The
first two chapters of Genesis describe creation. Much has been written,
discussed, disagreed upon, denied, and ignored about these two chapters. The
first question you must ask yourself about these opening chapters of the Bible
is whether you believe them or not. In Hebrews 11:3 it clearly states, “By
faith we understand that the universe was created by the word of God, so that
what is seen was not made out of things that are visible.” The only way
to understand what is going on in the opening chapters of the Bible is to
believe what it says. As you believe, understanding follows.
The creation account of Genesis chapter
one reveals what God created and how; by first speaking it, then by doing it.
The creation account of Genesis chapter two gives more details of the creation
of mankind from the account in chapter one. It is not a different account from
another source, but rather a more specific account than the
general account of chapter one.
One of those specifics is how God
created Adam and how he created Eve. God created Adam from the dust of the
earth and by breathing into his nostrils the breath of life. God gave Adam his
Spirit, his life. God created Eve by putting Adam in a deep sleep, removing one
of his ribs, closing the place up with flesh, and fashioning Eve from that rib.
Amazing.
God created both, “…in the image his own image, in
the image of God he created him, male and female he created them.” Genesis
1:27. And God blessed them. “And God said to them, ‘Be fruitful and
multiply and fill the earth and subdue it and have dominion over the fish of
the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over every living thing that
moves on the earth.’ ” Genesis 1:28. God spoke that word to both of
them, but at different times since they were created at different times; Adam
first, then Eve. God had also blessed the birds of heavens and the fish of the
sea in Genesis 1:22 with a similar blessing, but it was not spoken to them, but
over them. There is a difference. And he certainly did not give the birds and
fish the command to subdue and have dominion over the living things.
When God put Adam in the garden to serve and
keep it, he also gave him the charge of naming the animals to begin leading
them and to discover that they could not help him subdue and have dominion. It
was after this that God fashion Eve from his rib and Adam exclaimed, “This
at last is bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh; she shall be called Woman,
because she was taken out of Man.” Genesis 2:23. As Adam named Eve he
entered into a different kind of relationship with her than with the animals.
He entered into a marriage covenant with her to learn together to lead by
following God’s word.
Eve would learn from Adam to follow God’s word
of tending and keeping the garden, of calling the animals by name, of getting
wisdom from God’s word and not from a tree, and of subduing and having dominion
over the garden and ultimately over all of creation. They were naked and
unashamed, meaning they shared everything in common as one without hiding anything
from each other or from God. They were truly one with each other and with God.
Leadership is learned at home in a loving,
growing, forgiving, and encouraging environment, where the husband leads the
family to hear God’s word and follow him. In the family God created, he created
each person in his image with the ability to lead by hearing God, trusting God,
and serving God. And they would learn this together and unashamed.
You may not live in a family like God created
the family to be, but you are still made in his image with the calling to lead
in the family you are in. You can hear God’s word, trust him, and serve him
regardless of the condition of your family. As you do, the opportunity is given
to your family to learn to hear God’s voice and follow him.
Memorize and meditate on Psalm 119:15 today, “I
will meditate on your precepts and fix my eyes on your ways.” Then do
it.
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