How we Live

DEVOTION

GENESIS

HOW WE LIVE

Gen 2:4-7

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 and no shrub of the field had yet appeared on the earth and no plant of the field had yet sprung up, for the LORD God had not sent rain on the earth and there was no man to work the ground, 6 but streams came up from the earth and watered the whole surface of the ground —  7 the LORD God formed the man from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living being.

NIV

Now we get into a little more detail as to how all this came about, the creation of God. First we have to note that although we were told that he created all the plants on the third day and did not make man until the sixth day it appears here there might be a different take on it. We are seeing the land and the seas, but we are not seeing all the plants just appearing in all their fullness as we might have thought just because God said:

"Let the land produce vegetation: seed-bearing plants and trees on the land that bear fruit with seed in it, according to their various kinds." And it was so. 12 The land produced vegetation: plants bearing seed according to their kinds and trees bearing fruit with seed in it according to their kinds.

It seems as this account states the plants did not appear in an instant but rather sprung up from the ground as if growing from a seed. We have to know all plant life requires moisture to live and we are told here God had not yet caused rain. But what we are told is that he caused streams to spring up from the earth to water the seeds and bring forth all the plants. This particular translation does not reflect the true sense of the Hebrew word as it could. The Hebrew word really refers to something like a fog, or a mist. This would seem to make more sense as it would hang in the air and thus all the vegetation would be able to grow very well, almost like what we think of a rain forest would be like, hot and steamy. Yet there also was no man to tend the earth, to work it so to speak. But again, although the Hebrew word can be translated as to till, or to work, it also can be used to enslave. As God told Adam to subdue the earth, it would make more sense to see this word as enslave rather than till or work. Yet those words could also be seen as to make the earth do what we want it to, such as farmers today. All this world God created for man to live on, but he had not yet made the man to live in it. So here we are at the point of all this. So God formed the man from the dust of the ground. It is interesting that all the universe, the world and all the plants and animals exist because God said so, he spoke and it happened. But man, he did not speak into existence. It would seem God came down on his earth and bent down on his knees, got his hands dirty in the mud and formed us from it. Then he bent over and breathed his very breathe into our nostrils giving us live. He did not do that with the wild kingdom, but he did with us. Although we might think our pets have such unique personalities and it sure seems they do, they do not have the breath of God within them as we do. This also serves to show us that we are indeed more than just a physical being. Our bodies are indeed made from the ground, the mud or clay. It would seem that God had to use some moisture in order to form a figure, maybe he used his own moisture, his saliva, maybe he spit into the ground and worked it into a clay like substance and formed us just like a potter forms a vessel.

Isa 64:8

8 Yet, O LORD, you are our Father. We are the clay, you are the potter; we are all the work of your hand.

NIV

Jer 18:5-6

5 Then the word of the LORD came to me: 6 "O house of Israel, can I not do with you as this potter does?" declares the LORD. "Like clay in the hand of the potter, so are you in my hand,

NIV

We are the clay, he is the potter and he formed our bodies from the clay. There can be no doubt we are part of this earth. But that is not all, for after he formed us from this earth he kneed down, bent over and gave us CPR, he breathed into our nostrils and we became a living being, with his spirit within us. This is what makes us so different from all other living species. This is why we did not evolve from an ape-like being. All ape like beings do not have the breath of God within them, they were spoken into existence. We, on the other hand do have his breath, his spirit within us. This should give us something to ponder. But also question. Why with the very breath of God within them, did Adam succumb to the temptation he was presented with? Then we know the answer, because we too, like Adam, have the very breath of God within us and we succumb to temptation. How can that be? How can we do that? What is wrong with us? We are in fact a spirit who was breathed into a body by God and yet we allow our body to dictate or dominate our spirit. Is that the way God intended us to be? It would seem so, as he also made the angels who some rebelled against him, having their own will it would seem. So he must have made us with that same ability, to choose to obey or to choose to ignore and do our own thing. But once we became aware of the truth of the gospel message and accepted Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior do we not submit our will to him? Once we recognize we have his very breathe within us, should we not be more resistant to temptation? Some day we will lay this body down and it will return to the ground from which it was made, and we, our spirit, that which contains the breath of God will return to him.

Isa 55:11

11 so is my word that goes out from my mouth: It will not return to me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it.

NIV

His words, which come from his breathe will not return to him empty. We will return to him having accomplished what he desires and achieves for the purpose he gave it to us.  That should make us think a little more about how we live.