Five days of creation. Five days to speak a universe and earth into being. But for the first five days, as God created the stars and planets, the sea and land, and its teeming life, there was no one to speak back.
True, the angels brought Him praise, and creation tacitly spoke of his glory. But a voice was missing. A voice of intimacy, of image reflected. A voice of will – of determined love. A voice of faith and surrendered strength.
Day six. The climax of it all came when God breathed into the man the breath of life, and he became a living soul.
Imagine the Father’s delight as He introduced Adam to a universe of discovery. To show him the bumblebee or the giraffe, the caterpillar or the butterfly, the lion and the lamb. To see the childlike wonder in the grown man’s eyes as he witnessed this living Artist’s canvas for the first time.
To each, the man gave a name. And each he sent on their way.
Oh, the day, that day of days. What more would there be? What new journeys would they take together?
Then came an unexpected surprise, as Adam’s eyes grew heavier and heavier, and his alertness began to wane. Imagine facing sleep for the first time!
But this was no ordinary sleep.
Sometime later, the man regained his consciousness. What new discoveries would he be introduced to today? What adventures awaited him? Opening his eyes, he stood in awe of what stood before him – of who stood before him.
Like him, but different. A mirror of his form, yet one who brought to his life everything he was missing.
A wonder, like nothing he had seen in this world to date.
Adam’s Hebrew word for it: “Wow. No seriously, Wow.”
(Okay, purists, here’s the ESV):
“This at last is bone of my bones
and flesh of my flesh;
she shall be called Woman,
because she was taken out of Man.”
Genesis 2:23 ESV
Here was a creation of immense worth and value, because she was made for him, and he for her. They would define their lives by how they were reflected by the other.
Imagine the Father’s joy as he watched Adam reflect His own relational heart. Could it get any better than this?
Imagine Adam’s awe and wonder as he reached out to touch her.
Soft.
Tender.
Sensitive.
And imagine…
…what it did…
…to Adam’s heart…
… when she touched him back.
When she returned his love with love of her own.
Naked and unashamed. That’s how they stood before one another. Nothing to hide, nothing to fear, nothing to withhold from the other. Only the opportunity to discover the other’s heart, celebrate the other’s life, and offer kindness, patience, and service to the other.
And God saw that it was very good.
Imagine what it does to our Heavenly Father’s heart when He reaches out to touch us in love…
…and we touch Him back.
When we return His love with love of our own.
God doesn’t need helpmeets. And he doesn’t need a touch from us.
But He certainly delights when someone made in His image and redeemed by His grace reaches out and, with open hands and hearts, offers love, worship, and gratitude.
So how long has it been?
I’d like to use part of the post about Adam and Eve and also use the image of the two hands meeting. Could I have permission? It will be for personal use only.
Thank you
Of course.
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