Sermon Central
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Nothing But The Best
Contributed by John Raulerson on Oct 17, 2005 (message contributor)
Summary: God only wants the best for man and He proved it through creation.
NOTHING BUT THE BEST
When God does something, He does it first rate. When He created the heavens and the earth, He did it first class. Man will never cease to marvel at the beauty and wonders of God’s creation. When God provided a Savior, he gave His best: His only Son, Jesus Christ. When God meets man’s needs His always gives the very best.
Chapter 2 beginning with verse 4 marks a new division in the book of Genesis. Chapter 1 was simply an introduction establishing the origin of creation. After the introduction the Book of Genesis is divided into 10 sections each beginning with the statement, “This is the history/generations/story of”. Each of these divisions build upon one another to lead us from the first man and woman to the establishment of God’s people Israel.
Chapter 2 upon first reading appears to give a different account of the creation of man, but actually they are two versions of the same. Chapter 1’s objective is to establish the fact of the creation of man within the scope of the six days of creation. Chapter 2’s objective is to begin a detailed history of man from the very beginning.
In verses 4-6 God clearly explains that creation was not complete without man. The plants of the field and herbs of the field addressed in verse 5 were of the type which required cultivation. God gives two specific reasons why these plants and herbs had not grown: they was no rain, therefore a need for irrigation), and there was no man which was needed for cultivation. Clearly, God’s word is establishing the fact that creation needed man. Therefore , God created man from the earth itself to irrigate and cultivate the land.
But man would be different than all other creation. Man would be God’s most precious creation because only man received God’s breath of life, and only man would be created in God’s image. And God only wanted the best for His special creation.
GOD PROVIDED ......
A PERFECT HABITAT FOR MAN TO LIVE ABUNDANTLY(2:8-14)
God had created a creation which He described was very good, but apparently not good enough for his special creation man. The text instructs us that God planted a garden for man to dwell. When I think of a “garden” two thoughts come to my mind: beauty and provision. Some gardens are planted simply for the beauty. Each year, visitors from all over the world come to enjoy the beauty of Cypress Gardens. I know it is one of my favorite places. When I walk through such a garden and admire the beauty of nature I sense God, the Creator, nearby and a tranquility in my soul. I have never had the opportunity to travel to Hawaii but I understand the beauty of islands is breath-taking. Some people plant gardens not for the beauty, but for the provisions to be harvested from the garden. I love to garden although I have not had the opportunity over the last few years. There is something special about working the land, planting a seed, and watching it grow into a fruit producing plant. The text teaches that both these purposes were met by the garden God planted for man. In it he was blessed with...
Perfect Beauty, and
Abundant Produce
A SPECIFIC MINISTRY FOR MAN TO LIVE PURPOSEFULLY (2:15)
God did not simply place man in a beautiful environment and left him with nothing to do. Instead, He gave Adam the responsibility of tending the garden. Although this was before the curse and there were no weeds or pests to worry about, he was needed to cultivate the land for the plants of the field and the herbs. Also, he need to prune the fruit bearing plants from their lush growth.
From the very beginning we discover the importance of responsibilities and duty. Even in a perfect environment God understood the value of work. This gives purpose to man and value to his life. Responsibilities give a person a reason to get up each morning. If one was placed in the most beautiful paradise on earth with nothing to do, then soon that would grow tiresome. Now, admittedly I would not mind trying it for a week or two, but after a while I would go crazy.
God wants us to have purpose and meaning in our lives. Therefore, He has given each of us responsibilities to perform starting even with Adam
A FREE WILL FOR MAN TO LIVE VOLUNTARILY (2:16-17)
Inside the garden, the text specifically informs us that God placed two special trees: the Tree of Life and the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil. One tree, the Tree of Life represented the possibility and the reality of eternal life. He that ate of that tree could live forever. God blessed Adam by giving him full access to the Tree of Life.
