Family History

Scipture Reading : Gen 2:4-7

"The generation of the heavens and the earth" constitute the first of

the eleven generations in this book. The first one extendes to 4:26,

there are two other generation in all. The last of fourteenth is found

in the N.T (matt 1:1) These versed now reveal the offspring of creation,

both as to matter and man, but with special referencce to man. Man is

the offspring of both heaven and earth.

There is a change in the name of God in verse four. We are introduced to

Jah or Jehovah which is joined to Elohim, and translated Lord God. The

name Elohim is God as the Creator of all things. Jehovah is the same God

in covenant relationship to those whom He has created. Jehovah is the

Eternal, Immutable One who was, is, and is to come. He is the God of

redemption.

The narrator now tells us that therewas a time when the world of plants

had not yet appeared on the earth; and he proceeds to give two reasons;

There was no moisture on the earth because it had not rained, and there

was no man to till the soil. But there is provided moisture in the mist

that came up from the earth.

However, the crown of creation is man, Delitzsch says of this creation;

"The body of man was first formed of the moist dust of the ground by

divne power, and then man became animated being through divine

inbreathing." The breath, which creatively went forth from God, entered

into man and becme the principle of his physical life. This man became

"a living soul." So this Adam who is last formed, and for whom all other

things wait and are prepared, is made the interpreter of all, and the

glory of all, and the glory of God to them, God intended that his body

should become a temple of the Holy Spirit (1 Cor 6:19) His Spiirit is

the creation and gift of God (Eccl 12:7) Isa 57:16 Zech 12:1) With both

his bodyand spirit he should glorify his Divine Creator (1 Cor 6:20) we

see here the true nobility of man's creation, and the consequent

obligation of neither dishonoring nor abusing it.