Introducing God's Steward for the Earth

     We’ve seen that man was created in God’s image to have dominion over the earth and all other life on the earth.  What makes man unique with respect to other living creatures?

     “And the LORD God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living being.”  Genesis 2:7

     There are three terms used relative to Adam’s origin.  It was stated previously that Adam was created in the image of God.  ‘Created’ means to be brought into existence from nothing, i.e. to be initiated which can only be done by an act of God.   ‘Made’ means to construct, build, fulfill for a purpose while ‘formed’ similarly means to fashion for a predestined purpose.

     Recall that God looked on His work on earth after He created Adam and described it as ‘very good’.  ‘Very’ does mean exceedingly as previously stated, but other synonyms include utterly and wholly.  The term ‘good’ means excellent, fruitful, and righteous.

     Jesus expounded on the term ‘good’ in His teachings while addressing the rich young ruler.

     “So Jesus said to him, ‘Why do you call Me good?  No one is good but One, that is God.’”  Luke 18:19

     Therefore, Adam was created, made, and formed with Godlike attributes.

     In Genesis 2:7 above it states that God formed man…and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life so that Adam became a living being.

     The Hebrew for ‘breath’ means the Spirit of God including wisdom and divine inspiration.  ‘Life’ in the phrase ‘breath of life’ means to live forever and fresh running water.  In the King James Version the term ‘soul’ is used instead of life with meanings including soul, spirit, and mind.  Death occurs when the soul or ‘life’ departs.

     The term ‘life’ in the phrase ‘tree of life’ is from the same Hebrew base used in ‘breath of life’ in Genesis 2:7.  In other words, the tree of life was meant to sustain Adam and his descendants with life as defined above forever.

     Adam was endowed with more than the imagination could ever dream of. 

 

     In His infinite wisdom God observed in His timing that while Adam named and had dominion over all other living creatures, he had no mate comparable to himself.  The terminology in the KJV is ‘but for Adam there was not found a help meet for him.’

     The word ‘help’ in the above means ‘aid’.

     The phrase ‘meet for him’ in the Hebrew means ‘part opposite’, specifically a ‘counterpart’ or ‘mate’.

     Adam was provided a perfectly suited mate. 

     “And the LORD God caused a deep sleep to fall on Adam, and he slept; and He took one of his ribs, and closed up the flesh in its place.  Then the rib which the LORD God had taken from man He made into a woman…”  Genesis 2:21-22

     When God brought the woman to Adam, he said:

     “This is now bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh…”  Genesis 2:23

     The woman, subsequently named Eve, was of the exact species of Adam. She was, however, the counterpart of Adam.  A proper definition of counterpart is ‘something that fits another perfectly; something that completes; one remarkably similar to another’.  While Adam was a man Eve was a woman.  Adam was a male and Eve was a female. 

     Eve was to be a helper to Adam.  Eve was weaker than Adam and was to be cooperatively submissive to him.  Adam was to be the stronger and protector.  That relationship of order defines marriage and is to remain throughout the current age of the church. 

     “Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and they shall become one flesh.”  Genesis 2:24

     That was/is God’s plan for man to ‘be fruitful and multiply; fill the earth, and subdue it...’

     God’s perfect plan and perfect relationship for Adam and Eve had begun.  They were placed in perfect surroundings and in fact were in the very presence of God Himself.  It couldn’t have been any better.

     Next we’ll examine what initiated the odyssey of change and the reasons for disobeying God’s instructions.