05.007. Chapter 2
God rested from His creative activity on the seventh day (Genesis 2:1-3). This is not the rest that follows weari- ness but the rest of satisfaction and completion of a job well done. Although God did not command man to keep the Sabbath at this time. He taught the principle of one clay of rest in seven. The name LORD GOD (Jehovah Elohim) appears for the first rime in verse 4, but only after the creation of man (Genesis 1:27). As Elohim, God is the Creator. As Jehovah, He is in covenant relation with man. Failing to see this, some Bible critics have concluded that these different names for God can only be explained by a change in authorship.
“These are the generations” (Genesis 2:4) refers to the beginnings described in Genesis 1:1-31. Genesis 2:5 should read, as in the NASB (New American Standard Bible), “Now no shrub of the field was yet in the earth, and no plant of the field had yet sprouted…” This verse describes conditions on the earth in Genesis 1:10, when the dry land appeared but before vegetation appeared. The earth was moistened by a mist rather than by rain. A fuller account of the creation of man is now given (Genesis 2:7). His body was formed from the dust of the ground, but only the impartation of the breath of God made him a living soul. Adam (“red” or “ground”) was named after the red earth from which he was made. The Garden of Eden (Genesis 2:8-14) was toward the east, i.e., from Palestine, the point of reference for Bible directions. It was located in the region of Mesopotamia, near the Hiddekel (Tigris) and Euphrates Rivers (Genesis 2:14). The tree of the knowledge of good and evil provided a test of man’s obedience. The only reason it was wrong to eat of that fruit was because God had said so. In different forms, that fruit is still with us today. The penalty for violating the commandment was death (Genesis 2:17)—instant spiritual death and progressive physical death. In the process of naming the animals and birds, Adam would have noticed that there were males and females. Each one had a mate that was similar to itself, yet different. This prepared Adam for a partner who would be suitable for himself. His bride was formed from a rib, taken from his side as he slept. So from Christ’s side, His Bride was secured as He shed His life’s blood in untold agony. It has been said that the woman was taken not from Adam’s head to dominate him, nor from his feet to be trodden down, but from under his arm to be protected, and from near his heart to be loved… Read Genesis 2:19 as in the New International Version, “Now the Lord God had formed … all the beasts,” i.e., before He made man. With the words of Genesis 2:24 God instituted monogamous marriage. Like all divine institutions, it was established for man’s good and cannot be violated with impunity. The marriage bond illustrates the relationship that exists between Christ and the church (Ephesians 5:22-32).