Paradise Lost-Gen. 3:1-7

The stories found in the book of Genesis have served as the inspiration behind movie franchises, art, and other fanciful retellings throughout the ages. One of the most famous adaptations of the passage we are going to look at today is entitled Paradise Lost in which John Milton provides his own retelling of the fall of Satan and the subsequent fall of man in the Garden of Eden. Today we are going to look at the original account of this tragedy from Genesis 3:1-7 and observe three disastrous steps that were involved in the fall of mankind. Ultimately, from this study today we will learn exactly how precious God’s Word is for His people and just how egregious it is to disobey His commands.

STEP #1: God’s Word is Distorted-3:1-3

Paradise complete, community created, fruit aplenty, Eden was a real marvel to behold. However, as iterated earlier in this study (see notes on 2:7-8, 17-18), good is not great if there is no free choice involved. Without the possibility of choosing to do otherwise, the free agents that God created would not know true freedom.

 “For so I created them free and free they must remain” (Milton’s Paradise Lost).

Therefore, to pave the way for mankind’s free expression of love and obedience, God allows a serpent to enter the garden—“Now the serpent was more crafty than any beast of the field which the Lord God had made” (3:1). The serpent’s appearance is sudden and, at least in the way it is written, unexpected for those reading this. 

He is described as “crafty” (arum), which, depending on the context in which this word is found, can either mean wise or conniving. Here, it is obvious that the sharp wit of this serpent will be used for nefarious purposes. In fact, there is an interestingly word play going on in the original language as “crafty” (arum) looks and sounds a lot like what will eventually be exposed for Adam and Eve after their failure—their nakedness (arummim). This first couple ought to be aware of the craftiness of this serpent’s words lest his phrases lead to their undoing and shame.

No doubt connected to this historical account, serpents in the ancient world were viewed as unclean animals because of their movement on the ground (see Lev. 11:41-45). These were also associated with the judgment of God for Israel’s complaints against God in the wilderness (see the “venomous snakes” in Num. 21:6). Also, in the ancient Near Eastern tradition, snakes represented powerful forces that opposed the creator-god (for more discussion see Matthews, 234). Therefore, though Eve was unaware of the danger of falling prey to this destructive predator, you can bet that the original audience listening to this account would have gasped upon learning of the snake’s presence in the Garden of Eden. They understood what kind of danger Eve now faced.

Once introduced, the serpent sets about his work. Step one for this especially crafty serpent involved undermining the word of God—“And he said to the woman, ‘Indeed, has God said, ‘You shall not eat from any tree of the garden?’” (3:1b). Notice how insidious this statement is. First, the serpent chooses not to directly contradict the command given. Instead he questions God’s motivation with “indeed, has God said” (i.e. “did God really say…?”). Second, the serpent uses the name “God” instead of the covenant name “LORD” that has so characterized the narrative from 2:4-25 (where “LORD God” appears almost exclusively). Third, after calling into question God’s motivation and calling the Lord by a different name, the serpent lies outright—“Indeed, has God said, ‘You shall not eat from any tree of the garden’…” (3:1b). Is this what God said?

Genesis 2:16-17-“And the Lord God commanded the man, ‘You are free to eat from any tree of the garden, but you must not eat from the tree of knowledge of good and evil, for on the day you eat from it, you will certainly die."

This command, given originally to Adam before the creation of Eve, is worlds away from what the serpent is now suggesting in his question. Adam and Eve were free to eat from ALL the trees except the one—not prohibited from enjoying ANY of the fruit!

Many have speculated why Eve was made a special target by the serpent. Some suggest that the serpent believed if he could get Eve to sin, it would be an easy sell to her husband—that same husband who knew what it was like to be alone and upon seeing her for the first time was so taken with her likeness and beauty. Others believe that because Eve did not hear the command from God’s own lips, she was an easier target. Unlike Adam, Eve received the command from a secondary source. This could have rendered her understanding of the commandment more tenuous.

No matter the reason, Eve makes a tragic mistake in verses 2-3—“The woman said to the serpent, ‘from the fruit of the trees of the garden we may eat; but from the fruit of the tree which is in the middle of the garden, God has said, “You shall not eat from it or touch it, or you will die”’…”. Here, Eve entertains the question of the crafty serpent and tries to reason with someone who has a nefarious agenda. In so doing, she endorses a conversation with this destroyer that eventually leads to more manipulation of God’s command as originally given. In Eve’s attempt to correct the serpent, she ends of making her own mistake. She adds to God’s command not to eat the fruit of the tree of knowledge of good and evil the idea of even touching it. This, along with her lack of urgency (changing “surely die” as found in the originally command to “die”) sets Eve up for failure. The tragic thing is, she doesn’t even realize how close she is to tragedy.

By the end of verse 3, God’s Word has been totally distorted. First, Satan has intentionally distorted God’s Word. Second, Eve has unintentionally failed to maintain its nuance and urgency. This failure is the soil in which sin sprouted in paradise. The principle here is simple: When God’s people fail to know, understand, and keep the Word of God, they will inevitably fall.

STEP #2:  God’s Best is Replaced-3:4-6a

As the situation continues to devolve, God’s best is replaced with something else. The serpent’s play involves getting the couple to believe that God is keeping them from something desirable. To this end, the serpent says, “’You surely will not die! For God know that in the day you eat from it, your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil,’….” (3:4-5). Again, the motivation of God is called into question. For the serpent, God is not good and gracious; He is selfish and deceptive, preventing the man and woman from achieving the same position as Him.

Ultimately, in his crafty presentation, the serpent makes three counterclaims: First, in opposition to what Eve has just said, he claims that they will not die when they eat this food. Second, contra the couples’ experience, the serpent makes it seems as though it is only upon eating this forbidden fruit that their eyes would be truly open. Third, the serpent contends that God is holding them back from true abundance, fun, and knowledge (in spite of all that this couple knew and enjoyed up to this point) (adapted from Matthews, 237).

 “Knowledge forbidden? Suspicious, reasonless. Why should their Lord Envy them that? Can it be a sin to know? Can it be death?” (Milton’s Paradise Lost)

It is, after all, just fruit,…right? What was the big point anyway? Why would God want to withhold something as pure as knowledge from this couple, especially in Paradise? To answer these questions we have to return to what is at stake. Though the couple was free to eat from the tree of LIFE, they were not permitted to eat from the tree of knowledge of GOOD AND EVIL. Can you imagine living a free and lasting existence without ever knowing the perils of wickedness? This is what God intended. The only way this could happen is if free agents followed God’s one command. Then, and only then could they know a perfect existence and maintain their freedom. Freedom is illustrated in the very real potential for choosing to disobey God’s command (to eat from the tree of knowledge of good and evil). Paradise is illustrated in the tree of life that could be freely enjoyed. God’s best involved providing Adam and Eve with a life free from knowing Evil. What could be better? What was a piece of fruit compared to that?!

Though God had the best intentions to make the very best existence available for this first couple and made every accommodation for mankind to realize this paradise forever, Eve, upon hearing the serpent’s words is distracted from God’s best by what looks good—“When the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was desirably to make one wise,…” (3:6a). This distraction is reflected in 1 John 2:16.

1 John 2:16- “For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh and the lust of the eyes and the boastful pride of life, is not from the Father, but is from the world.”

It is obvious by what Moses reveals in Genesis that Eve endorses these inclinations. She looks at the juicy fruit hanging from the limbs and supposes it to be good for food (lust of the flesh), recognizes its color and size and is impressed by its ripeness (lust of the eyes), imagines what it would be like to know what God knows (pride of life), and, as a result, is in very real danger.

There is something deeply personal going on here as it pertains to the serpent and the nature of his temptation. If we believe that the serpent is none other than the fallen angel Lucifer, it is easy to understand why he wants Adam and Eve to fall in this way. The very same knowledge that the serpent tempts Eve with—the promise to be “like God” –is the very same thing that Lucifer wanted in the heavens. Because he failed in his prideful attempt to be like God, leading to his fall, he would love nothing more than for God’s greatest creation to experience the very same failure.

Ultimately, as it plays out here, Eve takes her eyes off of God’s best and settles for what looks good at the time—tasty fruit, good-looking produce, and new knowledge. This leaves her susceptible for egregious failure.

STEP #3: God’s Command is Broken-3:6b-7

In the most tragic verse perhaps ever penned, Moses writes, “she took from its fruit and ate” (3:6b). Here, in this first ever sin of commission, God’s one command was broken and paradise was lost. After entertaining the lies of the serpent and engaging a deceiver in conversation, God’s Word was distorted. After listening further to the destructive case being made and calling into question God’s motivations, the Lord’s best was replaced. The seed that was planted by the serpent grew in the Garden by means of discussion and manipulation, leading to a harvest of sin.

To make matters worse, Moses continues by saying, “and she gave also to her husband with her, and he ate” (3:6c). One might ask, “Where has Adam been this whole time?” (That is a very good question!) Up to this point, his presence has gone largely unnoticed. However, his presence is assumed in this verses which suggests that he was “with her” this whole time. Not only that but the second and third person plural pronouns (“you” and “we”) that pervade verses 1-5 suggest that the serpent was speaking not just to one, but to both of them (although he was focusing on Eve in particular).

Therefore, though Eve’s decision to eat the fruit was the first example of a sin of commission, Adam’s silence during this whole situation illustrates the first example of a sin of omission. Adam failed to correct the record of God’s Word that the serpent lied about and that Eve misrepresented. Adam failed to remind his wife of God’s best for them.  Adam failed to lead Eve away from the tree and instead allowed her to move toward it. Because of this, one might make the case that Adam’s sin, though less obvious was primary and even more troubling.

Adam’s sin illustrates exactly what happens when individuals do not stake a stand for what is right, true, and good. As Simon Wiesenthal said, “for evil to flourish, it only requires good men to do nothing.” Here, Adam’s failure not only leads Eve toward sin, it also allows for the infection of the perfect community God created. His sin and her sin become their shared sin. This leads to the destruction of the perfect relationship this couple once shared with each other and with God.

 “Our state cannot be severed, we are one, One flesh; to lose thee were to lose myself.” (Milton’s Paradise Lost)

Immediately, just as quickly as Moses describes the sin of each of them, he continues by outlining the immediate consequences. First, there is an abundance of guilt, “then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they knew that they were naked” (3:7a). Unlike God who is able to handle the knowledge of good and evil perfectly, humble humanity is shaken to its core, resulting in shame. That which was once a beautiful expression of love and freedom becomes a cause for concern and displeasure.

The two immediately set out to cover up their sin by covering up their naked bodies—“and they sewed fig leaves together and made themselves loin coverings” (3:7b). Their efforts to hide their shame are puny and insufficient. No one was hiding anything with these leaves. Instead, in an effort to hide their shame, they only drew more attention to it.

Now, no longer was Garden of Eden a wondrous place, but a fallen place. Guilt pervaded the once joyous garden. Covers now crudely hide the glorious beauty of God’s greatest creation. Paradise was lost.

So What?

How did this all happen? God’s Word was distorted, God’s best was replaced (after the serpent had Eve believing that God was withholding His best from them), and God’s command was broken. This is the fault of BOTH Adam and Eve. Adam was silent when he should have spoken up and led. Eve was enamored with what was in front of her rather than who God was.

While it is easy to call these two out for their great failure, understand that Satan gets a lot of return out of these same tactics today. This is why God’s people need to study, know, and understand His Word. The Bible says “Thy word have I hidden in my heart that I may not sin against God” (Ps. 119:11). This is also why we need to be more impressed by God than we are with this world has to offer or what we believe we are missing. Like Paul we must trust that no matter the circumstance or presumed lack, God is still with us and providing us with everything we need to perform His will—“I know how to have a little, and I know how to have a lot. In any and all circumstances I have learned the secret of being content—whether well-fed or hungry, whether in abundance or in need. I am able to do all things through Him who strengthens me” (Phil. 4:12-13).

So much is at stake when we are tempted. It is a matter of life and death! However, it is also a matter of confidence in who God is and what He has said. We must not fail to remember His word. We must not be silent when HIs truth is being distorted. Instead, we must lead the way to truth and have a bigger opinion of what is unseen than what is seen.

Boy Meets Girl-Gen. 2:18-25

Though many believe the temptation of the serpent and resulting failure of Adam and Eve in Genesis 3 to be the first crisis recorded in all of the Scripture, there is one that proceeds even this. It involves man’s loneliness prior to the creation of woman. Though the Garden of Eden on day 6 was a perfect place, it was not yet complete until man met woman for the first time and entered into a special relationship. In Genesis 2:18-25, we read about how this episode of “boy meets girl” unfolds by means of four actions God takes on man’s behalf.

God Recognizes a Need-2:18-20

Everything God created up to this point in the Genesis account has been identified as either “good” or “very good” by Him. However, here, in verse 18, God describes something as “not good” –“Then the Lord God said, ‘It is not good for the man to be alone’” (2:18a). Man needed a companion. The skies had the celestial bodies and the birds, the sea had the fish, the land had the animals and mankind; however, mankind was not yet complete in and of itself. While everything else had what it needed to serve its function, mankind was missing something integral to his.

It is important to acknowledge that God is the one who makes this evaluation of the human condition. This demonstrates that God understands what is good for man better and before even he does concerning his own condition.

However, what is so bad about being alone? As man is made in God’s image, he was created to be in relationship (inasmuch as God exists in relationship with himself and is therefore a relational being). Therefore, for mankind to maximize his creative potential, not only is he to have a relationship with his Creator, but he is also design for relationship with other co-equal members of the creative order. As the animals were not equal to mankind in either form, dominion, personality, intellect, or constitution, mankind was missing a necessary ingredient required to make him whole—someone to relate to on a personal level. “Isolation is not the divine norm for human beings; community is the creation of God” (Matthews, 213).

Another reason that mankind was incomplete by himself involves the calling upon him to “be fruitful and multiply” and by proxy “fill the earth and subdue it…” (1:28ff). This, no matter how hard Adam may have tried, could not be executed on his own.

Thankfully, God does not just identify this incompletion, He seeks to rectify this lack and provide mankind with what He calls a “helper”—“I will make him a helper suitable for him’…” (2:18b).   Before one misinterprets the term “helper” here to mean something less than what Adam was, consider this: God himself is called a “helper” often in the Psalms (Pss. 20:2-3; 12:1-2; 124:8). Moses even speaks of God as his “helper” (Ex. 18:4). Therefore, though “helper” is intended to convey a sense of support and aid, it is NOT to connote inferiority to Adam.

That this is the case is supported by the phrase “suitable for him” (2:18b). This indicates correspondence between man and woman and equality between the two in terms of their constitution. In other words, woman is just as human as man is (made in the image of God as a radically unity of spirit and body with all of the blessings and responsibilities appertaining thereunto).

With these considerations in mind, it is incumbent on the responsible reader of this text to conclude that “there is no sense derived from the word [helper] linguistically or from the context of the garden narrative that the woman is a lesser person because of her role…In the case of the biblical model, the ‘helper’ is an indispensable ‘partner’ required to achieve the divine commission” (Matthews 214).

Though God recognized this need for mankind in the beginning, Adam fails to do so until sometime later. Before woman was created “Out of the ground the Lord God formed every beast of the field and every bird of the sky, and brought them to the man to see what He would call them, and whatever the man called a living creature, that was its name” (2:19). This description is used by Moses to convey two things. First, it contrasts the creation of all of the creatures in this world with the unique creation of woman. Though all of the beasts were formed “out of the ground” and even Adam was “formed…of dust from the ground” (see 2:7), woman is created in a very different way.

Second, that Adam named all of the creatures is one illustration of his dominion /rule over them as a superior created being (inasmuch as he alone is made in the image of God)—“the man gave names to all the cattle, and to the birds of the sky, and to every beast of the field…” (2:20a). To this day, in many situations, naming something gives the “namer” authority over that which is named. This is exactly what is being depicted here. Adam’s naming of the animals suggests that he was their manager.

However, eventually on that first busy day of Adam’s existence, in the midst of the parade of animals that were trotted out in front of him, he eventually realized “there was not found a helper suitable for him…” (2:20b). Here, Adam catches up to where God already was in understanding that for him to really do his job and subdue the earth as instructed, he required help of the most important kind.  Due to her unique beginning and distinction as human, woman “is not of the order of the animals over whom the man is to dominate; she will share in the responsibility of dominating the creative order” (Matthews 215-16). However, for the time being, like a dancer without a partner, Adam stood there unable to fulfill God’s calling.  

God Fashions a Woman-2:21-22

“So the Lord God caused a deep sleep to fall upon the man, and he slept; then He took one of his ribs and closed up the flesh at that place,…” (2:21). Woman is created as a result of a surgical act of God. As in any surgery, the one operated on is put to sleep—here called a “deep sleep.” Once asleep, God alone goes about His work in creating the woman. His tool is a rib taken from Adam’s side. This demonstrates that she was of the same substance as the man and underscores the unity of the human family—having only one source.

 “The Lord God fashioned into a woman the rib which He had taken from the man, and brought her to the man…” (2:22). Much care and craftsmanship was used to form the first woman. “Fashioned” depicts God here as a builder who constructs the woman from the raw resource derived from the man. The word used here is a frequent term for building edifices, but it occurs only once in early Genesis—here. As with “formed” in the description of Adam’s creation earlier (2:7), the same kind of care and attention is given to the creation of woman.

The significance of God using the “rib” to fashion woman pertains to the man and woman’s unique fit for one another as companions sexually and socially (as they are made of the same thing—though very much different).

Following this special creative act, God “brought her to the man.” This suggests that woman was a gift. She is both Adam’s first gift and greatest gift—better than the stars, sea, trees, fruit, animals, rivers, etc. With the advent of the woman the garden became a true paradise as it was at that point that God’s creation became complete.

God Introduces Woman to Man-2:23

Upon receiving this gift, Adam, I imagine very enthusiastically exclaims, “”this is now bone of my bones, and flesh of my flesh…”(2:23). Immediately, Adam is able to recognize that this woman, unlike all of the other creatures, was like him and therefore capable of relating to him personally, intimately, etc. and, by proxy, capable of helping humanity reach its fullest potential and satisfy the calling of God. The first ever community was created in this first ever episode of boy meets girl.

Upon meeting her, Adam names her, “’she shall be called Woman, because she was taken out of Man’…”(2:23b). This is an act of leadership and authority, but not of the same kind as Adam demonstrated over the animals, for, the woman is given a name that is a variation of Adam’s own—“woman.”

Adam explains the meaning of her name in the last clause of verse 23—“because she was taken out of man” again highlighting her source. However, commentators have also noted the wordplay between adam (“man”) and adama (“ground”) at 2:7 and 3:19 and ish (“man”) and isha (“woman”). The ending “-a” indicates feminine gender in Hebrew. However, the “–a” ending also on occasion indicates direction—specifically “to” or “toward” (Jobling, Meier). In the case of adam—adama, “man” returns to the “ground” during the lifespan. In the case of ish—isha, “man” moves toward the “woman”  in the context of marriage when he is “united to his wife” and they “become one flesh” (Matthews, 219). This conclusion is supported by the final action God takes in this passage.

God Constructs an Institution-2:24-25

In God’s final creative act of chapter 2, He constructs a sacred institution—marriage—“For this reason a man shall leave his father and his mother, and be joined to his wife; and they shall become one flesh” (2:24). Other translations render this verse “a man shall forsake his father and his mother and cling to his wife.” This suggests that within the context and process of marriage, one loyalty is severed while another one commences (Hamilton, 181). That the man is the leaver and cleaver again suggests a leadership role as, at least as this verse is portrayed, he is depicted as making the initial sacrifice of separation.

Not only that but “be joined to” or “cling” conveys a covenantal relationship shared between the husband and wife. Monogamy is clearly intended as “leave” and “cling” are terms commonly used in the context of covenant, indicating either covenant breach or fidelity (see Deut. 10:20; 11:22; 13:18;  28:20; 30:20; Josh. 23;8 Hos. 4:10). In other words, the emphatic terms demonstrate that the bond of marriage is especially powerful and significant—not a happenstance contract thrown together and easily ripped to shreds.

Once committed to each other, the two “become one flesh” (2:24). In other words, the husband and wife do not leave their parents to an isolated or independent existence, but to a dependency and responsibility toward one another. “’One flesh’” echoes the language of v. 23, which speaks of the woman’s source in the man; here it depicts the consequence of their bonding, which results in one new person” (Matthews, 223). As I often say in the marriage ceremonies that I conduct—“no longer are you a man or a woman, you are a husband and a wife. This means that your very identity as husband is wrapped up in your relationship to her as your wife and yours as a wife in your husband.” Two becoming one is illustrated in human sexuality in which two individuals form one expression of love and union. Though physical intimacy does not exhaust all that marriage is, it is an illustration of this point.

The institution created in the context of the perfect garden was a wondrous thing to behold. This much is conveyed in the next verse—“and the man and his wife were both naked and were not ashamed” (2:25). The original audience associated nakedness with guilt or shame. However, because there was no sin in the world, even Adam and Eve’s bare bodies were nothing to blush at; they were a beautiful expression of the freedom and openness afforded them in the perfection of Paradise and in the context of their marriage.

So What?

In this passage, the first ever crisis is answered in the most brilliant way. Adam’s need for a companion and helper to aide in achieving his God-given calling is met with the most uniquely made creature yet—woman! In so doing, God creates a community in which mankind is able to thrive and an institution by which mankind is able to procreate and subdue the earth! In addition to all of the principles concerning marriage and unity that this passage obviously endorses, something even more fundamental is being communicated here. When God comes through, He does so in abundant ways! Here, in the midst of Man’s loneliness, He gives mankind a helpmate and establishes an entire program for others to follow in which the human race can enjoy the very same kind of relationship that Adam and Eve shared here. This passage also serves to highlight mankind’s need for relationship. Whether God allows you to seek relationship in the context of marriage or in a community of believers, recognize that it is not good for men or women to be alone. They are designed to relate to one another and, together, relate to God.

Beautiful Boundaries-Gen. 2:10-17

One of the recent troubling movements afoot in our world today involves a group of people who call themselves sovereign citizens. Those belonging to this group believe themselves to be outside the boundaries dictated by law and order and free to do as they please. In fact, Gavin Long, recent murderer of the three Baton Rouge police officers considered himself a member of this society that is considered by the FBI an existential domestic radical threat. It is, to be sure, a very real anarchist movement that is gaining traction, especially among the up-and-coming generation. A skepticism toward authority and very real hatred for rules is not only characteristic of more radical leaning groups like these; it is becoming the norm in our society.

So how should Christians understand boundaries, rules, authority? Thankfully, the book of Genesis reveals a surprising and often overlooked principle pertaining to this very question. In Genesis 2:10-17 two sets of boundaries are described by Moses as existing before sin even entered into the world. In other words, authority, commands, and boundaries were originally not encumbrances that were required purely to manage chaos, but divinely inspired parameters given to make for the greatest good that was possible in a newly created universe. Let’s learn more as these boundaries are delineated in this passage.

THE GEOGRAPHIC BOUNDARIES-2:10-14

Scholars tend to view verse 10-14 as an extension of verse 9 as the two describe different components of the garden (verses nine discussed the trees while 10-14 discusses the rivers). It becomes exceedingly clear from this passage that Eden’s garden was rich in minerals and splendidly fertile with flowing waters. The description given here, although complementary to what immediately precedes it, is supplementary material Moses’ used to accentuate “the narrative’s motif of resplendence” (Matthews, 207). Moses will again pick up the train of thought later in verse 15 that he left in verses 8-9.

Rivers were understood as absolutely essential to life in the ancient world. Even to this day, most middle-eastern cities, truly, most major cities anywhere, are built near a flowing water source. Rivers have been and continue to be important for irrigation in farming and nourishment for inhabitants. Nowhere was this more true than in Egypt—the very kingdom the Hebrews had just exited. There, the Nile River was worshipped as a life-giving source. This is why it proved such an incredible tragedy when God used Moses to turn the water of the Nile into blood. Therefore, when Moses suggests that Eden possessed a river that “divided and became four rivers,” he is not just providing an accurate description, but a comparison between the pagan nation they just left and Eden. Not only that, but the comparison also implicates the God who created Eden with four rivers as better than the God’s of Egypt and its single river.

As it pertains to the four rivers mentioned in this narrative, two are well  known while two are not so easily identified understood. The first two “Pishon and Gihon” are hard to pinpoint as there are little to know historical aides that pinpoint exactly where these rivers were—“the name of the first is Pishon, it flows around the whole land of Havilah” (2:11). Though, one might say, the “land of Havilah” should help indicate where this river used to flow, even this is of little to no help as many possibilities for the location of Havilah are possible. However, to focus on the historical/geographic location of these rivers is ill-advised as this is not Moses’ point. Instead, Moses is simply highlighting the richness of the Garden of Eden as witnessed in its multiple water sources and other natural resources—“where there is gold” (2:11).

Moses continues to describe that “the gold of that land is good; the bdellium and the onyx stone are there” (2:12). That the gold is “good” is reminiscent of chapter 1 in which everything God created was called “good.” Not only that, but the gold also testifies to God’s excelling provision of the first couple. Why not through a little gold into the mix and some precious stones to an already perfect paradise?

However, the images of “gold” and “onyx” probably called to mind something else for the original Hebrew audience as these two elements were used in the furnishings of the tabernacle and on the priestly garments (Ex. 25:1-9; 1 Chr. 29:2). “Gold overlay finished the sacred furniture of the tabernacle (Exod. 25:11, 17, 24, 31). Particularly important was the ‘onyx’ stone of the priestly ephod, upon which were inscribed the names of the twelve tribes (Exod. 28:9-14), and the onyx of the high priest’s breastplate (Exod. 28:20).” (Matthews, 208). This indicates that even at this early juncture in history, God’s presence was accompanied by precious and powerful elements. In fact, what was prescribed for the temple later is probably a direct reference to the perfection of paradise that is required for a holy God’s presence. When God’s people built a temple, they were building a temporary homage to the Garden of Eden in which God was able to move about freely.

Next, Moses describes the other boundaries of the garden, “the name of the second river is Gihon; it flows around the whole land of Cush. The name of the third river is Tigris; it flows east of Assyria. And the fourth river is the Euphrates” (2:13-14). Here, again, the second river is unknown to today’s scholarship as is the land that it is said to surround (as there are argument for both an African Cush and a Mesopotamian Cush). However, what is clear is that Moses assumed his audience knew to what area he was referencing. Not only that, but Moses is making a historical claim in identifying these rivers and their respective locations. These were, in other words, real places, not fanciful metaphors.

This is evidenced by the fact that while many are unsure about Pishon and Gihon, there is little to no question concerning the Tigris and Euphrates River as these remain important waterways to this day. In fact, not only are they well known today, but along with the Nile, these two would serve as the future boundaries that were given to the land pledged to Abraham (Gen. 15:18). As these boundaries here were assigned to Eden, successfully marking Adam’s jurisdiction, so too was the Promised Land so marked and consigned to Abraham and his future descendants (the very same descendants to which Moses was originally writing this).

MORAL BOUNDARIES-2:15-17

As one commentator has pointed out, “there is no magic in Eden. Gardens cannot look after themselves; they are not self-perpetuating. Man is placed there to dress it and keep it” (Hamilton, 171). Moses reveals as much when he says, “Then the Lord God took the man and put him into the Garden of Eden to cultivate it and keep it” (2:15). In other words, God placed man in a special environment for a special purpose and this purpose involved work. “Work is a God-given assignment and not a cursed condition” (Matthews, 209). It was not until sin spoiled things that a day’s work turned into a daily grind. 

This verse demonstrates that from mankind’s inception, humans were designed to be cultivators and keepers of what God bestowed, busying themselves with the kind of work that makes something great out of something good. Therefore, to refrain from this responsibility when capable or to do nothing with whatever God has richly bestowed is to live in a way that is not only uncharacteristic of a person of God, but uncharacteristic of the human race as originally designed.

Mankind, as it pertains to his time, is to make much out of what God has given. This is the way God intended for mankind to spend his days.

However, another boundary pertaining to mankind involves the moral options he was able to endorse. Because the Garden of Eden was a good place, “The Lord God commanded the man, saying, ‘From any tree of the garden you may eat freely’…” (2:16). This is the first of 25 times in Genesis that a command is given. What is important to recall here is that God is incredibly generous with the permission that he gives to Adam. Remember, all of the trees were pleasing to the eye and good for food (see 2:4-9), why not allow Adam free range to partake of these things?

Such an allowance reiterates what has already been so beautifully represented—that God is a gracious God. He created a perfect universe, he grew an amazing garden, and he populated that garden with incredible fruit-bearing trees. All of this he gave to humanity—his most special and unique creation—and said “you may eat freely.” “This strong affirmation indicates that the provision of God for the first couple is plentiful and to be enjoyed liberally by them” (Matthews, 211). As it compares to the next component of the options given to mankind, it is important to recognize that from the beginning, God’s grace far outweighs His prohibitions.

In comparison to all that God allowed, God does withhold one thing from mankind—“but from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat from it you will surely die…” (2:17). Why does God make this prohibition? Because God was not satisfied with good—He desired something great! A good universe might include a race of people who blindly choose to do good because that is all that they can do. A great universe would include a race of people who freely choose to do good when they have an option to do otherwise.

Notice too, that mankind is the only creature given this kind of moral boundary. This is because of mankind’s uniqueness as being made in God’s image. Because of mankind’s special constitution, humans are moral beings and therefore responsible for making moral decisions. Here, God provides an opportunity for mankind to make the right decision and to make that decision freely. In so doing, God is giving those whom He called “very good” (1:31) the opportunity to be great.

As it has been said—“Good isn’t good enough if it can be better, better isn’t good enough, if it can be great.”

To that end, God gives humanity every reason to obey this command. First, as already revealed, he gives mankind free use of every other tree in the Garden of Eden—only one is withheld. I’m sure that Adam and Eve (who will be introduced in just a few short verses), had plenty to keep them satisfied and occupied, especially considering that this is paradise we are talking about. Second, God gives them the grace of a sharp warning, “for in the day that you shall eat it, you will surely die” (2:17). How is that for a reason not to do something. Though this may seem harsh, what better way would there be for God to keep His people in check than with the threat of death? The threat of death was intended by God to prevent death and keep Adam and Eve from going near this single kind of tree.

Something similar is witnessed when I threaten my children with punishment. The more important the infraction, the more severe the potential punishment—not so that I can see the punishment enacted, but in hopes that I never see the punishment enacted.

So What?

Ultimately, these two sets of boundaries as presented in the Garden of Eden were intended by God to provide not only the best for His greatest ever creation, but to pave the way for the very best from them as well. The garden and the commands both to work and refrain from the tree of knowledge of good and evil demonstrate that even in a perfect world, there are divinely appointed limits. These limits are not intended to keep humanity from knowing abundance. Quite the contrary, they are intended to pave the way for the greatest abundance. Man was designed as a cultivator and a free moral being. Such precious gifts require the boundaries necessary to keep mankind within God’s perfect will.

Applied today, Christians are not those who seek to be their own authority or those who desire unlimited freedom. Instead, Christians are those who submit to the authorities God has appointed. Christians are those who are not advocating for total anarchy but those who are following the Lord’s will and His ideals. After all, a world without fences would be a world riddled with injured or tragically killed children/animals. Thank goodness that God’s Word provides us with the guidelines and boundaries necessary for a meaningful, lasting, and abundant life both for now and forever. To live without boundaries is to live outside of mankind’s design and open the door to all kinds of havoc, just as the victims’ families in Baton Rouge. 

Creation Take 2-Gen. 2:4-9

Last week as I spent time with family and friends in Texas I couldn’t help but catch myself telling and retelling stories of things that have happened to me since my last visit in an effort to catch everyone up to speed. Though the crux of the stories I shared rarely changed when they were repeated, inevitably the flavor and nuances of the tales did change as the same details were shared with new force. The more exciting or important the story, the more the story was repeated and the more attention was given to present the important elements with more compelling clarity.

The same is true of Moses’ desire to share the story of creation. Though we have already covered the description of creation as presented in chapter 1, Moses, in an effort to inform and inspire the people he led in the wilderness, retells the same story in a way that further explains some of the details pertaining to creation’s most important elements. In this case, the star of God’s creation was mankind (see 1:26ff). Therefore, in Moses’ retelling of the story, mankind again takes center stage, only this time, more is learned about how he was formed.

So without further ado, let us enjoy the creation story again and observe the three parts of Moses’ second take on this fascinating epic.

The Proclamation -2:4

As mentioned already, in chapter 2 Moses retells the story of creation in a way that highlights only some features of what has already been disclosed earlier in chapter 1. Though different, the introduction given in verse 4 illustrates how this passage and Genesis 1 are parallel (inasmuch as the same words are used and repeated throughout chapter 1)—“This is the account of the heavens and the earth when they were created, in the day that the Lord God made earth and heaven” (2:4). Though this is the second edition of the creation story, this verse contains the first instance of “Lord” (Yahweh). Combined with “God” (Elohim), this title in verse 4 acts as a kind of linchpin that bridges chapter 1 and 2:5-4:26 (as “Elohim” is used almost exclusively in chapter 1 and “Yahweh becomes dominant in chapters 2-4). What is unique about “Yahweh Elohim” (Lord God) is that this two-titled reference is repeated 20x in chapters 2-3 in an effort to demonstrate that the covenant leader of the people of God (Yahweh—the God that the Hebrews in the wilderness were familiar with) is the same wondrous deity who created the universe (Elohim).

The Situation-2:5-6

In verses 5-6, Moses skips the first days of creation and picks up the story in this retelling to what the earth was like before the creation of the first man. According to verses 5-6 there was no “shrub of the field” and “no plant of the field had yet sprouted, for the Lord God had not sent rain upon the earth, and there was no man to cultivate the ground…”(2:5). The reason for the lack of plant life, in spite of the subterranean water source was that there was no man yet living to till the soil. In other words, God created vegetation in such a way that its fruitfulness, in some ways, depended on mankind’s management and dominance. This description sets things up perfectly for Moses will reveal in verse 7.

However, for now, according to verse 6, “a mist used to rise from the earth and water the whole surface of the ground” (2:6).

Many commentators are at odds concerning how to interpret these verses and how they compare to the days of creation in chapter 1. Though by day three vegetation was created on the earth (1:11-12),  the words used here in verse 5-6 (“field” and “ground”) and their respective translations are not intended to refer to the same thing. Instead, “field” (sadeh) is often used in the Old Testament for pasture land or cultivate ground (Gen. 29:2; 30:16; 37:7; 47:24). “Ground” often is used in connotations pertaining to soil, which is cultivated by human enterprise (2:7, 19, Matthews 194). Therefore, while vegetation existed before day 6, the tracks of land necessary to cultivate a crop or harvest were not in existence before man was alive to farm it.

One other thing worth mentioning is that “ground” (adama) comes from the same root as the name given to Adam—the first created man who is introduced on the scene next.

The Creation-2:7-9

It is clear from the literature here that, like in chapter 1, mankind is given special focus. While in chapter 1, mankind was introduced as the grand fortissimo (1:27ff) following a long crescendo (1:6-25), here the creation of mankind is emphasized by the craftsmanship with which God makes his greatest product—“then the Lord God formed man of dust from the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life” (2:7). In a brilliant paradox, God’s most glorious creation is manufactured out of the humblest of elements—the “ground” (adama). Not only that, but mankind was made out of the very thing that he would be instructed to till (2:15)—rendering him especially suited for his task of cultivation.

Not only that, but mankind and beast share in the same physical properties with one very important description. Unlike the plant world, both animals and humans are described as living (2:7; 7:22). Both animals are considered “living creatures” (1:20-21, 24; 2:7; 9:10). However, “the source of animal life is attributed to the ‘ground’ (2:19) from which the animals came forth ‘in a moment.’ But the man was ‘gradually formed,’ and his fountain of life was the divine breath—‘and God…breathed into his nostrils the breath of life’ (2:7) (Matthews 197). This description sustains the prominent place mankind maintains in the narrative as his life force comes from the Creator Himself!

Additionally, “breathed is warmly personal, with the face-to-face intimacy of a kiss and the significance that this was giving as well as making; and self-giving at that” (Kidner, 60). This unique formation produces a unique relationship that mankind shares with his Creator. Humanity is special in God’s eyes and therefore worthy of a special creative act complete with intimate attention and time.  

As a result of God’s breath, “man became a living being…” (2:7b). Such an image becomes a precedent that is consistently upheld throughout the remainder of the Old Testament. Job 27:3 states, “As long as I have life within me, the breath of God in my nostrils.” In Deut. 20:16; Josh. 10:40; Job 27:3, to possess the “breath of life” or “breath” is to be alive and in 1 Kings 17:17, the absence of it describes the dead. Also, in Ezekiel 37:9-10, it is the breath of God that reanimates dry bones.

Ultimately, that God’s breath was used to animate mankind means that he is totally dependent on God for what is most essential to life. Though a glorious creation, mankind is infinitely inferior to the God who created him. Moses, in retelling the detailed version of mankind’s creation, hoped that his people would recognize that as God sustained His people with manna and quail and deliverance, so too does He sustain them on an infinitely more fundamental level.

However, mankind as a “living being” (nephesh hayya) also speaks to the radical unity within mankind as a disjointed “soul” separated from the body was not central to Hebrew thought (contra Plato). In fact “living” (nephesh) has a semantic range that includes: “life,” “person,” “self,” “appetite,” and “mind.” In this context, most of these connotations fit as all speak toward identity and selfhood. Ultimately, as this passage demonstrates, mankind does not possess a “nephesh” but rather is a “nephesh” with a body. A possible translation of this verse might read “and man became a souled body.”   Nothing else in the universe can claim this status!

Not only did God create man with a special constitution, He created a special environment in which man was to thrive and live out his God-given potential as cultivator and manager—“The Lord God planted a garden toward the east, in Eden; and there He placed the man whom He had formed,…” (2:8). No other created thing is given special treatment like this. It is clear from the text that God holds a special place in His heart and will for humanity as they are gifted with the blessing of this special garden.

The Garden of Eden suggest that God holds mankind in high regard and the phenomenon of the garden also establishes God’s commitment to order, work, beauty, and cultivation. As each of these qualities are witnessed in any arboretum, so too are these assumed of the most perfect Garden of Eden. Again, God is depicted in Genesis thus far as a God who brings order out of chaos, is not afraid to work, always trends toward beauty, and seeks to bring about the cultivation of His creation. As those who were made in His image, mankind needed a platform on which to put its unique gifts to good use.  God had an empty universe, mankind is given a garden.

 “Out of the ground the Lord God caused to grow every tree that is pleasing to the sight and good for food; the tree of life also in the midst of the garden, and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil,…”(2:9). Teaming with potential, the Garden of Eden was a veritable smorgasbord of plant life. Not only was it beautiful beyond belief (pleasing to the sight), its fruit was “good for food” (2:9).

I want you to picture the beautiful gardens you have come across in your lifetime either on a garden tour you have attended, on a vacation you took, in a magazine, or perhaps even in your own backyard. No matter how quaint, elegant, or aesthetically pleasing the image you are thinking about now is, it doesn’t hold a candle to the view that Adam and Even shared in Eden. Now I want you to think about the sweetest fruit that you’ve ever bit into—the juiciest peach, berriest berry, crispiest apple, tangiest pineapple, etc. Now imagine what that same fruit would have tasted like without sin in the world—the same sin that took a toll on vegetation and our bodies and keeps us from knowing what a perfect fruit tastes like. These are the fruits that Adam and Eve enjoyed whenever they wanted. It hung over them in large clusters on low branches and grew on the most fertile vines you could ever imagine. All of this God gave to Adam and Eve!

Included among the foliage in the Garden of Eden was the tree of life and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil—standing as powerful and concrete images of the potentialities that were present, though, at this point, not all realized in the world. At this point in the narrative, these trees act as a foreshadowing of the next chapter, but they also echo what God stands over and above. Inasmuch as life, good, and evil are depicted as created trees in God’s garden, God stands in a position in authority over these. He is the giver of life, the ultimate good, and the standard by which all evil is judged. These reminders stood around Adam and Eve in their garden as trees do in a park.  

So What? 

Ultimately in this retelling of the creation story mankind is depicted as a souled body, especially made and planted in a uniquely prepared environment. If in the first chapter of Genesis we learn of mankind’s superiority over all creation because of his being created last and being made in God’s image, in Genesis 2 we learn of mankind’s unique and intimate relationship with God as it was God’s breath that animated mankind’s humble form and God’s garden that man called home.

This would have reinforced the promises made to the Israelites in the wilderness. The same God that had saved them from slavery and promised them a land flowing of milk and honey was this same God who prepared a special place for His first couple. God has always been about preparing a place for His people that is exceptional, wondrous and perfect.

In fact, this is true for His people today. Inasmuch as the people of God have new life breathed into them through the Holy Spirit, they too enjoy a special relationship with God and can hold fast to the promises that one day we too will enjoy a perfect paradise—a paradise that is described in Revelation 21-22 as a place comparable to the Garden of Eden. Therefore, be encouraged today if you are a human being—for you are a souled body—a truly remarkable mixture of matter and spirit. Be encouraged today believer—for you have a paradise awaiting you! 

God's Version of R & R (& R)--Genesis 2:1-3

What is it that you enjoy doing on vacation? It is, after all, the season of summer trips, long weekends, and recreational activity. Some people when they go away like to remain busy, filling their days with excursions, appointments, etc. Others like to read, veg out, watch TV, etc. Still others make it their job to try and do as little as possible and catch up on some much needed rest. So, how will you spend this 4^th of July weekend? Truly, there is so much to appreciate about this great country of ours. However, one of its maladies is its commitment to the grind. While the concept of rest is often vilified in our 24/7 culture of deadlines and the ever-encompassing pressure to get ahead, accomplish, and succeed, consider this: rest is as old a concept as creation itself and was something that even God endorsed. Today we are going to ask the question: “How did God spend His vacation?” To be sure, while God never takes a real vacation from sustaining the universe and seeing to it that His promises are fulfilled, this question is really trying to understand how God conceives of rest. Therefore, today we are going to witness three ways God spent day 7 of creation week from Genesis 2:1-3. In so doing, we will learn how and why we ought to rest as those who are made in His image.

Reflection-2:1-“…Thus the heavens and the earth were completed, and all their hosts,…”

There is always a great deal of excitement when one completes something major. One of the things I’m currently working on completing is my PhD in Theology and Apologetics. With only three classes left, a few tests, and the writing of the dissertation, I am nearing the end and can hardly wait until I am able to say, “this degree is complete, along with all its requirements.” I imagine that following the completion of this endeavor, I might, as God does on day 7, reflect on what has been accomplished.

Chapter 3 begins with such reflection: “Thus the heavens and the earth were completed, and all their hosts,…” (2:1). If we recall everything that this sentence considers, we will remember that in the overture, God created light and darkness in a vacuous mysterious universe—establishing the theme that the Lord is a God who brings order out of chaos (1:1-5). In the grand crescendo of 1:6-25, we watched in amazement as God created separations between the sea and sky and the land and sea, and then filled the skies with celestial bodies and birds, the sea with sea creatures, and ornamented the land with vegetation and beasts of all kinds. This crescendo demonstrates both for the original Hebrew audience and today’s church that the Lord is a God who stands over and above everything in the universe. Then, last week we observed God’s greatest creation—Mankind (1:26-31). Being made in God’s image, humans enjoy a level of glory and honor (Ps. 8) as they reflect God’s glory back to Him in their constitution, dominion over other created things, and unique relationship with the heavenly Father. This final creative act demonstrates that of all the created things in the universe, God cherishes humanity in general and individual people in particular. Having completed it all, God saw that it was “very good” (1:31).

Calling to mind the entirety of God’s creation, Moses reveals that it was completed in verse 1 of chapter 2. In other words, “the universe is no longer in a process of being created” (Hamilton, 142). Instead, procreation and self-perpetuation fill the planet with population and genetic variation. Moses, whether he realized it or not, makes an important statement that, along with what he has already mentioned no less than 8 times in chapter 1 (“after their/its kind”), speaks directly against the claims of macro-evolution (change that occurs at or above the level of species). Contrary to the claim that something new and genetically unique can derive from something that already exists, the Bible teaches that each created thing reproduced “after its kind.” By day 7 of that first week, God had already decided how many species there were and what pools of genes would be given each one, allowing them the genetic variation we can observe today. The creation of something new out of nothing is something that only God is capable of doing.

Rest-2:2

This creative work of God was completed on day 7—“by the seventh day God completed His work which He had done” (2:2a). Moses, again, has been emphatic on at least two things throughout chapter 1: the timeline in which God created the universe, and the superiority of God over and above false Gods (particularly those false God found in Egypt).

As it pertains to the nature of the “days” of creation, a few things are important to keep in mind when one goes to interpret this passage. Via the creation of light and the presence of darkness (and their separation) on day one, God began a program of 24 hour periods that Moses calls “day” (yom). Though this word is taken figuratively elsewhere in reference to other things (2 Pet. 3:8), whenever it is attached to a cardinal number, it typically describes a 24hour period. Not only that, but when the qualification “and there was evening and there was morning” is added, it becomes even clearer that a literal 24 hour period is an appropriate interpretation. If not, one would have to ask, “why did the Spirit move in Moses’ life to lead him to write “and there was evening and there was morning, one day” if it was not explicitly intended to refer to what men and women would have understood as a typical day. Though the creation narrative is intentionally hymnic and near-poetic at times, it is not pure allegory/metaphor, especially when one considers that this construction of “day,” cardinal number, and “evening and morning,” is repeated on each of the six days of creation (Answers in Genesis).

Interestingly enough, as was mentioned several weeks ago, early Jewish and Christian interpreters had a hard time believing that it would take God this long (6 days) to create the entire universe. Surely He would have been powerful enough to create it all at once! Still more interesting is that more recent modern scholarship wonders how God could have possibly created it all in so short a time. Ever since Darwin’s Origins of the Species and enlightenment’s claim of a billion-year-old universe and more recent fantasies of a big bang, many, even those within the church, have a hard time interpreting Moses’ account in this more grammatically conservative and straight-forward way—believing that the earth must must must be millions of years old. However, this foists a severely allegorical interpretation on what Moses seems to take pains to make clear. To arrive at an old-earth interpretation, one must turn “day” into something that does not mean “day,” “morning” into something that does not mean “morning,” “evening” into something that does not mean “evening” and “one,” “two,” “three,” etc. into something these numbers do not represent. This seems to be quite a stretch, especially when the repetition Moses employs and the organization of the text assumes organization and straightforwardness (a theme that is reiterated time and time again in chapters 1-2). This is why I believe the best interpretation is that each day was a 24 hour period, complete with evening and morning.

As it pertains to Yahweh’s superiority over other gods, Moses has been quite clear. Inasmuch as God’s origin is assumed and never explained (unlike other ancient deities whose origins were known), and given that God created the celestial bodies, sea creatures, land animals (which were in many cases deified in the pagan world), Yahweh is depicted as head and shoulders over every other presumed ruler (especially the gods of Egypt). Though God’s superiority over individual things has been suggested in more specific ways throughout chapter 1, here Moses is more general and emphatic in his claim saying, “God completed His work, which He had done” (2:2a). It is almost as if Moses says to his people, “our God is a God that did something no other God (or unguided process you’ve ever heard about) could do—He created the universe!”

So how does God celebrate his grand achievement? He rests—“and He rested on the seventh day from all His work which He had done” (2:2b). The verb used here (sabat) and again in verse 3 underscores that the end of God’s work, not fatigue, motivated this rest (Matthews, 178). In other words, there was nothing left to create in order to satisfy God’s will. “Rest” (sabat) also means “the cessation of creative activity” (Matthews, 178) both here and in Genesis 8:22 (the only other time this verse is used in Genesis). Therefore, God’s rest on day 7 of the creation week involved the abstention of work (see Cassuto, 63).

I imagine God delighted in His rest as he looked over the universe at all He has wrought out of nothing. Although on an infinitely inferior level, I imagine that God’s satisfaction and rest was similar to the way I feel after I spend the day in my yard. More often than not, after I work in the yard (mow, trim, weed, prune, water, etc.), I take time to sit and examine the finished product with a small, but meaningful sense of accomplishment. Imagine how content God must have been to witnesses the fruits of His labor!

Reverence-2:3

The seventh day is the first and only day to be called “blessed” –“Then God blessed the seventh day and sanctified it…” (2:3a). Though creatures and humans have already been blessed with the gift of procreation, this is the only interval of time that God esteems in a special way in this text. The reason for this is because God “sanctified it”—the very first act of consecration in the Scriptures. Anytime God consecrates something, He declares it especially devoted to Himself. This is true here of the Sabbath day. Eventually, Moses would reiterate the special nature of the Sabbath and his people’s responsibility on this day in Exodus 20:8, 11.

Exodus 20:8, 11-“Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy,…For in six days the Lord made the heavens and the earth, the sea and all that is in them, and rested on the seventh day; therefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and made it holy.”

The setting aside of the Sabbath day in this way, as with the entire narrative so far, is again as much an explanation as it is an argument against other worldviews. “In the Babylonian creation stories the gods are freed from their labors after the creation of humans, who were formed for the sole purpose of serving the deities’ needs. God’s Sabbath, however, is not aversion to labor but the celebrative cessation of a completed work, whereby He expresses His mastery over time by sanctifying it” (Matthews, 179). In fact, the celebration of the Sabbath was unique to ancient Israel. Also, while days, months, and years were related to the solar and lunar cycles, the Sabbath is not connected to any celestial movement. “The Sabbath thus underlines the fundamental idea of Israelite monotheism: that God is wholly outside of nature” (Sarna, 15).

God spent this reverent day resting, “because in it, He rested from all His work which God had created and made” (2:3b). In so doing, He created a work schedule/rest schedule that he then gifted to the newly-created human race! “The sanctification of the Sabbath institutes an order for humankind according to which time is divided into time and holy time…By sanctifying the seventh day God instituted a polarity between the everyday and the solemn, between days of work and days of rest, which was determinative for human existence” (Westermann, 1:171). Therefore, in addition to the world, its creatures, its vegetation, and the blessings of reproduction and dominion, God gave the human race a pattern in which to live that involved both work and rest—labor and reverent relaxation.

The Sabbath is both a spiritual and practical gift. Spiritually, a Sabbath reminds the adherent that God is in control as the time in reverent rest is spent abstaining from work in celebration of the one who created it all and sustains it all.  This not only exalts God but it humbles people as they are forced to honor Him, instead of toil for selfish or alternative reasons. Not only that, but resting as God rested is one way that we demonstrate our likeness to the Lord as human beings. Those who refrain from Sabbath rest are trying to be something other than human. God is not impressed by super-humans who work 24/7. Practically speaking, Sabbath rest provides many health benefits, as rest is essential to one’s overall wellness. Not only that, but Sabbath rest makes one more efficient during the work week. Finally, Sabbath rest, when observed, allows the people to God to stand out in a world of workaholics. In this way, believers testify to the lost that they belong to a God who is so lofty and powerful that He can take of things, even we take a break.

So What?

Ultimately, this passage reveals that God in His sovereignty gifted a day of rest to the human race as a reminder of His power and glory. As God is depicted as reflecting, resting, and spending time in reverence on this day—so too should the people of God set aside time to reflect on what He has done, rest in knowing that God is ultimately in control, and seek Him in reverence. To neglect the Sabbath is to neglect God’s prescribed schedule and strive to live outside of one’s created potential.

However, one must also remember that the Sabbath is a spiritual and practical gift, not an encumbrance. Just as gifts given by our fathers are for our good pleasure and benefit, so too is the Sabbath and the command to heed it. Thankfully, Jesus clarified the heart of the Sabbath command in Mark 2:27 saying, “the Sabbath was made for man, and not man for the Sabbath” to correct those who were overly-legalistic and believed that the Sabbath meant abstaining from any and all physical labor of any kind. In saying what He did in Mark, Jesus redeemed the Sabbath back into what was originally intended—a time set aside for reflection of what God has done, rest in who God is, and reverence toward what God wills. “It is a day on which we are called upon to share what is eternal in time, to turn from the results of creation to the mystery of creation; from the world of creation to the creation of the world” (Heschel, The Earth is the Lord’s and the Sabbath, 10).

Therefore, one way in which we image God is by resting as He chose to rest—spending special time in reflecting on His power, resting in His sovereignty, and reverently seeking Him. Inasmuch as God breaks up His week of creating, humans image Him by breaking up their schedules of working with this kind of Sabbath rest.  

"Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth."-Psalm 46:10

The Grand Fortissimo-Genesis 1:26-31

One of the ways that ancient rulers would honor themselves and seek to self-glorify was to stamp their likeness onto money, have it depicted in shrines/tombs, or insist that it be painted on the walls in hieroglyphics. Such actions illustrated for everyone in a particular region or empire who was at the top and to whom all respect and adoration should be given. This was no doubt the case in Egypt. I imagine that all of the Hebrews slaves who worked so hard on the temples and tombs for centuries grew accustomed to the likeness of Pharaoh (who believed that he was god on earth) plastered all over the place in ways that not so subtly reiterated time and time again who ruled over them. Now freed from this dystopia, it was time for them to understand things differently. As Moses continues his retelling of the origins of the universe, he reverses this whole paradigm and applies it in more profound ways to the one true God and his people. Up to this point, the creation narrative has been building up to this grand fortissimo in vv. 26-31 in which we are made aware of the creation of mankind. In the five parts of this passage, we will learn exactly how special we are in God’s eyes and how we should live in response.

The Creation of Mankind-1:26

Following the overture of Genesis 1:1-5 and the grand crescendo of Genesis 1:6-25 is the great fortissimo of 1:26-31 in which God makes His greatest creation. More special than the stars, more beautiful than the other creatures, more impressive than the sea, more wondrous than day and the night, is mankind—“Then God said, ‘Let Us make man,…” (1:26). Everything up to this point in the creation week has been leading up to this moment—the creation of man and woman.

So much takes place in the retelling of what happened in the second part of day 6 in this short phrase. First, Moses diverges from the usual “Let there be” to “Let Us make” to highlight something especially momentous that is about to take place. Second, the plural noun “Us” is deliberately emphatic as well. Though many interpretations have been suggested for this pronoun (other gods, a heavenly court of angels, the earth, a plural of majesty, a plural of deliberation), the most appropriate view understands this plural pronoun to call to mind the fullness of God (see Hasel and Clines). According to one commentator, God is speaking here to His Spirit—the same Spirit who was hovering over the waters in verse 2. Perhaps, given the Word of God as agent of creation, God is also calling to mind His Son which is, according to John later, the “Word made flesh.”  Therefore, the plural pronoun gives the reader plenty of reason to believe that there is more to God than meets the eye. Though He is one, He is more than that as well.

Moses continues by describing the nature of mankind—“in Our image, according to Our likeness” (1:26b). Man is not only above the other creations of God because he is created last, but because he is made in the image of God. However, what exactly does this mean? What is the Imago Dei? Due to the unyielding grip of Platonic categories on the human person, many divide the human person into body and soul, or body, soul, and spirit, or body, mind, and soul (etc.). These will choose where the image of God fits accordingly. Some suggest that it is limited to physical appearance, believing that humans look like God in some way (standing erect, on two legs, etc.). Still others will delimit the Imago Dei to the soul—the eternal part of a person. However, these distinctions are at odds with the Hebrews anthropology at work in Moses’ day. As Genesis 2:7 will remind us later, the human person is a unified whole containing body AND spirit existing in radical oneness. Therefore the image of God applies to both mankind’s physical and spiritual attributes.

Not only that, but as the rest of verse 26 suggests, imaging God may also involve mankind’s capacity and calling to “rule over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the sky and over the cattle and over all the earth and over every creeping things that creeps on the earth” (1:26c). While God enjoyed dominion over the universe in days 1-5, in His sovereignty, He gives mankind the ability to possess the land and its creatures and rule them accordingly. In this way, mankind resembles his Creator. Additionally, as Genesis will eventually reveal, “image” and “likeness” is connected to the concept of sonship (see Gen. 5:3). Inasmuch as sons were thought to bear the image of their fathers, so too does mankind bear the image of its Creator.

A healthy interpretation of what the “image” and “likeness” of God means in its relationship to the human person takes into consideration all of the above. To image God means that human beings resemble him body AND soul, are given authority over creation, and are related to Him as sons and daughters. All of these collectively result in a measure of glory for the human person.

Psalm 8:3-9-“When I consider Your heavens, the work of Your fingers, the moon and the stars, which You have ordained; what is man that You take thought of him, and the son of man that You care for him? Yet You have made him a little lower than God, and You crown him with glory and majesty! You make him to rule over the works of Your hands; You have put all things under his feet, All sheep and oxen, and also the beasts of the field, the birds of the heavens and the fish of the sea, whatever passes through the paths of the seas. O Lord, our Lord, How majestic is Your name in all the earth! ”

There is, as a result of the imago Dei, a strange paradox. Inasmuch as every human being possesses this image of God, all human life is sacred, eternal, and has the capacity for either great glory or terrible wickedness. When appreciated and used for good, humanity is wondrous. When unappreciated and used for evil, humanity is capable of great sinfulness.

C.S. Lewis: “It is a serious thing to live in a society of possible gods and goddesses, to remember that the dullest most uninteresting person you can talk to may one day be a creature which, if you saw it now, you would be strongly tempted to worship, or else a horror and a corruption such as you now meet, if at all, only in a nightmare. All day long we are, in some degree helping each other to one or the other of these destinations. It is in the light of these overwhelming possibilities, it is with the awe and the circumspection proper to them, that we should conduct all of our dealings with one another, all friendships, all loves, all play, all politics. There are no ordinary people. You have never talked to a mere mortal. Nations, cultures, arts, civilizations - these are mortal, and their life is to ours as the life of a gnat. But it is immortals whom we joke with, work with, marry, snub, and exploit - immortal horrors or everlasting splendors.”-The Weight of Glory

The Definition of Mankind-1:27

Moses moves next to give the definition of mankind—“God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him; male and female, He created them,…”(1:27a).  The repetition of “image of God” and “created” twice in this one verse highlights the uniqueness of mankind in comparison to every other created thing. Though certain cloud nebulae are said to look like the “eye” of God or the “fingerprint of God,” though certain constellations in space or cumulus formations in the atmosphere may trace and outline of a divine being, nothing images God more than a human person. This renders mankind the crown jewel and prized creation of God’s universe. Humans are God’s icons in the world that represent His dominion over the universe and return all glory, honor, and praise where it rightfully belongs.

Not only that, but just as God’s image is not a respecter of ethnicity or limited to a particular class, so too does God’s image apply equally to both men AND women. God created both male and female in His image—“male and female, He created them” (1:27b). This means that “man and woman are equally human and share the same personal worth” (Matthews, 173). This also means that God created two kinds of humans—men and women—not men, women, gender neutrals, gender queers (their label), androgynous, etc. God, as with the different kinds of birds, sea life, and land animals, saw fit to organize the earth with clear distinctions and this is true also of the human race. To suggest an alternative to male and female is to diverge from God’s original and superior plan. Sexuality and the distinctions therein is not “an accident of nature, nor is it simply a biological phenomenon. Instead it is a [divinely willed] gift of God” (Hamilton, 138).

The Blessing of Mankind-1:28

Intimately connected with the definition of mankind and the categories therein is the two-pronged blessing/assignment of mankind mentioned in verse 28—“God blessed them, and God said to them, ‘Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth and subdue it; and rule over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the sky and over every living thing that moves on the earth…”(1:28a). The first item on the agenda for the human race is to reproduce.  Just as the animals were called upon the fill their spheres of influence, so too is the human population called upon the make good on the ability God gave them to multiply and fill the earth. Reproduction, therefore, is understood by God and His Word as a wondrous mandate—not a killjoy or imposition. It obvious from the natural flow of the text that being created “male and female” was integral to this first command given to the human race as both sexes are required for this to take place.

Item two on the agenda is to “subdue” the earth and “rule over” its inhabitants. In other words, Mankind was given to be God’s appointed managers of the land of its creatures—further illustrating God’s propensity toward organization and cultivation. Mankind was to cultivate and care for the land as well as maintain its rightful place over the animal kingdom. This responsibility, no doubt, stemmed from the fact that men and women were created “in God’s image” while everything else was not. This means the there is something intrinsically different between mankind and plants and animals. Men and women possess something those things do not, and because of this, there is no moral equivalency between mankind and anything else on this earth.

The Gift to Mankind-1:29-30

Humans are to subdue the earth in part because it is God’s gift to them for their good pleasure—“Then God said, ‘Behold, I have given you every plant yielding seed that is on the surface of all the earth, and every tree which has fruit yielding seed; it shall be food for you;…”(1:29). As with any gift bequeathed by a loving father, the proper thing to do is to take good care of it. This is what mankind was equipped to do and called to do from the beginning of time.

It is also at this juncture where it becomes clear that nearly everything God has done thus far in the creation week has been in an effort to set the table for his most special guest—the human race. The celestial bodies yielding their light, the water, and the soil together are enjoyed by none other than men and women who consume the natural results of these things—fruit and vegetation.

The animals follow a similar trajectory—“and to every beast of the earth and to every bird of the sky and to everything that moves on the earth which has life, I have given every green plant for food’ and it was so” (1:30). Here, as with in verse 29, the earth works together as a cohesive whole:  the earth yields vegetation and the animals and human race eat this vegetation.

The Reaction to Mankind-1:31

So far in the creation week—the overture (1:1-5) and the crescendo (1:6-25), everything has been described in the same way—“God saw that it was good.” However, after reaching the fortissimo of vv. 26-31, God looks upon the landscape of the universe and declares “it was very good” (1:31). Some translations read “very beautiful.” What has changed? The beginning of the verse suggests that something has been completed-- “God saw all that He had made” and that this is part of the sentiment reached here. However, what sets God’s creation over-the-top is that now God’s universe is populated with people that can rule His creation as managers and relate to Him on a personal level as they are made in “His image.” You and I and every other person that has walked this earth are capable of glorifying God in a special way. People imaging God pleases God the most when He looks out upon the universe—more than the stars, the most beautiful precipice, the mightiest beast, or colorful landscape.

Again, as with every day before it, Moses ends the description of day 6’s happenings with “and there was evening and there was morning, the sixth day.”

So What?

Ultimately, this resolving chord and climatic end to the productive part of the creation week demonstrates that human beings are the apex of God’s creative order. This means that above all, we as God’s people, like God Himself, are to value, appreciate, admire, and respect our fellow man. Regardless of where we come from or how high on the social ladder we are, we are all image bearers of God—placed here on this spinning sphere in space for the purpose of representing His creative prowess and, by proxy, His matchless glory as icons. If people are expendable, common, dull, or unimpressive to you, then it becomes exceedingly easy to walk over others, use others, neglect others, even hate others. In a world that is so quick to disrespect and write off, God’s people—the people who know where they come from—are to value their fellow man and woman.

However, this passage also suffers implications for how we look at ourselves. Do you value yourself as highly as God does? If, in fact, we are just a random collection of highly evolved paramecium that has slowly evolved under an unguided and superfluous process as much of the world believes, then to believe we are valuable, special, or purposed is a farce.  In a world that promulgates this tripe, abortion becomes passé, genocide goes unreported, people grow addicted to temporary thrills, and some grow depressed and take their own lives. But exactly the opposite is the case. The Creator created you, stamped you with His image, and considers your uniqueness especially pleasing.