Wednesday, October 30, 2019

Genesis 2:18-20 comments: man names every living creature that is brought to him by God


2:18 ¶  And the LORD God said, It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him an help meet for him. 19  And out of the ground the LORD God formed every beast of the field, and every fowl of the air; and brought them unto Adam to see what he would call them: and whatsoever Adam called every living creature, that was the name thereof. 20  And Adam gave names to all cattle, and to the fowl of the air, and to every beast of the field; but for Adam there was not found an help meet for him.
The word meet means worthy or useful in this context. Here it does not mean to run into someone by accident or design nor is there such a word in the Bible as, “helpmeet.” A help is a person who helps. The following verses reveal one way the Bible defines itself, that is by word substitution. Notice the two words I have put in bold print.
Matthew 3:7 ¶  But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees come to his baptism, he said unto them, O generation of vipers, who hath warned you to flee from the wrath to come? 8  Bring forth therefore fruits meet for repentance: 9  And think not to say within yourselves, We have Abraham to our father: for I say unto you, that God is able of these stones to raise up children unto Abraham.
Luke 3:7  Then said he to the multitude that came forth to be baptized of him, O generation of vipers, who hath warned you to flee from the wrath to come? 8  Bring forth therefore fruits worthy of repentance, and begin not to say within yourselves, We have Abraham to our father: for I say unto you, That God is able of these stones to raise up children unto Abraham.
The power to name represents the power to have dominion over just as the power to tax represents the power to govern. God gives Adam the power to name, not just a label, but recognition of what the beast is in relation to man. God therefore defines animals in the Bible in reference to their relation to agricultural man and military man, as in beast of the forest and beast of the field and function as in a fowl flying, which includes a bat in Leviticus 11, or a fish swimming in the sea which includes a whale comparing Jonah 1:17 and Matthew 12:40. Modern taxonomic classifications having to do with species, family, order, etc. are post-Bible terms that man uses to categorize animals in certain ways that are different from the Bible’s categories. In the Bible, as in modern day reality a beast of the forest is not going to pull your plow as a matter of rule. Here is a reference by God Himself to what we would call a rhinoceros today, which had a much larger range of existence in early days as shown by the Lascaux Cave paintings in France.
Job 39:9  Will the unicorn be willing to serve thee, or abide by thy crib? 10  Canst thou bind the unicorn with his band in the furrow? or will he harrow the valleys after thee? 11  Wilt thou trust him, because his strength is great? or wilt thou leave thy labour to him? 12  Wilt thou believe him, that he will bring home thy seed, and gather it into thy barn?
Although Adam did give names to everything there was not found one creature that was useful or worthy to be his co-administrator over God’s creation as the stewards of God’s earth.

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