Genesis 2:15-25
On a previous program we introduced the subject of biblical manhood. We noted the scarcity of real men in both the wider culture and in the church. And we attempted from Scripture to define the term “real men.”
There are many reasons why real men are in such short supply in our day. Two major reasons quickly come to mind: the sexual revolution of the 1950s, 60s, and 70s. That led to the explosion of single-motherhood, and the rise of radical feminism with its accompanying gender confusion. As a result, many men (even professing Christian men) are unsure about what their role and function should be.
In that previous message we looked at the two primary responsibilities delegated to men that greatly enhance our understanding of biblical manhood. According to Genesis 2:15, those responsibilities were to work, and to keep. The basic application of those responsibilities calls men to be providers and protectors. From the dawn of creation until the mid-20th century, man’s roles as provider and protector were universally understood and practiced by cultures that were influenced by Judeo-Christian principles.
Today, we’ll begin looking at the importance of men pursuing biblical manhood in their role as leaders. When God created Adam, He clearly assigned him the role as “ruler” or “lord” (that’s lord with the lower-case l) over the creation. The fulfilling of this role touches all areas of his life, home, employment, church, and society. While this role of leadership has been abused by many men, including professing Christians, we mustn’t cast it aside. Rather, we must accept the truth of God’s Word and apply it in ways that profoundly impact our families and our culture. Failure to do so will lead ultimately to both societal and eternal ruin.
I turn now to our primary text, Genesis 2:15-25. Listen carefully as I read these few verses.
Genesis 2:15-25
To understand God’s calling to men to be leaders we observe the several DIRECTIVES God gave to Adam in this text.
The First DIRECTIVE is,
Exercise Your Spiritual Discernment
As we begin, remember that Genesis chapter one gives us a general overview of the entire creation. The creation of mankind is covered in just four verses. Chapter two, from which I just read, gives us additional details about the creation of human beings in the image of God. One of the things we notice immediately is that man was created first. This fact is noted by the apostle Paul in his letters to the Corinthians and to Timothy as logical indication of man’s leadership role.
Verse 9 of Genesis two, reminds us that, in the Garden, God placed “…every tree that is pleasant to the sight and good for food…”In this wonderful garden was an incredible variety of fruit-bearing trees created for Adam’s physical enjoyment and for his nourishment. Everything he needed was close at-hand and he was free to enjoy as much as he wanted.
After God placed Adam in the Garden to maintain and guard it, he immediately gave him a prohibition, stating; “But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, you shall not eat of it: for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die.” Think about it; God used a physical object as a test of man’s spiritual discernment in leadership. God, as our creator, knew that we men tend to function primarily in the realm of the physical. So, he used the physical desire for food to test Adam’s level of obedience and his spiritual discernment. This test God gave to Adam reminds us that our physical actions must be informed by spiritual discernment.
I believe that “the tree of the knowledge of good and evil” enjoyed a prominent place in Adam’s new home. Adam was made in God’s image; he was a moral being. As such, his moral capacity, his ability to differentiate right from wrong, could only function and be tested when he had...
