God Provides for Man

IN CREATING MAN, God adapted him in every way to live on the earth. In his wisdom the Creator brought a portion of the earth to a more advanced state of preparation than the land surface in general, so that the newly created and inexperienced humans would have a suitable home. The record states, “The Lord God planted a garden eastward in Eden; and there he put the man whom he had formed. And out of the ground made the Lord God to grow 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.”—Gen 2:8,9

In this wonderful provision for man’s happiness, and for sustaining his life, it seems significant that the first reference should be to that which ‘is pleasant to the sight.’ Man would know that the gorgeous natural scenery with which he was surrounded was the creation of his God, and to live daily amidst such surroundings would be a continual cause for thanksgiving and praise. It would be difficult to forget God when, in every direction the eye turned, the enrapturing beauty of the Creator’s handiwork would fall in the path of vision.

But viewing the beauty of God’s creation would not alone keep man alive. The garden also provided food, and in such perfection that it could have kept man well and youthful indefinitely, especially since the ‘tree of life’ was included. The Hebrew word here translated tree could just as properly have been translated trees, and it is quite likely that the tree of life was a grove of trees which afforded food in balanced proportions, and nutritional perfection.

THE ANIMALS NAMED

Verse 19 of the second chapter reads, “Out of the ground the Lord God formed every beast of the field, and every fowl of the air; and brought them unto Adam to see what he would call them: and whatsoever Adam called every living creature, that was the name thereof.” As we have noted, the second chapter account of Creation is merely a recapitulation, but in more detail, of some of the facts stated in the first chapter. The thought of this text is that the animals which God had created were brought before Adam to be named. And they, like Adam, were created ‘out of the ground.’

God’s description of the animals as ‘living creatures’ is a translation from the same Hebrew words translated “living soul” in the description of man. (Gen. 2:7) They were living creatures, living beings, or living souls, because they had organisms made alive by the breath of life.

Verse 20 reads, “Adam gave names to all cattle, and to the fowl of the air, and to every beast of the field; but for Adam there was not found an help meet for him.” The fact that Adam was able to come into close enough contact with the animals, especially the beasts of the field, to study their characteristics and give them appropriate names emphasizes the fact that God had given him dominion over them. Seemingly they were not afraid of him, nor he of them.

It required time to accomplish the task of naming all the animals. That some study of their characteristics was made is suggested in the statement that ‘there was not found an help meet’ for Adam. God, in his wisdom, had allowed Adam to come to a realization of his need, before supplying it. All of God’s dealings with those whom he has created in his own image are designed to awaken in them a genuine, freewill desire for the blessings which he has designed for them. God does not coerce the human mind or will.

A HELPMATE PROVIDED

“The Lord God caused a deep sleep to fall upon Adam, and he slept: and he took one of his ribs, and closed up the flesh instead thereof; And the rib, which the Lord God had taken from man, made he a woman, and brought her unto the man. And Adam said, This is now bone of my bones, and flesh of my flesh: she shall be called Woman, because she was taken out of Man. Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh.”—Gen. 2:21-24

Many have treated this sacred passage of scripture lightly, regarding it as absurd. The wise of this world seem to think that this was a very crude way for the Lord to create woman. Why, they ask, did he not create Eve in the same way as he did Adam? We may not understand the biological reasons why the Lord adopted this method, but who are we to question the wisdom of one so wise and so powerful as to be able to create the whole universe out of nothing?

God’s method meant that the woman became almost literally a part of man. How much of ineffable joy has resulted from this divinely arranged oneness of the two, we will probably never fully understand. God’s explanation is that because woman was made from man, when the two are united in marriage, they become ‘one flesh.’ This is what God designed, and his wisdom arranged the method of creation so it would be this way.

Having now received a suitable ‘help meet’ from the Lord, Adam’s joy in his garden home must have been unbounded. All his surroundings were beautiful and inspiring. There was at his disposal an abundant supply of life-sustaining food; and now he had a companion with whom he could share his joys. Among the few instructions given to him was the command to dress and to keep that garden which the Lord had provided for him. (Gen. 2:15) Considering Adam’s ideal surroundings, and the perfection in which he was created, the keeping of the garden would not be laborious, but a joy.

FILL THE EARTH

Another command was that these godlike creatures, to whom had been given an earthly dominion, were to multiply and fill the earth, and “subdue it.” (Gen. 1:28) The carrying out of this command was designed not only to populate the earth, but to subdue it. Evidently that beautiful garden home which God prepared for man ‘eastward in Eden’ was intended merely as an example of what the whole earth was created to be, God leaving this final finishing work of his Creation to be accomplished by man and for his good.

The earth could have been filled with a perfect and happy human family, knowing nothing of sin, sickness, pain, wars, and the thousand-and-one other things which now plague a suffering and dying world; and with it, all enjoying sweet communion with the Creator, the God of heaven and earth.

Although darkness covers the earth, and the plague of sin and death blights so much of the happiness of the people, this nighttime of darkness and fear and pain will end, and, as so beautifully stated by the Prophet David, joy will come “in the morning.” (Ps. 30:5) Then men’s fondest dreams of a golden age will come true. God who, in the beginning, by his wisdom and power, created the heavens and the earth, assures us that Divine power will again be used to restore paradise, and give to all the opportunity of enjoying its blessings forever.

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