Water Gives Life
In Genesis 2:5-6 we see that, until water sprung forth, there could be no life. The Bible tells us that Christ is the living water. If we learn of him and follow the gospel, we will never thirst again.
How great is God! He can, and does, provide all that we need. God is the source of everything we have. I often forget that, and become prideful. I don’t have anything because of my own power. God has given me life, and he is the source of everything good.
Jesus answered and said to her, “Whoever drinks of this water will thirst again, but whoever drinks of the water that I shall give him will never thirst. But the water that I shall give him will become in him a fountain of water springing up into everlasting life.”
John 4:13-14
The Breath of Life
In Luke 23:46 Jesus says, “‘Father, into Your hands I commit My spirit.’ Having said this, He breathed His last.”
Jesus’ own words show us that we have a spirit inside our physical bodies. Looking deeper into the verse from Luke, and Genesis 2:7, we see that our spirit is what gives us life. Genesis 2:7 says, “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 being.”
Our lives begin when our spirits enter our physical bodies, and, when our hearts cease beating, our spirits live on. How awesome is that?! God has given us the gift of coming to Earth to learn and grow in these bodies so that we can become more like Him, and, when our time on this physical plane ends, our spirits have the opportunity to live on with the knowledge that we gained in this life.
The Garden
God created a beautiful home for Adam in the Garden of Eden. There was everything man needed to survive.
God put Adam in the garden and told him to care for the garden. Adam was allowed to eat whatever he wanted except fruit from the tree of knowledge of good and evil.
Have you ever tried to imagine what the Garden of Eden really would have been like? I have this vision of a lush green garden with tons of shade provided by the many trees. I imagine being able to walk by and grab any fruit I would like from the trees. But, I think the beauty and grandeur of the Garden of Eden is beyond our comprehension. I am sure there were species of plants, fruits, vegetables, and animals we have never seen. How big would the garden have been to hold all of that?
An equal but
opposite helper to him
Eve – a help meet
God knew that Adam shouldn’t be alone. So, before creating Eve, he looked to see if His other creations might be suitable as a helper to Adam. There was no such being.
In these verses, Eve is referred to as a “help meet.” I was put off by that statement. for much of my life. I thought, “surely I am not put here just to help my husband.” In this study of Genesis, I found a wonderful explanation of the phrase “help meet” from the Red Headed Hostess‘ monthly subscription. Help meet comes from the Hebrew: Ezer Kenegbo. Ezer is rather easily translated to mean help. Kenegbo is a more nuanced word. Kenegbo can be translated as, “opposite as to him,” or “corresponding as to him.” So, ezer kenegbo means, “an equal but opposite helper to him.”
This translation brings more understanding these verses. God intended for Eve to be equal to Adam. He was not to be an overbearing ruler. Adam and Eve were meant to work alongside each other. They were meant to fit together physically and metaphorically. Eve was meant to fill in where Adam was deficient. They were not meant to be the same.
What do you imagine life in the Garden of Eden to be like? What were some of your take aways from these verses? Let me know in a comment, or join our community over on Instagram.
Next reading: Genesis 3
Here We Go Egan 