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Genesis 2:4-14, The Astounding Place Prepared For Man

These are the generations of the heavens and of the earth when they were created, in the day that the LORD God made the earth and the heavens, 5 And every plant of the field before it was in the earth, and every herb of the field before it grew: for the LORD God had not caused it to rain upon the earth, and there was not a man to till the ground. 6 But there went up a mist from the earth, and watered the whole face of the ground. 7 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. 8 And the LORD God planted a garden eastward in Eden; and there he put the man whom he had formed. 9 And out of the ground made the LORD God to grow every tree that is pleasant to the sight, and good for food; the tree of life also in the midst of the garden, and the tree of knowledge of good and evil. 10 And a river went out of Eden to water the garden; and from thence it was parted, and became into four heads. 11 The name of the first is Pison: that is it which compasseth the whole land of Havilah, where there is gold; 12 And the gold of that land is good: there is bdellium and the onyx stone. 13 And the name of the second river is Gihon: the same is it that compasseth the whole land of Ethiopia. 14 And the name of the third river is Hiddekel: that is it which goeth toward the east of Assyria. And the fourth river is Euphrates. (Gen 2:4-14 KJV)

Moses begins to draw his focus sharper after recounting the entirety of the creation. Now he looks at man; his creation, environment, and provision.

It was very important for the children of Israel to see that the God they had met at Sinai had been interacting with and caring for man from the beginning. God is not suddenly demanding their attention but has been a part of their provision since the creation of the first man. Though the description of man’s creation in v. 7 is brief it conveys a sense of the great care taken by a loving Father in the “birth” of His son.

After the creation of man God took care to provide a place for man. A place that met his needs aesthetically, physically, and spiritually. What is described is a vast tract of land with rivers and resources.

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Those familiar with the New Testament will recognize a pattern in this account of the creation and provision of man. The child of God is born again (John 3:3-5). There is a place provided. First the House of God, the church (Acts 2:47; 1 Tim. 3:15) and then Heaven (2 Corinthians 5:1; John 14:1-3). There is also provision (2 Timothy 3:16-17; 2 Peter 1:3; Ephesians 1:3; Matthew 6:33).