Made In His Image Part II (Genesis 2:4-7)

Genesis 2:4-7 (NASB):

This is the account of the heavens and the earth when they were created, in the day that the Lord God made earth and heaven. ⁵ Now no shrub of the field was yet in the earth, and no plant of the field had yet sprouted, for the Lord God had not sent rain upon the earth, and there was no man to cultivate the ground. ⁶ But a mist used to rise from the earth and water the whole surface of the ground. ⁷ Then the Lord God formed man of dust from the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living being.

     In this chapter Moses zeroed in on God's special creation of mankind as well as the relationships and roles God gave human beings to enjoy. In light of this special focus, Moses introduced an added name for God. In Genesis 1, the English name God translates the Hebrew term Elohim. Here in 2:4, Moses used the name Yahweh Elohim, which is written in English as the Lord God. Yahweh is God's personal, covenant name that He revealed to Moses at the burning bush; it means "I am" (see Ex. 3:13-15). Together the two names emphasize that the all-powerful God who created the world relates to humanity in a personal way. 

     In verses five and six, Moses provided details about the way the earth appeared after the formation of the dry land but before the creation of humans. No vegetation had sprouted from the ground, because it had not yet rained. The first described occasion of rainfall in Genesis was during the flood of Noah's day (see 7:11-12). Before then, God caused water to rise from underground to irrigate the surface land.

     Verses 5-6 show the deep connections God wove into His world. Human beings needed a place to live, work, and fulfill their God-given purpose. The world needed human beings to cultivate and care for it. God prepared the earth first; then He made its caretakers.

     God created out of nothing the materials He used to fashion the human body in verse seven. Indeed, the Hebrew words translated the man and the ground are related. The picture is that of a skilled potter taking up a mound of clay in His hands and shaping it into a marvelous vessel. Even so, God fashioned the first mans' body of the dust of the ground (see Psalm 103:14). 

     Human beings, however, are much more than dust. Because God created us in His image we are of infinite worth to Him. He values us so much that He sent His Son Jesus to die on the cross so that we might be saved from sin and death. Romans 5:8 (NASB) declares, "But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us."

     Moses described the "hands on" process God used to create the first human in His image. He fashioned the physical body, and then He breathed...the breath of life into the man, later called "Adam" (see Genesis 3:17). 

     This special action set human beings apart from all other creatures. When the first puff of God's breath entered into the man's nostrils, Adam became a living soul capable of relating personally with His Creator. As living souls, all humans are destined to live forever, either with God in heaven or apart from Him in hell.  

     We owe more to God than the creation of our physical bodies. We owe Him our very lives. From the beginning HE gave us the kind of life that no other part of creation enjoys. He breathed His kind of life into us. Through faith in Christ, sinners can receive new life that never ends.  1 John 5:11-12 (NASB) says, "And the testimony is this, that God has given us eternal life, and this life is in His Son. ¹² He who has the Son has the life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have the life."

Apply the Scriptures: How can these verses encourage someone who feels insignificant?

Serving Christ, Loving Others, and Growing Together,
Dr. Bryan Cox