Original Post Date: Friday, August 15, 2008
Now the LORD God had formed out of the ground all the beasts of the field and all the birds of the air. He brought them to the man to see what he would name them; and whatever the man called each living creature, that was its name. So the man gave names to all the livestock, the birds of the air and all the beasts of the field. Genesis 2:19-20a
There are two incidents in Scripture where God brings all the animals to one man - once to Adam so he could name them and once to Noah to save them from the Flood. Both of these events depict a unique partnership between God and man.
God is an artist. For six days He molded and crafted each animal, plant and land formation. Yet, when the masterpiece was finished, He passed the privilege of naming it to Adam. It was an intentional and meaningful gesture. In effect, God wanted Adam to know that the earth was created for him and his descendents. It was Adam's doman - he was to have authority over it and responsibility for it. God was establishing a collaboration between Himself as the Creator/Sustainer and man as the caretaker that would continue until the end of time.
It is the sole privilege of the artist to name his work. God took that privilege and gave it away - to a man who had no privilege, no rank, no reputation and no authority. That one gift instantly granted Adam all of those things. Suddenly, he had the privilege of being God's partner, the rank of dominance over creation, the reputation as The One Who Names and the authority to determine Earth's fate.
As a descendent of Adam, I have often struggled with pride and arrogance. It is due time that I took a step back and realized that any right I think I have is a privilege that God has placed in the palm of my hand.
