Editor's Note
As we said on Sunday in our “Christian to the Core” series, we’re inviting the entire Harris Creek family to read the Bible over the next four years, one chapter per day, from cover to cover. If you’ve been following along with us, you know we read Genesis 1-6 last week. We’re going to repeat those chapters this week, then move on to 7-12 next week so we’re all on the same page.
Be on the lookout for our new Family Guide coming on Sunday so you can recap and discuss the previous week’s readings with your kids!
Read Genesis 2
1 Thus the heavens and the earth were completed in all their vast array.
2 By the seventh day God had finished the work he had been doing; so on the seventh day he rested from all his work. 3 Then God blessed the seventh day and made it holy, because on it he rested from all the work of creating that he had done.
Adam and Eve
4 This is the account of the heavens and the earth when they were created, when the Lord God made the earth and the heavens.
5 Now no shrub had yet appeared on the earth and no plant had yet sprung up, for the Lord God had not sent rain on the earth and there was no one to work the ground, 6 but streams came up from the earth and watered the whole surface of the ground. 7 Then 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.
8 Now the Lord God had planted a garden in the east, in Eden; and there he put the man he had formed. 9 The Lord 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.
10 A river watering the garden flowed from Eden; from there it was separated into four headwaters. 11 The name of the first is the Pishon; it winds through the entire land of Havilah, where there is gold. 12 (The gold of that land is good; aromatic resin and onyx are also there.) 13 The name of the second river is the Gihon; it winds through the entire land of Cush. 14 The name of the third river is the Tigris; it runs along the east side of Ashur. And the fourth river is the Euphrates.
15 The Lord God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and take care of it. 16 And the Lord God commanded the man, “You are free to eat from any tree in the garden; 17 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.”
18 The Lord God said, “It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper suitable for him.”
19 Now the Lord God had formed out of the ground all the wild animalsand all the birds in the sky. He brought them to the man to see what he would name them; and whatever the man called each living creature, that was its name. 20 So the man gave names to all the livestock, the birds in the sky and all the wild animals.
But for Adam no suitable helper was found. 21 So the Lord God caused the man to fall into a deep sleep; and while he was sleeping, he took one of the man’s ribs and then closed up the place with flesh. 22 Then the Lord God made a woman from the rib he had taken out of the man, and he brought her to the man.
23 The man 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.”
24 That is why a man leaves his father and mother and is united to his wife, and they become one flesh.
25 Adam and his wife were both naked, and they felt no shame.
Go Deeper
Genesis 2 leads us to the end of the creation account and to the introduction of Adam and Eve. For a brief moment in time, all is as it should be in the world. Modern-day chapter and verse designations wrap up the creation account in Genesis 2:1-3 when God finishes creation and designates the seventh day as holy. Interestingly, there is no mention of an evening or morning on the seventh day, implying that sanctifying His creation was ongoing and personal. In John 5:17, Jesus explains, “My father is working until now…”. Rather than needing a break, God’s focus shifts from creation to governance of his creation.
Genesis 2:4 introduces the generations of the heavens and earth, marking a focused retelling of creation’s why (not necessarily the sequence) explaining the results of creation. While Genesis 1 culminates in the creation of humanity, and all is good, Genesis 2 reorders the sequence, explaining that there was no one to work the land (v. 5), so he created humanity and planted a garden in the barren land of Eden (v. 8), with two prominent trees–including one to be avoided (v. 9, 17): the Tree of Life (immortality) and the Tree of Knowledge (of good and evil). Genesis 2:10-14 describes a river of life (Revelation 22:1) in the garden, a paradise in a wilderness. Genesis 2:15-20 assigns humanity shared dominion in paradise, allowing him to eat from all but the forbidden trees.
In Genesis 2:21-25, God states that it is not “good” for humans to be alone and creates a companion, made of one flesh, designed to be one flesh (1+1=1), and they were without shame. Imagine living with God in paradise, walking with God in the cool of the day, with fruitful work and dominion over all creation, without sickness, fear, or temptation; the same idyllic paradise Jesus is coming to restore (Revelation 21:3). We worship in the “not yet.”
Questions
- What stuck out to you on your first read through this chapter? Why?
- How does this chapter foreshadow the gospel? What do you learn about God’s character in this passage?
- Why would God withhold immortality and the knowledge of good and evil from humanity?
Listen Here
Listen to the song “So Will I” from Hillsong United as you reflect on the creation story.
7 thoughts on “Genesis 2”
24 “That is why a man leaves his father and mother and is united to his wife, and they become one flesh.“
For those whom God calls to marriage, we must embrace and live out the truth of this verse.
God created all the animals and birds out of the same earth from which he created human beings. But only humans receive the unique designation as image-bearers, created in the very likeness of God, and only human beings appear to receive from their creator the breath of life in such an intimate, personal way. God takes great care in how Adam and Eve are made and has in mind a special purpose and calling for their lives and their relationships with him and with each other.
This chapter is a lot of first. First sabbath, first home, first covenant, first marriage. God gave us His word so that we know how to navigate this world. These were the first but now we have a greater because of what Jesus accomplished for us. We can be in a constant state of worship and fellowship, every day. This is not our home but we are told of a greater plan for all eternity but in the meantime we have work to do just like Adam, we are to tell others about Jesus but also take care of what we have been entrusted to in this world. The first covenant was for Adam and Eve to follow God, He gave them freedom of will ,just like us. Now we have a different covenant that Jesus accomplished but once again it is about freedom of will. God wants us to desire Him like He desires us, to make the choice to live our life for and about Him. Jesus is the bridegroom awaiting us His bride for a better marriage. The “great mystery” Eph 5:22-33 of marriage. Marriage should be a civil relationship, a spiritual one and a heart relationship based on the Word of God and motivated by love.
Weirsbe states “We live in a world created by God, we are creatures made iin the image of God, and we enjoy multiplied blessings from the hand of God. How tragic that so many people leave God out to their lives and become confused wanderrers in a unfriendly world, when they could be children of God in their Father’s world.”
God thank You for so loving me. Thank You for Your unending, unfathomable, always waiting Hesed LOVE. God thank You for me opening my mouth to share about You. Thank You for wisdom with those words. God thank You for ears to hear from You. God I give You glory and honor and praise for the k-jillion things You do for just me everyday, and the k-jillion more You do for my family, friends and ect… God thank You for helping me be bold, thank You for letting Your light so shine through me today. Thank You for each minute of this day, that You are glorified in all I say and do in Jesus name amen.
WOOHOO!!!!!!!!!
In this perfect state of God’s creation, there was no shame. (v25) It’s as if the writer purposefully leaves us with this critical piece of information noting the innocence of Adam & Eve. In chapter 3 we will read of how a single act of rebellion shatters God’s perfect creation and sin enters the landscape.
We worship in the “not yet”-this hits perfectly. We worship in the tension of what has been promised and what has been fulfilled.
I love remembering how God is all knowing therefore He knew this creation would fall, and yet He still chose to create us and pursue us. What a love! Imagine knowing that the very thing you crafted from head to toe was going to rebel against you, He didn’t have to create us to begin with. He could have sat in a beautiful world without fall and yet out of His love He desired to create us AND trust us to bear His image. What a love.
Found it! All of the animals and creatures were spoken into existence, but GOD took the time to create us with HIS own hands. Creating us in HIS own image!