Lesson 3: Genesis 2

The focus of chapter 1 was the creation of all things, beginning with an earth that was formless, void and dark but ending with a fully formed, filled and enlightened heavens and earth. All that God created was good, but the pinnacle of His creation was man, created in God’s own image. God could look on all He made and declare that it was “very good”. Chapter 2 isn’t just a more detailed account of man’s creation, rather it fleshes out what it means for man and woman to be created in His image. Furthermore, it reveals what man’s condition should be; with God in His rest.

Vss. 1-3, God’s Rest

Vs. 1 is the completion of what had begun in Genesis 1.1. God created all things, but in its original state the earth was “without form and void” (Genesis 1.2). Now we see creation as “finished”, the earth, the heavens and all their host. It is against the backdrop of a finished creation that we read of God “resting” on the seventh day. This was not a rest of exhaustion or even a state of inactivity, for the Lord continues to work (see John 5.17). Rather it is rest from the achievement of creation; once finished, rest ensued. There is a striking parallel with Jesus who finished His work on the cross (John 19.30) and then first entered into rest on the seventh day as He lay in the grave, but then more fully as He sat down at the right hand of God, having accomplished all He came to do (see Hebrews 8.1; 10.12).

Vs. 3 is significant on many levels. First, there was a particular emphasis for Israel who may have already received the Sabbath Law before this account was recorded (see Exodus 20.8-11). “Moses said that God gave the sabbath to Israel because they had been slaves in Egypt (Deut. 5:15). To have a day of rest would remind them that they were free, and it would be a continual token of God’s mercy. The seventh day was the one chosen and hallowed by God as the sabbath because it was the day when He ceased His creative work (Exod. 20:11). But even though it says here in Genesis 2:3 that God sanctified the day, there is no mention at all of anyone being told to observe the day in any way until the Israelites were told to keep it in Exodus 16:5, 22-26.” (Bob Waldron)

Second, and perhaps more importantly, note that the seventh day does not follow the formula of the first six days. There is no “there was evening and there was morning” for the seventh day; it’s as if the seventh day continued on. The significance is that if God’s rest continues, then man’s true rest comes from communion with God. Israel was given a weekly reminder of this in its Sabbath observance, but there was also an idea of rest associated with the land God was leading them to: “a good and spacious land, to a land flowing with milk and honey” (Exodus 3.8). There is a hint of Eden in Canaan’s description, but sadly the generation that left Egypt would not be allowed to enter the promised land; they would not enter God’s rest. But a rest remains for the people of God (see Hebrews 3.7-4.11).

Vss. 4-17, Man In His Intended State

Our attention is now brought back to the days of creation, but this time man is not simply a part of creation, he’s at the center of creation. He is necessary for the land to be cultivated (vs. 5) and the land produces fruit for him (vss. 9,16) and the boundaries of the land are shaped to provide him with a dwelling place (vss. 10-15). Later we note man’s full dominion over the creatures of the earth (see Genesis 1.28) as he is called to give each its name (vs. 19). The picture is of what man’s state should be when truly in God’s rest. However, while the text shows the exalted status of man in relation to the rest of creation, he is still a created being (note that his status as a “living creature” in Genesis 2.7 is the same as found of animal life in Genesis 1.20,24). Thus, man is in subjection to his Creator; and the Creator has every right to command His creation to obey His voice (Genesis 2.16-17). Israel should have drawn the proper conclusion that their exalted status depended on obeying the voice of their God (Exodus 19.5-6). We must draw the same conclusion (Matthew 28.18-20).

• Vs. 4, note that “the Lord God” (Yahweh Elohim) is used from this point through Genesis 3.24. “Elohim the Creator is also the God who manifests Himself to man and deals with man in a personal way.” (Bob Waldron)
• Vs. 5, this verse could be in reference to the earth before the events of day 3 (Genesis 1.11-13), or it may be in reference only to the area of the garden. The view of this chapter is not strict chronology, but of creation’s relationship to man. Cultivated vegetation would depend on the rain (which God would provide) and man’s work.
• Vs. 7, the Lord God’s relation to man is emphasized in the creation of man. God (Elohim) creates man as a craftsman would mold his material (Psalm 139.14-16; Isaiah 29.16). The Lord (Yahweh) breathes life into man, a process of warmth and intimacy (Job 32.8; cf. John 20.22).
• Vs. 9, as we will consider further in Genesis 3, the tree of the knowledge of good and evil is not some magical totem, rather the choice it presented (vs. 17) gave the tree its special properties. “* The knowledge of good and evil would come from the act of disobedience, not from some ingredient found in the fruit. God did not want men to serve Him merely because there was no choice. This commandment gave man the choice to love God or to despise God, to obey Him or to disobey Him.” (Bob Waldron)
• Vss. 10-14, while the locations of the Tigris and Euphrates are known, the location of the Pishon and Gihon are uncertain. While their locations could have changed with the Flood, it is likely that Moses and the Israelites could have known the location. Two locations in Mesopotamia are given, and the one at mouth of the Persian Gulf would seem to best fit the description.

Vss. 18-25, Man & Woman, In God’s Image

The New Testament’s use of this section testifies to its importance (see Matthew 19.4; 1Timothy 2.13; 1Cor. 11.8-9; Ephesians 5.31). On one level this section gives us the foundation for marriage and the family, but on another level these verses help us to better understand what it means for man to be made in God’s image (Genesis 1.26-27). Let’s begin with what the text reveals about man and woman.

Coming off the declarations of “good” and “very good” in chapter 1, the statement that “it was not good that man should be alone” (Genesis 2.18) is quite startling. The completion of man with a helper would be the culmination of God transforming what was once “without form and void” into the finished creation that was “very good”. God’s statement that “I will make him a helper fit for him” allows us to understand what follows:

• We should not understand vss. 19-20 as some kind of crude attempt for man to find a mate. Man’s task was to “name” the animals, a process which would have identified the unique nature of each. None would have been like man; none would have been made in the image of God. Significantly, man’s naming of woman shows the culmination of the search: “she shall be called Woman (ishshah) because she was taken out of man (ish)” (vs. 23). “the woman is presented wholly as his partner and counterpart; nothing is yet said of her as childbearer. She is valued for herself alone.” (Derek Kidner)
• The creation of woman from man’s rib does not make her a lesser being. Recall that both male and female are created in God’s image (Genesis 1.26-27). Man was made from the earth, while woman was made from man (Genesis 2.7,21-22). The order of creation does have significance for the family dynamic (see 1Cor. 11.8-9; 1Tim. 2.13).
• Vss. 23-24 are the heart of the Bible’s teaching regarding marriage. It is why marriage is to be viewed as a lasting commitment (see Matthew 19.4-5) and why each is to respect their God given roles (Ephesians 5.22ff).

As mentioned earlier, this passage is also essential to understanding how man is created in God’s image. First, as both the plural name Elohim and the plural pronouns in Genesis 1.26-27 indicate, God while One is a plurality. Man and woman united in marriage are a sign of not only God’s unity, but His unity with His people (see Ephesians 5.32). Significantly, the qualities of love and commitment which are essential in marriage are the same qualities that are to exist between God and His people (see Matthew 22.37; Revelation 2.10). Vs. 25 adds a final touch: “the man and his wife were both naked and were not ashamed.” Untouched by sin, they were innocent; they were holy just as God is holy.