Today’s passage is about Adam’s perspective of the creation. It talks about Adam being created out of dust and life being breathed into him, which is so special, since other animals aren’t the same. Also, it mentions the tree of life and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, which kind of foreshadows the next chapter. God specifically tells Adam not to eat of the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, and tells him that the consequence is death. We all know how that ended (I’ll talk about that in the next few days)… Finally, God makes a helper for Adam, whose name is Eve. He made her out of Adam’s rib, and she was made to be Adam’s wife.
First, Adam being made out of dust shows us the humility of man. Although humans were made to have dominion over all creatures, we were also made to be humble beings. Dust is such a humble way to be made because we weren’t made from precious things like gold and silver, but God had a purpose for us humble dust beings.
Next, Eve was Adam’s helper. The PCA holds onto a belief called complementarianism, which is a huge word that means that men and women were created equally in value, but different in roles. In fact, the actions that men and women do complement each other. It doesn’t mean one is greater than the other, since both are completely necessary in a household and in a church. In this passage, we see more of the household aspect, as Eve is a helper and a woman of service to Adam, and Adam is the head of the house and her caretaker.
This leads well into my last thing: Adam and Eve were husband and wife in the Garden of Eden. Pre-fall, Adam and Eve were an amazing example of marriage since they were literally united in the flesh and they had complementary roles. Although we cannot be literally united in the flesh in marriage today, marriages can be united through Christ and a common goal.
It’s crazy that God set guidelines for marriage through the first marriage, and they are still being kept to this day. It shows God’s consistency throughout all time. I’m looking forward to talking about the fall tomorrow…
Reflection
- Adam was made out of ordinary dust, yet God breathed life into him and gave him a massive purpose. How does remembering that we are “humble dust beings” keep us from getting prideful about our skills, sports, or achievements?
- Life can feel like a total roller coaster sometimes. When church, school, or friendships get chaotic or eventful, how does remembering God’s complete consistency from Genesis all the way to today bring you peace?
Prayer
God, thank You for Your incredible consistency throughout time and for creating us with distinct, valuable purposes. Help me to stay humble today, remembering where I came from, and give me good friends to walk through life’s roller coasters with. Amen.