January 09, 2024 | Be God's Light
Adam & Eve
Scripture: 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.
Devotional
The first chapter of Genesis focused on the days of creation. In Genesis 2, the focus is on the relationship of creation. Man with God, man with nature, man with animals, man with woman.
Man with God.
Here we see God interacting with man. The Lord scoops up a handful of dirt, forms a man, breathes life into his nostrils, and has conversations with him. How would you describe your relationship with God? When is a time that you absolutely knew that God was real?
Man with Nature.
In this chapter, God waits to create shrubs and plants until man could work the ground. Then, the Lord grows trees that produce fruit that both look and taste good. Even the rivers of the land bring blessings to the man. What is one of your favorite parts about nature?
Man with Animals.
You can’t get more personal than being assigned the task of naming all the wild animals, livestock, and birds. From the pileated woodpecker to the five-lined skink to the wild water buffalo, the man named them one by one. What is your favorite animal in the zoo?
Man with Woman.
Rogers and Hammerstein wrote a song, “There is Nothin’ Like a Dame.” Genesis 2:20 says it this way: “But for Adam no suitable helper was found.” As amazing as all of creation was, the man desired somebody who would have the same bone and flesh. What do you see in the creation of the woman that stands out to you?
Read Psalm 8 and reflect on the goodness and grandness of creation. Then take time to praise our Creator God!
Poem
Boy meets Girl
He's walking around
Minding his own business
Not really much on his mind
Except, perhaps,
An unknown unspoken
Loneliness
"What's missing?"
He asks
"It seems I have
Everything I want...
But something I need I do not have...
What possibly could
It Be?"
Must rest from this pondering
He takes a snooze
He dreams a dream
He can't imagine
What he does not have
The sun awakens
This sleepy boy
Something bright
Is in his eye
He shields his face
From streaming rays
And sees a vision
Before Him
"Do I pinch myself
To arouse from sleep?
Do I move from the comfort
Of my past?
Do I dare risk the step
Toward this lovely one?
Or do I hide
In the bushes?"
Whomever the vision
Attractive and fair
The approach takes courage
To meet her
She's strong
And lovely
And, O, so fine.
"O Lord Above,
Can she be mine?"
SHE BELONGS TO NO ONE
EXCEPT TO ME
SHE BELONGS TO HERSELF
SHE IS YOUR EQUAL
SHE IS YOUR HESER
SHE IS YOUR FRIEND SHE IS YOUR LOVE
Bones like mine
Flesh like mine
Brain like mine
Courage like mine
Feelings like mine
Blood like mine
They meet
Face to face
Eye to eye
Hand to hand
Cheek to cheek
"It was not good for me to be alone."
Now, and only now,
True joy
Equally yoked
For tending
God's fields
