about the plants or the animals. There is an enormous gulf between the lowest human and the highest animal.

The Apostle Paul wrote:

1Th 5:23 And the very God of peace sanctify you wholly; and I pray God [your whole "spirit" and "soul" and "body"] be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.

The spirit is that part of man that has knowledge:

1Co 2:11 [For what man knoweth the things of a man, save the spirit of man which is in him]? even so the things of God knoweth no man, but the Spirit of God.

The soul is our self conscious life as distinguished from plants that have unconscious life. It can be said that animals have soul but not on the level of man. It can the said that the soul is the seat of emotions, desires and affections.

The heart in scripture usage is talking about soul in most cases. The body "separable from spirit and soul and is susceptible to death.

Deu 6:5 And thou shalt love the LORD thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might.

Psa 72:14 He shall redeem their soul from deceit and violence: and precious shall their blood be in his sight.

Heb 4:12 For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the [dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow], and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.

Creation in the image of God includes morality as a quality of human life. Without this trait of God the world would be totally immoral. Humans are more than animals, they may choose to live on the level of an animal but they do not cease to be human. The animal has no such choice. Humanity was created less than divine so a person can never rise above his humanness.

It is the "spirit" that returns to God at the point of physical death:

Ecc 12:7 Then shall the dust return to the earth as it was: and the spirit shall return unto God who gave it.

This not said of the animals:

Ecc 3:17 I said in mine heart, God shall judge the righteous and the wicked: for there is a time there for every purpose and for every work.
Ecc 3:18 I said in mine heart concerning the estate of the sons of men, that God might manifest them, and that they might see that they themselves are beasts.
Ecc 3:19 For that which befalleth the sons of men befalleth beasts; even one thing befalleth them: as the one dieth, so dieth the other; yea, they have all one breath; so that a man hath no preeminence above a beast: for all is vanity.
Ecc 3:20 All go unto one place; all are of the dust, and all turn to dust again.
Ecc 3:21 [Who knoweth the spirit of man that goeth upward], and the spirit of the beast that goeth downward to the earth?

It is mankind that God has bestowed this honor!

Psa 8:4 What is man, that thou art mindful of him? and the son of man, that thou visitest him?
Psa 8:5 For thou hast made him a little lower than the angels, and hast crowned him with glory and honour.

We will always be subject to God. (This is where Satan had his greatest failure.) God gave us the freedom of choice. We choose wrong most of the time.

Job 14:1 Man that is born of a woman is of few days, and full of trouble.

You see our existence is not this flesh but our inner being. Our soul our spirit!

The Bible says:

Job 4:17 Shall mortal man be more just than God? shall a man be more pure than his maker?
Job 4:18 Behold, he put no trust in his servants; and his angels he charged with folly:
Job 4:19 [How much less in them that dwell in houses of clay], whose foundation is in the dust, which are crushed before the moth?

We should remember God planned a means of salvation before He created anything.

2Co 5:1 For we know that if our earthly house of this tabernacle were dissolved, we have a building of God, an house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens.
2Co 5:2 For in this we groan, earnestly desiring to be clothed upon with our house which is from heaven:
2Co 5:3 If so be that being clothed we shall not be found naked.
2Co 5:4 For we that are in this tabernacle do groan, being burdened: not for that we would be unclothed, but clothed upon, that mortality might be swallowed up of life.

Peter also understood this:

2Pe 1:13 Yea, I think it meet, as long as I am in this tabernacle, to stir you up by putting you in remembrance;
2Pe 1:14 Knowing that shortly I must put off this my tabernacle, even as our Lord Jesus Christ hath shewed me.

God even promises us a new body a resurrected body like that of the Lord Jesus one day but it is the soul and spirit that must be saved first.

Joh 3:3 Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.
Joh 3:4 Nicodemus saith unto him, How can a man be born when he is old? can he enter the second time into his mother's womb, and be born?
Joh 3:5 Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.

No matter what the future will hold God says that the food of human consumption will be the herb bearing seed and and every tree which is a fruit tree for food. Not one animal is listed yet for food. The animals are to eat of the grasses and the herbs. The fish eat what is in the waters as far as plant life.

It is man that is to be the dominate species on this Earth. The care of the Earth and it's resources were placed in our hands.

One of the biggest verses in the Bible is verse thirty one Genesis.

God said everything He made was "very good". This means from Genesis verse 1 all the way to Genesis verse 30, God was very satisfied with His creation. There are no gaps, no day theories, and no place for millions or billions of years. Only the six actual 24 hour days of creation.

Ecc 3:11 He hath made every thing beautiful in his time: also he hath set the world in their heart, so that no man can find out the work that God maketh from the beginning to the end.
Ecc 3:12 I know that there is no good in them, but for a man to rejoice, and to do good in his life.
Ecc 3:13 And also that every man should eat and drink, and enjoy the good of all his labour, it is the gift of God.

*****Our text:

Gen 2:1 Thus the heavens and the earth were finished, and all the host of them.
Gen 2:2 And on the seventh day God ended his work which he had made; and he rested on the seventh day from all his work which he had made.
Gen 2:3 And God blessed the seventh day, and sanctified it: because that in it he had rested from all his work which God created and made.

We first see that there were the three heavens but there is only one Earth mentioned. No matter how man explores the second Heaven they will never find another place that can support life like Earth.

*****All the "hosts" of them:

The Hebrew word "tsaba" is used for the English word "host".

This is a mass of persons.

The Webster dictionary says: "any great number or multitude".

We can know that every angel in Heaven was made at this time for they are also created beings. On Earth only Adam and Eve and at least a pair of each animal were created because only on Earth is the command to replenish given.

In fact the command was to "to be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the Earth". In other words death was already in the picture. No one, nor any animal was going to live forever on Earth. This command was not given in Heaven. There is no physical death in Heaven. Angels cannot die any more than the spirit God sends to dwell in our physical body can die. That's why we must make a choice while we are living in our flesh to where we will spend eternity. God gave us this choice, the freedom to choose. Everyone in Hell now believes the word of God and wish they had chosen life with God rather than eternal damnation.

*****God ended His work:

What most people do not realize is that God created everything at this time. He is not sitting in Heaven making new things as old ones pass away. Every soul that will ever live was created at that time. That soul remains with God until the birth of the flesh that will house it is born. Everything we see now and in the future was created at that time. Our celestial system is not still growing but stars are dying all the time. There are no knew solar systems but only those we haven't been able to see. There not any new things coming alive on the Earth but there are many things dying everyday. Even when Jesus says these words:

Joh 14:2 In my Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you.
Joh 14:3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also.

He is not talking about creating but making ready:

The Greek word "hetoimazo" means to make ready.

When Jesus says "I make all things new":

Rev 21:5 And he that sat upon the throne said, Behold, I make all things new. And he said unto me, Write: for
these words are true and faithful.

Here the Greek word "poieo" is used and it means to bring forth.

What he is saying is he will show us things we have never seen! There are many things we have never seen and will not see until we get to Heaven.

*****God rested

From hanging the Earth in space on nothing and making it rotate to completing everything He said God spent six literal days doing these things. God now notes the seventh day. If He had said nothing we would have six day weeks. On the seventh day God ceased from doing any work of creating or making. There was noting more that remained to be done.

Now there are those that believe that God just went on about His business and left this planet to be on it's own but that's not true. God was refreshed by the satisfaction of having before Him a finished work that was very good.

Was God tired?

God was not weary nor was He tired. God was pleased!

1Co 15:38 But God giveth it a body as it hath pleased him, and to every seed his own body.
1Co 15:39 All flesh is not the same flesh: but there is one kind of flesh of men, another flesh of beasts, another of fishes, and another of birds.
1Co 15:40 There are also celestial bodies, and bodies terrestrial: but the glory of the celestial is one, and the glory of the terrestrial is another.
1Co 15:41 There is one glory of the sun, and another glory of the moon, and another glory of the stars: for one star differeth from another star in glory.
1Co 15:42 So also is the resurrection of the dead. It is sown in corruption; it is raised in incorruption:
1Co 15:43 It is sown in dishonour; it is raised in glory: it is sown in weakness; it is raised in power:
1Co 15:44 It is sown a natural body; it is raised a spiritual body. There is a natural body, and there is a spiritual body.
1Co 15:45 And so it is written, The first man Adam was made a living soul; the last Adam was made a quickening spirit.
1Co 15:46 Howbeit that was not first which is spiritual, but that which is natural; and afterward that which is spiritual.
1Co 15:47 The first man is of the earth, earthy: the second man is the Lord from heaven.
1Co 15:48 As is the earthy, such are they also that are earthy: and as is the heavenly, such are they also that are heavenly.
1Co 15:49 And as we have borne the image of the earthy, we shall also bear the image of the heavenly.

*****There is no account of this seventh day being made compulsory upon man. God sanctified and blessed this day for Himself. This day ended creation week. God set this day apart for Holy use. On this day God did not say that He did anything. He rested from His creating is all we know for sure. God says three times in these verse that He rested.

Sanctified means:

Made holy; consecrated; set apart for sacred services.

Blessed means:

Made happy or prosperous; extolled; pronounced happy. Happy; prosperous in worldly affairs; enjoying spiritual happiness and the favor of God; enjoying heavenly felicity.

God always sets the example for us but here again we have the freedom to choose.

The Jew chose the sabbath to honor God.

The Church chose Sunday to honor God.

What day have you chosen to honor God?

I also believe God is telling us we need a day of rest from the labors of this world. If we want this blessing of God then we need to set aside a day for Him and rest or [be pleased] with the wonderful gifts He has given us and especially His Holy Word. We need to find out all we can about Our Lord God and He gave us this Book, this "love letter" so we can know Him.

Remember:

1.) There is a spiritual meaning to the duration of this day. Notice it does not say the evening and the morning. The seventh day of rest is designed to be without end.

Heb 4:1 Let us therefore fear, lest, a promise being left us of entering into his rest, any of you should seem to come short of it.
Heb 4:2 For unto us was the gospel preached, as well as unto them: but the word preached did not profit them, not being mixed with faith in them that heard it.
Heb 4:3 For we which have believed do enter into rest, as he said, As I have sworn in my wrath, if they shall enter into my rest: although the works were finished from the foundation of the world.
Heb 4:4 For he spake in a certain place of the seventh day on this wise, And God did rest the seventh day from all his works.
Heb 4:5 And in this place again, If they shall enter into my rest.
Heb 4:6 Seeing therefore it remaineth that some must enter therein, and they to whom it was first preached entered not in because of unbelief:
Heb 4:7 Again, he limiteth a certain day, saying in David, To day, after so long a time; as it is said, To day if ye will hear his voice, harden not your hearts.
Heb 4:8 For if Jesus had given them rest, then would he not afterward have spoken of another day.
Heb 4:9 There remaineth therefore a rest to the people of God.
Heb 4:10 For he that is entered into his rest, he also hath ceased from his own works, as God did from his.
Heb 4:11 Let us labour therefore to enter into that rest, lest any man fall after the same example of unbelief.

2.) This day is specifically blessed of God:

God did not bless the other six days. That means this seventh day was a blessing to the entire creation.

3.) This day was sanctified of God:

This means that this day has a special use and a designated purpose.

Moses knew the importance of a the seventh day and through the Holy Spirit it was made a commandment to the Jew to observe this day but the laws where not given to the Gentile and a Gentile is everyone that is not a Jew.

The Bible says:

Gal 3:22 But the scripture hath concluded all under sin, that the promise by faith of Jesus Christ might be given to them that believe.
Gal 3:23 But before faith came, we were kept under the law, shut up unto the faith which should afterwards be revealed.
Gal 3:24 [Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith].
Gal 3:25 But after that faith is come, we are no longer under a schoolmaster.
Gal 3:26 For ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus.
Gal 3:27 For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ.
Gal 3:28 There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus.

Our text:

Gen 2:4 These are the generations of the heavens and of the earth when they were created, in the day that the LORD God made the earth and the heavens,

Gen 2:7 And the LORD God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul.
Gen 2:8 And the LORD God planted a garden eastward in Eden; and there he put the man whom he had formed.
Gen 2:9 And out of the ground made the LORD God to grow every tree that is pleasant to the sight, and good for food; the tree of life also in the midst of the garden, and the tree of knowledge of good and evil.
Gen 2:10 And a river went out of Eden to water the garden; and from thence it was parted, and became into four heads.

Gen 2:15 And the LORD God took the man, and put him into the garden of Eden to dress it and to keep it.
Gen 2:16 And the LORD God commanded the man, saying, Of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat:
Gen 2:17 But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die.
Gen 2:18 And the LORD God said, It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him an help meet for him.

(these are the generations of) These words are used ten times in the Book of Genesis. This phrase is used to document "History". It gives us a time line if we follow them.

We will not go deep into this at this time but verse five says it did not rain on the Earth. God watered the Earth with a heavy dew. In the time of Noah when he said God was going to cause rain to fall enough to flood the Earth was unacceptable to the population of those days. They were unbelievers who died in there unbelief. We can see how this carries us all the way through the Bible.

Unbelief is the greatest sin!

Jesus said of the Holy Spirit:

Joh 16:8 And when he is come, he will reprove the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment:
Joh 16:9 Of sin, [because they believe not on me];
Joh 16:10 Of righteousness, because I go to my Father, and ye see me no more;
Joh 16:11 Of judgment, because the prince of this world is judged.

(Verse 7)

Along with everything else in this world man is made from the dust of the ground. The Hebrew word used here is "aphar" which means: dust (as powdered or gray); hence clay, earth, mud: - ashes, dust, earth, ground, morter, powder, rubbish.

The Hebrew word for ground is "adamah" which means: soil (from its general redness): - country, earth, ground, husband [-man] (-ry), land.

The first thing we should notice is this is where Adam got his name!

In today's market man has very little value but there is a God that says we are of great value. The very next statement is what separates mankind from all other creation:

" the LORD God ------ breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul."

God has given life to all his creation! BUT in this instance God has given man spirit. This was not given to the animal world.

Isa 42:5 Thus saith God the LORD, he that created the heavens, and stretched them out; he that spread forth the earth, and that which cometh out of it; [he that giveth breath unto the people upon it, and spirit to them that walk therein]:

The life that man has is internal and eternal. The soul of man will never die and His spirit will go back to the Creator who gave it.

Ecc 12:7 Then shall the dust return to the earth as it was: and the spirit shall return unto God who gave it.

Mankind is the center of life in God's creation!

Therefore mankind only has one duty! You can study all the books you want if the Bible is not the one that is closest to your heart then you are in the wrong books.

Ecc 12:12 And further, by these, my son, be admonished: of making many books there is no end; and much study is a weariness of the flesh.
Ecc 12:13 Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man.
Ecc 12:14 For God shall bring every work into judgment, with every secret thing, whether it be good, or whether it be evil.

We are created in the image and likeness of God!

1.) Image can best be understood in the casting of a shadow on a wall. The shadow is not actual but it will reveal certain characteristics of the actual.

2.) Likeness on the other hand comes from comparing at least two objects to see if there are similarities.

God created man a shadow of Himself with a few similarities!

This not ever said of Jesus Christ. In fact the Bible states:

Heb 1:1 God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets,
Heb 1:2 Hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds;
Heb 1:3 Who being the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person, and upholding all things by the word of his power, when he had by himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high;
Heb 1:4 Being made so much better than the angels, as he hath by inheritance obtained a more excellent name than they.

The words express image would mean IDENTICAL, EXACTLY LIKE.

(That Garden)

The name Eden means: pleasure; delight. God created this garden for His pleasure. This was not a vegetable garden. This would be more like a park. This was the place God would choose to meet with His children. There are many today that find enjoyment and delight in a serene park. That is one of the things that comes from God in our likeness.

Jesus Christ loved the Garden of Gethsemane. He promises again to meet us in His paradise if we only believe.

Rev 2:7 He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches; To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the tree of life, {which is in the midst of the paradise of God}.

It is not important where the exact location of this first garden was located for is proven that the "Fertile Crescent" is the region that archaeologists have found traces of the oldest civilizations.

Definition: The "fertile crescent" refers to an ancient area of fertile soil and important rivers stretching in an arc from the Nile to the Tigris and Euphrates. It covers Israel, Lebanon, Jordan, Syria, and Iraq. The Mediterranean in on the outside edge of the arc. To the south of the arc is the Arabian Desert. On the east, the fertile crescent extends to the Persian Gulf.

This water basin of rivers has been changed greatly because of the flood of Noah's day but this was a great river that began in this garden and split into the heads of four rivers. What we see in our day is that many streams and smaller rivers flow together to make a mighty river. The Euphrates still exist by that name today and is a great river of the fertile crescent.

****What was man's (Adam) job?

To dress and keep this garden. He didn't have to plant, nor water, nor fertilize in this garden.

1.) This was his place to serve.
2.) This was his place to be a watchman for God.

*****Now comes man's first test!

The command to obey.

In all this whole garden there is only one tree that is not for food. God did not threaten Adam, He only told him the truth. Did Adam understand. When God gave Adam his job, God knew he understood what He was saying. There was truly only one thing to understand, Obey God. This had nothing to do with any tree.

The trees of the garden had already been described as pleasant to look upon and good for food. (verse 9) The difference now was the concern for moral judgment. The willingness to obey was on trial here and the outcome of life was at stake.

We must understand the twofold nature of death. Death is a separation. At physical death the spiritual dimension of human life, along with the physical life, is separated from the body and the body disintegrates through decay. A body in the open will pretty much disappear in about six months. This flesh will turn back to dust.

There is also a spiritual death. This the state of the relationship with God in which a person is alienated from God through disobedience, rebellion, trespasses and sins.

Eph 2:1 And you hath he quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins;
Eph 2:2 Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience:
Eph 2:3 Among whom also we all had our conversation in times past in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind; and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others.

We were created to live lives of moral choice rather than being creatures of instinct. God gave us the freedom to choose but He also said we would suffer the consequences for our choices. We can choose to obey or to not obey. As we study the Bible it is full of examples of those that chose not to obey. We are all foolish when we ignore the word of God.

(It is not good for man to be alone)

The reason it was not good for Adam to be alone was because of another commandment.

Gen 1:28 And God blessed them, and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth.

Adam could not do this on his own. God would not allow Adam to be like the animals.

Help meet means:

The Hebrew word "ezer" means help to aid.

The Hebrew word for meet "neged" means: a counterpart, a mate, opposite. A person of opposite sex.

There is no place in the Bible where you find that God condones lesbianism or male counterparts. (Gays)

This why God took so much time to explain what He meant. God did not bring woman directly from the Earth.

*****Our text:

Gen 2:21 And the LORD God caused a deep sleep to fall upon Adam, and he slept: and he took one of his ribs, and closed up the flesh instead thereof;
Gen 2:22 And the rib, which the LORD God had taken from man, made he a woman, and brought her unto the man.
Gen 2:23 And Adam said, This is now bone of my bones, and flesh of my flesh: she shall be called Woman, because she was taken out of Man.
Gen 2:24 Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh.

Verse 19 and 20 are not part of this lesson but let's read them any now:

Gen 2:19 And out of the ground the LORD God formed every beast of the field, and every fowl of the air; and brought them unto Adam to see what he would call them: and whatsoever Adam called every living creature, that was the name thereof.
Gen 2:20 And Adam gave names to all cattle, and to the fowl of the air, and to every beast of the field; but for Adam there was not found an help meet for him.

It was important for Adam to see all the animals God had created. This verse also shows us the intelligence of Adam as he named them all. His vocabulary was tremendous. What Adam noticed was he did not have a mate.

God wanted a permanent relation between a man and a woman. This not to be a dominance thing. This was to be a counterpart, and aid, a friend, and of course a permanent lover. You see God set up the family before He set up the Church. Because the woman was made from man (his rib), a man should find his wife to be the most dearest person on Earth to him. Adam was created with a need for companionship. This need was to be partially fulfilled with the wife but she was not to take the place of God in man's life!

There is no way to fit the creation of Eve into any kind of evolution theory.

The Bible says:

1Co 11:8 For the man is not of the woman; but the woman of the man.
1Co 11:9 Neither was the man created for the woman; but the woman for the man.

1Ti 2:13 For Adam was first formed, then Eve.

Adam could be put into a deep sleep because as of yet there was no death in the world. Only the created life of God.

If we consider that at the time of this writing there was not a high regard for the woman in that culture and in some places now a woman is treated as property, we can see that these scriptures hold a woman in high regard. She is valued for herself. Her child bearing role is not even mentioned at this time. A relationship between man and woman should be precious in their both eyes and hearts.

The Bible says:

Eph 5:24 Therefore as the church is subject unto Christ, so let the wives be to their own husbands in every thing.
Eph 5:25 Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it;
Eph 5:26 That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word,
Eph 5:27 That he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish.
Eph 5:28 So ought men to love their wives as their own bodies. He that loveth his wife loveth himself.
Eph 5:29 For no man ever yet hated his own flesh; but nourisheth and cherisheth it, even as the Lord the church:
Eph 5:30 For we are members of his body, of his flesh, and of his bones.

Marriage is between one man and one woman:

Mat 19:5 And said, For this cause shall a man leave father and mother, and shall cleave to his wife: and they twain shall be one flesh?
Mat 19:6 Wherefore they are no more twain, but one flesh. What therefore God hath joined together, let not man put asunder.

To acknowledge the Genesis account of creation gives sanctity of life. It also gives us the moral responsibility to obey God.

Who is God?

1Jn 5:1 Whosoever believeth that Jesus is the Christ is born of God: and every one that loveth him that begat loveth him also that is begotten of him.
1Jn 5:2 By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God, and keep his commandments.
1Jn 5:3 For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments: and his commandments are not grievous.
1Jn 5:4 For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith.
1Jn 5:5 Who is he that overcometh the world, but he that believeth that Jesus is the Son of God?

When God completed His work with Adam and Eve, He then said His work was complete and he rested but not until then. This is the importance we have with Our Lord and Savior. Every day we are sustained by this creation of God. We enjoy uncounted blessings from the hand of God. If you leave God out of your life your days will be filled with miserable substitutes for the love of our Father.

When we ignore the word of God we jeopardize our selves and everyone else around us!

Let's Pray!

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