The Key to the World of Happiness.

Genesis 2:4-25

Key Verse 2:8

We learned how much God concerned man chapter 1.

He created man as His own image. He even gave man the authority to take care of all creatures as God’s steward. God’s testimony after his creation work was done was “ It was very good.”

We will study two main themes.

1. God's creation of man; deeper insight how he created man.

2. God provided the best environment, which is the Garden of Eden,

His covenant and family for mankind;

* Let’s think how much God concern man’s happiness, joy and goodness.

-From chapter 2, the name of God was changed to Yhahee from Elohim.

Elohim means that God is almighty and vast much more than our imagination`. Yahee (LORD)- During the intertestamental period of Israel, around 500 BC, the Jews became very concerned with not blaspheming the name of the Lord. So rather than saying the name Yahweh, they would say Elohim instead, which is the Hebrew word for god.

It means “God’s existence but most importantly His presence, (Ex3:13,14) “the absolute standard of truth and goodness and beauty” “intimate”, God of promise (Ex 6:3-8). God wants to have relationship with his people and be the LORD for them.

From this chapter to Deuteronomy, God made covenants with his people. He wants to us to have relationship with us as His children. He wants to us to keep His promises. God is love; He is also God of promise. If he has promises, he keeps his promises.

1. From verse 4, God’s name is changed from “God”(Elohim) to “the Lord God”(Yahweh). Elohim means Almighty, and Yahweh means the one who exists by Himself and Savior. What was the state of the earth before God created humans (5-6)? How did God form man (7)? Who is the owner of human life? What kind of life should we live?

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

a) The earth was waiting for the appearing of man who is the main character. The earth is the stage of man's life.

b) Human body was made by the smallest particles on the earth. Think about dust. Dust is worthless, weak, ordinary things we can find anywhere.

c) (1Co 15:47) We human beings are as weak as dust and worthless with just flesh. Chemically the value of man's body is less than $10.00. Human being is the existence who depends on God.

d) "and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living being." The breath of life refers to the life of God. Man was just a clod, but the life of God made man to become a living soul. (Isa 64:8)

-When God created man, He breathed into life. However when He created other creatures, He just proclaimed. (Ps 139:14)

-The origin of our life is God. Life is noble, mysterious. No a sci­entist defines the origin of life. John 1:4 says, "In him was life..." We came from God and we go back to God. The Lord of our life is God: we must positively live for the glory of God and to entrust our lives into God's hand.

e) -Man is a possessor of flesh and soul. Human being is the spiritual existence. Our soul wants to be satisfied. Nothing can satisfy our soul without God’s words.( Amos 8:11) Our soul can have satisfaction when we have a fellowship with God. David said in Psalm 86:4, "Bring joy to your servant, for to you, O Lord, I lift up my soul." Our soul needs salvation. (2Co 5:1)

Many people try to satisfy their soul with physical or material things. The more we try to satisfy our soul with these kinds of things, the more we are thirty (John 4: 13,14).

2. What did God provide for man? (8)? Describes the Garden of Eden (9-14). In what sense it paradise? What kind of love do you see from this provision?

8 Now the Lord God had planted a garden in the east, in Eden; and there he put the man he had formed.9 The Lord God made all kinds of trees grow out of the ground—trees that were pleasing to the eye and good for food. In the middle of the garden were the tree of life and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.

10 A river watering the garden flowed from Eden; from there it was separated into four headwaters. 11 The name of the first is the Pishon; it winds through the entire land of Havilah, where there is gold. 12 (The gold of that land is good; aromatic resin and onyx are also there.) 13 The name of the second river is the Gihon; it winds through the entire land of Cush.[e] 14 The name of the third river is the Tigris; it runs along the east side of Ashur. And the fourth river is the Euphrates.

a) The Lord God made all kinds of trees grow out of the ground trees that were pleasing to the eye and good for food.

-In the Garden of Eden, there were all kinds of nutritious and de­licious foods--no pollution& security problem.

-It was also beautiful. The sense of beauty must be satis­fied for man to be happy.

*There were two special trees in the middle of the Garden of Eden.

-The tree of life gives eternal life.

-The tree of knowledge of good and evil gives the discernment of morals. Adam can know that obedience is good and disobedience is evil.

-There were four streamed rivers.

-The Pishon; it winds through the entire land of Havilah. (India) The Gihon; it winds through the entire land of Cush. (Ethiopia) The Tigris; it runs along the east side of Asshur. (East of Assyria) The Euphrates. (Syria and Iraq)

b) Gold and aromatic resin and onyx were there. The Garden of Eden was truly the paradise. It was with all kinds of beauty. The environment was perfect to live in for man. It was full of brightness and joy.

*The knowledge of the Lord filled the earth. (Isa 11:6-11) This is the pic­ture of Revelation 21,22 where the redeemed believers will enter into. It is bright, the castle is high and great and the street is decorated with gold. The river of life flows and the tree of life bears twelve kinds of fruit.

God provided abundant all things for human being happiness.

3. What kind of work and blessing were given to man in Eden (15-16)? What does the tree of the knowledge of good and evil symbolize (17)? What did God provide through it?

15 The Lord God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and take care of it. 16 And the Lord God commanded the man, “You are free to eat from any tree in the garden; 17 but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat from it you will certainly die.”

a) –Adam’s life was not just playing card game or nothing to do. The life in the Garden of Eden wasn't easygoing life but to do God's mission. His mission was to keep the garden ,which was necessary hard labor. Animals have only instinct. However, we human beings have mission to take care of garden according to God’s will.

"And the Lord God commanded the man, 'You are free to eat from any tree in the garden;

-God had given man unlimited freedom to eat from all kinds of trees of the garden. Even to eat from the tree of life. The will of freedom (Free choice) is God's gift to man.

17 but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat from it you will certainly die.”

b) - This is called, "The Cove­nant of Eden." Especially the word, "surely" tells us that this covenant is absolute. When man keeps it, he could have joy and blessing of the garden continually. This command was God's deep love upon us.

-Not only did he give vast freedom but also did He also give man some restriction.

-Restriction without freedom is slavery. Freedom without restriction is dissoluteness (recklessness, carelessness).

-God gave Adam the freedom& (free will) to obey him or not. However, in free­dom there is responsibility.

-The command not to eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil is God's order for man's happiness; God is the Creator and man is his creatures.

God wanted man to re­member him and love him and serve his mission through seeing the tree.

-Genesis 1:28 is the order between man and the creatures. Genesis 2:17 is the order between God and man. Just as the creation order keeps the universe, the spiri­tual order keeps our spiritual life.

4. How did Adam obey God (19-20)? What did God create woman (18,21-22)? What is the biblical view of marriage (23-25)? What is your view of marriage? How can we restore the Garden of Eden in our marriages?

18 The Lord God said, “It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper suitable for him.”

19 Now the Lord God had formed out of the ground all the wild animals and all the birds in the sky. He brought them to the man to see what he would name them; and whatever the man called each living creature, that was its name. 20 So the man gave names to all the livestock, the birds in the sky and all the wild animals.

But for Adamno suitable helper was found. 21 So the Lord God caused the man to fall into a deep sleep; and while he was sleeping, he took one of the man’s ribs and then closed up the place with flesh. 22 Then the Lord God made a woman from the rib he had taken out of the man, and he brought her to the man.

23 The man said,

“This is now bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh; she shall be called ‘woman,’ for she was taken out of man.”

24 That is why a man leaves his father and mother and is united to his wife, and they become one flesh.

25 Adam and his wife were both naked, and they felt no shame.

-Whatever the man called each living creature, that was its name. So the man names to all the livestock, the birds of the air and all the beasts of the field.

a) -Adam used God-given creative intelligence to name each animals. God made man to create new history.

b) -Woman was created to be a suitable helper to support man to serve God's mission well. Adviser usually is more mature than one who receives advice. Woman should be mature to help God’s mission for man. Woman's role is to help man to serve God better as well as to grow a better God’s servant too. The order of family must be clear. Husband is the head.

c) ." She was created from a man's rib, near from a man's heart. Her position is the same as man. Ribs protect a heart. Woman protect man’s heart and mind to go right way.

d) -Marriage is union of flesh, soul, spirit and mission. It is a union of personality.

-Independence before God.

-There was no shame or secret-utmost happiness."

-Marriage must be mission-centered, not for selfish reason or for the satisfaction of lust.

-“ So they are no longer two, but one. There­fore what God has joined together, let man not separate." (Mt 19:5,6) Marriage is the covenant relationship.-no one can break this covenant.

- How much did God care for man? How did God make the Garden of Eden for man’s happiness?

a) Perfect environment was provided. b) God made us to be a living soul with intimacy.

c) God gave us holy command. d) God also established a family.

* In God, we have the Garden of Eden.