1 00:00:00,800 --> 00:00:04,560 Speaker 1: Let us pray, and the Lord God formed man of 2 00:00:04,640 --> 00:00:07,960 Speaker 1: the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils 3 00:00:08,000 --> 00:00:11,240 Speaker 1: the breath of life, and man became a living soul 4 00:00:12,440 --> 00:00:17,840 Speaker 1: Genesis two seven. Dear Heavenly Father, like Adam and Eve, 5 00:00:17,960 --> 00:00:21,680 Speaker 1: I realize that I too get to make the decision 6 00:00:21,840 --> 00:00:25,680 Speaker 1: to live together with you and divine unity to day. 7 00:00:25,760 --> 00:00:28,680 Speaker 1: Help me to make the right choices so that I 8 00:00:28,720 --> 00:00:32,519 Speaker 1: can continue to thrive in this beautiful garden called life. 9 00:00:33,800 --> 00:00:36,879 Speaker 1: I will celebrate the fact that you have created the 10 00:00:36,920 --> 00:00:40,320 Speaker 1: perfect life partner for me that will allow me to 11 00:00:40,479 --> 00:00:43,960 Speaker 1: enjoy your many blessings and to experience the love and 12 00:00:44,080 --> 00:00:50,800 Speaker 1: joy that comes with companionship. I declare that life flows 13 00:00:50,880 --> 00:00:54,800 Speaker 1: through me because you breathed your breath into my body. 14 00:00:56,120 --> 00:00:59,959 Speaker 1: I declare that I can live in vulnerability and transparency 15 00:01:01,080 --> 00:01:06,240 Speaker 1: because in your presence is no shame or guilt. Thank 16 00:01:06,319 --> 00:01:09,520 Speaker 1: you for forming me and sculpting me out of the 17 00:01:09,600 --> 00:01:13,600 Speaker 1: dust of the earth. When life gets a little dirty 18 00:01:13,680 --> 00:01:16,919 Speaker 1: and even messy at times, I will calm my soul 19 00:01:18,080 --> 00:01:21,400 Speaker 1: because through today's reading in Genesis two five to twenty four, 20 00:01:22,240 --> 00:01:31,480 Speaker 1: I see you created amazing things out of dirt. In Jesus' name, Amen. 21 00:01:32,920 --> 00:01:36,480 Speaker 1: Thank you for praying with me today. Continue listening for 22 00:01:36,520 --> 00:01:39,960 Speaker 1: an incredible Bible story brought to you by Bible in 23 00:01:40,000 --> 00:01:40,960 Speaker 1: a Year dot. 24 00:01:40,760 --> 00:01:52,800 Speaker 2: Com, Adam and Eves. Previously, in our story, we witness 25 00:01:52,880 --> 00:01:57,400 Speaker 2: the creation of the universe. Out of chaos and nothingness. 26 00:01:57,680 --> 00:02:02,840 Speaker 2: God made everything. We spoke light and life into existence. 27 00:02:03,440 --> 00:02:06,920 Speaker 2: The glory of the skies, the galaxies, and the creatures 28 00:02:06,960 --> 00:02:10,280 Speaker 2: of the Earth were made by God and declared to 29 00:02:10,360 --> 00:02:14,440 Speaker 2: be good. Now we will learn more about the creation 30 00:02:14,600 --> 00:02:17,800 Speaker 2: of man and woman, made in the image of God, 31 00:02:18,240 --> 00:02:21,000 Speaker 2: inspired by the Book of Genesis. 32 00:02:21,240 --> 00:02:24,160 Speaker 3: Hello, I'm Pastor Jack Graham with today's episode of the 33 00:02:24,200 --> 00:02:27,880 Speaker 3: Bible in a Year podcast. In our previous episode, we 34 00:02:27,919 --> 00:02:31,120 Speaker 3: heard about the grand unfolding of God's act of creation, 35 00:02:31,400 --> 00:02:35,320 Speaker 3: night and day, Earth, sky and seas, animals, plants, moon 36 00:02:35,400 --> 00:02:40,240 Speaker 3: and stars, and humanity. Today we take a microscope to 37 00:02:40,280 --> 00:02:44,639 Speaker 3: the pinnacle of God's creation, Man and woman, his image bearers. 38 00:02:45,440 --> 00:02:49,440 Speaker 3: This is the story of the very first humans. As 39 00:02:49,440 --> 00:02:53,240 Speaker 3: you listen today, pay close attention to how God creates man, 40 00:02:53,919 --> 00:02:57,680 Speaker 3: how he stands apart from the rest of creation. Notice 41 00:02:57,720 --> 00:03:00,680 Speaker 3: the great care God takes not only in forming man, 42 00:03:01,400 --> 00:03:05,440 Speaker 3: but in providing for him in every imaginable way, including 43 00:03:05,520 --> 00:03:10,440 Speaker 3: a suitable companion, one that was perfectly made for him. 44 00:03:10,880 --> 00:03:13,239 Speaker 3: This isn't just the dawn of humanity, but the dawn 45 00:03:13,320 --> 00:03:16,880 Speaker 3: of marriage. Listen for what this passage teaches about the 46 00:03:16,880 --> 00:03:22,000 Speaker 3: design of marriage and the designer of marriage. Finally, you'll 47 00:03:22,120 --> 00:03:25,240 Speaker 3: encounter a choice in today's story, a choice that God 48 00:03:25,280 --> 00:03:30,000 Speaker 3: gives because He is not interested in forced worship, compulsory obedience, 49 00:03:30,200 --> 00:03:35,600 Speaker 3: or artificial, superficial love. This story reveals God's heart to you, 50 00:03:36,360 --> 00:03:40,320 Speaker 3: his care for you, his love for you. It's a 51 00:03:40,360 --> 00:03:43,440 Speaker 3: story about his desire for you to be fulfilled by 52 00:03:43,520 --> 00:03:46,200 Speaker 3: him and in him, and for you to choose a 53 00:03:46,280 --> 00:03:50,520 Speaker 3: relationship of trust with him. So come with me, and 54 00:03:50,640 --> 00:03:53,000 Speaker 3: let's take a look in Eden at the story of 55 00:03:53,040 --> 00:03:59,600 Speaker 3: Adam and Eve and the perfect garden God gave them. 56 00:04:00,000 --> 00:04:03,520 Speaker 2: The world was new, and its refreshing mist was covering 57 00:04:03,560 --> 00:04:07,760 Speaker 2: the land. Streams and rivers flowed from the ground, giving 58 00:04:07,840 --> 00:04:12,040 Speaker 2: life to all plants and living creatures. Among the quiet 59 00:04:12,080 --> 00:04:16,719 Speaker 2: and new earth, God was at work personally and intricately. 60 00:04:17,080 --> 00:04:20,320 Speaker 2: God formed a man from the dust as a potter 61 00:04:20,440 --> 00:04:25,040 Speaker 2: does with clay. Then he breathed life into him. God 62 00:04:25,120 --> 00:04:29,880 Speaker 2: named him and knew him, His name was Adam. God 63 00:04:29,920 --> 00:04:33,680 Speaker 2: made a dwelling place for Adam in a garden called Eden. 64 00:04:34,320 --> 00:04:37,000 Speaker 2: He placed Adam there, and it was filled with every 65 00:04:37,080 --> 00:04:41,120 Speaker 2: tree that is pleasant and good for food. In this garden, 66 00:04:41,480 --> 00:04:45,960 Speaker 2: man's relationship with God began, and with that relationship a 67 00:04:46,080 --> 00:04:50,160 Speaker 2: choice of free will. There were two trees in the garden. 68 00:04:50,680 --> 00:04:54,159 Speaker 2: One was the tree of life. The other was the 69 00:04:54,240 --> 00:04:59,679 Speaker 2: tree of knowledge of good and evil. God commissioned Adam, saying, 70 00:05:00,160 --> 00:05:03,039 Speaker 2: you may eat of every tree of the garden, but 71 00:05:03,240 --> 00:05:06,040 Speaker 2: not of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, 72 00:05:06,680 --> 00:05:11,400 Speaker 2: for if you do, you shall surely die. This would 73 00:05:11,440 --> 00:05:16,000 Speaker 2: be Adam's choice, for God does not desire relationship without 74 00:05:16,080 --> 00:05:21,120 Speaker 2: free will. Adam was with God in Paradise. He dwelt 75 00:05:21,160 --> 00:05:23,920 Speaker 2: in the garden that was filled with all things good. 76 00:05:24,560 --> 00:05:28,599 Speaker 2: Yet there was one thing that was not good. God said, 77 00:05:29,000 --> 00:05:32,520 Speaker 2: it is not good that man should be alone. So 78 00:05:32,640 --> 00:05:36,680 Speaker 2: the Lord caused Adam to fall into a deep sleep. God, 79 00:05:37,160 --> 00:05:40,880 Speaker 2: like a silent surgeon, took a rib from Adam's side. 80 00:05:41,440 --> 00:05:45,200 Speaker 2: From this rib, he formed a woman and breathed life 81 00:05:45,240 --> 00:05:50,520 Speaker 2: into her. At this moment, Adam's loneliness was quieted, and 82 00:05:50,600 --> 00:05:54,480 Speaker 2: his soul and body were satisfied. With her. Adam then 83 00:05:54,600 --> 00:05:57,920 Speaker 2: sang to her, and the two were married before God 84 00:05:58,720 --> 00:06:01,920 Speaker 2: to this day. This is why a man will leave 85 00:06:02,000 --> 00:06:05,760 Speaker 2: his family and become united with his wife. They were 86 00:06:05,839 --> 00:06:09,360 Speaker 2: naked and without shame, for there was no evil to 87 00:06:09,400 --> 00:06:13,599 Speaker 2: corrupt the purity of their unity. They made love, ate 88 00:06:13,640 --> 00:06:16,320 Speaker 2: the food in the garden, and cared for the earth 89 00:06:16,440 --> 00:06:20,080 Speaker 2: and its animals. God was in the garden with them, 90 00:06:20,600 --> 00:06:24,000 Speaker 2: and it was still good. Yet there still remained a 91 00:06:24,120 --> 00:06:28,080 Speaker 2: choice to stray, a choice that would alter the course 92 00:06:28,440 --> 00:06:29,480 Speaker 2: of all creation. 93 00:06:32,040 --> 00:06:36,040 Speaker 3: The dawn of man. This was a different work of creation. 94 00:06:36,800 --> 00:06:39,799 Speaker 3: For all other created things, God merely spoke, and things 95 00:06:39,839 --> 00:06:44,040 Speaker 3: that were not suddenly were. But for humanity it was different. 96 00:06:44,839 --> 00:06:47,520 Speaker 3: God took his own hands in the very dirt he 97 00:06:47,560 --> 00:06:50,240 Speaker 3: had created and formed man in the image of his 98 00:06:50,360 --> 00:06:54,240 Speaker 3: triune cell. But he didn't stop there. He didn't just 99 00:06:54,320 --> 00:06:58,120 Speaker 3: fashion man with his hands. He breathed his very breath, 100 00:06:59,360 --> 00:07:03,479 Speaker 3: his breath of life, into Adam. Then God created a 101 00:07:03,480 --> 00:07:06,960 Speaker 3: special place, a garden for Adam. Did you notice the 102 00:07:07,040 --> 00:07:10,120 Speaker 3: nature of God's relationship with Adam. This was not a 103 00:07:10,160 --> 00:07:14,559 Speaker 3: created being without choice, without freedom. God created a true 104 00:07:14,640 --> 00:07:19,160 Speaker 3: relationship with Adam, and so he gave mankind a choice 105 00:07:19,920 --> 00:07:23,440 Speaker 3: two trees, one full of good in life, the other 106 00:07:23,560 --> 00:07:28,000 Speaker 3: the path to broken relationship and an untimely death. And 107 00:07:28,040 --> 00:07:30,920 Speaker 3: it was in this garden that God and man were 108 00:07:30,960 --> 00:07:35,600 Speaker 3: to live in communion, knowing each other intimately. I imagine 109 00:07:35,600 --> 00:07:38,000 Speaker 3: this garden as the very best of the very best 110 00:07:38,640 --> 00:07:42,840 Speaker 3: in a perfect creation. This was the most perfect place imaginable, 111 00:07:42,960 --> 00:07:47,560 Speaker 3: where every single need Adam had was met, every need 112 00:07:48,200 --> 00:07:54,480 Speaker 3: except one, companionship and community. Our trying God knew that 113 00:07:54,560 --> 00:07:57,240 Speaker 3: to truly reflect his nature, this man would need to, 114 00:07:57,520 --> 00:07:59,640 Speaker 3: as he does with the Son and the spirit. Live 115 00:08:00,800 --> 00:08:03,760 Speaker 3: up to this point, God has said everything was good, 116 00:08:04,120 --> 00:08:07,360 Speaker 3: But looking at the lone man, he said it was 117 00:08:08,120 --> 00:08:13,080 Speaker 3: not good. God created all the animals and brought them 118 00:08:13,080 --> 00:08:16,680 Speaker 3: to Adam, who named each one of them. But none 119 00:08:16,760 --> 00:08:20,200 Speaker 3: were a fitting match. You see, they were not part 120 00:08:20,240 --> 00:08:24,200 Speaker 3: of Adam's own flesh. They were distinctly different. That simply 121 00:08:24,240 --> 00:08:27,600 Speaker 3: would not do. So once again God set to work 122 00:08:27,640 --> 00:08:31,480 Speaker 3: in creating with his own hands. Genesis two twenty two 123 00:08:31,480 --> 00:08:34,640 Speaker 3: and twenty three records the moment when God gave Adam 124 00:08:34,679 --> 00:08:38,560 Speaker 3: this beautiful gift of a companion. It says, and the 125 00:08:38,600 --> 00:08:41,520 Speaker 3: Lord God fashioned into a woman the rib which he 126 00:08:41,520 --> 00:08:44,200 Speaker 3: had taken from the man and brought her to the man. 127 00:08:44,920 --> 00:08:47,600 Speaker 3: Then the man said, at last, this is bone of 128 00:08:47,640 --> 00:08:51,080 Speaker 3: my bones, and flesh of my flesh. She shall be 129 00:08:51,160 --> 00:08:55,280 Speaker 3: called woman because she was taken out of man. God 130 00:08:55,320 --> 00:08:58,520 Speaker 3: gave Adam a helper, a perfect pair to be with 131 00:08:58,679 --> 00:09:03,200 Speaker 3: him for mutual satisfaction. Eve was created from man, and 132 00:09:03,200 --> 00:09:06,080 Speaker 3: together they lived in a perfect place, at least for now. 133 00:09:06,760 --> 00:09:09,840 Speaker 3: But let's not get ahead of ourselves. Today's story tells 134 00:09:09,920 --> 00:09:14,000 Speaker 3: us something very important about our need for community and companionship. 135 00:09:14,640 --> 00:09:17,520 Speaker 3: You see, whether you are married or not, God has 136 00:09:17,559 --> 00:09:21,160 Speaker 3: created you to be in communion with others. It is 137 00:09:21,160 --> 00:09:25,680 Speaker 3: not good to be alone. As God's image bearer, just 138 00:09:25,840 --> 00:09:28,640 Speaker 3: like Adam and Eve, you are made to live in community, 139 00:09:28,920 --> 00:09:33,400 Speaker 3: in unity with others, just as God himself exists in unity. 140 00:09:34,160 --> 00:09:37,040 Speaker 3: And the highest expression of this unity is seen nowhere 141 00:09:37,040 --> 00:09:40,880 Speaker 3: better than in the marriage relationship created by God right 142 00:09:40,920 --> 00:09:44,720 Speaker 3: there in the garden of Eden. Likewise, this story shows 143 00:09:44,760 --> 00:09:47,800 Speaker 3: you that God has given you a choice. Like Adam 144 00:09:47,840 --> 00:09:50,800 Speaker 3: and Eve, you have before you the choice to follow 145 00:09:50,880 --> 00:09:54,280 Speaker 3: God or follow your own desires. It is a choice 146 00:09:54,320 --> 00:09:59,640 Speaker 3: between life eternal and death eternal, and it's the most 147 00:09:59,679 --> 00:10:04,720 Speaker 3: important choice you will ever make Dear Heavenly Father. Just 148 00:10:04,760 --> 00:10:08,160 Speaker 3: as you provided for Adam's every need, you continue to 149 00:10:08,160 --> 00:10:11,560 Speaker 3: do so for us today. You have created us for 150 00:10:11,640 --> 00:10:14,840 Speaker 3: community with others and with yourself, and we thank you 151 00:10:14,920 --> 00:10:18,200 Speaker 3: for that. Oh Lord, help us to choose you and 152 00:10:18,240 --> 00:10:23,480 Speaker 3: your ways, God, the way of life everlasting in Jesus Christ. Amen. 153 00:10:24,920 --> 00:10:28,119 Speaker 3: Thank you for listening to today's Bible in a Year podcast. 154 00:10:28,520 --> 00:10:32,480 Speaker 3: I'm pastor Jack Graham from Dallas, Texas. 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