The first verse of Genesis showed the entire universe being created.

From verse two to the third verse of the Second Chapter of Genesis the focus was narrowed to a consideration of the Earth and its development, including the creation of Man.

Now we narrow the focus further, as we examine the beginnings of Man.

It is all like Forrest Gump's feather, which floated through the open air, drifted down among the buildings of the city, and finally came to rest at the feet of Forrest. (See Chapter Two of this essay.)

But the author of Genesis seems to have intended that we consider not only the first man but also his family. Hence he begins this section with the words, "These are the generations." This is an expression which occurs some eleven times in Genesis, thus suggesting that the author intended twelve divisions of the book. This new section, beginning with 2:4, continues to the end of Chapter Four.

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When the Omnipotent One created Man, did He make him with the initial body of a child? Did He make him a youth? Or as a young man of twenty-one? Or perhaps He formed him with the body of a fully-developed man, like that of one between thirty and thirty-five years old?

We may long ponder the question, but in fact we do not know!

  But even if Man was first created with the body like that of a thirty-year-old, in experience he was as bereft of knowledge as a newborn baby. He had to learn everything!

 * * *

 But Man had a Parent. The Omnipotent One cared for his every need with the devotion of a doting father.

  The Omnipotent One is no longer described only as One of almighty power. He is now called "Yahweh Elohim."

  The word transliterated as "Yahweh" has four letters in the Hebrew, and is often called "The Tetragrammaton." For fear of violating the Third Commandment ("Thou shalt not take the name of Yahweh thy God in vain" --Exodus 20:7) Jewish people refuse to pronounce the name, saying instead "Lord." Our King James Bible and other versions follow the practice by using the word LORD, using all capitals.

  He called Himself "I am," (ehweh), saying, "This is my name for ever." (Exodus 3:14-15). But He is spoken of by others as "Yahweh," - "He is."

He is the ever-living one: "Him which is, and which was, and which is to come." (Revelation 1:4).

  Accordingly, let us translate "Yahweh Elohim" as "The Living Omnipotent One." This is the term of identification used by the author of Genesis throughout Genesis Chapters Two and Three.

 * * *

 In Chapter One of this essay, it was alleged that in the Scripture we have a Progressive Revelation of God. The initial revelation of Him was as Elohim. Now we have an additional step in the revelation: Yahweh.

  Whether the Documentary Hypothesis (ascribing different authors to different parts of the Pentateuch) is correct we shall leave to scholars to decide. What we are looking at here is the "finished product." In any case, the writer thinks it is hard to ascribe to different authors this section wherein both names for the Deity are put together.

  But as already suggested, The Living Omnipotent One is seen here as exercising parental care over the object(s) of His third creation.

  As the ever-living One, He not only lives Himself but He also enables others to live. "Because I live, ye shall live also." (John 14:19).

 * * *

 As we look at the events of the Second Chapter of Genesis, let us as it were stand alongside Adam and see the events as he experienced them.

  And first of all, the beginning of his existence. It is written, "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." (Vs. 7).

  Note the order: man's body was formed first, and then he was brought to life. And note also that he began to live when he received breath and began to breathe.

Is not this the process of every new birth today? The body is being formed as a fetus in the womb. Then when it is delivered, it must begin to breathe. To fail to breathe is to be still-born. It breathes, however, and begins to live. As a fetus, it has biological life; as a newborn, he (or she) has human life. The body is first formed, then is infused with life as an human being.

  Many anti-abortionists call the abortion of a fetus "murder." Although the writer does not approve of abortion, he believes that abortion is not murder, for human life has not yet begun -- the fetus is only biological life at that time.

 *

As a baby is placed in a safe place ñ whether it be cradle, crib, or playpen ñ so the newly formed Man was placed in a safe environment: "And the LORD God planted a garden eastward in Eden; and there he put the man whom he had formed." (Vs. 8).

  Several points to be noted here.

· In the first place, the word translated "garden" (gan). The lexicon describes it as "a place enclosed as by a fence or a wall." Since, as we see from verse nine that it contained trees, the writer chooses to translate the word as "enclosed orchard."

  Then in the second place, note that the enclosed orchard is "in Eden." This suggests to us that the garden is a part of Eden. "Eden" and the "garden" are not identical.

 Later on, when Adam and Eve were expelled, they were expelled from the garden, and not necessasrily from Eden.

NOTE: In verse 8 we are told that the Garden is "in" Eden. From then on, it is spoken of as the "Garden of Eden." The writer considers that from that time on, the particular garden is merely being identified: it is not just any Garden, but is particularized as "Eden's Garden."

· The Enclosed Orchard was said to be "Eastward." Some see this as meaning it was in the eastern part of Eden. However the writer suggests that the opening of the Garden was facing toward the East.

  The Enclosed Orchard was like a temple: an outdoor temple. That is, it was to be the place where God meets with man. True temples face toward the East. This means that the worshipper, entering the temple, faces the West. This was true of the Mosaic tabernacle erected by the Israelites during their wilderness wanderings. (See Exodus 40:17ff, where the direction of the tabernacle must be deduced from the arrangements of the Holy of Holies, the table of shewbread, and the candlestick.)

It was true of the congregation of Israel in the Promised Land near Shechem between Mounts Ebal and Gerazim (See Deuteronomy 11:22-32 and 27:1-28:14, also Joshua 8:30-35).

It was true of the Solomonic temple in Jerusalem.

It was true of the restored temple under Ezra and Nehemiah, and as reconstructed by Herod.

All of these temples faced the East, so that the worshipper faced the West. In fact, to turn one's face away from the temple and face the East was called an "abomination." (See Ezekiel 8:15-16).

  The Garden in Eden, an outdoor temple, the first temple, faced the East.

And when Cain left Eden, he turned his back on God by going Eastward from Eden to the land of Nod (wandering). See Genesis 4:16).

The location of Eden - whether in the highlands of Armenia or at the head of the Persian Gulf - we leave to the scholars to decide. The writer's only comment is that it is customary to speak of the headwaters of a river as being at its source, and the mouth of the river the place where it empties into a sea. Let us be careful not to confuse this distinction.

 *

 Man was given a source of food, an assignment to do, and a command to be obeyed.

 He was to care for the Enclosed Orchard. His days were not to be spent in idleness, but he was given a task to perform. ("And the LORD God took man, and put him into the garden of Eden to dress it and to keep it." (Vs. 15).

 He was directed to his food supply (Vs. 16): the fruit of the trees. As a baby tends to put everything into its mouth, so Adam could taste the fruit of any of the trees ---

  With one exception. He was commanded to refrain from eating from one certain tree. (Vs. 17). This requires several comments:

  The command was given to Adam alone. If the recital of events in the Second Chapter of Genesis be chronological in order (and the writer thinks there is good reason for so understanding), then Eve was not present, for she had not yet been made.

  Adam was told that the penalty for disobedience was to be death. Had he seen death yet? There is no indication that he had. All he could know was that it was something very bad.

  This next item is speculative. If God had installed "the tree of knowledge of good and evil" in the Garden, it was there for a purpose. One wonders whether, if Man had not sinned, God would later on have shown him a specific use, other than food, for the tree and its fruit.

  When an infant first learns to walk and move about, he must be quickly taught certain prohibitions. He is carefully, and sometimes forcefully, warned to stay away from the kitchen stove. This is an early lesson in obedience. Does this mean that he must never touch the stove? Of course not. When he gets to be four or five years old his mother will carefully teach him how to use the stove safely. Had Adam not sinned, what later use for the tree would God have shown him?

 *

 The newly formed Adam was first concerned with food and with the environment of the Garden. This is like a newborn child. He is at first aware of only his food and gradually his immediate surroundings.

 Later the infant becomes increasingly aware of others. So Man - Adam - became aware of animals. He studied them and he named them. But the Living Omnipotent One, like a caring parent, was gradually introducing Adam to the various animals. He "brought them unto Adam." (Verse 19).

 *

 Finally, the child learns about other persons, how to interact with them, and his social responsibilities. At this point, Adam's social needs are seen "for Adam there was not found an help meet for him" (Vs. 20), and dealt with.

 * * *

When Adam had seen and identified many animals, the pungent perfume of the fruit-trees, ripened by the mid-day sun, and wafted by Eden's gentle breeze, began to weave its anaesthetic influence upon the man. It was early afternoon, and siesta time. Yahweh-Elohim, the caring Parent, had arranged all this, and the Divinely induced somnolence gave Him the opportunity to perform history's first surgery, so perfect that it left no pain and no scar.

  And when at length the sleepy eyes of Adam blinked open, he saw another, like himself yet different.

  They looked. They stared at one another. Each in turn made certain hesitating steps toward the other. They approached. Slowly, one by one, they reached out, shyly to touch the smiling cheek opposite. Then she turned and ran, ran between the tree trunks. And quickly he pursued her. When out of breath, they collapsed together in a laughing heap.

 And with the laughter came the words. They could talk! They could communicate. They could converse. And hand-in-hand they explored the orchard.

 *

 And Adam said, as though to himself, "This is now bone of my bones, and flesh of my flesh: she shall be called Woman, because she was taken out of Man." (Genesis 2:23.)

 *

 "Look!" she cried, and she ran toward a special tree, anxious to sample its bright fruit.

"Wait! Stop!" he ordered, as he snatched her away. "We must not eat it, or something terrible will happen to us, something called "death."

"Oh," she thought, "then we had better not even touch it."

 *

 And The Living Omnipotent One, smiling with fatherly pride, benignly looked upon the couple, and thought to Himself that it was all "very good." (Gen. 1:31).

 * * *

 The sixth day was now drawing to a close, and with the setting sun a Sabbath, a time of rest, was about to begin. So Yahweh Elohim, the Living Omnipotent One, stretched out upon His heavenly recliner, and with Him all His creation prepared for the day of repose.

"And God blessed the seventh day, and sanctified it: because that in it he had rested from all his work which God created and made." (Gen. 2:3).