January 3, 2019

A Good God's Good Gifts—Burden or Blessing?

Genesis 2

Nicole Johnson
Thursday's Devo

January 3, 2019

Thursday's Devo

January 3, 2019

Central Truth

The gifts of rest, work, freedom, and marriage are intended to be blessings, not burdens. They were given to honor God, to draw us near to Him, and for us to enjoy.

Key Verse | Genesis 2:18

Then the LORD God said, "It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him a helper fit for him."

Genesis 2

The Seventh Day, God Rests

Thus the heavens and the earth were finished, and all the host of them. And on the seventh day God finished his work that he had done, and he rested on the seventh day from all his work that he had done. So God blessed the seventh day and made it holy, because on it God rested from all his work that he had done in creation.

The Creation of Man and Woman

These are the generations
of the heavens and the earth when they were created,
in the day that the LORD God made the earth and the heavens.

When no bush of the field 1 2:5 Or open country was yet in the land 2 2:5 Or earth; also verse 6 and no small plant of the field had yet sprung up—for the LORD God had not caused it to rain on the land, and there was no man to work the ground, and a mist 3 2:6 Or spring was going up from the land and was watering the whole face of the ground— then the LORD God formed the man of dust from the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living creature. And the LORD God planted a garden in Eden, in the east, and there he put the man whom he had formed. And out of the ground the LORD God made to spring up every tree that is pleasant to the sight and good for food. The tree of life was in the midst of the garden, and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.

10 A river flowed out of Eden to water the garden, and there it divided and became four rivers. 11 The name of the first is the Pishon. It is the one that flowed around the whole land of Havilah, where there is gold. 12 And the gold of that land is good; bdellium and onyx stone are there. 13 The name of the second river is the Gihon. It is the one that flowed around the whole land of Cush. 14 And the name of the third river is the Tigris, which flows east of Assyria. And the fourth river is the Euphrates.

15 The LORD God took the man and put him in the garden of Eden to work it and keep it. 16 And the LORD God commanded the man, saying, “You may surely eat of every tree of the garden, 17 but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat 4 2:17 Or when you eat of it you shall surely die.”

18 Then the LORD God said, “It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him a helper fit for 5 2:18 Or corresponding to; also verse 20 him.” 19 Now out of the ground the LORD God had formed 6 2:19 Or And out of the ground the LORD God formed every beast of the field and every bird of the heavens and brought them to the man to see what he would call them. And whatever the man called every living creature, that was its name. 20 The man gave names to all livestock and to the birds of the heavens and to every beast of the field. But for Adam 7 2:20 Or the man there was not found a helper fit for him. 21 So the LORD God caused a deep sleep to fall upon the man, and while he slept took one of his ribs and closed up its place with flesh. 22 And the rib that the LORD God had taken from the man he made 8 2:22 Hebrew built into a woman and brought her to the man. 23 Then the man said,

“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.” 9 2:23 The Hebrew words for woman (ishshah) and man (ish) sound alike

24 Therefore a man shall leave his father and his mother and hold fast to his wife, and they shall become one flesh. 25 And the man and his wife were both naked and were not ashamed.

Footnotes

[1] 2:5 Or open country
[2] 2:5 Or earth; also verse 6
[3] 2:6 Or spring
[4] 2:17 Or when you eat
[5] 2:18 Or corresponding to; also verse 20
[6] 2:19 Or And out of the ground the LORD God formed
[7] 2:20 Or the man
[8] 2:22 Hebrew built
[9] 2:23 The Hebrew words for woman (ishshah) and man (ish) sound alike

Dive Deeper | Genesis 2

If I'm being honest, it is easy for me to overlook God's gifts in my life. I am forgetful and often turn what He intended to be a blessing into a burden. But as I read Genesis 2, I find the generosity and kindness of God striking. From the very beginning of time, He has given us the gifts of rest, work, freedom, and marriage to point back to Him, draw us near to Him, and give us joy in Him.  

God did not need to rest, but He chose to rest from all His diligent and creative work. It is a day He then called holy. The Sabbath was modeled and given to be a blessing to us, so that we might find rest from labor and draw near to the One who never grows weary.

He gave Adam the call to work and keep the garden, not just to observe and admire. No, God gave him a life with tangible purpose. He gave Adam the ability to care for and steward what he was given. Work is meant to be purposeful. It was given for us to enjoy and to be used for the glory of God through the stewardship of His resources. 

God has given the gift of freedom. When God commanded Adam not to eat from the tree, He was granting him freedom. The all-powerful God of the universe did not force His children into a loving and trusting relationship, but gave them the choice to love Him, the choice to walk with Him, and the choice to obey Him.

Lastly, He looked at Adam and saw that it was not good for him to be alone. The attentiveness of God to our best interests is seen as He looks at man and provides the gift of marriage. He provided a suitable helper—someone who would complement him and fill the space that was not good, making it a good and beautiful thing.

Let's steward and enjoy God's gifts the way He intended—as a blessing, and for our good and His glory.

Discussion Questions

1.Do any of these four gifts (rest, marriage, freedom, and work) seem more of a burden than a blessing to you? If so, how can you realign your heart with the truth of the Scriptures to enjoy them as the gifts God intended for them to be?

2. Do you have a rhythm of rest incorporated into your schedule that allows you to draw near to the Lord? If not, how can you find moments in your day or week to rest from working?

3. Have you thanked God recently for these gifts? Which one is hardest for you to be thankful for? Which one is the easiest? Why?