Confusion of Genesis 2:5 and Clarity of Genesis 2:15

Genesis 2:5-6
(5) Now no shrub had yet appeared on the earth and no plant had yet sprung up, for the LORD God had not sent rain on the earth and there was no one to work the ground, (6) but streams came up from the earth and watered the whole surface of the ground.

Genesis 2:15
The LORD God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and take care of it.

Genesis 2:5 seems to give a contradicting account of creation. It seems to suggest that after God created the world, vegetation took time to sprout. Yet Genesis 1:11-12 tells us that at God’s word vegetation appeared instantly. If vegetation appeared instantly what time does Genesis 2:5 refer to when it tells us that vegetation had not appeared? That is the confusion of Genesis 2:5!

Is the confusion clear? Unless the confusion is clear, the clarity will not be appreciated. Genesis 2:5 seems to contradict Genesis 1:11-12. That is the confusion.

First, we need to know what creates the confusion then avoid it. If we treat Genesis chapter one and chapter two as one continuous story, we will get confused by these seemingly contradictory texts. Therefore to solve the problem, we must treat Genesis chapter one and chapter two as different creation accounts. Different in the purpose of narration. Not different in authorship and time of writing. Not different in the earth being referred to. The only difference is in the purpose of each account by the same author, referring to the same creation that happened at the same time.

Genesis Chapter one is a summary of the entire creation process. Genesis chapter one does not give details of how human beings were created. The Genesis chapter one creation account ends at Genesis 2:3. Genesis chapter one is a summarized outline of the entire creation.

Genesis chapter two has another creation account that begins at Genesis 2:4. The Genesis chapter two account is only concerned about the creation of human beings. Genesis chapter two gives details of how human beings were created. Therefore, the two stories do not contradict, they were designed to complement each other.

Genesis 2:5 is therefore an introduction of the fact that God created everything from a state that was useless to useful. God created the world from a state where it had no vegetation, no rain, and no human beings. Then Genesis 2:6 fast forwards the story by telling us that God created streams to water the surface. Then Genesis 2:7 goes to the purpose by telling us the details of how human beings were created. Therefore, Genesis 2:5 is an opening summary of how the world was before creation. The same summary is given in the Genesis chapter one account, Genesis 1:2.

Genesis 2:5 is not a continuation of the Genesis chapter one account. Genesis 2:5 is a general highly summarized introduction of how the world was before creation. Genesis 2:5 ushers towards the creation of human beings. Genesis 2:5 tells us that God created everything from a very useless state to the highly productive state we are in. With that understanding, Genesis 2:5 has no confusion.

Genesis chapter one uses Elohim as the name of God. Genesis chapter two uses Yahweh as the name of God. In explaining the general creation of everything in chapter one, God is referred to by His general name Elohim. In explaining the detailed creation of human beings, God is referred to as Yahweh. The name Yahweh makes God personal to human beings. When God sent Moses the writer of this story to Egypt, He told him to use the personal name, Yahweh, Exodus 3:14. The name Yahweh is highly respected among Jews and in reverence, they do not even mention it or write it in full. Sometimes Yahweh is replaced by Adonai. In the English Bible, Yahweh is translated as LORD in capital letters. Therefore, the usage of two different names of God in Genesis chapter one and chapter two is intentional and should not create confusion.

So much for that, we now move on to establish the clarity of Genesis 2:15. This text tells us that we were created purposely to work and take care of the world. This passage clarifies that we were designed to find pleasure in working and not in the income we get. We were designed to enjoy making meaningful contributions to our world, and not in amassing wealth.

From Genesis 2:15 we get the clarity that your best job or career or field of study or choice of business, is not the one with quick employment or high income, but one that gives you the pleasure of service provision. If you do not enjoy your field of study, you are in a field that God did not design for you. If you do not enjoy what you were employed to do, you are there against God’s will. If your business does not satisfy you in itself even before any profits then you missed the business God designed for you. That is the clarity of Genesis 2:15.

Our deepest and most satisfying pleasure is not in dancing the whole night or pursuing some pleasure. Our greatest satisfaction is not in travel to favorite destinations. We were created to work. Work gives us pleasure. Find work that gives you pleasure to do even if the pay is low or missing and that is God’s will for you and it will give you great pleasure. That is the clarity of Genesis 2:15.

Ecclesiastes 2:24
A person can do nothing better than to eat and drink and find satisfaction in their own toil. This too, I see, is from the hand of God,

Some enjoy teaching so much that they can’t leave even when higher paying offers come from elsewhere. Others hate teaching even when pay is raised, they will quit someday. The same thing can be said about medical doctors, engineers, pastors, lawyers, farmers, etc. Some enjoy and some are persevering through it. Some came for money and under pressure and others came as a call from God to serve people and will never quit. Do that which you can’t quit from even if the pay is low or missing. Do a business you will stay in even if it makes no money until it makes money. That is the clarity of Genesis 2:15.

Thank you so much our God for clearing the confusion of Genesis 2:5. Thank you so much God for the clarity of Genesis 2:15. Help me and lead me to engage in studies, work, and business that I enjoy even without minding the pay, in Jesus’s name, Amen!

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