Clay Sculptures
The second chapter of Genesis focuses on how God created Adam and Eve. It opens with a summation of the previous chapter with a few new bits of information thrown in.
For example, 2:5 tells us that the earth has never experienced rain. Instead, a thick cloud of mist covers the ground to keep the vegetation watered and healthy. If you are in the habit of marking in your bible, you may want to make note of that verse. It will be interesting to refer back to later.
Picking up at 2:7, we zoom in and take a closer look at how God created Adam and Eve on the sixth day of creation: the day that God creates man. Imagine this, God reaches down and scoops a mound of dirt or clay into His hand. Then He molds and sculpts it into a life-sized, perfectly proportioned man, much like a clay artist would do today.
While that may be a cool concept to consider, that’s not the best part. This clay figure is exactly that – a clay figure. A lifeless mound of dirt and mud. Then God does the unthinkable: He leans over His artwork, draws a deep breath, and literally breathes His Spirit into its clay nostrils.
Its heart starts beating, and its lungs begin drawing air. Its eyes open and begin to scan the environment. This lump of clay is now a living, breathing, soul. The earth’s first man. Adam.
The Garden of Eden
The story of the Bible starts to shift ever so slightly at this point. So far it’s been about creation, but now there is a man. The story will start to follow the life of this man, his children, and their descendants. It will move from generation to generation, following the bloodline, to Jesus Christ – the Savior of the world.
Currently, though, we find God planting a garden for the man He created in the eastern part of a land called Eden (Genesis 2:8). It is the perfect place to live! There is no fighting. No evil. Only happiness and peace. It’s all that has ever existed.
The animals all get along nicely. A thick fog comes up from the ground to water the garden God has planted. He provides every type of fruit and vegetable for Adam and the animals to eat. It is truly bliss!
The Two Trees
We see that God is planting a variety in His garden, but no real details are given about the vegetation until we get to 2:9. God then moves to the middle of the garden and plants two trees. One is called the Tree of Life and the other is the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil.
The fruit from the first tree will keep you alive forever – as long as you continue to eat from it. What’s more, Adam was permitted to eat freely from this tree daily! God gave Adam the option to live in the garden forever in perfect harmony with Him.
But the fruit of the second tree would provide you with the knowledge of good and evil. That may seem like a good thing at first – to know the difference between good and evil – but not if you’ve never known evil. It would mean evil would have to exist.
Adam was commanded never to eat from this tree, “because the day [he] eats from it, [he] will surely die (2:17).” Should Adam choose to eat from this tree he would directly violate God’s only rule, and bring sin, rebellion, and evil into a perfect world. Adam accepts these conditions from God and continues to live with Him in harmony.
Woah, Man!
We’ve seen how God created Adam, now let’s discover how He created Eve.
All types of animals make their way to Adam and he names them according to their species. As they walk past him he thinks to himself, “I think I’ll call that big one an elephant.” Or, “Giraffe seems like a good name for this one.” But after giving a name to each type of animal, the author notes that Adam is the only one without a mate.
“This is not good,” says God.
It’s the first time God has ever made that statement.
Adam needs a mate. A helper. A friend.
The Bible teaches that God causes Adam to fall into a deep sleep and removes one of his ribs. He then uses the rib bone to create a mate for the man.
Adam takes one look at his new smoking-hot wife and exclaims, “Woah, man!” She is called woman, “because she was taken out of man (2:23).” And they lived together, naked and unashamed, as God intended for them to live (2:25).
Devotion
The man and woman continue to live peacefully in the garden for an unknown amount of time. The two commune daily with their Creator. There is no evil. No pain. No suffering. All is well in Eden.
The account of how God created Adam and Eve is more than a fairytale. It’s a real-life event that points us to a deeper relationship with God. Adam and Eve were created to live in the presence of the Almighty God. They were created without fear, guilt, or shame.
How would you like to live in a place like that!? To fellowship with God Almighty in person!? It sounds too good to be true.
But guess what – you CAN!
God’s plan of redemption ends with mankind living with Him in paradise once again! Sin will be removed for eternity! Wickedness, evil, and Satan himself will be permanently terminated from our realm (Revelation 20:14). There will be peace on earth once again, and God has made a way for you to be there with Him in eternity.
In fact, He wants so badly for you to be there that He sent His only Son, Jesus Christ to die a cruel, inhumane death on your behalf. His spilled blood paid the price for every wrong deed you have ever committed (John 3:16).
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He paid the price of sin with you in mind. He did it on purpose because He loves you. Best of all, this gift of eternal life free from sin, shame, and condemnation is totally free. Jesus has offered it freely to everyone (Romans 6:23). Will you accept it today? Will you be with Him in paradise when your soul leaves this world?
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