January 28, 2017
Today’s reading from Encounter with God

Better Together

Please see the links to our EXTRA Bible Study notes at the bottom of the page.

Opening Prayer

Lord, thank You that Your Holy Spirit in me is able to empower me to live a life pleasing to You.

Read Genesis 2:4–25

[4] This is the account of the heavens and the earth when they were created, when the LORD God made the earth and the heavens. [5] Now no shrub had yet appeared on the earth and no plant had yet sprung up, for the LORD God had not sent rain on the earth and there was no one to work the ground, [6] but streams came up from the earth and watered the whole surface of the ground. [7] Then the LORD God formed a man from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living being. [8] Now the LORD God had planted a garden in the east, in Eden; and there he put the man he had formed. [9] The LORD God made all kinds of trees grow out of the ground-trees that were pleasing to the eye and good for food. In the middle of the garden were the tree of life and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. [10] A river watering the garden flowed from Eden; from there it was separated into four headwaters. [11] The name of the first is the Pishon; it winds through the entire land of Havilah, where there is gold. [12] (The gold of that land is good; aromatic resin and onyx are also there.) [13] The name of the second river is the Gihon; it winds through the entire land of Cush. [14] The name of the third river is the Tigris; it runs along the east side of Ashur. And the fourth river is the Euphrates. [15] The LORD God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and take care of it. [16] And the LORD God commanded the man, “You are free to eat from any tree in the garden; [17] but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat from it you will certainly die.” [18] The LORD God said, “It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper suitable for him.” [19] Now the LORD God had formed out of the ground all the wild animals and all the birds in the sky. He brought them to the man to see what he would name them; and whatever the man called each living creature, that was its name. [20] 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. [21] So the LORD God caused the man to fall into a deep sleep; and while he was sleeping, he took one of the man’s ribs and then closed up the place with flesh. [22] Then the LORD God made a woman from the rib he had taken out of the man, and he brought her to the man. [23] The man said, “This is now bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh; she shall be called ‘woman,’ for she was taken out of man.” [24] That is why a man leaves his father and mother and is united to his wife, and they become one flesh. [25] Adam and his wife were both naked, and they felt no shame.

Scripture taken from the THE HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION, NIV Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

Reflect

“This mystery is that through the gospel the Gentiles are heirs together with Israel, members together of one body, and sharers together in the promise in Christ Jesus” (Eph. 3:6).

Genesis 2 is not strictly a creation narrative but an account of events in “a garden in the east” (8). The structure and focus differ from Genesis 1. The first account speaks primarily of God, building up gradually to the climax of the creation of men and women. Here we have a more earthly perspective, presenting what is known as an inclusio, where the beginning and end form a twin focus. We start with the man and end with the woman, indicating even more strongly than Genesis 1 that gender is not incidental to creation but lies at the heart of God’s intentions for his world. Until the woman is created, life on earth is “not good” (18). The fact that she is to be Adam’s “helper,” a word normally applied to God (15 out of its 19 occurrences in the Old Testament) could imply that she is to be a senior advisor. However, she is to be a helper suitable for, or matching up to, him. As in Genesis 1, it is the idea of the two together, the same yet different, that is presented as the way that God intended his world to be. Verse 24 presents marriage as the example par excellence of the complementarity and partnership of the sexes, but that does not give those of us who are single the excuse to opt out! Society functions best when men and women work together in all institutions that make up community life, to ensure that God’s purposes for the world are carried out and God’s presence continues to be reflected by his people. That is not to say that male-only or female-only sports clubs or exercise classes are wrong! Rather, anything which includes both men and women needs to reflect the contribution of both in its organization and management.

Apply

What does this account say to you about the nature of men and women?

Closing prayer

Heavenly Father, I marvel at the wisdom of Your creation. I thank You for the contribution our maleness and femaleness brings to life.

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