Sermon Tone Analysis

Genesis 2:4-7

Man has been infatuated with the idea of artificial intelligence for a long time...

We have a significant limitation as creatures—we do not have the power, authority, ability to create life…that belongs to the Lord God alone.

Some Observations

Generations

“this is the account...” from the Heb toledoth Lit “To bear, beget” and refers to the descendants or successors which follow.

The term is appears 11x in Gen and forms somewhat the outline to the rest of the book in describing the generations (genealogy) of key figures: Adam (Ch 5), Noah (ch 6-9), Noah’s sons (ch 10-11), Shem (11), Terah, Ishmael, Isaac, Esau, Jacob.

This word refers then to the offspring of those men—the account of the generations that follow.

In Gen 2—it is a bit unusual to find this term relating to something other than humans…in this case it is generations of the heavens and the earth—focusing on the narrative of creation.

Now, this has stirred a great deal of debate in the scholarly realm where some have suggested this is a 2nd account of creation and its stands in contradiction to the 1st account in ch 1.

The relationship b/t chs 1 & 2 is simple…ch 1 expresses on the grand scale, the creation of the cosmos—the universe.

Ch 2—since it pertains to the “generations” the term that means “what comes from” something and in this case what comes from the creation of the heavens and the earth—namely man.

This is not a 2nd creation but moves the focus from the cosmos to the Garden of Eden—which is where everything here happens.

The Name of God

Up to this point, Moses has used 1 designation for God (Elohim 35x).

This is the term used to portray God as the majestic Creator of the Universe—the one having supreme power.

But a switch takes place in 2:4 where the personal covenant name of God who relates to and redeems His people.

This name is Yahweh-Elohim.

This is what Hebrew scholars refer to as the Tetragrammaton.

YHWH

This is the name that is used for God—but interestingly in Gen 2-3 the only time it isn’t used is during the exchange b/t the serpent and Eve as she is deceived and lured into sin (3:2-5).

Wenham says:

“The god they are talking about is malevolent, secretive, and concerned to restrict man: his character is so different from that of Yahweh Elohim that the narrative pointedly avoids the name in the dialogue.”

This name change is particularly important b/c of His relationship with man and woman detailed in Gen 2. He is not only Creator:

…but He is also Redeemer:

The Condition of the Earth

Since this part of the narrative concerns what comes from the creation of the heavens and the earth, Moses describes the condition of the earth prior to God creating man.

Now, the picture we are given is that of a barren land—explaining that the condition is one that is untended.

We see it is untended by the 4-fold description:

No Shrub

This is referring to a desert shrub…big enough to shade Ishmael (21:15) and to give protection to those seeking it (Job 30:4,7).

No Plant (sprouted)

These two terms seem to parallel what would be a part of God’s curse on the ground in view of man’s transgression:

No Rain (see vs 6)—spring, subterranean rising up from the ground bringing water to the surface—the result was that earth was not arid/desert.

No man to cultivate

Kent Hughes suggests: “Thus bushes and small plants are post-fall phenomena that occurred when Adam began to tend the earth.”

What we can observe is that following day 3 of creation, the earth was prepared for man but it was unproductive until the labor of a farmer was added.

Adam needed to rule/subdue the earth for it to be fit for humanity.

But in the aftermath of the fall, severe consequences led to the productivity of the earth only after considerable work/effort had been applied.

This all brings us to God’s crowning achievement in creation—the creation of man.

As we begin to examine the character of the Garden of Eden (vs 8)—the focus will keep returning to man and his relationship to his environment and to His Creator.

1) Man’s Nature

Moses explains what happens at the pinnacle of creation on day 6— Yahweh-Elohim formed man…The word “formed” expresses the relationship b/t the craftsman and the material and is the language of the potter.

That’s what the potter does—he forms (out of clay) whereas God formed man from dust.

But you see the relationship b/t the craftsman and material.

This term is also used to speak of intention:

It is Yahweh’s intention to work out His perfect design.

So He forms/fashions man—not an afterthought but the intentional work of the infinitely wise God who also formed the universe.

…and of man...

In this description of God forming man (and it is often forgotten, ignored, rejected) is the truth that God has absolute freedom when it comes to how He chooses to form man (divine sovereignty)

Now, notice the material God used to form man…dust.

There is a play on words in Heb that doesn’t appear in English: Lord God formed man (adam) from the dust of the ground (adamah).

Adam was named from the materials he was taken from—the dust of the ground.

John Calvin has a perceptive thought here:

“The body of Adam is formed of clay and destitute of sense; to the end that no one should exult beyond measure in his flesh.

He must be excessively stupid who does not here learn humility.”

Now here is an amazing contrast that begins to emerge in the forming of man from the dust of the ground.

This speaks of a lowliness that Calvin rightly observes…but not in a sense of evil (b/c there is no sin and dust created by God is good).

A. Lowliness

Study of dust in Scripture is a worthy pursuit.

Dust is the picture of humiliation, lowliness, self-denigration and what is trivial or transitory.

Dust Speaks of Little Worth

Abraham pleading with God over Sodom

Hannah who praises God b/c He heard her request for a son

God reminded king Baasha of Israel (God removed him and brought him back down to dust)

Sometimes dust was the picture of total defeat of one’s enemies

Sometimes it is a sign of mourning

Revelation 18:19 (NASB95) Kings of the earth lament over Babylon

19 “And they threw dust on their heads and were crying out, weeping and mourning, saying, ‘Woe, woe, the great city, in which all who had ships at sea became rich by her wealth, for in one hour she has been laid waste!’

Dust Speaks of Frustration

Greatest example is in Satan and the consequence of God’s curse:

B/c dust is the figure of defeat and humiliation, Satan is pictured as one whose plans have been frustrated.

God judged him on account of his sinful pride, and His judgment on Satan resulted in his fall where he took opportunity in the Garden to deceive Eve and to lure her into temptation and transgression against the Creator.

Satan’s plan was bitterly frustrated (though he succeeded in deceiving her), God was always in control:

The cross of JC is where Satan finds his greatest frustration—and that frustration was apparent even before the death of Jesus.

At one point, this is right after Peter’s great confession that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the living God.

When Satan isn’t actively seeking to kill JC, he is trying to interrupt God’s plan of redemption any way he can.

It is always a frustration and so it is with anyone who seeks to rebel against the Lord God.

Dust Speaks of Death

For the unbeliever—death is the ultimate frustration:

This judgment was expressed in Gen upon man’s trangression:

Job thought about this on many occasions:

Job 17:16 (NASB95) Speaking of Hope

16 “Will it go down with me to Sheol?

Shall we together go down into the dust?”

Job 21:26 (NASB95) the prosperous wicked and the poor...

26 “Together they lie down in the dust, And worms cover them.

David said prophetically of JC:

While there is the constant notes of little worth, frustration and death in the image of dust—it is different for the Xn.

James Boice writes:

“While we are formed form the dust we remember that it is God who has formed us and who “remembers that we are but dust” (Ps 103:14)…as the psalm goes on to say...

Boice continues: the psalm also adds...

God is with those who have put their trust in Him—so dust is not final.

B. Infinite Value

Here is the contrast, though man is formed from dust, taken from what is common…man has infinite value described by what God does after He forms man “breathed into…” do you want to know where the sanctity of life comes from?

Its right here.

B/c God created man in His own image—forming him from dust and breathing into his nostrils the breath of life, man becomes a living being (nephesh)—the image bearer of God.

He has infinite value—even above the rest of creation.

Derek Kidner “Breathed is warmly personal, with the face-to-face intimacy of a kiss and the significance that this was an act of giving as well as making; and self-giving at that.”

I can’t help but think of what happened in Ezekiel’s vision of the valley of dry bones when the bones of the slain were brought back to life by the breath of the Spirit: