Lesson 2 – God Creates Adam and Eve

God has made us in His image, provides all things for our good, and makes us rulers over the earth and everything in it.

Opening

Read the Scripture from Romans at the top of the Student Page at the end of this lesson.

What qualities of God are invisible? His eternal power and divine nature are qualities we cannot see only experience.  God is a Spirit (John 4:24; 2 Corinthians 3:17).

Where do God's qualities show? In the things He made, in creation.

What other qualities of God are invisible? God's presence (even in the Lord's Supper), power, wisdom, love, protection cannot be physically seen.

What things about people are invisible? Personality, sense of humor, ideas, thoughts, cellular structure, undiagnosed disease, DNA, and so on.

We're born in sin and cannot stop sinning. We don't do the things we want to do. In fact, we do the very things we hate.

Read the Scripture from Colossians at the top of the Student Page.

What did God do to help us with our sin dilemma? He rescued us from dominion of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of His Son, who paid the price for our sin and forgives us.

What words describe Jesus, God's Son? Beloved, image of the invisible God.

Prayer:  Heavenly Father, You give us all good gifts, even though we do not deserve them. Especially today, we thank You for Your invisible gifts to us, especially Your love, mercy, and saving grace in Christ Jesus. Amen.

God Speaks

Watch the video Making the Solar System.

What in creation amazes you? Answers vary, but just the size of the universe and the details of everything there is probably something that amazes you.

What amazes you about the scale model of our solar system? Again answers vary and may include the small sizes used to represent the sun and planets and the space needed to make the scale model.

Considering these things, what might you infer about the Creator? Answers vary and may include that God is "big" and beyond our imagination. Our solar system is one of billions. Our organized and systematic solar system shows God's attention to intricate details.

Humans are God's most amazing creation. Our lesson today digs into two accounts about the creation of people.

Follow the directions under “Creating Humans” on the Student Page at the end of this lesson. Your Bible, paper and pencil will be needed.

Words used for the Creator: God, Us Our, His, He, I and Lord God

The being(s) created: humans, male and female

How it happened: God created, Lord God formed man of dust from the ground, breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and man became a living creature.

Supplies/patterns used:  God’ image, after God’s likeness, God's own image, male and female, man of dust formed from the ground and the breath of life

Based on your reading of the Scriptures from Genesis, answer the questions in the “Digging Deeper” section on the Student Page.

What observations can we make about these two creation accounts? Each provides information about the same story. They complement, not conflict. The first shows the big picture, the second details.

Identify the big picture of God creating humans in Genesis 1. God made humans last as part of creating the entire universe. He created male and female in His image, after His likeness.

What commands did God give people in Genesis 1? Be fruitful and multiply, fill the earth and subdue it, have dominion over all other creatures.

Look for details in Genesis 2. God had not yet sent rain. How did He water the earth? A mist went up from the ground.

Since a mist came from the ground, from what did God make man? Mud.  The Hebrew word “Yatsar” is used which means "formed" and is related to the word for "potter", one who forms pots with wet clay.

What evidence shows that humans are made from dust? After death, our bodies decay and return to dust.

Moses used two different names for God in Genesis 1 and 2. “Elohim”, the plural noun for "God" in Genesis 1, means "the strong one. "Why does this fit chapter 1? Our strong, powerful God created the universe. The plural noun shows evidence of the Trinity. All three persons of the Godhead were present.

Jews reject the Trinity, just as they reject Jesus. They say the plural noun "Us" is used in the same way royalty say "we" instead of "I". Christians agree there is one God but accept Jesus as the Savior and the Trinity as an explanation for who God is. The doctrine of the Trinity is one major dividing line between Christians and non-Christian religions that reject it, such as Mormons, Jehovah's Witnesses, and Muslims.

Genesis 2 uses “LORD God," the Hebrew word “Yahweh”, which is the name God revealed to Moses from the burning bush. It means “I AM WHO I AM" and indicates His eternal nature. It shows God's grace, mercy, and compassion in the covenant relationship with His people. How is this name appropriate for Genesis 2? God's personal relationship with man started at creation with the intimate way He created people.

Providing Purpose

Follow the directions under the “Providing Purpose” section on the Student Page and answer the questions.

What special trees did God plant in the garden? The tree of life and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.

Why did God put the man in the garden? To work and keep It.

What does this say about work? Work is a good gift from God, not a curse that came after man sinned. God wants us to have purposeful work and lives. Christians, all our work and service honors God. If anyone is unwilling to work, don't let him eat (2 Thessalonians 3:10).

Does this change your view of work? If so, how? Your answer will vary, but in general work should be thought of as a good thing.

What did God tell the man about the two special trees? He could eat from any tree in the garden except the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. If he ate fruit from that tree, he would die.

Why did God bring the animals to man? It wasn't good for man to be alone. God wanted him to have a helper. He let the man name the animals

When the man did not find a suitable animal helper, what did God do?  He created woman.

 How did God create woman? He put Adam to sleep, took a rib, and made her. Woman was made from the same stuff as Adam (dust) and in God's image.

 How does this show the close relationship between man and woman? The first woman was made out of man; since then, humans form in women’s wombs (Psalm 139:13) and come out of them.

Luther says that God established the household when He created Eve. This act made Adam a husband and joined to him a wife who would be his complement.

We Live

What makes people different from animals?  Genesis 1:27 says God made man in His image (likeness). Genesis 2:7 says God breathed the breath of life into man.

The Hebrew word tselem, translated as "image”, means more than physical resemblance. Adam reflected God's character and virtues. He was God's representative in the world and His steward of the earth, as commanded in Genesis 1:28..

What characteristics and virtues of God did humans made in His image have? They reflected God's qualities, such as His perfection, sinlessness, creativity, and contentedness, and they had no fear of death since they ate from the tree of life. Most of all, God gave them the will and knowledge to please Him.

What did God's breath give people? Life, an eternal soul

Humans still have souls. Do we still have the image of God? No and yes.

No, when sin came into the world "the will and intellect lost the ability to know and please God" (See Luther's Small Catechism with Explanation, Question 107). As sinners, we rebel against God; we are His enemies (Romans 5:10) and cannot know Him unless the Spirit works through God's Word and Sacraments to give us faith (1 Corinthians 12:3).

Yes, God's image is being restored in Christians. As the Spirit works in us through God's Word, we become more like Jesus, the image of God. On this side of heaven, we will always fight our sinful nature and won't be fully remade into the image of Christ until we live with Him forever.

The Spirit guides us to be more like Christ:

• The Spirit works to conform us to the image of His Son (Romans 8:29)
• In Baptism, we were buried and raised with Jesus through faith. Although dead in sin, God made us alive and forgave our sins (Colossians 2:12 -13).
• God's Spirit works in us (through Word and Sacrament) to help us put off the old self (confess our sins and receive forgiveness) and "put on the new self, created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness” (Ephesians 4:24).
• The Holy Spirit lives in us and renews us by the Gospel now. We honor God (give glory) when we confess faith in Him by praising Him (Jeremiah 13:16 note).
• We will continue to struggle with sin on this side of heaven. God will not finish conforming us to Christ's image until we die and live with Him.
• Saved in Christ, we cooperate with the Spirit. We take comfort knowing God works in us to will and work to please Him. It's not all up to us. The Spirit helps. Made in God's image, Adam and Eve willed and worked to please God.

Adam and Eve were created in God's image and lived according to God's will, until they sinned. We clearly see sin in ourselves and the world. We need a Savior. The Good News is that God provided one through His Son. His love and forgiveness restore our right relationship with God.

Closing

We are uniquely made. Read Scriptures under the “Uniquely Made” section of the Student Page.

Ask students to write a few words or to draw a symbol that reminds them of God's work in them and helps them live as Christians.

The Lord's Prayer: Our Father who art in heaven, hallowed be Thy name, Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven; give us this day our daily bread; and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us; and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For Thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever and ever. Amen.