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BIBLE
STUDY LESSON
For
the week beginning Sunday June 3, 2018
THE MAN AND WOMAN IN EDEN
Genesis 2
Back in Genesis chapter 1, verses 26-31 Moses tells us
that GOD created mankind and “patterned him after HIMSELF, spiritually”. This
means that HE gave only humans the capacity for “spiritual fellowship” with
HIM, or, in other words, HE shared, only with the human side of HIS creation,
“HIS nature”. In verse 27, the Hebrew word used for “image”, is “tselem”
(tseh-lem), and it means, “a representative figure”. And so here the word
“image” is not literal, because JESUS tells us that GOD does not have a
“physical” image, but rather, HE is Spirit (John 4:24).
When GOD created us, HE assigned us a
special “body” or “physical image” just as HE did for all of HIS creation,
however, by sharing with us HIS nature, HE singled us out for a special personal
relationship of friendship and fellowship with HIM, and worship of HIM. GOD is
spirit, and so the image of HIM that we share is spiritual, not physical.
Therefore, the only way we can really resemble GOD is through our behavior. We
must act like we are children of GOD, and behave the way JESUS taught us to behave,
in obedience to GOD, when HE lived here on earth as a 100% human being.
And so the phrase “made in GOD’s image” is
speaking of a “spiritual image” that consists of the communicable spiritual
attributes of GOD, which we now know as, “GOD’s Nature”, or, “The Nature of
GOD”. GOD’s Nature is what all men and women have in common from birth. And
when we are in touch with GOD’s Nature that is within us, we don’t desire to do
things that displease GOD, or get confused about what our roles are under GOD.
We know that if we are born male, we are “a representative figure” of “manhood”
under GOD, and if we are born a female, we are “a representative figure” of
“womanhood” under GOD.
When GOD uniquely breathed HIS spirit and
life into man, HE also imparted to us, the elements of HIS nature, which allows
us to have the capacity for spiritual fellowship with HIM, and to worship HIM
as GOD. These are the seven basic
elements, or attributes of GOD’s nature that all human beings are born with;
·
Life – Genesis 2:7a, John 1:4
& 14:6
·
Personality – Genesis 2:7b
·
Truth – John 14:6, Hosea
14:9b
·
Wisdom – Proverbs 7
·
Love – 1 John 4:8 & 16
·
Justice – Jeremiah 50:7b,
Psalm 89:14a, Deuteronomy 16:18-20
·
Holiness – Leviticus 11:44
& 19:2
With that being said, now let us look at
the creation of man in even more detail. In Genesis chapter 2, verse 1, the
bible tells us that “the creation of the heavens and the earth and everything
in them was complete”. This means that GOD had “totally finished” HIS
work of creation, and left nothing undone that HE would have to come back later
on and finish, or change. And neither does HE need man to come along and try to
change anything for HIM, or, desire to change the things of GOD to suit our own
selfish, evil, pride-filled purposes.
And so, we are to function as GOD
originally purposed us to do in this world that HE created, and if we are to
stay within HIS Will, we must stay within the creation roles that HE has
blessed us with, be it our “general” creation role as “male” and “female”, our
“specific” creation role that HE assigns us to when working as a team or group,
or, our “personal” creation role in life that only we, as an individual, are
called to do.
Man is incapable of improving upon
GOD’s work, period. He cannot improve upon GOD in any way, not in nature, not
in animals, not in insects, not in birds, not in human beings, human functions,
nor in our creation roles, and certainly not in the way that the institution of
marriage was originally set up. As mere humans, we don’t get to change the
definitions that GOD has already placed on morality, marriage, creation roles,
etc.
Here in Genesis chapter 2, verses 8-17,
Moses tells how GOD carefully shaped the “Garden of Eden” so that Adam and Eve
(not Adam and Steve, nor Eva and Eve), whom HE created, would be able to use
all of those “communicable attributes”, to make wise decisions based on
obedience to HIM. They were not to use human ingenuity, sexual perversion, or
any of the other things that evil minds concoct to do, through pride,
self-worship, and worship of other people, places, and things (self-made
idols).
GOD left it to them to take care of their
place of residence that HE had so generously provided for them here on earth,
and, HE also left them with specific instructions as to how they should live
under HIM. Those attributes that HE embodied in them were to also come in handy
as they explored and discovered their love and respect for each other, their
delight in meaningful work, their moral responsibility, and even their passion
for invention.
When GOD fashioned beautiful Eve from the
rib of Adam (the world’s first surgery–v.21), it let man know that “he and
woman” would always share a common identity in GOD, and “a distinct identity
from each other” (separate and distinct creation roles). They would always be
equals, who are interdependent upon each other, sharing in GOD’s likeness, or,
spiritual image, and, as husband and wife, they should always be distinct, and
yet inseparable. They would always share an equal responsibility in caring for
each other, and, for all of GOD’s other creation.
And so we see in verse 7 that GOD made man distinctly
for HIMSELF, shaping him from the dust of the earth, and breathing life into
him, along with all the other characteristics of HIS nature, giving him a
personality (making him a living person) that was compatible with HIS OWN, so
that he would obey, serve and worship HIM, at all times, in the capacity in
which HE wants him to serve. And then later (Vs.20b-22), HE made woman, from
man, for man, to be a companion who will help him at all times, in the capacity
in which GOD wants her to serve him (v.18). They were also to come together in
marriage, to “reproduce life” through sexual intercourse (Genesis 1:28a), and the
man (Adam) and the woman (Eve) knew no sin at that time. This would be the only
time period on earth, be it very short, when a full-grown man or woman lived
perfectly under GOD, until JESUS came.
A
Sunday school lesson by,
Larry
D. Alexander
LARRY D. ALEXANDER-
Official Website
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