Genesis 2 English Standard Version (ESV)
15 The Lord God took the man and put him in the garden of Eden to work it and keep it. 16 And the Lord God commanded the man, saying,
“You may surely eat of every tree of the garden, 17 but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die.”
18 Then the Lord God said,
“It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him a helper fit for him.”
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Examine the Biblical text from ‘in the beginning;’ for before the beginning, GOD IS.
made adam אָדָם ‘adam
in his Image צֶלֶם tselem.
First: LORD GOD, Yehovah elohiym; not Allah, not any other NAME. The LAW, or first five books of the Bible are a narrative written by Moses for the Hebrew people – God’s Chosen people. It is not an eyewitness account – Moses was not a reporter in the garden of Eden – yet Moses spoke directly with Yehovah elohiym. GOD told Moses!
Second: The LORD God put Adam in Eden to work it and keep it.
Third: The LORD God had not only created Man, God created everything in the heavens and the earth and made man in His Image in this place to glorify Him.
God met with, spoke to and had a personal relationship with man in this special unspoiled garden. It was a place where the LORD God walked and talked with His beloved man of His creation, Adam.
Think about it: the ALL-POWERFUL CREATOR of ALL, walking in a place with a creature of His creation – GOD carrying on a conversation with adam, enjoying the good of His creation with His personal friend, Adam.
Would one made in the Image of a good God, a loving friend, not want to do all the Lord commands?
Adam is an innocent sinless child of God! The first man and the first woman have no father and mother. They were both created by the LORD God!
Does it matter if the LORD created them in His Image?
Yes.
Does it matter if the materials were dust or rib?
Does it matter where an archaeologist might dig up this garden paradise?
Could it possibly matter to a generation gorged on the tree of speculative knowledge when all of this took place?
What, then, is important from the Biblical account of Genesis?
The LORD raised Adam and raised Eve in the garden as a Father raises his innocent children.
God provided. God gave them their purpose. God gave them love.
And as a good father will do, God gave them a rule for their own continued good (as ones made in the Image of the God of Perfect Good).
The LORD God did this for the perfect pleasure of the man, of the woman and of the LORD!
(Note: If you haven’t followed the links to root definitions, you ought to – especially this last one.)
To be continued…
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