The creation of Adam

The power of words

Genesis 2: 3 is the introduction to Genesis. The first book of the Bible, the Book of Genesis, can be broadly divided into two parts. Chapters 1-11 and 12-50. The description from Genesis 2: 4 onwards details human creation and marriage between men and women at 1: 27-29. Therefore, it can be said that this is the description of the sixth day. It is written in 2: 4-7 as follows.

4 This is how the heavens and the earth were created. When the Lord God created the earth and the heavens, 5 there was no shrub in the lands, and no grass in the field had sprouted yet. That is because the Lord God did not rain on the earth and no one cultivated the land. 6 However, water sprang up from the ground and moistened the entire land. 7 The Lord God shaped man from the dust of the land, and breathed life into his nose. There people became living things. (Bible Genesis 2: 4-7)

The reason why it is written in the order of “earth and heaven” such as “when the Lord God created the earth and heaven” in 2: 4 is that the main purpose of God’s creation is human beings. Genesis 1:10 shows that humans live on land, not on the sea, and this 2: 4 shows on earth, not heaven. That is because the ultimate goal of God’s creation is human beings.

Looking superficially at verse 5, “There was no shrub in the ground and no grass in the field yet,” this contradicts the description in Chapter 1. Seems to be. In Chapter 1, plants are made on the third day and humans are made on the sixth day, whereas in Chapter 2, people are made first, and then trees and grass are made. However, the translation of “wild grass” in the Bible refers to the crops that people work and cultivate to survive. Therefore, it is explained that “the Lord God did not rain on the earth and no one cultivated the land” because there could be no crops that humans would cultivate before they were made.

Michelangelo / The Creation of Adam　

Michelangelo’s “The Creation of Adam” is depicted on the ceiling of the “Sistine Chapel” in the Vatican City on a magnificent scale, the most famous of which is “The Creation of Adam”. Adam is the first human being in mankind. He was breathed in by God and became a living person, and he was given life. In this painting, God reaches out and his fingertips are about to touch Adam’s finger and give his life.

In Hebrew, the land is “adamer” and the person is “adam”. The person was called Adam because it was shaped from the dust of the land. And the breath of life (the spirit of God) was blown into his nose. In Hebrew, breath is “Nashamah”, which is the same word as spirit and can be translated into either. We can see the duality of human beings here. One is that humans are nothing more than “dust of the earth.” The dust returns to its original land, and the spirit returns to the God who gave it (Ecclesiastes 12: 7). It makes us humble to realize that we are just dust. But if we worry that we’re just too dusty, it gets dark.

So we need to recall another aspect of humanity. It means that we are the ones who are infused with the spirit of God. In other words, it is the recognition that it is a special being that is given the “image of God.” Self-awareness on both sides is important. Self-awareness that we are nothing more than dust and worthless, but on the other hand, self-awareness that the “image of God” has great value. I think having that sense of balance will bring about healthy growth.

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Larger Print Bible-NIV B-NI-BIB [ Zondervan ]
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Posted by: canaan

I used to be a pastor in the metropolitan area for 10 years, but now I am a pastor at a local Christian church. I also run a travel agency and a farm. I myself have been empowered by various words, and I would like to convey hopeful words.

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