The Crown of Creation

18 For thus says the Lord, who created the heavens (He is the God who formed the earth and made it, He established it and did not create it a waste place, but formed it to be inhabited), “I am the Lord, and there is none else.

God Himself says the reason the earth was created was to be inhabited by human beings. And each day of creation we saw last week was created for the sustainment of human life.

So, what we just read through in Genesis 2:4-25 is not another creation account or acting in contradiction to chapter 1. Instead, Genesis chapter 2 is zooming in to highlight why everything we read last week was created.

B. The Lord God

In Genesis 1, we were introduced to God — Elohim — the strong, mighty, powerful God. In Genesis 2, beginning in verse 4, we see a new name for God: the LORD God — Yahweh (Jehovah) — the personal name of God.

Why? — The name Yahweh is only used whenever the Bible is describing God’s personal relationship with His people. God is more than just a superior, powerful Being. He is intimately involved with every aspect of creation, specifically with those who bear His image.

That’s why we see the transition from God to the LORD God in verse 4. Genesis 1 is focused on creation via the God who speaks and it is done. Genesis 2 is more personal, focusing on the relationship between God and man.

We see the same pattern in Psalm 19.

Elohim

Psalm 19:1 (NASB95)

1 The heavens are telling of the glory of God; And their expanse is declaring the work of His hands.

Yahweh

Psalm 19:7–9 (NASB95)

7 The law of the Lord is perfect, restoring the soul; The testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple. 8 The precepts of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart; The commandment of the Lord is pure, enlightening the eyes. 9 The fear of the Lord is clean, enduring forever; The judgments of the Lord are true; they are righteous altogether.

C. Another contradiction?

What’s going on with verse 5? Didn’t we read just last week that on Day 3 in Genesis 1:11-12 that God created all the vegetation? So why does it say in Genesis 2:5 that shrubs and plants haven’t grown yet?

When you study the text closely, in Genesis 1:11-12 you will see a general word for vegetation that is describing what is all throughout the earth. In Genesis 2:5 the words for vegetation are those that require a farmer or special care in order to reach their full potential. In other words, the vegetation is all there, but in order for the vegetation on earth to reach its full, intended purpose, the earth needs to be inhabited.

Where do you get that?

The next part of the verse tells us why these plants of the field had not yet reached their full potential:

Genesis 2:5 (NASB95)

5 … for the Lord God had not sent rain upon the earth, and there was no man to cultivate the ground.

In verse 6, God reassures us not to worry about the fact that it hadn’t rained because He provided a mist which rose up from the earth.

Discuss how Day 2 and the creation of the atmosphere could affirm the fact that there was no rain but instead a mist.

Also, keep this verse in mind, because it has some interesting possible implications when we get to the Flood in chapters 6 and 7.

D. So what does God do? — God creates humankind

Verse 7 highlights what Genesis 2 is all about: the crown of God’s creation. In order that the earth would fulfill God’s intended purpose, God inhabited it.

Wasn’t the earth already inhabited?

Yes, God had already inhabited the world with life, both plants and animals. But as we read in Genesis 1, God’s final creative act was to create living beings unlike anything else in creation. Why? Because humanity was created in the image of God.

Genesis 1:26–27 NASB95

26 Then God said, “Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; and let them 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 thing that creeps on the earth.” 27 God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them.

What does it mean to be made in God’s image?

Simply, humanity is made to resemble God

This does not mean we look like God — John 4:24 tells us “God is Spirit.”

God created us to resemble Him in three ways:

God created us relational

In Genesis 1:26-27, we see the Triune God depicted in eternal relationship. The Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. One God, three distinct parts.

Just as God is relational, we are created to be relational. In fact, it is on the basis of this image that we can have fellowship with God and our fellow man. We are created to have relationships with the other image-bearers He created. It’s why we excel when we are in community with those around us.

More importantly, we are created to have relationship with the God who personally formed us. It’s why you can have all the friendships and family members in the world and still feel and emptiness inside you. Because the God of the universe created you to be relational, and there is only One that can truly satisfy your hearts desire and His name is Jesus Christ. Amen?

As we continue through Genesis 2 today, we will get a glimpse into the relational component to be created in God’s image.

God created us moral

Romans 2:14–15 NASB95

14 For when Gentiles who do not have the Law do instinctively the things of the Law, these, not having the Law, are a law to themselves, 15 in that they show the work of the Law written in their hearts, their conscience bearing witness and their thoughts alternately accusing or else defending them,

In Romans 2, Paul addresses the question of how those who do not know God could live according to His law. He says the Law has been written on our hearts. Whose Law? God’s Law.

It’s why it doesn’t matter how old you are, when you do something wrong, even if no one else knows, you know it. You feel guilty. Why? Because God created you moral, according to His standard, and He is perfect, and just, and true, and right in all of His ways.

God created us eternal

Ecclesiastes 3:11 tells us God has “written eternity in the heart of man.” It’s why every single one of us instinctively knows, whether we want to admit it or not, that this life is not all there is. It’s why people ask, “Is there a God?” and “If there is a God, how do I know Him?”

Each of you was created eternal. You will live eternally somewhere, you just get to choose where.

Either you choose to live apart from God in a eternal state more terrible and painful than you can possibly imagine,

Or you choose to live with God in an eternal state more wonderful and beautiful than you can possibly fathom.

And Jesus Christ, the strong, mighty, powerful God who created the heavens and the earth in Genesis 1; who is the same relational, covenant keeping God in Genesis 2; that same God formed you in His image, which means you are unique, and special, and significant. And even if you say, “I don’t feel unique, or special, or significant.” Even if you say, “You don’t know the things I have done!” Even if you say, “I have done nothing with my life!” Jesus Christ wants you to know that you are significant, not because of anything you have done. He wants you to know you are significant in spite of the things you have done. Why? Because every single one of you bears His image. And the Almighty God whose image you bear wants a relationship with you. He wants you to know that He is the One Way, and the One Truth, and the One Life, and there is NO ONE who comes to the Father but through Him.

E. So because we are created as relational, moral, eternal beings in the image of God, it means we as humans are special, the crown of His creation, and therefore have a unique, significant role to play in the world God has created.

II. The Human Race to Exercise Dominion as His Representatives (vv. 8-20)

A. 1 Man, 1 Garden, 2 Trees

From verses 8 and 9 we learn a couple of important details:

God created the Garden of Eden and that is where He placed the man

All of the trees which God caused to grow in the garden were beautiful and good for food

This is important to remember for next week because it affirms that everything God made was good.

Two of the beautiful trees which God created were the Tree of Life and the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil

B. The location of the Garden of Eden

We don’t know where the Garden of Eden was. There are some speculations, but that is all they are: speculation.

Even though we have the names of four rivers (Pishon, Gihon, Tigris, and Euphrates), we only recognize two of them. We don’t know where the other two are.

Even if we knew where all four rivers are, we still couldn’t be sure where the Garden of Eden was because when we get to Genesis 6, you are going to learn about a catastrophic, global event called the Flood. When that happened, the earth was forever changed. So, not only are we unaware where the other two rivers are, we don’t even know if the Tigris and the Euphrates are in the same place.

All that is important here is that the text is clearly describing the location of a real, historical place called Eden, that God created a special garden in Eden, and that He is providing the necessary materials to nourish it.

C. Man’s Purpose

In verse 8, we learned that God created man to tend to the garden He had made.

In verse 15, God reiterates that He placed man in the garden to do one thing: Work!

Men, there is nothing wrong with work. It is what you were created to do. I am not talking to the ladies, they haven’t been created yet. Man was created to work and work is a good thing.

The fall is not what instituted work. Men working was established before sin entered the world. What changed was this: When Adam was created, work was easy. What that means exactly, I don’t know. We have never experienced it. After the fall, work became hard. What didn’t change was the Divine appointment for men to work.

Men, you are created to tend to what God has given you, meaning you were created to produce, to provide, to care for what has been entrusted to you. And you are to keep that. In other words, God has given you as men dominion over His creation and you are entrusted as His ambassador with how you care for it.

D. God’s Command

God tells Adam he can have anything in the garden he wants except the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil. In other words, God tells Adam, “Go out and delight in what I have made. I am awesome, everything I have made is awesome, and I want you to enjoy all of it.”

He commands him not to eat from it, and if he does, he will die. The literal translation is “dying you will die.” In other words, if you eat from this tree, you will certainly die. It does not mean at that instant Adam will die, but that he will now certainly know the reality of death.

Take note of this command as it is extremely important when we get into Genesis 3.

E. The one thing not good

The first thing God says is not good is loneliness. Adam doesn’t know this because Adam doesn’t know any different. But God recognizes, because we were made in His image, that we were created as relational beings.

It is also important to recognize God considers Adam alone even though He has relation to God.

So God says He will make a helper suitable for him.

Keep this phrase in the back of your mind as we will come back to it in a couple of verses.

So, God brings all the animals to Adam. Once again this is not in contradiction to Genesis 1. But how, because Genesis 1 told us animals were made before man and Genesis 2 is telling us man was made before animals.

We know that Genesis 2 focuses on Day 6, which means that everything else it mentions concerning creation isn’t necessarily in chronological order and could simply be the Bible reiterating to the reader that it was God who made it all.

The verb formed in the Hebrew is in the plu-perfect tense which means it can either be translated “formed” or “had formed.” Doesn’t matter which way you slice it, God formed the animals and all those animals He brought to Adam to name.

How could Adam have possibly named all those animals?

We will go into this in more detail when we get to the account of Noah, but ultimately it comes down to a few factors:

Firstly, God brought all the animals to Adam. He didn’t have to go out and find them.

Secondly, according to the Bible, Adam is only tasked with naming the land animals and birds. There is no indication he named anything else. So the number of living creatures for Adam to name is drastically reduced.

The third reason has to do with the difference between what the Bible calls “kinds” (each according to its kind) and what we call “species.” Adam would have only needed to name a fraction of millions of species we have today through what we call “kinds.”

Assuming Adam had to name 2,500 proto-species (genera), and he named a single proto-species every five seconds, it would have taken him approximately three hours and 45 minutes to complete the task if we include a five-minute break every hour.

Why does God bring the animals to Adam to name?

God created man to exercise dominion of His creation. In other words, God is showing Adam that he is unlike anything else that was created and is participating as an image-bearer in the creative process.

God is demonstrating to Adam his need of a helper suitable to him.

III. The Institution of Marriage, Between One Man and One Woman, to Display His Glory (vv. 21-25)

A. No Suitable Helper is Found

What does suitable/comparable mean?

If you go back to verse 18 and verse 20, phrase helper suitable for him literally means “a helper who is his equal.”

God brings plenty of animals to Adam, and all of them in one way or another could be helpers. But none of them are his equal. In other words, none of them are made in the image of God.

God takes the material to form woman from Adam’s side.

This is not original with me, and I don’t know who originally said it, but I like this concept:

He did not create woman from his head because she was not designed to dominate him.

He did not create woman from man’s feet because man was not designed to trample over her.

He created woman from his side because she is his equal.

And He took from a rib which was under his arm because man was called to protect her.

And He took a rib which was close to his heart because man was designed to loved her.

Women, your calling as helper is not condescending, degrading, or inferior.

Just as a man’s calling to work is a Divine appointment, so your role as helper is a Divine appointment.

If we take apart the word helper even further in the Hebrew, we find that it literally means “as opposed to him.” In other words, women you help to make your man better by challenging him. This does not mean you should be a challenge to your husband, but that you are challenging him to be better.

If that still isn’t good enough, the same term that is used as helper here in Genesis is used to describe God.

Deuteronomy 33:29 NASB95

29 “Blessed are you, O Israel; Who is like you, a people saved by the Lord, Who is the shield of your help And the sword of your majesty! So your enemies will cringe before you, And you will tread upon their high places.”

Psalm 33:20 NASB95

20 Our soul waits for the Lord; He is our help and our shield.

Still not convinced? It took God one verse to describe the creation of man, but it takes God six verses to describe the creation of woman (2:18-2:23). Take that for what you will.

B. Best nap EVER!

We read this so monotone. That’s not at all how Adam reacted when he woke up.

I mean men, how would you react if you went to sleep and you woke up with a naked woman next to you that perfectly completes you in ways you didn’t even know you needed?

C. The first marriage — ONE FLESH

Men, listen to me. Women, listen to me. If you want to get marriage, you have to get this verse. If you miss this verse, you miss everything.

You leave and you cleave. It means this: Men, you make decisions based upon what is best for your wife and for your family. Women, you make decisions based upon what is best for your husband and your family. You become your own family. You become ONE flesh.

What does that mean? When you become married, you will spend the rest of your life learning what it means to be one flesh. Because no matter who you marry, you are absolutely, positively NOTHING like that person.

Ephesians 5:31 NASB95

31 For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and shall be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh.

Matthew 19:4–5 NASB95

4 And He answered and said, “Have you not read that He who created them from the beginning made them male and female, 5 and said, ‘For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh’?

D. Completely naked, completely vulnerable

Adam and Eve are completely comfortable in their nakedness because they know nothing different. There is nothing dirty here about how God created them. There is no shame.

That’s important for next week.

Nakedness here is also a perfect picture of what husbands and wives are called to be in their marriage. Completely vulnerable with each other and unashamed in that.

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