It’s no secret God designed us to be more than just robots on this planet.
He gave us a sense of love, honor and respect.
He created majestic mountain ranges for us to marvel.
He stopped the seas at just the right spot where we can look out and wonder.
He fashioned the small and the large so we might discover His handiwork.
In fact, the Bible says, “The heavens declare the Glory of God and the firmament shows His handiwork” (
So, it’s right to presume He meant for us to live for more.
As God was in the business of creating the mighty oceans and the majestic mountains, we see in the creation story a special mark for the creation of mankind.
The Bible records in
It was a lone creation moment when everything stopped to focus on man.
Can you imagine what the heavenly beings must have thought when God breathed life into humanity?
Mortal.
Designed to live in the affects of glory, yet destined to live in a world of sin.
God’s most clever creative relationship would be at the first breath Adam took.
God made this relationship special.
He walked with mankind.
He talked with mankind.
He gave over the management of all creation to this new being.
What must it have been like to be an angel?
One day you’re best friends are immortal beings who can fly with wings, fight with supernatural force and live forever. Then suddenly mortal man appears on the scene. Created in God’s image?
When we get to v. 26, I wonder, “If I’m made in God’s image, does that mean I look like God?”
I suppose because there are so many humans on the planet who look nothing alike, the image of God must span more than the stubbly beard I can grow when it gets cold. Surely the image of God is bigger than the color of hair or the hue of our eyes.
So it must mean God created me with intrinsic characteristics He models from the beginning:
Love.
Compassion.
Creativity.
Hope.
The ability to make things.
A sense of right and wrong.
A need for communion.
The angels must have been like kids in a candy store. “What has God created today?” They saw Adam walking through the garden…all alone.
Wait…Adam wasn’t alone in the garden.
God made the animals to walk with him early in creation, but He hadn’t named them yet. He called Adam to the table, and asked him to begin the process of naming the animals one by one. Can you imagine what it was like on that day?
I’ve often wanted to see a creative movie team make Adam Names the Animals movie. I see it like this…
SCENE: Another day in the Garden of Eden. Adam wakes to a magical sunrise, stretches his arms high to the sky and begins touring the daily duties of management. He checks the fruit, the vegetables, and spends some time waiting for God to show up by the pool of tranquility.
God: Adam, where are you?
Adam: Just hanging out here by the pool.
God: Oh. I thought I might find you here. Adam, I have a special job for you today.
Adam: Sounds great. What’s up?
God: Today, you’re going to make history. I need you to meet Me by the big oak tree, south of the apple orchards, and I’ll bring all the animals to you.
Adam: Thanks, God; but I can just…
God: Wait till I’m finished.
(Adam sits in silence with respect as the thunder rolls around him.)
I need you to give them all names—not the kind of names that will be proper names, but rather I need you to name the animals what they will be called…forever!
Adam: That’s a great idea God. In fact, I was just thinking of a name the other day for that big fish I saw in the Ocean…check this out….Baluga Whale!
CUE: (All heavenly beings roll their eyes at God while one whispers.)
Michael: Are you kidding me? Baluga Whale? That’s the best he can do?
God: Don’t worry, Michael. I’m going to have a lot of different languages in the future. We’ll change it when Spanish comes along.
Then out of nowhere, God declares:
God: It is good that man should not be alone…
Excuse me?
Angels were in heaven.
God was in heaven.
Adam was in heaven.
Animals were in heaven.
Then God decides out of nowhere to declare the detriment of loneliness in all mankind?
From a distance it seems as if Adam had plenty of relationships going for him. He had dogs to play with, birds to watch and fish to catch; but for some reason, God saw it beneficial to point out Adam’s aloneness right there in the beginning.
How does that work?
I’ve read this section in Genesis a million times before, but I’ve always skipped right over the statement, “It is good that man should not dwell alone.” It’s almost like a precursor, a forshadowing to what we know is coming. Of course Eve is just around the corner, and God needed to say that, right?
Well, what if God is proclaiming a fundamental truth of humanity through this seemingly trite statement with Adam in the garden?
What if He’s actually telling the generations to come after Adam, “Watch out! You’re not supposed to be walking around with animals and the supernatural.”
Or what if He’s trying to tell future believers, “There’s more to life than simply walking and talking with Me.”
Now don’t get all bent out of shape there. God wants to have relationship with us. The great commandment starts with, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul and mind.” So, in no way am I trying to diminish the value of a relationship between God and mankind—but…what if there’s more? What if the second part of the Greatest Commandment is equal value to the first? “The second is like it: Love your neighbor as yourself.”
Jesus said, “All the law and the prophets hang on these two commandments” (
HA!
Can you see it?
Adam walked with GOD!
Adam talked with GOD!
He ate next to the Creator.
He shared joy.
He had pure relationship.
They were at each other’s beck and call.
It must have been a wonderful union.
Yet it was God who declared that man needed something more.
This article is excerpted from Andy’s new book, Alone: Finding Connection in a Lonely World (NavPress, 2012). Andy Braner is an ordained minister and founder of Ahava ministries, which operates Camp KIVU in the mountains outside Durango, Colorado. At KIVU, teens explore faith and the Christian worldview and engage in God’s work around the world. KIVU also has a gap-year program for high school students, creating an important (and often needed) transition between graduation and freshman year of college. Every year, Andy speaks to more than 80,000 high school and college students in public and private schools on topics including Christian worldview, basic apologetics, sexuality and culture. Andy lives with his wife and five children in Durango.
To learn more:
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Alone
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