September 23 – God Creates the Family

Sunday School Lesson

September 23

God Creates the Family

 

Devotional Reading: Leviticus 19:11–18

Background Scripture: Genesis 2:18–24; 4:1, 2

 

Genesis 2:18–24

18. And the Lord God said, It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him an help meet for him.

 

19. And 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.

 

20. And 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.

 

21. And 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;

 

22. And the rib, which the Lord God had taken from man, made he a woman, and brought her unto the man.

 

23. 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.

 

24. Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh.

Genesis 4:1, 2

1. And Adam knew Eve his wife; and she conceived, and bare Cain, and said, I have gotten a man from the Lord.

 

2. And she again bare his brother Abel. And Abel was a keeper of sheep, but Cain was a tiller of the ground.

 

Key Verse

Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh.

—Genesis 2:24

 

Lesson Aims

After participating in this lesson, each learner will be able to:

 

1. Describe the situation that led to the creation of woman.

 

2. Explain God’s larger purposes in creating a woman for the man.

 

3. Express appreciation to a member of his or her family in light of today’s text.

 

HOW TO SAY IT

anatomical	an-uh-tom-i-kuhl.
Deuteronomy	Due-ter-ahn-uh-me.
Mesopotamia	Mes-uh-puh-tay–me-uh.
paradigm	pair-uh-dime.

Introduction

1. From Matrimony to Multiplication

Few occasions in life bring as much joy and hope as a wedding. Though unmarried myself, I have had the privilege of officiating five weddings. Especially with a close-up view, the sense of wonder, love, and anticipation is palpable. In these extraordinary moments, bride and groom become a new family; and in most weddings the potential for children to expand the family only enhances the excitement.

 

God commanded humankind to “be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth” (Genesis 1:28), and by all indications people have accepted the challenge. After topping 1 billion sometime in the early 1800s, the human population has risen seven times that amount in the ensuing 200 years. According to the 2015 United Nations’ official projections, the world population will grow to 8.5 billion in 2030 and 9.7 billion in 2050.

 

If He had so chosen, God could have created billions of people to fill the earth from the start. But His mode of operation is to use human beings to partner in His plans. So in remote antiquity, God created a man and a woman. The result was a family to get those plans going. Today’s lesson continues our study of God’s creative work in the early chapters of Genesis.

1. Lesson Context

In one mythical account from ancient Mesopotamia, humans were created largely to do work that the gods themselves did not want to do. In this scenario, human population growth was desirable for a time. Eventually, though, the multitudes of people became a noisy nuisance to the gods, who grew frustrated and found ways to reduce human population growth.

 

The Genesis account contrasts sharply with this picture. In Genesis 1, God gave function, order, and meaning to His creation. He consistently saw that His work was good. The pinnacle of His creative efforts was human beings, male and female, in His own image. The “image of God” entails a number of aspects, and among them is being granted dominion over the fish, birds, and all other animals, wild and domesticated (1:26). Though all life on earth is valuable, human life alone is sacred because of God’s image.

 

Also in contrast to the mythical account, God desires people to multiply to the ends of the earth. He created humans out of His goodness, not out of whim or necessity. Human population growth was never a problem; it was a command! God desired humans to flourish, thrive, and give Him glory in abundance.

1. Family Not Possible

(Genesis 2:18–20)

1. Problem Stated (v. 18)

18a. And the Lord God said, It is not good that the man should be alone.

 

After seven evaluations of creation’s elements being “good,” we come to something that is not good: the solitary existence of the man. We glean from this passage that God creates us to interact within a context of companionship and community of our own kind. This aspect of the human makeup also relates to the above-stated directives to multiply and replenish the earth. We do so as we relate to mutual benefit in a wider circle of family, friends, and humanity as a whole. Our quality of life is found in relationships.

 

The divine assessment It is not good that the man should be alone therefore doesn’t count the fact that the man is technically not alone given that he already has the companionship of God and the creatures of the garden. The assessment we see here must involve additional purpose of God that the man is unable to fulfill by himself. To “multiply, and replenish the earth” (Genesis 1:27, 28) won’t happen if there is only one human.

What Do You Think? What factors will you consider when determining whether a context of life indicates that being alone for a time is a good thing or not?   Digging Deeper Use Matthew 6:6; 14:23; Luke 22:41; John 6:15; 1 Corinthians 7:5; etc., to inform your conclusions.

18b. I will make him an help meet for him.

 

This description establishes both the woman’s similarity to the man and her equality with him. In the older English of the KJV, the word meet carries the idea of “appropriate” (compare Matthew 3:8). The woman to be created will possess all the qualities of humanity and personhood that the man does and will likewise be distinct from every other animal or vegetable.

 

The description of her as a helper to the man in no way diminishes her dignity or standing, for “help” is a term also used to describe God in relation to people (see Exodus 18:4; Deuteronomy 33:29; Psalm 121:1, 2). The woman will be equal in personhood though complementarily opposite in her procreative role.

 

1. Solution Pending (vv. 19, 20)
2. And 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.

 

The sequence of events here appears to differ from the account of creation in Genesis 1, in which the animals are created before humans. Questions have therefore arisen about the relationship between the two versions of the story.

 

A reasonable solution is that one chapter or the other presents a thematic account that is not intended to be taken as chronological. Yet another possibility is that Genesis 2 narrates an additional, special act of creation undertaken for the purpose of presenting the animals for naming. The latter view has a very long history.

 

Though the animals are formed from the ground just as the man is, none of them is created in God’s image. By naming the animals, the man assigns a function and place to each one, thereby exercising the ruling authority that bearers of the divine image possess (Genesis 1:26). In the process of observing the animal world, Adam certainly recognizes that he is not like them; he undoubtedly realizes his superior nature.

 

20. And 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 text reveals that the parade of animals involves not only naming them but also searching among them for a suitable companion. Even though all the animals are formed from the same material as the man and by the same good Creator, no animal is adequate as a proper help.

We reasonably speculate that the man eventually becomes aware of what God already knows: none of the animals can stand beside the man as his equal, to partner with him in his assigned roles. As Adam gives names to all cattle, and to the fowl … and to every beast, he presumably observes the complementary nature of male and female among them. For him, something is missing!

 

1. Family Now Possible

(Genesis 2:21–24)

1. Flesh Divided (vv. 21, 22)
2. And 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.

 

In the Old Testament, God sometimes works while people are in a divinely induced sleep (see Genesis 15:12; 1 Samuel 26:12). Here, Adam needs to be under heavy anesthesia while God removes a certain part of him. The Hebrew term that is behind the word ribs occurs over two dozen times in the Old Testament, but it is translated “rib(s)” only in the verse before us and the next. Nowhere else in the Old Testament does it have anatomical significance.

 

Instead, the term’s other usages frequently describe the side or sides of objects (example: Exodus 25:14). With those instances as a guide, we are confident in concluding that God uses the man’s side and/or something from it in what happens next.

 

22. And the rib, which the Lord God had taken from man, made he a woman, and brought her unto the man.

 

In keeping with the pattern in Genesis 1, the high point of which is 1:26, 27, God saves the best of His creation for last. From the records of Israel’s neighbors later on, we sometimes find alternative accounts of human origins, but none of them includes special mention of the creation of women in particular. In Genesis 1 and 2, women bear the image of God as men do, serve as corulers of God’s creation, and play equally important roles in advancing God’s purposes.

 

It is intriguing that the original word behind the translation made is used elsewhere as an architectural term to describe the construction of cities and altars (examples: Genesis 4:17; 12:7). What the author describes with a bare minimum of detail is in fact more profound than any construction project that humans themselves can undertake—ever.

 

1. Flesh United (vv. 23, 24)
2. 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.

 

Perhaps the seeming delay in creating the woman was intended by God to allow Adam time to sense the depth of his need for a companion of his own kind. After considering the animals first and finding himself yet wanting, Adam is now positioned (as are we) to experience the greatest possible appreciation of the creation of woman. We can almost hear the jubilant outburst “At last!”

 

We should not overlook the fact that the verse before us is the first record of a human’s words. It is also humanity’s first recorded play on words, as the terms for man and woman sound even more alike in Hebrew than they do in English. The sound-alike quality of the two words reflects Adam’s awareness of the source of the woman: she was taken out of Man.

 

Adam’s mention of both flesh and bone confirms the nature of the man’s bodily material used to form the woman. Whereas we today use the phrase “flesh and blood” as a reference to family members, the Old Testament likes to use “flesh” and “bone(s)” together to indicate the same (examples: Genesis 29:14; Judges 9:2; 2 Samuel 5:1). In Hebrew poetry, “flesh” and “bone” often stand in parallel to each other to refer to things that are the same or nearly so (examples: Job 10:11; Psalm 38:3).

 

Adam’s declaration also serves as a foil for what God declares in the next verse.

 

The Feasibility of Functional Families

My preacher just finished a sermon series called “The Functional Family.” We have a minister who practices what he preaches. While clearly the leader in his home, his wife has every confidence that what’s important to her will never be ignored. Their three children have very different personalities, so each one is being reared according to his or her bent. On a day off, this minister is completely focused on the interests of his family—those he serves in the church can usually wait a day for his attention. His success in ministry begins with his success at home.

 

The very first marriage happened in a sinless environment. When the first man was introduced to the first woman, there was immediate acceptance. The Genesis text does not tell us how long after this first meeting that the fall (actually, the jump) into sin occurred. But for that interval of time, it’s easy to imagine husband and wife working together in a harmony not experienced since.

 

Thriving, functional marriages and families are still possible today, any popular opinion to the contrary aside. Of course, we must wrestle with the presence of sin in our hearts, which can have a profound effect on how well we get along with family members. Even so, families can flourish in peaceful homes by the power of the Holy Spirit. In such, God takes great delight.

—D. C. S.

24. Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh.

 

Whereas the creation of the woman involved a surrender of part of the man’s physical person, the joining of the two in marital union serves as a reunification. In that light, the account of the first meeting between a man and a woman ends with an affirmation (by the narrator rather than by the man) that the first marriage is to be viewed as a paradigm for all subsequent marriages in at least two ways.

First, marriage is to demonstrate the enduring reality that marital love surpasses even the love between parent and child. Family commitments remain important, but the commitment inherent in marital vows supersedes them.

What Do You Think? What lessons will you pass on to others regarding lessons learned from observing marriages where one person did not honor that relationship above other family relationships?   Digging Deeper How do you decide which of those lessons apply to yourself and which do not?

Second, marriages are to reenact, in a sense, the joining that took place between the first man and woman. Every married man is to embrace his wife not only sexually but also in the sharing of property, plans, and purpose. Marriage is intended from the outset to be lifelong and monogamous (Matthew 19:4–6).

 

On a further note, the text also implies that the first marriage is consummated soon after God presents the woman to the man. God is the author of the institution of marriage, and He grants to the first couple the gift of sexuality. In effect, God creates the original family. The male-female basis for marriage as instituted by God is apparent in this passage and is taught and assumed thereafter in Scripture.

 

So important is Genesis 2:24 that it is quoted four times in the New Testament. Jesus cites it in His teaching on marriage and divorce, thus, among other things, reaffirming the male-female basis for marriage (Matthew 19:3–9; Mark 10:2–12). Paul, quoting Genesis 2:24 twice, also implies that a male-female union is necessary for becoming one flesh (1 Corinthians 6:16; Ephesians 5:31).

What Do You Think? Which of the four New Testament passages that quote Genesis 2:24 speaks most forcefully of a change you need to make? Why?   Digging Deeper How will you allow that most forceful usage to make a difference in what you model?

The Bible nowhere provides support for a supposed marriage between members of the same sex. Those who enter into such unions do so under solely human authority and at great risk of divine displeasure. The apostle Paul likens those who disregard nature’s biological clues to those who overlook the obvious signs of a Creator (Romans 1:18–32). Marriage between one man and one woman is the only proper context for sexual relations. While it is right and Christian to show great love and grace to those tempted by same-sex attraction, the church must continue to uphold the biblical model of marriage.

 

Remaining single, a pathway chosen by a few but undesired by most, is the only biblically approved lifestyle alternative to marriage. Jesus and Paul both affirm exceptional situations in which an individual remains unmarried and celibate (Matthew 19:10–12; 1 Corinthians 7:7, 8). This lifestyle may be prompted by troubled times (compare Jeremiah 16:1–4; 1 Corinthians 7:26–28) and/or a desire to devote more time to serve God (Matthew 19:12; 1 Corinthians 7:32–35). Such a lifestyle prefigures the future situation in which there will be no marriage (Matthew 22:30).

What Do You Think? Should churches develop programming and ministries specifically for those who are single? Why, or why not?   Digging Deeper How will your answer change, if at all, when you consider the needs of single people in these demographics: young, middle-age, elderly, divorced, never married, widowed, with children, without children?

Secure Marriage Boundaries

My wife and I experienced the deaths of both mothers within days of each other. The memorial services brought together siblings who hadn’t seen each other in years.

 

The reunions were unexpectedly delightful. With the passing of the families’ matriarchs, everyone’s guard was down. We simply enjoyed one another’s company. The Lord brought opportunities for restoration and reconciliation through this otherwise sad experience.

 

Without going into details, let’s just agree that the marriage covenant is sacred, and its boundaries must not be tested, even by (especially by?) well-meaning relatives. With those boundaries respected and secure, family members (including in-laws) can continue to build strong bonds with their adult children‌—and the siblings with one another. These are the God-honoring bonds upon which strong families are built.

—D. C. S.

 

III. Family Expanded

(Genesis 4:1, 2)

1. Son Number One (v. 1)
2. And Adam knew Eve his wife; and she conceived, and bare Cain, and said, I have gotten a man from the Lord.

 

Our lesson text now jumps past the account of the fall in Genesis 3 to the conception and birth of Cain. The majority of interpreters see all the events of Genesis 4 as occurring after Adam and Eve’s expulsion from the Garden of Eden (3:23, 24). Against this understanding, however, is a proposal that the construction in the original language has the author backtracking (at least briefly) to events that occur prior to the expulsion. This theory means that Eve’s future punishment noted in Genesis 3:16 connects with childbearing already experienced.

 

Whether what is recorded in the verse before us happens before or after the fall may affect interpretation. If the birth of Cain takes place before the fall, then Eve’s words I have gotten a man from the Lord are seen as giving the Lord credit. If the birth of Cain takes place after the fall into sin, however, Eve’s words are understood by some to be a boast in that she is claiming to have created a man just as the Lord did.

 

In either case, we see underway the God-ordained imperative to multiply. The sexual function between husband and wife is God-ordained. Sexual expression neither resulted in nor resulted fromthe fall into sin by Adam and Eve. The name Cain occurs 20 times in 17 verses in the KJV, and all but one of these (Joshua 15:57) refers to the individual in the verse before us. Three of the occurrences are in the New Testament (Hebrews 11:4; 1 John 3:12; Jude 11).

 

1. Son Number Two (v. 2)
2. And she again bare his brother Abel. And Abel was a keeper of sheep, but Cain was a tiller of the ground.

 

The designation Abel occurs 16 times in 13 verses in the KJV, although some refer to a stone (1 Samuel 6:18) or a city (2 Samuel 20:14, 15, 18). Four of the references to Abel the man are in the New Testament (Matthew 23:35; Luke 11:51; Hebrews 11:4; 12:24). To be either a keeper of sheep or a tiller of the ground is a common occupation in antiquity.

Conclusion

 

1. Spouse Comes First

God bestows on us many blessings and gifts, the best of which (after salvation through Jesus) is the capacity to have relationships. Aloneness is not good for us. Life is about relationships—with God and with each other. Relatives, friends, and acquaintances can partner with us in God’s work. Animals can provide meaningful company, but the marriage relationship stands above all.

 

God desires that humanity flourish through the marriage relationship. Procreation is never stated as a requirement for each and every marriage, nor is it the only purpose of marriage. But it is the means by which God has established that people fill the earth. The family unit is not only a precious social gift but also a means for teaching children and spreading God’s Word throughout the world.

 

God’s ideals for marriage are always under attack, and recent attempts to redefine marriage comprise but the latest example. Sinful humans are up to their old tricks again. To be sure, God has left much about marriage up to us. Prenuptial customs, wedding ceremonies, legal recognitions and benefits, and many other specifics may be determined (for better or worse) by one’s society, laws, and culture. But the male-female basis and the lifelong exclusive commitment are parameters set by God, not earthly powers.

 

The church must continue to uphold the biblical ideals for holy matrimony and to celebrate it as a gift from God. May those who enter into this most sacred of earthly unions remain faithful to their spouses and give glory to their Creator.

What Do You Think? What are some things that husbands and wives can do to glorify God through their marriage?   Digging Deeper Make your answer pointedly specific by (1) avoiding generalities such as “love each other” and (2) focusing on positive things to do, not sins to avoid doing.

1. Prayer

Father, whether married or not, we give You thanks for the gift of marriage and resulting relationships. May we give You the glory as we honor marriage and family. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.

 

1. Thought to Remember

Through marriage, family, and community, God advances His purposes.^[1

 

 

Kid’s Corner

Created as Finite Replicas of God

September 23, 2018

Genesis 2:18-24; 4:1-2

 

Genesis 2:18-24; 4:1-2

(Genesis 2:18) Then the LORD God said, “It is not good for the man to be alone; I will make him a helper suitable for him.”

God was not alone, because God the Father, God the Son, and the Holy Spirit communicated with each other, loved each other, and worked together before and after God created all that exists. God wanted Adam to have someone like himself as a companion so he would not be alone. God is infinite, and people are finite. God is all knowing and everywhere present, but people can never be equal to God (all knowing and everywhere present). People need other finite beings like themselves to communicate with, to love, to grow and learn with, and to work together with under the Lordship of their Creator. God wanted Adam to have a helper and partner like himself. The Father, the Son of God, and the Holy Spirit are Helpers and Partners in the perfect sense, as Jesus demonstrated, and as Jesus said the Holy Spirit would demonstrate after Jesus sent the Holy Spirit to His followers. The Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit worked together in the creation and redemption of human beings. God wanted people to experience the joy of living and working together with others similar to themselves.

(Genesis 2:19) Out of the ground the LORD God formed every beast of the field and every bird of the sky, and brought them to the man to see what he would call them; and whatever the man called a living creature, that was its name.

God had already made the plants and the animals (see Genesis 1). But depending on your translation of this verse, it is possible that to help Adam learn more about God’s creation, God may have created two of these animals male and female once again from the dust of the ground; then, Adam could learn how to be creative in the image of God (though Adam could not give them life). Part of God’s teaching Adam how to rule over all that God had formed out of the ground included telling Adam to name each living creature. Perhaps God explained how and why He had created each living creature before Adam named them; then, Adam would learn what it meant to be creative and create. Created in the image of God, Adam would also be creative and create from what God had made. As God had made Adam out of the dust of the ground; later, God would make a woman for Adam out of his rib and the dust of the ground. God did not name the animals. God helped Adam develop his imagination and reasoning ability. God also helped Adam discover that he needed someone more like himself to have a real helper and partner.

(Genesis 2:20) The man gave names to all the cattle, and to the birds of the sky, and to every beast of the field, but for Adam there was not found a helper suitable for him.

God was not experimenting to learn something, for God knows everything that can be known. God was helping Adam to discover truths about the world in which he lived; these truths and the names he gave the animals were a foundation for his developing powers of reason and the ability to rule wisely over God’s creation. God may have taken “years” or “a long time” helping Adam develop his mind, understanding, and governing abilities through learning about and naming the living creatures. Based on all Adam learned about these animals, Adam concluded that none were equal to him in the image of God or fit to be his helper and partner.

(Genesis 2:21) So the LORD God caused a deep sleep to fall upon the man, and he slept; then He took one of his ribs and closed up the flesh at that place.

God did not want Adam to experience pain. God created Adam with the ability to experience pain, but pain would not come to Adam until after he disobeyed God. God performed a medical operation on Adam; therefore, we know that operations to heal are part of our ability as people created in the image of God and operations to heal people are permitted by God. We may rightly conclude that God explained to Adam what He would do, and Adam felt no fear or anxiety, because Adam did not have these painful emotions until after he failed to trust God and sinned against God.

(Genesis 2:22) The LORD God fashioned into a woman the rib which He had taken from the man, and brought her to the man.

The Book of Genesis does not tell us all we might like to know or answer all our questions, but it is possible that after God took Adam’s rib and closed up the place with flesh, God allowed Adam to watch Him create the woman out of Adam’s rib and the dust of the ground. If God enabled Adam to see Him create Eve from his rib, Adam could have learned more about what it meant for him and the woman to be created from the dust of the ground, and Adam would know that part of himself was within the woman as created by God. Because God taught Adam about what God was doing (or did), Adam could exclaim that the woman was bone of his bones and her flesh was like his (from the ground).

(Genesis 2:23) The man 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.”

When God brought the finished and living woman to Adam, perhaps after God explained how He blew the breath of life into both Adam and the woman, Adam declared what he knew intellectually to be true, the woman was bone of his bones. Adam also expressed the emotion of appreciation at least, if not love, to God and to the woman who had come from a part of him and would be his partner. Just as Adam named the animals, so he would name the woman, Eve.

(Genesis 2:24) For this reason a man shall leave his father and his mother, and be joined to his wife; and they shall become one flesh.

Based on the creation of men and women, both created in the image of God, they can be partners. Both the Old Testament and the New Testament give the reason for men and women to be husband and wife. On the basis of natural law, we know how God created men and women to be one flesh and how as husband and wife they would conceive and bear children in their image and in the image of God.

(Genesis 4:1) Now the man had relations with his wife Eve, and she conceived and gave birth to Cain, and she said, “I have gotten a manchild with the help of the LORD.”

The personal name “Adam” means “ground” or “earth,” from which Adam was formed by God. Adam knew his wife Eve in a more personal way than the word “know” is usually used: the NIV translates the word “made love.” The personal name “Eve” means “living one” or “source of life;” the first mother of us all. Eve conceived and gave birth to Cain. The name Cain has been interpreted to mean “spear.” Cain became the first murderer after the Fall of Adam and Eve. Eve praised the LORD for the birth of her first son when she acknowledged that she gave birth to Cain with the help of the LORD. The proper name “LORD” is Yahweh or Jehovah, and LORD is used for the first time in Genesis 2:4. She may have given birth to daughters prior to Cain’s birth, the Bible does not tell us whether she did or not. She acknowledged that Cain was a man, like Adam.

(Genesis 4:2) Again, she gave birth to his brother Abel. And Abel was a keeper of flocks, but Cain was a tiller of the ground.

Next, she gave birth to Cain’s brother, Abel. The proper name “Abel” means “breath” or “futility,” probably because his life was cut short when Cain murdered him. The two men began two different ways of life or occupations that have sometimes brought conflict between the two groups. Abel became a shepherd and Cain became a farmer.

 

 

Created as Finite Replicas of God

September 23, 2018

Genesis 2:18-24; 4:1-2

 

“So the man gave names to all the livestock, the birds in the sky and all the wild animals. But for Adam no suitable helper was found” (Genesis 2:20).

 

Beginning with the first book in the Bible, we learn many truths about God and ourselves. We learn God created us as finite replicas of the infinite God; therefore, we have many of the abilities and attributes of God. Like God, we can use our abilities in a myriad of indescribable ways. However, since God created us with human limitations, we need rest each day. Though God does not need rest, God chose to give us an example to follow when God rested on the seventh day of creation. Since God gave us the abilities to think, reason, and create, God helped Adam develop his God-given abilities when God told him to name all the animals and birds. Since people need sleep each day, God may have taken years to teach Adam how to use his imagination and name the animals. God also created us with the ability to make choices, and God probably helped Adam use this ability when he decided what to name each animal. God also created us with a moral compass, so we can have the freedom to choose between doing right or wrong. To use his moral compass, God gave Adam only one law to follow so Adam would have the freedom to choose between obeying God and disobeying God. God created us with the ability to evaluate our experiences, and Adam discovered that none of the animals could be a suitable helper for him. After God helped Adam reach this conclusion, God created a suitable helper for Adam when God created woman and Adam named her Eve.

 

Thinking Further

Created as Finite Replicas of God

September 23, 2018

Genesis 2:18-24; 4:1-2

Name _______________________

 

1. If Adam could talk to God and have God’s help, why do you think Adam was alone (even though Adam did not feel the pain of loneliness) and needed a helper and partner?

 

 

2. Why do you think God first brought animals to Adam before God brought a woman to Adam?

 

 

3. Why do you think God wanted Adam to name all of the animals and birds rather than just name them Himself and tell Adam their names?

 

 

4. Do you think God allowed Adam to stay asleep when God created the woman from Adam’s rib, or do you think God woke Adam so Adam could watch God create the woman from Adam’s rib?

 

 

5. What kind of clothing did God give the animals, the birds, and Adam and Eve when God created them? How did they feel about the clothes they wore?

 

Questions for Discussion and Thinking Further

 

1. If Adam could talk to God and have God’s help, why do you think Adam was alone (even though Adam did not feel the pain of loneliness) and needed a helper and partner? Adam needed someone more like himself to be his helper and partner, though made in the image of God with attributes similar to God’s, the ability to think, feel, make choices, etc. Unlike God, Adam was finite and confined in time and space. Unlike God, Adam did not know all that God knows. Adam would grow in knowledge, but never know as much as God knows. Adam was alone because he needed someone like himself to share discoveries and growing self-awareness with over time and located in one place at a time. Both Adam and the woman could grow in many ways together, and they could bring children into their lives to have more and more people join them in developing their God-given abilities together.

 

2. Why do you think God first brought animals to Adam before God brought a woman to Adam? Adam needed to learn intellectually and experientially that no animal could be the perfect helper and partner he needed. The animals and birds were not his kind. Animals and birds had their kind, but Adam did not yet have his kind. Adam could develop his mental powers of reason and deduction based on observation as God created and brought the animals to him one at a time.

 

3. Why do you think God wanted Adam to name all of the animals and birds rather than just name them Himself and tell Adam their names? God gave dominion over all the animals to Adam and his descendants. By naming the animals, Adam would use his God-given imagination and reason to learn more about the nature of each animal so he and his descendants could exercise dominion over each animal wisely according to their nature and attributes as created by God.

 

4. Do you think God allowed Adam to stay asleep when God created the woman from Adam’s rib, or do you think God woke Adam so Adam could watch God create the woman from Adam’s rib? God was Adam’s first parent and teacher. I think God would want Adam to see and learn as much as possible regarding the creation of the animals and the woman; therefore, I think God woke Adam up to watch and brought the woman to Adam after God blew the breath of life into her (explaining what He did and why).

 

5. What kind of clothing did God give the animals, the birds, and Adam and Eve when God created them? How did they feel about the clothes they wore? God gave fur, feathers, and skin to the animals, birds, and Adam and Eve. Adam and Eve were not ashamed to wear their skin as the clothes God gave them. After they sinned, they tried to make themselves new clothes because they were ashamed

 

 

Word Search

Created as Finite Replicas of God

September 23, 2018

Genesis 2:18-24; 4:1-2

Name __________________________

 

U S Y J Y V M V G H C F E V C

C K I K C O T S E V I L M K I

S A M G I Y L E B A R T A P B

C D I X L Q I Y J O K O N T O

Y R V N C J K O S I M D G Z W

B M E B Q F S S D U R Z E V E

A R V A Y W I U R X W T N W I

V N U O T P O S I P O K L Z S

K L I Z N U C E B T M N O E B

P U R M S G R J K Z A P R X R

M A D A A H M E L V N B D I J

I B F U W L Y G N M K V L H K

K W I L D J S T Q Z S O I E N

V S R B I R Q F H M D V U K H

R H E L P E R P K N Q A S Y O

 

Lord

Helper

Suitable

Creature

Name

Livestock

Birds

Wild

Animals

Adam

Rib

Woman

Eve

Abel

Cain

 

 

True and False Test

Created as Finite Replicas of God

September 23, 2018

Genesis 2:18-24; 4:1-2

Name _________________________

 

Circle the true or false answers. Correct the false statements by restating them.

 

1. The LORD told Adam that He should have been the only helper he would ever need. True or False

 

2. The LORD helped Adam find a suitable helper. True or False

 

3. None of the animals could be suitable helpers for Adam. True or False

 

4. The LORD told Adam the names of all the creatures He created from the ground. True or False

 

5. Whatever Adam called each living creature was its name. True or False

 

6. Adam was so exhausted from naming all the animals, he fell sound asleep and God surprised him with Eve when he finally woke up. True or False

 

7. The LORD made a woman from Adam’s rib. True or False

 

8. After Adam discovered a woman wandering in his garden, she told him

that her name was Eve. True or False

 

9. Cain and Abel were the world’s first twins. True or False

 

10. Abel was a shepherd and Cain was a farmer. True or False

 

 

Prayer

Father, whether married or not, we give You thanks for the gift of marriage and resulting relationships. May we give You the glory as we honor marriage and family. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.