“Now the Lord God had planted a garden in the east, in Eden; and there he put the man he had formed.”
Genesis 2:8
After the heavens and the earth were completed in all their vast array the Lord God rested on the seventh day from all the work He had created.
He had not created any plant life because there He had not sent rain on the earth and there was no one to work the ground.
Then Lord God decides to create man. “…the Lord God formed a man from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living being” (Gen. 2:8). The word “formed” suggests the meticulous work of a potter making an exquisite piece of art.
The Lord God planted a garden in the east, in Eden; and put the man (Adam) there to work it and take care of it. God made all kinds of trees grow out of the ground—trees that were pleasing to the eye and good for food. In the middle of the garden were the tree of life and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. God commanded the man, “You are free to eat from any tree in the garden; but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat from it you will certainly die.”
In the very beginning, man was given a purpose to fulfill. He was to work and take care of the garden. The Lord God also warned the the man not to eat from the “tree of the knowledge of good and evil” in the middle of the garden. Adam is the name of the first human.
After creating the man, the Lord God said, “It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper suitable for him.” So God formed out of the ground all the wild animals and all the birds in the sky. Adam names each of the animals, yet there was no suitable helper for him.
The Lord God caused the man to fall into a deep sleep. While Adam was sleeping, the Lord took one of the his ribs and then closed up the place with flesh. Then God made a woman from the rib He had taken out of the man, and He brought her to the man. God looked over all He had made and exclaimed it was “very good.” (Gen. 1:31)
Adam name the woman Eve. When Adam saw the woman for the first time he said, “This is now bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh; she shall be called “woman,’for she was taken out of man.” Adam and his new wife were both naked, and they felt no shame.
God formed the man and fashioned the woman. What a powerful depiction of God’s love and concern for the well-being of His creation.
Blessings,
Dr. Francine
Notes:
All Scripture is taken from the New International Version (NIV) unless otherwise noted.
BEYOND CHURCH WALLS 