The first three verses of Genesis 2 are the completion of the account of Genesis 1. They wrap up God’s creating work and establish the day of rest (aka Sabbath) as Saturday. Obviously, every day belongs to God, but this day was intended to be a day of refreshment and fellowship with God. As time went on, God specifically instructed the Israelites to observe the Sabbath day as their day of worship. People have, since then, have corrupted the idea of the Sabbath Day and made it an obligation that we must fulfill; one more thing that we have to do to make God happy. However, God’s intention in setting aside a day of worship was not that we’d work while He rests, but that we would rest with Him and be refreshed by His presence and work in our lives, for even on the Sabbath God does not fully rest from all of His work. He still takes care of His creation, and, especially, his people.
The rest of Genesis 2 focuses in on the creation of man. In 1:26-31, the creation of man was reported in very broad terms. One of the important details, however, in that section is that man was created in the image of God. That does not mean that people look like God. God is spirit. As far as we know he does not have a physical body outside of the body He took on when Jesus was incarnated and born. What this means is that people were like God in holiness and having the ability to be creative and to choose. We still bear some of this image as moral creatures who have God’s Law written in our hearts.
It is in this chapter that we first hear that something is not good. “It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make a helper fit for him.” Some people have been offended that woman is here referred to as a “helper.” They feel that this diminishes her value in the relationship between man and woman, and sets up a precedent for male dominance. This is not the case at all, and truly reflects our sinful nature. The Hebrew word for helper in 2:18 is ezer. An ezer is not a helper in the sense of a servant or one who does another’s bidding. I used to be my dad’s helper when he did projects around the house, which meant that he did the work and knew what to do and I was merely there to assist. That is not an ezer. In fact, there is one other person whom the Bible refers to as an ezer, and that is God. To need help and receive it is a great blessing. To have the ability to help another and use it is power. It is as our ezer that Jesus gives his life to help us in our need to redeem us from our sin!
We should notice something significant here about mankind. All throughout Genesis 1 God created by speaking. He spoke and it happened. In creating man he becomes much more intimately involved. The Lord formed the man using earth. In fact, the name Adam (which hasn’t been used yet) literally means clay or earth. God sculpted him from the clay and then breathed life into him. The woman was made by taking the man’s rib and God built her (the only instance that this verb is used in creation). Nothing else in creation received such special attention. We truly are special in all of God’s creation, and the relationship between man and woman/husband and wife is different than that of male and female animals. The man rejoices in her, “This at last is bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh!” They fit each other and completed each other. Marriage is the extension of that relationship, and is for more that biological procreation. It is the context that the deepest form of human commitment and love is lived out, reflecting, in a way, the love of Father, Son, and Holy Spirit in the Trinity through the image of God.
God, help me know where I fit in Your creation, and rejoice in how You made me and saved me. Amen.
The rest of Genesis 2 focuses in on the creation of man. In 1:26-31, the creation of man was reported in very broad terms. One of the important details, however, in that section is that man was created in the image of God. That does not mean that people look like God. God is spirit. As far as we know he does not have a physical body outside of the body He took on when Jesus was incarnated and born. What this means is that people were like God in holiness and having the ability to be creative and to choose. We still bear some of this image as moral creatures who have God’s Law written in our hearts.
It is in this chapter that we first hear that something is not good. “It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make a helper fit for him.” Some people have been offended that woman is here referred to as a “helper.” They feel that this diminishes her value in the relationship between man and woman, and sets up a precedent for male dominance. This is not the case at all, and truly reflects our sinful nature. The Hebrew word for helper in 2:18 is ezer. An ezer is not a helper in the sense of a servant or one who does another’s bidding. I used to be my dad’s helper when he did projects around the house, which meant that he did the work and knew what to do and I was merely there to assist. That is not an ezer. In fact, there is one other person whom the Bible refers to as an ezer, and that is God. To need help and receive it is a great blessing. To have the ability to help another and use it is power. It is as our ezer that Jesus gives his life to help us in our need to redeem us from our sin!
We should notice something significant here about mankind. All throughout Genesis 1 God created by speaking. He spoke and it happened. In creating man he becomes much more intimately involved. The Lord formed the man using earth. In fact, the name Adam (which hasn’t been used yet) literally means clay or earth. God sculpted him from the clay and then breathed life into him. The woman was made by taking the man’s rib and God built her (the only instance that this verb is used in creation). Nothing else in creation received such special attention. We truly are special in all of God’s creation, and the relationship between man and woman/husband and wife is different than that of male and female animals. The man rejoices in her, “This at last is bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh!” They fit each other and completed each other. Marriage is the extension of that relationship, and is for more that biological procreation. It is the context that the deepest form of human commitment and love is lived out, reflecting, in a way, the love of Father, Son, and Holy Spirit in the Trinity through the image of God.
God, help me know where I fit in Your creation, and rejoice in how You made me and saved me. Amen.
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