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Through the Bible with Uncle Ricky — Day 2: Genesis 2

Well, here we are — Day 2 of 1,189. Yesterday we watched God build the whole world in six days. Today, the Bible zooms the camera in close. Genesis 2 is the close-up: how God made the man, the garden He planted for him, and the woman He brought to be his wife. So before we read the chapter, let’s talk about it first — that way, when you read it, it’ll make a whole lot more sense.

Let’s talk about it

The chapter opens with God finishing up: “And on the seventh day God ended his work which he had made; and he rested on the seventh day from all his work which he had made.” Now don’t get the wrong idea — God wasn’t worn out. He rested because the work was DONE, and He was pleased. Then He did something special: He blessed that seventh day and set it apart. The very first Sabbath. I’d call that a gift from God — a built-in day of rest, right there at the beginning of everything.

Then we get the close-up on man’s making, and this is the good stuff. “And the LORD God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul.”

Formed. Like a potter shaping clay with his hands. God didn’t just speak man into being from a distance the way He did with the light — He got His hands in the dirt. And then He breathed into Adam’s nostrils the breath of life. The life inside you isn’t some accident — it’s borrowed breath from Almighty God. Now isn’t that exciting? Every breath you take started with God breathing into man.

Then God plants a garden. Not a palace, not a tower — a garden, eastward in Eden. Every tree pleasant to look at and good to eat. A river flowing out of it that splits into four streams, watering lands full of gold and precious stones. God wanted Adam surrounded by beauty AND provision. He didn’t just give man food — He gave him delight.

And He gave him a job: “And the LORD God took the man, and put him into the garden of Eden to dress it and to keep it.” Notice — work came BEFORE sin. Work isn’t a curse; work is part of the blessing. God made you to work, and He made work good.

Then comes the first rule: “Of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat: But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die.” Generous freedom with one boundary. God didn’t make Adam a robot — He gave him a choice. Real love always includes a choice.

Now here’s the first thing in the whole Bible God calls “not good”: “It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him an help meet for him.” Adam had a perfect garden, perfect work, and fellowship with God Himself — and something was still missing. So God brings all the animals to Adam to name. Think about that — Adam names every living creature, showing the wisdom God put in him. But after all that naming, “for Adam there was not found an help meet for him.” Nothing in all creation fit.

So God performs the first surgery. “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.” Then He made the woman and brought her to the man. Friend, God didn’t just hand her to Adam — He BROUGHT her to him. The first wedding, with God Himself walking the bride down the aisle. Doesn’t that make you feel great?

And Adam’s first recorded words are poetry: “This is now bone of my bones, and flesh of my flesh: she shall be called Woman, because she was taken out of Man.” He’s smitten, and he doesn’t try to hide it.

Then the chapter closes with God’s own definition of marriage: “Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh.” One man, one woman, one flesh for life. That’s the design, straight from the Designer.

“And they were both naked, the man and his wife, and were not ashamed.” No shame. No hiding. No fear. That was paradise — and it’s a picture of what God wants for us again.

A question to think about while you read

God made you with His own hands, breathed His own breath into you, and gave you work worth doing — are you living like you were made on purpose, or just getting through the day?

Now read the chapter — Genesis 2 (KJV)

1 Thus the heavens and the earth were finished, and all the host of them.

2 And on the seventh day God ended his work which he had made; and he rested on the seventh day from all his work which he had made.

3 And God blessed the seventh day, and sanctified it: because that in it he had rested from all his work which God created and made.

4 These are the generations of the heavens and of the earth when they were created, in the day that the LORD God made the earth and the heavens,

5 And every plant of the field before it was in the earth, and every herb of the field before it grew: for the LORD God had not caused it to rain upon the earth, and there was not a man to till the ground.

6 But there went up a mist from the earth, and watered the whole face of the ground.

7 And the LORD God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul.

8 And the LORD God planted a garden eastward in Eden; and there he put the man whom he had formed.

9 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.

10 And a river went out of Eden to water the garden; and from thence it was parted, and became into four heads.

11 The name of the first is Pison: that is it which compasseth the whole land of Havilah, where there is gold;

12 And the gold of that land is good: there is bdellium and the onyx stone.

13 And the name of the second river is Gihon: the same is it that compasseth the whole land of Ethiopia.

14 And the name of the third river is Hiddekel: that is it which goeth toward the east of Assyria. And the fourth river is Euphrates.

15 And the LORD God took the man, and put him into the garden of Eden to dress it and to keep it.

16 And the LORD God commanded the man, saying, Of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat:

17 But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die.

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.

25 And they were both naked, the man and his wife, and were not ashamed.

God formed man with His own hands and gave him a garden, a job, and a wife. That’s the pattern: God provides before He asks anything of you.

Tomorrow: Genesis 3 — paradise lost, and the first promise of a Savior. See you there.

— Uncle Ricky

If today’s reading reminds you that you were made on purpose, take a look at the Philippians 4:13 mug in the shop — “I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.” A good reminder for the kitchen table.