BVOV Magazine 2013 - present

saw the second one, he said, "This is now bone of my bones, and fl esh of my fl esh: she shall be called Woman, because she was taken out of Man" (Genesis 2:23). Later, Adam named his new "No. 2 Adam" companion Eve. But God always saw the two Adams as one. So, after dividing them into Ish and Isha, man and woman, He reconnected them. How? Through the marriage covenant! This is why "a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and they shall become one fl esh" (verse 24, New King James Version). Marriage is literally an example of human covenant in the fl esh. The Eden Covenant Conditions Once rejoined, Ish (male) and Isha (female)— together—were like God again. His intention for them, as it is for all married couples, was for them to work together as one. With God in their midst, they were to operate in agreement as a loving trinity of power. The Garden of Eden was supplied by God with everything they needed. "Out of the ground made The LORD God to grow every tree that is pleasant to the sight, and good for food; the tree of life also in the midst of the garden, and the tree of knowledge of good and evil" (verse 9). God also provided for them an abundance of natural resources—including precious stones and gold. The Garden was a testing ground for His family. A proving place from which they could expand, discover and develop. It also carried with it great responsibilities. Adam had been put there by God "to dress it and to keep it" (verse 15). The Chumash or Torah translation of that verse says: "God took the man and placed him in the Garden of Eden, to work it and to guard it." Adam's job, in other words, was to use his authority to keep and to guard the Garden that God had planted and laid out for him. From there, the plan was for this fi rst couple to spread Love's infl uence and glory. To take THE BLESSING beyond the Garden of Eden throughout the rest of the planet, fi nishing what God had begun. First and foremost, of course, Adam and Eve were there to fellowship with God. To walk and talk with Love and enjoy their Father's presence every day (Genesis 3:8). Filled with His glory, as His children, they had confi dence in both the spiritual and the natural realms. They also had direct access to heaven's throne of grace (Luke 3:38; Hebrews 9:23, 4:16). 6 : B V O V of mind, will and emotions) and a body, Adam had complete dominion on earth over all three worlds: the spiritual, intellectual and physical. His spirit was indwelt by God's Spirit. He was equipped with God's mind (1 Corinthians 2:16), so he had mental superiority over everything that walks, fl ies, crawls and swims. Filled with God Himself, Adam had everything he needed to carry God's glory and expand His physical family throughout this massive universe. Everything, that is, except a mate. At that point, Adam had no companion, apart from God, because in the beginning the fi rst man and woman were not yet two separate people. They were literally, physically one. That's why Genesis 5:2 says that in the day God created them, He made them "male and female…and called their name Adam." Cutting the Eden Covenant Adam is translated from the word Ish, which is the Hebrew word for human. So, Adam was originally as much female as he was male. Like God, he had within him the traits of both. After he was created, however, God said, "It is not good that the man should be alone," and made a helpmate for him. Causing a deep sleep to fall upon Adam, God "took one of his ribs, and closed up the fl esh instead thereof; and the rib, which The LORDGod had taken from man, made he a woman, and brought her unto the man" (Genesis 2:21-22). We could say this was the fi rst surgical procedure ever performed—and why not? It was at the capable, steady hands of the Great Physician, and it was in a perfectly safe, healthy, disease-free environment. We can also say that with the opening of Adam's side there was likely the shedding of some blood, which foreshadowed two future events: •The piercing of Jesus' side by the spear of a Roman soldier, as He hung on the cross •The shedding of Jesus' sinless blood for the new life of His soon-to-be Bride, the Church (2 Corinthians 5:21; 1 Peter 1:17-19). The cut God made in Adam's side also resulted in the fi rst human covenant because He did far more through that operation than remove a rib from Adam's body. He took the female characteristics out of the fi rst Adam (human) and put them into another, separate Adam (human). So, when the fi rst Adam awoke and Get Get Get your digital your digital your digital your digital your digital your digital magazine magazine magazine magazine magazine magazine magazine magazine.kcm.org

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