Genesis book is one of the most enjoyable Bible book in Old Testament, full of memorable stories of people and events. It is a crucial book to know and to start reading for the rest of the Bible, because it’s often refers back to it.
“The Lord God formed the man from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living being” (Genesis 2) After showing cosmic view in Chapter 1, Genesis 2 repeats the story of creation, this time narrowing the focus to human beings. “We alone, of all God’s works are made in God’s image” (Genesis 1:26).
“Image of God” in Genesis book
People disagree on what exactly the phrase “image of God” means. Does it refer to immortality? Intelligence? Creative? Relationship? Perhaps we understand its meaning best by thinking of “the image of God” as a kind of mirror. God created human beings so that by looking upon them, he sees reflected something of himself.
Genesis book makes the point that human beings differ profoundly from the rest of creation. We recognize this difference instinctively: The law has a different penalty for killing an animal than it has for killing a person. Human life is “sacred”. Alone of all creation, human beings receive the breath of life from Go himself.
Genesis 2 shows human history just getting under way. Marriage begins here: Even is a state of perfection, Adam feels loneliness and desire, so God provides woman. From this time on, marriage takes priority over other relationships. Work begins here too: Adam assumes a role of authority over the animals and plants. Human begin to exercise a kind of mastery over the rest of creation.
Only the slightest hint of foreboding clouds this blissful scene of Paradise. It appears in verse 17, in the form of a single negative command from God. Adam and Eve enjoy perfect freedom with this one small exception, a test of their obedience.
Thought history, artists have tried to recreate in words and images what a perfect world. What would it look like, the world of love and beauty, the world with no guilt, or suffering, or shame. Genesis book chapters 1-2 describes such a world. For the last time in many thousands of yeas it would be said, “They felt no shame.”
Adam and Eve story in Genesis book
Adam and Eve were the first human beings on Earth, part of God’s original creation. As such, Adam and Eve set the standard for everything that followed. Their lives illustrate what God loves in human being – as well as what he loathes. They were the first to name animals, the first to tend a garden, the first to be placed in charge of all the creatures. They took on the huge task o caring for the earth and guiding its proper use.
They were first to form a relationship with God. Adam and Eve were made in God’s image. God conversed with them and gave them responsibilities. When they failed God, they felt ashamed and feared meeting him.
They were the first married couple. God himself made the introductions and gave the suitability is the basis for all marriages. Both Jesus and Paul quoted this passage in their comments on sex and marriage. Marriage led to parenthood, though the very first child brought pain as well as joy, I am talking about Cain.
Adam and Eve were the first to sin against God. Although, they only had to follow the God’s direction, but they failed. In response to their sin, Adam and Eve hid from God and blamed each other. “Think about squabbles Adam and Eve must have had in the course of their nine hundred years”, wrote Martin Luther. “Eve would say, You ate the apple and Adam would retort, You Gave it to me.”
In the end, the first two human beings were banished from Paradise and driven out into a world full of problems God had never intended for them to confront. In that as in everything these two led the way for all of us.
God has created Adam and Eve perfect, so did he to us. In many ways people living on the earth today are similar to Adam and Eve but in many important ways we differ, and this difference is not to our benefit.
Adam and Eve knew every single animal on the earth and did everything to preserve and keep it the way God created. They had followed every single rule established by God except the one that we are all sorry about. Look at us now! Do we follow any rules at all, do we listen to God’s word, and hardly it is ever the case.
Do we give God respect that he had been receiving from Adam and Eve? I don’t think so. We can always get a second chance, and it is our salvation. Let us stop letting God down, because he will never lets us down.