Commentary on Genesis: Chapter 2 - An Exhaustive Study

“Thus the heavens and the Earth were finished, and all the host {everything that populates the heavens and the Earth} of them.” 

“And on Day Seven God ended His work which He had made; and He rested {ceased creating} on the seventh day from all His work which He had made.” 

God resting does not mean that God was tired. God cannot become tired (Psalm 121: 3-4; Isaiah 40:28). It means He had finished what He had set out to accomplish and was now in a contemplative state reviewing His His creations. Like a clock maker creating a complex time piece, then sitting back and watching it function as designed.  

So, God gave a command on each of six days and that particular creation process began to take place. God saw the completion of that creation and said it was “good”. But the Bible does not state that the commands instantaneously occurred. Scripture could have stated that, but it does not. God seeing a command completed and calling it “good” could easily be God looking into the future {omniscience) and seeing the commands completed exactly as He wanted (Isaiah 46:10). So many years may have come and gone before the commands may have naturally come to their appointed fruition. Thus, the commands were God revealing His plans rather than having them instantly accomplished. Now, it would be more spectacular for life to have immediately reappeared and the entire Earth transformed in a second. And God could easily do this. But there are three issues with this idea. First, no one would be there to witness this instant creation so why do it that way? Second, God has repeatedly proven that He is as interested in the process as He is in the results. So God is by His nature not in a hurry. As we look around at all that God has created, all thing have a beginning, a middle and an end. Nothing happens instantaneously. Even with the Big Bang, creation went through a slow steady formation process. And as with human life, there is a conception, a nine month gestation period, birth and then a somewhat slow maturation process. So, why would God suddenly decide to change His slow but steady process when it came to the Earth and its life forms? Life did not evolve, but after God created the various life forms, it took time for them to multiply and replenish the Earth. Today, modern astronomy continues to be astounded as it watches space expand, galaxies collide and new stars being formed deep within clouds of gas and then suddenly igniting. And third, Scripture tells us that at the end of the current Age, we will experience the one thousand year Millennial Reign of Christ. Further, at the close of this Millennial Age, we will then experience a never ending series of Ages upon Ages with God slowly revealing to His beloved children, astounding revelations as to who He is and the wonders He is capable of producing. Thus, one is reminded of the saying, It is not about the destination, it’s about the Journey.

“And on Day Seven God Ended His Work…” {A Hidden Prophecy?} 

This phrase contains a shadow prophecy concerning the timeline of mankind. Adam was created and approximately two thousand years later Abraham was born. From Abraham to the birth of Jesus was approximately two thousand years. Jesus was born June 17^th 2 BC and ascended in May of 2033 AD. So another two thousand years has passed. Thus, a total of Six thousand years has passed since the creation of Adam who was personally created by God in His image. Man was created on Day Six and six is the Biblical number of mankind. “And on Say Seven God Ended His Work…”. The Seventh Day is a prophecy concerning the final one thousand year reign of Christ on Earth. A time in which all mankind and nature will rest in peace the way God always intended.   

“And God blessed the seventh day and sanctified it {set it apart from the six days of creating}: because that in it {the 7^th Day} He had rested {ceased} from all His work which God {originally} created {from nothing} and {now} made {regenerated}.” 

God did not declare Day Seven as a day of worship. He declared it a day of rest. So Day Seven was created for man, not man for Day Seven (Mark 2:27-28). Because the Jews were commanded to not work on Day Seven {Saturday}, they decide to make Day Seven their day of formal worship. God prefers that all people remember and worship Him in various ways every day of the week. Today, the Muslims attend mosque on Friday, the Jews attend synagogue on Saturday and Christians attend church on Sunday. 

Notice the seventh day had no evening nor morning, thus signifying that God and mankind were supposed to rest together. A sign that all who labor in the ‘will of God’ will rest eternally with Him. Adam and Eve were created without sin and so they were the first Children of God. Therefore, after their creation, they were in a perpetual state of rest. That said, they did wake up in the morning and busy themselves with various tasks (Genesis 2:15). They bathed, ate, gathered food, explored the Garden, named the animals and talked with “LORD God” every evening when He would visit them. They were performing useful tasks that brought them joy and a sense of wellbeing and accomplishment not work. The tasks they chose to perform were not laborious or repetitious in the traditional sense of the word work. Just ask an avid gardener if their work in the garden is laborious. They will tell you it is not and in fact it is exciting and rewarding. Work is therefore a state of mind. 

“These are the generations {historical Divine accounts} of the heavens and of the Earth when they were created,” 

            JESUS APPEARS FOR FIRST TIME 

“In the day that the ‘LORD God’ made the Earth and the heavens,” 

Man or Adam was made at the end of Day Six. Now, with the appearance of man, we suddenly read that the title of God has been replaced by the all capped title of “LORD”. Something very exciting is happening!  

The title of ‘God’ represented the Triune Godhead all working in unison over the past 6.5 days. Now we are about to learn how man was made. And while this event still involves the three eternal entities {Godhead}, one of the entities has evidently been appointed to step forward and take the lead in the creation and parenting of man with the consent and support of the other two entities. They would now work together to create a physical being who had many of the attributes of the Godhead. And it would be God the Word in the form of a preincarnation of Christ {Christophany} who would descend from Heaven to the Earth to personally create the first man in the ways agreed upon by the Godhead. He was appointed to use moist earth so as to "mold" the physical shape of man, endow him with superior intelligence, animate him with the breath of life and indwell him with an eternal spirit thus, directly linking him with the spiritual Godhead. Then, once the man became alive and conscious, the Word of God would explain to him how he came to exist, the command to not eat a certain fruit, teach him to speak, task him with tending the garden and the naming of the animals. Eventually, the Word of God would cause him to sleep in order to withdraw a DNA sample to be used to create a mate {Eve}, perform the first marriage ceremony, answer their questions, confront them about their sin, teach them repentance thru a sacrificial system of worship, drive them from the Garden, supervise the birth of their twins Cain and Abel, and punish Cain for murder by driving him out of the Land of Eden into the Land of Nod {the unknown}.  

It is now that we see the preincarnation of Jesus {aka Angel of the LORD} begin to regularly step into history and direct mankind back onto the straight and narrow path to salvation. Then, on June 17^th 2 BC, the most astounding of all events occurred in a stable adjacent to the ancestral home of King David now a public Inn. God the Word, descended from Heaven with a royal entourage of angels and indwelled the flesh body of a newborn infant named Jesus or "God Saves" (John 1:14). The long awaited Messiah had finally arrived. He would conduct a forty month ministry, explain God’s plan for mankind, publicly announce His crucifixion, allow Himself to be publicly executed, resurrect Himself, preach forty more days then publicly ascend into Heaven with the promise of His return to save His followers at the end of the Age(Acts 1:9-11).  

In this verse, it is revealed that the Word of God will now be known to Adam and his descendants as “LORD God”. Not the general title God that had been used up until this time to represent the entire Godhead. The Godhead is still intimately involved in all aspects of creation including man, but now the name of the liaison between mankind and the Godhead is LORD God. This title denotes a personal Deity that connects mankind directly to the Godhead. Very exciting indeed! So, Jesus’ eternal name or title was the Word of God which was His role in the Godhead. Now His name as liaison between the Godhead and mankind is LORD. The name LORD is shorthand for His full name Jehovah Elohim. This chapter will now reveal that Jehovah Elohim is Jesus Christ, mankind's personal redeemer. This is a BIG deal! No other religion in the world has a founder that was and identified Himself as God incarnate. That publicly self-sacrificed Himself for His followers. That publicly arose from the dead and continued to preach to crowds forty more days. And no other religion has a redeemer. All other religions have a man made rule book that a follower must try to obey. And even then, there is no guarantee of salvation from sin and the promise of eternal life. Jesus guaranteed eternal life, was executed, then arose from the dead to prove He could back up His promise. Think about that! 

Genesis Chapter One reveals Jesus as Elohim mankind’s Creator. Now He reveals Himself as Jehovah Elohim mankind’s Redeemer. The term LORD in Hebrew means, I Am that which will become more and more revealed, or I will cause to become what I will cause to become (Exodus 3:14). In other words, God's complete identity is not a fixed concept, but will be revealed progressively to His Children by way of His actions in the eternal Ages to come. 

This information was given directly from God to Moses who wrote it down word for word. Moses did not guess this information nor did he follow the absurd fictious accounts of the pagan world of his time. Beliefs that are so ridiculous that today they are laughed at by scholars and the public. 

“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 {allowed} it to rain upon the Earth, and there was not a man {yet} to till {cultivate} the ground.”  

The story of Genesis begins with God creating all things then apparently lifting a curse off a flooded Earth. The first thing God commanded was that sunlight break through the Earth’s atmosphere and that a portion of the Earth become dry land. Only twenty nine percent of the Earth is dry land. At this time, the ground water table was extremely high. Perhaps only a foot below the soil surface. Therefore, it was not necessary for rain to fall. In fact, the Earth was very muddy so rainfall at this time would be a detriment to God’s plan to progressively regenerate life on Earth. The grass and all plant life now receive water in two ways. Initially, seeds received water from the condensation provided by the heavy fog or mist and dew that settled on the ground every night. Then, after their roots developed, they easily tapped into a never ending source of ground water. 

So, Scripture is not saying that it had never rained in the history of the Earth. It is simply saying that, with the regeneration of life on Earth, God did not allow it to rain until an appropriate time. Meanwhile, the high water table allowed large springs to flow and to merge creating creeks, streams, rivers, ponds and lakes. Today, if the ground water of the Earth was to be pushed up to the surface, it would fill the entire word to a depth of sixty feet. The end of this phrase is simply reiterating that there was “not a man” meaning Adam the man and his race “to till” or cultivate the ground. 

 “But {instead} there went up a mist from the ground from the Earth and {that} watered {moistened} the whole face {surface] of the ground.” 

So basically this verse is saying there was no need for rain during the regeneration process due to an exceptionally high water table and intense humidity. Genesis chapter one is an overview of creation. Genesis chapter two is a more detailed account with a focus on Eden and the creation of Adam and his race of Modern Man. The term “plants of the field” is referring to mankind cultivating plants to form what today we refer to as modern agriculture. Adam and his race were not, by in large, hunter-gather nomads. They built homes, created towns and farmed utilizing skills in both animal husbandry and agriculture (Genesis 4: 17-18).                                                        

                THIS IS WERE WE COME IN 

“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.” 

The term “LORD God” is identifying a Christophany of Jesus as personally and physically appearing on the Earth. The word “formed” is explaining that Jesus personally and physically took some earth and shaped or molded the head, body and limbs of the first man Adam. So Adam was not created in Heaven, or out of thin air, or on another planet, nor did he crawl out of a muck mired swamp, nor was he once an ape. The earth or “dust” the LORD gathered was moist, so what He was working with was dirt now in the form of mud. This allowed Him to form or mold the general look of a body that the Triune Godhead had envisioned. The Lord obviously did not have to bother creating man it this way, but He wanted mankind to know they are special and that He was literally hands-on involved in their creation. 

The term, “…and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life” is fact filled! A preincarnate Christ, representing the will of the Godhead, descended to the earth, stooped down, formed a body from dirt, then breathed life into the nose on the molded face.  

First, it is fascinating to read that the LORD breathed the first breath of life into Adam’s “nostrils”. And remarkable, today when a baby is born, its first breath is also through its nostrils. Second, the breath of Jesus the Christ is the Holy Spirit (John 20:22). It was then that the Holy Spirit indwelled the mound of worthless clay and caused the priceless holy body of Adam to conform to the “Image” that the Godhead had agreed upon. The Holy Spirit caused the inorganic minerals of the dirt, through a biological process called metabolism, to create cells that arranged the raw elements into living tissue or flesh and rigid structures or bones. Internal organs, a skeletal frame, muscle mass and skin immediately appeared as mineral molecules were reconfigured into flesh, bone and blood. This act is no more miraculous than the decayed remains of the dead being regenerated during the Resurrection event. They too will be indwelled by the Holy Spirit and this same process will take place. The phrase ends with “the man {Adam} became a living soul”. Meaning common dirt, taken from the Earth, had now been transformed into the Image of God. The flesh body was from the Earth and the Spirit from Heaven. Heaven and Earth united to create man. We will see Heaven and Earth unite a second time when the angels of Heaven announce to the shepherds that Jesus is born (Luke 2:9). But at the same time, Adam not only had the Spirit of Life indwell him as did the animals, he also had the eternal Spirit of God breathed into him. This is what truly made Adam in the “Image of God” as he shared an eternal spirit with God. Otherwise, man would be just another animal life form on Earth destined to die and cease to exist. 

God has made man in four unique ways. First He “molded” Adam from the minerals of the earth. He “built” Eve from the flesh {DNA} of Adam. He created the body of Christ by way of Mary being impregnated by the Holy Spirit. And, He allows mankind to create children. 

                        THE GARDEN OF EDEN 

“And the LORD God planted a garden eastward in {the Land of} Eden: and there He put the man {Adam} whom He had formed {from earth}.” 

Here again we see that mankind’s liaison to the Godhead, the “LORD God” is the entity of the Godhead who personally designed and planted or oversaw the plantings in a Garden especially designed to meet the needs and delights of man. Apparently there was a greater land mass known then as Eden. The word “garden” means an enclosed organized space. This would suggest that the Garden was in a valley surrounded or contained by mountains. This would help create a microclimate consisting of mild day and nighttime temperatures. The mountain range may also have served to help conceal Adam and Eve from possible interactions with a race of pre Adamic people. We may rightly assume this as Cain was terrified that, by being forced to leave the known Land of Eden and exiled into the unknown Land of Nod, those that find him there ‘will’ kill him (Genesis 4:14-16).  

So, the Garden was in the eastern portion of the Land of Eden. The word “Eden” in Hebrew means a delightful well-watered plain. Therefore, it would seem that the mountain range that surrounded the Garden allowed for multiple springs to flow down into the Garden valley creating creeks, ponds and lakes that then flowed out of the Garden into other lands referred to as the land of Nod or the unknown. Because we are told that animals came into the Garden to be observed and named by Adam, there must have been a narrow pass that went through the mountain range out into the greater Land of Eden. This was then the place where the LORD God “put the man He had formed". So Adam was So, Adam was formed in a location outside of the Garden, then “put” in the Garden only to sin, die and be buried outside of the Garden from whence he came. Eve would be “built” in the Garden using some of Adam’s DNA, but would also sin and be buried outside of the Garden. The location of their graves were no doubt public knowledge and venerated before the great Flood of Noah.  

The ancient Syriac text “The Book of the Cave of Treasures” tells us that Noah's son Shem dug up the remains of Adam and stored them aboard the ark to be reburied after the flood. Shem would later set aside his given name for the title Michelzedek and found the city of Salem. The highest hill in Salem resembled the partially exposed cranium of a human skull. Shem chose this site as the resting place of Adam’s remains. Thus it was named the name Hill of the Skull. King David chose Salem as the location of his capitol city and changed the name to Jeru-Salem.This would be the hill he would bury the head of Goliath. The hill was then assigned the second name Golgotha. From the root word Goliath {Gol-iath} a giant David killed, who was from the city of Gath {Gol-gatha}. This would be the hill Jesus was crucified on, and Golgotha in Latin is Calvary Please see related: “Mystery of Golgotha Revealed”. 

“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.” 

The Garden that the LORD God planted in the Land of Eden contained a wide variety of trees and plants that grew throughout the Earth. Vegetables and grains lush and green to provide man’s food staples. Shrubs that bore flowers that were fragrant and matured into fruits. And flowering fragrant trees that produced a wide variety of fruits and nuts throughout the year.  

Then we are told that there were two very unusual one-of-a-kind trees in the Garden. The “Tree of Life” which was located prominently in the middle of the Garden. It produced a fruit year round (Genesis 3:22). This fruit had the power to interact chemically with the flesh body of man and could rejuvenate him physically and or mentally. Man was created mortal and therefore susceptible to sustaining injuries, some possibly life threatening. However, he could rely on this fruit to cause him to recover and therefore live forever. A fruit that must have contained potent natural chemical properties that would resemble today's pain blockers, antibiotics, steroids and antivirals all rolled into one. Properties that could greatly speed up injury recovery time and extended life indefinitely. Unfortunately, Adam and Eve would not live long enough in the Garden to enjoy the benefits of this fruit. The tree was in a prominent position in the Garden as an object to be admired in and of itself, a life preserver and most importantly, a constant reminder of God their Creator.  

There was also a second tree called the “Tree of Knowledge” of good and evil. Eve tells us it was located next to the Tree of Life (Genesis 3:3). So both trees were centrally located but very different in the effect their fruit had on man. By eating one, it chemically restored life because of obedience. By eating the other, it brought ageing and physical death because of disobedience. Because they were placed side by side, they are literally and symbolically stating that all humans have the free will choice to trust God and show that trust by obeying His commands, or distrusting God and show that distrust by disobeying Him. The Old Testament also refers to the Tree of Life as a metaphor (Proverbs 3;18; 13:12; 11:30; 15:4). But in the New Testament, we read that the Tree of Life is literally and symbolically alive and well in Heaven. The tree was apparently removed from the Earth and now resides in Heaven (Revelation 22:1-2). In order to atone for the sins of mankind, Jesus who knew no sin, was required to become sin incarnate. So, He was hung on a tree to die and become accursed (Deuteronomy 21:23). Because of His self-sacrifice on a wooden cross, eternal life was now made available to mankind. Thus, the cross is now symbolic of the Tree of Eternal Life (Revelation 2:7; 22:2; 22:4). And the Book of Revelation, the last Book of the Bible, takes us full circle back to Genesis with a promise of a relationship renewal or regeneration with God and eternal life, once lost but now regained through faith in Christ. 

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

“The name of the first river is Pishon …: And the name of the second river is Gihon: … And the name of the third river is Hiddekel: And the forth river is Euphrates.” 

Moses is writing about these rivers and lands as if those who would read this information at that time {c. 1500 BC}, would understand it to be common knowledge. Scripture tells us that the Garden of Eden served as a location or basin where one unnamed river head originated. This river’s water “went out of Eden” or exited the Garden, “…and from there it was ‘parted and became four heads’ or four rivers. The term “heads” typically means springs that initially supply the water to create a creek. A creek then becomes a stream and once that stream is fifteen to twenty feet across, it qualifies as a river. But how could the river that exited Eden create “four heads” with each becoming rivers?  

The answer may lie in the Hebrew word “parted”. This word can also be translated “lost or missing”. If this is the case, then once the water left Eden it entered a sink hole or underground subterranean cave system. There the flow was divided and the water eventually resurfaced at four different locations creating four different river heads. And, by the Eden River’s water going underground, this may also have helped to keep the existence of the Garden hidden from others. Following a stream to its source helped early man eliminate the need to boil drinking water.  

However, it may also be that the word “heads” is simply stating that the river that supplied Eden with water continued from Eden and merged with four other rivers in the area. So what are these four rivers and where are they today? 

     WHERE WAS THE GARDEN OF EDEN LOCATED? 

There is unanimous agreement on where two of the four rivers listed are to be found. The Hiddekel River is known today as the Tigris River. We can verify this as the prophet Daniel mentions seeing the Hiddekel River when he was exiled in Babylon (Daniel 10:4). Remarkably, the Euphrates River has kept it’s same name. Both the Tigris and Euphrates rivers begin in southeastern Turkey, run parallel to each other through Syria, merge together in Iraq at the city of Al-Qurnah and quickly empty into the Persian Gulf. The Pishon River is today most probably the Wadi al- Batin, a very large and ancient dry riverbed in the Arabian Peninsula. It too once flowed northeast to Al-Qurnah. Satellite images show it aligns extremely well with the description of the Pishon going through the whole land of Havilah {Saudi Arabia} where there is gold. This area is still today a major producer of some of the world’s purest gold. The Gihon River cited as being located in Cush, or modern day Ethiopia, is today thought by some to be the Blue Nile River. This river still encompasses the whole land of Havilah, just as the Bible describes. However, today Ethiopia does not occupy land across the Red Sea in Arabia as it once did. Therefore the Gihon River that was once in Ethiopian territory is now in Saudi Arabia. This river is thought to be named the Karun River which flows southwest from Iran and merges with the other three rivers at …you guessed it, Al-Qurnah.  

Therefore, the Garden of Eden was most likely located in the area of the city Al-Qurnah where the Hiddekel {Tigris}, Euphrates, Pishon {Wadi ai Batin} and Gihon {Karun} rivers all merge. Moving north from this area one immediately encounters a veritable who’s who in Old Testament history. The Land of Eden is literally a stone’s throw from Babylon with its Tower of Babel, the Ararat mountains where Noah’s Ark landed, the city of Ur home of Abraham, Mount Sinai where the Ten Commandments were given, and the location where Moses crossed the Red Sea to escape Pharaoh. 

This then leads us back to the phrase, “…and a river went out of Eden to water the garden; and from there it was parted, and became {flowed into or joined} four rivers". So, the actual Garden of Eden had its own small unnamed river that was formed there by adjacent springs. These springs and river were the fresh water source for the Garden. It flowed through and out of the Garden. Then it entered into a fresh water marshland Garden. There it entered into a fresh water marshland that was supplied additional water by four named rivers. These rivers that converged in the southern end of the greater Land mass of Eden then emptied into the Persian Gulf. Therefore, the term “four heads” is referring to four rivers, not a single creation point of four river heads as we think of this term today.  

“And the LORD God took the man and put him in the garden of Eden to dress it and to keep it.” 

In the phrase “And the LORD God took the man {Adam}…” the word “took” in Hebrew is Laqach. This word is used to explain that a transition is now occurring from creation to purpose. Man was not created to just exist and stare at his surroundings. He was deliberately directed by his Creator into an environment specifically designed for a specific purpose. In the phrase “…and put him in the Garden of Eden…”, the word “put” in Hebrew is Yanach. This is an uncommon word used to express the idea of caused to rest. So God did not create Adam and allow him to simply exist or roam aimlessly. Instead, He brought him to a specific place He had created for him. A permanent home of beauty peace, bounty and rest. God then instructed Adam to “dress” the Garden . The word word “dress” in Hebrew is Abad. It means to serve the Garden. That is to say, God has asked Adam to nurture this creation He had made especially for him and his needs. In the phrase “…and to keep it.” the word “keep” in Hebrew is Shamar. This means to monitor the Garden to insure it is not harmed by neglect, weather, animals or uninvited guests. 

The word Shamar may also be a vague reference to protecting the Garden from nomadic outliers who, following a river up stream, may inadvertently stumble upon the Garden location. Again, these same unspecified people might be the ones Cain is alluding to when he is expelled from the Land of Eden. It is then that he goes into full panic mode worried that, “…anyone who finds me will kill me.” (Genesis 4:14) God then gives Cain a mark of some kind so that “… anyone who finds him will not kill him.” (Genesis 4: 15) The irony is, Cain needs this mark of protection from being murdered, because he murdered his own twin brother Abel. This is a shadow prophecy of the Antichrist who will give his followers a “mark” so that they will not be murdered, and can participate in his one world governmental system (Revelation 13:16-17).  

Anthropologist now believe that a small remnant of Neanderthal Man was alive and living in the caves of the Middle East during the time of Adam. 

“And the LORD God ‘commanded’ the man; saying, Of every tree of the Garden you may freely eat: But of the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil, you will not eat of it: for in the day that you eat it you will surly die.” 

The LORD God gave Adam a very simple straightforward “command”. This command was mutually agreed upon, so it is considered the first Covenant made between man and his Creator. Adam could eat any part of every tree in the Garden. He could eat as much as he wanted of every tree. But the one and only tree he should not eat any part of was the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil because, if he did, he would die. Meaning, while Adam and Eve were create mortal, the fruit of the Tree of Life allowed them a type of immortality. We are not told if, at some time in the future, the couple along with their descendants would have had their virtue rewarded with permanent immortality. But we are told that by eating the fruit of the Tree of Knowledge, the multifaceted curse that followed did take away their access to the Tree of Life. This curse also meant that their genetic makeup would be altered such that they would now grow old and eventually die. Then at death, their eternal intelligent spirits given by God would be released. The question now is, where would it go to reside? Would it go to be in the presence of its Creator as originally designed, or be removed from the presence of its Creator? 

Interestingly, science has identified the gene in mice that causes them to age. The problem is, when the aging gene is turned off, the mice quickly develop cancers and die. So, God has temporarily put a lock on the aging curse that science cannot remove.  

Also, the fruit of the Tree of Knowledge was not magical. It had no physiological effects on Adam and Eve. It was only a virtue test to see if they loved God and would show this love by resisting the temptation to eat this one fruit? The Jews believe the fruit was a pomegranate for a number of reasons. It grows in the Middle East. It has a beautiful shape, color and the rind feels like human skin. The sap of the fruit is blood red and the seed is both sweet and sour just as sin can be both enticing and at the same time deadly. And last but not least, the fruit has 613 seeds and there are 613 Jewish laws or commandments. The apple was first found not in the Middle East but in Kazakhstan. This country borders Russia to its north and Ukraine to its west. The reason the forbidden fruit became known as the apple is because the Latin words apple and evil are spelled almost the same.  

 It has been theorized that because Adam and Eve had no childhood or teenage maturation years, they should have been excused for their transgressions. However, it is also clear that they were created genetically perfect and displayed tremendous intellects. Therefore, they understood exactly what God commanded of them concerning the fruit of the trees. They were obviously told by the LORD how they were created and how He breathed life and an eternal spirit into them. Otherwise, we would not know that part of the story today. They understood that before their creation, they did not exist. Still they made a conscious decision to eat the fruit in order to “be like God”. We then learn that God informed both them and Lucifer or Satan, that one of their offspring would eventually redeem them (Genesis 3:15). Eve mistakenly took this to mean her first born son Cain. Boy was she wrong! We learn that God clothed and taught them a sacrificial worship system to observe until their redeemer appeared (Genesis 3:21). 

We also know that Adam and Eve worshipped God just as they were taught, and passed on this sacrificial worship system to their sons and daughters many of whom would continue to worship their Creator (Genesis 4:3-5). 

Because God is omniscient, He did know in advance that Adam would eat the fruit. However, just because God knew Adam would sin does not mean that the event was predetermined. Adam always had free will to determine his own fate. The fact that God knew in advance does not make it God’s fault that Adam freely made his own choice in this matter. However, the Triune Godhead had already devised a plan B that could redeem mankind and give them eternal life. But once again, it was up to each individual persons free will to take or reject this offer. 

Because man now knew good from bad, God needed to create laws that further detailed the difference between the two and punishments for committing various acts of evil. Before the law, man could not be righteously prosecuted for works of evil. This is why Cain was only banished for murdering his innocent twin brother. Had the law of an eye for an eye existed at that time, Cain would have been stoned to death. Still, Cain did not get away with murder. He would eventually be killed by his great grandson. Please see related: “Who Killed Cain Revealed”. 

On a sad note, Adam lived to be 930 years old. This is 70 years short of one thousand years. Scripture tells us that “A day with the LORD is as one thousand years…” (II Peter 3:8). So, poor Adam did not live even one full day in the Garden resting with the LORD. There is also no doubt that Adam’s fame as the first man ever created by God, spread throughout the land. So when asked to prove this claim, Adam did something that left the doubters spellbound. He simply showed them he had no belly button. There….that was easy!

“And the LORD God said, It is not good that the man should be alone.” 

This does not mean that God suddenly realized that Adam needed a companion. God never intended for man to be alone. What this is saying is that Adam had reached a point in his maturation process that he felt unfulfilled. He saw the pairs of animals coming and going from the Garden. He observed them and could see that they had something he did not… a mate. In the midst of a beautiful tranquil garden of plenty, Adam now started feeling lonely. He waited day after day for for his partner to appear so he could name her and have her by his side. Because Adam now desperately wanted a mate, he could now fully appreciate God’s gift of a help mate. Someone to accompany him on Garden adventures and create a race of people in the image of their Creator. 

“And out of the ground the Lord God formed every beast of the field and every fowl of the air: and brought them to Adam to see what he would call them: and whatever Adam called every living creature, that became its name.” 

So all the animals of the Earth were created in one way the same as man. God formed them out of the same dust as man. But Scripture does not state that God “breath into them the breath of life”, nor does it say that they became “a living soul” as did man. Scripture could have easily included this information as it did with the creation of man, but it does not.  

Each day, different animals wandered into the Garden and appeared before Adam. He would consider them and devise an appropriate descriptive name. This would have required Adam to have had a distinct knowledge of speech, the meanings of many words and the capacity of attaching words to ideas. This naming task also allowed Adam to exercise his dominion and authority over all the animals of the Earth. And, it allowed him to practice his ability to speak and thus prepared him for the lively social intercourse he would soon have with his partner Eve. 

“And Adam gave names to all cattle {domesticated animals} , and to the fowl of the air, and to every beast {wild animals} of the field; but for Adam there was not found a helpmate {companion} for him.”  

                THE CREATION OF WOMAN

 “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; And the rib, which the LORD God had taken from the man, He made a woman, and brought {presented} her to the man.” 

“The LORD God caused a deep sleep” records the first anesthesia. “And He took one of his ribs” records the first surgical procedure. The word "rib" also means side. So today we would say that the LORD removed or biopsied a piece of flesh or DNA, and perhaps some stem cells from Adam’s rib bone. Stem cells are used to regenerate flesh tissue. Stem cell based gene therapy using DNA is employed today to create clones. While God literally took flesh and bone cells from Adam to make Eve, He did not remove a rib as all people have twelve ribs. However, the woman is now symbolically one side of man. Adam cannot be whole without Eve. Literally the two are equal, and symbolically combined make a powerful whole. Prophetically, by becoming one flesh, they have the power to create a third unique being similar to themselves, yet not an exact copy.  

We might rightly assume that while Adam continued to sleep, the LORD took time to explain to a now conscious Eve who she was and how she was created. That she was safe in a beautiful Garden, and that He would personally introduce her to one of her own kind. The LORD then took Eve from where she was built and formally presented her to Adam. They would now be united in the eyes of God by way of a Marriage Covenant. The covenant is actually called the Covenant of God (Proverbs 2:17). Thus, the LORD God is the author of this covenant and creator of the institution of marriage. The Marriage Covenant or contract is spiritually held by God. Today, a couple only gets a physical paper copy of this spiritual contract. This covenant can only be legally broken in the eyes of God through death, desertion or serial {two episodes or more} infidelity. This is the marriage model that is approved by God and explained in more detail by Jesus (Romans 7:2-3; Luke 16:18; I Corinthians 7:10-11; Matthew 5:31-32; Matthew 19:3-9). Others types of binding commitments or agreements can be made between two people that are recognized in various courts of law. But Scripture reveals that the LORD god only approved marriages between one man and one woman (Romans 1:24-28). God command the man to unconditionally love his wife at all times, and the woman to responded unconditionally to that love. Eve was a compliment to Adam. The two stood side by side. The Church is a compliment to Christ. Believers stand together with Him side by side. He is the Groom and the Church is His Bride. 

Jesus never married because His Church or followers are His bride. 

During the Rapture, the Church is removed from the Earth and all earthly contracts become null and void (Matthew 22:30; Mark 12:25). It is now that a marriage covenant, which supersedes all previous marriage covenants, occurs between Christ and His followers or “Bride” (Revelation 19:7-9). At that time, Christ’s followers are officially grafted or adopted into the Family of God  (Ephesians 5:22-33; II Corinthians 11:2). They are now His beloved Children with all the rights and privileges that come with this title (Matthew 22:30; Luke 6:38; Romans 8:32). 

                     THE FIRST MARRAGE 

-The greatest alliance in the world is between a man and a woman - 

“And Adam said, This {my mate} is now bone of {from} my bones and flesh of {from} my flesh {a part of me}: she will be called Wo-man, because she was taken out of Man.” 

Adam apparently awoke and realized that something had been removed from him and was used to create the mate he had so longed for. Otherwise he could not have made the aforementioned statement that he and his wife were now joined in flesh and bone. Separate, but now inextricably and genetically fused, resembling the physical incarnation of the spiritual Triune Godhead. Eve was taken out of his side close to his heart. The two are now bound closer to each other than to their parents or siblings. A child produced from this union is the natural incarnation of the supernatural creation process. Plants and animals only create copies of themselves. Humans create a unique being that is indwelled with the eternal spirit of God. Jesus never married, as the Church is His Bride who He will marry immediately after the Rapture. This first wedding ceremony in the Garden of Eden was officiated by the LORD God Himself. This verse is a recording of the first wedding vow made by the first man to the first woman. This Marriage Covenant was created by and agreed to in the presence of the LORD God. Thus the phrase, “What God has joined together, let no man put asunder {tear apart}". (Matthew 19:4-6).  

“Therefore {Thus} shall a man leave his father and his mother and will {instead} cleave {unite} to his wife: and they shall be {considered} one flesh.” 

Because there is no editorial break from the first sentence, we may rightly assume that Adam made this inspired declaration concerning the Covenant of Marriage. A divinely appointed union not just a conjunction of two bodies, or a union of two self-serving interests, or sexual infatuation. Instead, a deep and profound love and respect between one man and one woman. 

MAN WAS CREATED FREE FROM SIN AND INNOCENT 

“And they were both naked, the man and his ‘wife’, and were not ashamed.” 

This phrase “they were both naked” has upset many Christians since the beginning of the Church Age. To counter this simple and clear understanding, some preachers have declared that while Adam and Eve did not wear clothing, they were none the less enswathed in an ethereal and transfiguring light. How embarrassingly ridiculous. Just as a child is born without clothing, Adam and Eve were created without clothing. Adam and Eve did not know they were naked because there were no other people to tell them they were naked. This is why the statement ends with the words, “and they were not ashamed.” They were not ashamed in two ways. First they were sin free, so they were not ashamed to present themselves to the sin free LORD God every evening to converse. Second, they were not ashamed or embarrassed about not wearing clothing because they did not know how to be that way. There was nothing to be ashamed about. Today, most people have body issues. But Adam and Eve were created anatomically perfect and innocent. Therefore, just as toddlers have no issues walking around without clothing, Adam and Eve also had no problem.  

It is true that once the couple sinned against God, they were ashamed of what they had done and worried about God’s reaction and disappointment. So, they decided to cover themselves with leaves. But this was not because they suddenly saw they were naked and became embarrassed. They covered themselves with leaves because they thought this act would cover their sin. That God would now see them but not see their sin. They were still like children not understanding that by covering their eyes they did not disappeared. Yes… they were that embarrassingly simple minded when it came to the subject of sin and repentance. God would need to show them how to make clothing, but not to cover their nakedness (Genesis 3:21). He did this as a practical way to protect their mortal bodies from the weather and other elements of nature that they were now about to experience in the world outside the Garden. It was purely for practical reasons that they were clothed.

When explorers from Europe traveled into Africa, they discovered that the adult men and women only wore small frontal loin cloths to protect sensitive areas from insects. The children, up until the age of puberty, were all left completely naked. So, naked bodies remained the norm in most third world countries up until the nineteenth and twentieth centuries and the appearance of Christian missionaries.