Genesis 2:8+10: “And the Lord God planted a garden toward the east, in Eden; and there He placed the man whom He had formed. Now a river flowed out of Eden to water the garden; and from there it divided and became four rivers.”
God planted the Garden of Eden and it became Adam’s home. Paradise was lush and beautiful, boasting a great variety of flowers and trees. A river meandered through the Garden and divided into four river arms outside of Eden. Adam liked to swim behind a small waterfall and observe the animals crossing the river.
Every day held a new surprise for Adam. In the distance, majestic mountains beckoned and piqued his interest. There was so much to learn and new things to discover. But as weeks and months flew by, the first man began to feel lonely. He needed someone by his side, someone who was just like him.
One evening, as he was walking with God in the cool of the day, Adam brought up what had been on his mind. “I feel like something is missing”, Adam told the Lord. “I think I need a companion”, he added. Listening to Adam, the Lord had a suggestion to make. “It’s not good for man to be alone”, He observed, “We need to find someone who can keep you company.” The Lord thought for a moment and then proposed, “How about you give every animal a name? Who knows – maybe you’ll find someone you are particularly fond of.”
And so God brought all His creatures to the first man to find out how he would name them. And whatever Adam would call the creature became the designated name for the species. Still, he found no animal that could be his counterpart. This made the introduction of the first woman all the more special.
One night the Lord went to work. He put Adam into a deep sleep and used one of his ribs to create a second human being. When Adam laid eyes on her in the morning he was amazed. “She looks like me and yet she is very different,” he said. “Finally someone who has skin and bones, just like me! She will be called wo-man – as an eternal reminder that she came from man.”
Both man and woman are created in God’s likeness. They were made to commune with His Spirit. Through Him, they experience fullness of life.