Book of Beginnings

GOLDEN TEXT: “The Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul.” —Genesis 2:7

GENESIS 2:4-9; 15-22

THE expression in the opening verse of our lesson, “These are the generations of the heavens and the earth when they were created,” refers principally to chapter 1 of Genesis. The word “generations” is translated from a Hebrew word which Prof. Strong defines as figuratively meaning “history.” The same word appears in Genesis 5:1 were reference is made to the “generations” of Adam; and in chapter 6:9 where we read of the “generations” of Noah. The reference seem to be to records of events with which these two men were acquainted, and could accurately record.

Note the difference in style, however, in the record of events prior to Adam’s creation. Here we find the statement over and over again, “And God said.” This expression does not appear after Adam’s creation except in cases where the Lord issues his commands and instructions to his human creatures. The thought is that Adam could have known nothing of what had occurred prior to his creation except as it was told to him by the Creator. After that he would be personally acquainted with events because of his association with them.

In verse 7 of our lesson—which is also the Golden Text—the word “soul” appears in the Bible for the first time and here we are told just what it is, and how it was made. The text reveals that the soul is composed of the body, or organism, animated by the breath of life. Neither the body nor the breath apart from the body is a soul; it is the proper union of the two—“man became a living soul.”

The soul, then, is not a separate entity that dwells within the human body, and escapes at death, remaining alive. A soul is a living being. Destroy the body, or take away the breath of life, and the soul, or being, dies—“The soul that sinneth, it shall die.” (Ezek. 18:4) The expression “immortal soul” does not appear anywhere in the Bible.

God provided a garden home for our first parents in which there was “every tree that is pleasant to the sight, and good for food; the tree of life also in the midst of the garden, and the tree of knowledge of good and evil.” (vs. 9) The Hebrew word here translated “tree” is frequently used in the Old Testament to denote many trees, or groves. In a sense we might think of all the food-bearing trees in Eden as trees of life—except, of course, the “tree of knowledge of good and evil.”

Adam was forbidden to eat of this tree, the penalty for disobedience being death—“Thou shalt surely die.” (vs. 17) The important lesson in this is that Adam was given a test of obedience to his Creator. Being created in the image of God, he possessed the ability to obey, and it was just that God should require him to obey.

Later the “serpent,” speaking for Satan, challenged God’s statement, “Thou shalt surely die.” He told mother Eve that this was not true—“Ye shall not surely die.” (ch. 3:4) This was a falsehood, but Satan has been able to deceive practically the whole world with the theory that man does not die, that death is merely a “door into another room,” where life continues and is more abundant. The “immortal soul” deception is one of the facets of Satan’s lie.

“The Lord God said, It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him an help meet for him.” (vs. 18) The Creator understood this situation, but before he created Eve he gave Adam an opportunity to discover it for himself, and thus realize his own need. True appreciation of our blessings stems from a realization of our need for them.

God assigned Adam the task of naming all the lower animals. In this way he became acquainted with his “subjects” over which he was given dominion. By this undertaking he also learned how alone he was himself—“but for Adam there was not found an help meet for him.” (vs. 20) In each of the lower animals Adam would see marvelous evidences of the handiwork of God, but in none of them did he find the divine image. They could not reason with him, he could not fellowship with them.

The method God chose for creating Eve was a novel one, but there was a reason for it. Adam grasped this reason, and when Eve was presented to him, explained, “This is now bone of my bones, and flesh of my flesh: she shall be called Women, because she was taken out of Man.” (vs. 23) The Apostle Paul draws an important lesson from this, which we quote: “So ought men to love their wives as their own bodies. He that loveth his wife loveth himself. For no man ever yet hateth his own flesh; but nourisheth and cherisheth it, even as the Lord the church: for we are members of his body. For this cause shall a man leave his father and mother, and shall be joined unto his wife, and they two shall be one flesh. This is a great mystery: but I speak concerning Christ and the church.”—Eph. 5:28-32

QUESTIONS

Explain the expression, “Generations of the heavens and the earth.”

What is a soul?

Explain how the first human soul was created.

Was there more than one tree of life in Eden?

What is the divine penalty for sin?

How did Adam learn to know his need for Eve?

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