Genesis 2 (NIV)
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.
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 animals and 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.
Genesis 2 gives us an insight into God’s plan for mankind, how He intended for us to live and be. The kind of lifestyle He intended for us, how everything was before sin stepped into the scene.
The good news however is that even today, you can still live as God intended. All you need to do is believe in Jesus, who God sent to redeem humanity, and accept Him as Lord of your life.
that if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation..
Romans 10:9-10 KJV
Some lessons from Genesis 2
- God created the world in its vast array in 6 days. Let this be a reminder that in just the blink of an eye, He can turn your entire life. So, do not become dismayed even when nothing seems to be going right, even when the time seems too short for any change to happen. God can turn everything around for your good in just a moment.
- Why did God rest on the seventh day: contrary to what many people tend to assume from Genesis 2:2, God did not rest because He was tired, He rested because He had finished the work of creation He had been doing.
- Where the Spirit (breath) of God is, there is life: When God formed Adam, he was just a lump of dirt but he became a living (and life-giving) being when God breathed into his nostrils.
- God’s will is for His children that we enjoy life: only after God had finished His work of creation did He make man. This just goes to show that God didn’t expect us to get here and figure everything out on our own. Gods will for us is that we enjoy the work of His hands.
- Why did God not hide the tree of life and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil? Freewill: God made us thinkers. Unlike the devil, God does not possess us and force us to do things without consent. He gave us freewill that we may be able to make our own decisions. Next time you think about blaming anyone for things happening in your life just remember this: “you have freewill and the ability to effect change in your life”. Also because of your freewill, you are responsible for the consequences of your actions.
- God expects us to work and be productive: God expects us to take care of the things He has given us, and make use of what He’s given us (resources, skills, talents etc.) to serve one another and bring Him glory.
- Companionship: marriage is part of God’s plan for mankind. God made Eve a suitable companion for Adam, to help him (Adam) do his work. Marriage is not just about physical attraction, when searching for your suitable mate, think about your goals, your objectives, your divine purpose, and marry someone who will work with you, not against you. Divorce was never part of God’s plan for us, when two people marry, they become one in God’s eyes.
- Parents and children: even though Adam and Eve had no human parents, God had already established the concept of children being born to parents, so that children can be raised, educated and nurtured by their parents.
Reflection
- How can you use what you have to serve God and be a blessing to the world?
- Are you taking accountability for your actions or blaming everyone else for your outcomes?
- How can you apply God’s word to turn your life around?
Further reading
- Psalm 121:4 KJV [“Behold, he that keepeth Israel Shall neither slumber nor sleep.”]
- Isaiah 40:28 KJV [“Hast thou not known? hast thou not heard, that the everlasting God, the LORD, the Creator of the ends of the earth, fainteth not, neither is weary? there is no searching of his understanding.”]
- 1 Peter 4:10 NIV [“Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God’s grace in its various forms.”]
Prayer
Father I thank you for your word that teaches me about who you are and who I am in you. I thank for you have made me like you in this world. I pray that as I study and meditate on your word, they will produce life in my body and bring transformation in my life. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
Community
Leave a comment to let us know what lessons you learned and revelations you got from this passage of scripture. Feel free to drop any questions you have in the comments section below.
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God bless you!
