Seven Figures in Genesis 2

if we read Genesis chapter 2, there are seven positive figures plus one negative item, which need us to pay attention to.

1. man of clay

Genesis 2:7 Jehovah God formed man from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and man became a living soul.

2 Corinthians 4: 7 But we have this treasure in earthen vessels that the excellency of the power may be of God and not out of us.

Romans 9:21 Or does not the potter have authority over the clay to make out of the same lump one vessel unto honor and another unto dishonor?

God made the man Adam with clay. in the New Testament, the apostle Paul also mentioned that we, men, are vessles, even earthen vessels. a vessel is made with a purpose to contain something. for example, a cup is a vessel to contain water, or drinks. then, as vessels unto honor, what we are human beings made to contain? 2 Corinthians 4:7 gives us the answer, that we, earthen vessels have this treasure within us, which is God Himself. why are we vessels unto honor? because we have this treasure within us. we have Christ making His home in us, dwelling in us.

2. the tree of life

Genesis 2:9 And out of the ground Jehovah God caused to grow every tree that is pleasant to the sight and good for food, as well as the tree of life in the middle of the garden and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.

John 1:4 In Him was life, and the life was the light of men.

John 10:10 The thief does not come except to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life and may have it abundantly.

Life is in Christ, and Christ is the source of life. therefore, the tree of life in Genesis 2 signifies Christ as life to us.

3. the river of water

Genesis 2:10 And a river went forth from Eden to water the garden, and from there it divided and became four branches.

John 7:38 He who believes into Me, as the Scripture said, out of his innermost being shall flow rivers of living water.

John 7:39 But this He said concerning the Spirit, whom those who believed into Him were about to receive; for the Spirit was not yet, because Jesus had not yet been glorified.

the flowing river in Genesis 2 is a figure of Christ as the life-giving Spirit gushing up within us as a fountain and flowing out of us as a stream.

4. gold

5. bdellium

6. onyx stone

Genesis 2:11 The name of the first is Pishon; it is the one that goes around the whole land of Havilah, where there is gold.

Genesis 2:12 And the gold of that land is good; bdellium and onyx stone are there.

gold, bdellium (a pearl like substance), and onyx stone are the precious materials, both seen here in Genesis 2, and also in the end of the Bible, in the last two chapters of Revelation, in the holy city, New Jerusalem. here we need to take a look at the development of God's building of His dwelling place in the entire Bible. first, in Exodus chapter 26, concerning the tabernacle, we can see that the structure of the tabernacle is standing boards made of acacia wood overlaid with gold. so in principle, gold is the material for the building of God's dwelling place among His people. with the tabernacle, there is the high priest, who serves the Lord. the high priest had the ephod, with two onyx stones on which were engraved the names of the twelve tribes of israel. moreover, there were twelve more precious stones on the high priest's breastplate. this shows us that the precious items were not only for the building of the Lord's dwelling place, but also for the priestly service. 1 Peter 2:5 says "You yourselves also, as living stones, are being built up as a spiritual house into a holy priesthood to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ." 

7. Eve, a bride

Genesis 2:22 And Jehovah God built the rib, which He had taken from the man, into a woman and brought her to the man.

compare this portion in Genesis chapter 2 with Ephesians chapter 5, we will realize that Adam and Eve are a type of Christ and the church. at the last two chapters in Revelation, the holy city, New Jerusalem, as the consummation of all God's redeemed and transformed people, is the wife of the Lamb. 

how can these seven items be related to our spiritual experience?

we all start with the first item, the man of clay. in the old creation, we are just men of clay. but one day, the Lord's mercy reached us and we are saved!!! during our regenaration, we become God's new creation, the living stones for God's building. to be regenerated is to be transformed with the life of Christ from a man of clay to a man of stone. the more we eat and drink Christ, the more we will be transformed into living stones, into precious materials for God's building. we are transformed by experiencing and enjoying Christ as life. we eat of Him as the tree of life, and we drink of Him as the river of water. in this way, we are gradually transfomred. 

one negative item: the tree of knowledge of good and evil

Genesis 2:9 And out of the ground Jehovah God caused to grow every tree that is pleasant to the sight and good for food, as well as the tree of life in the middle of the garden and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.

in the garden of Eden, there was another tree, the tree of knowledge of good and evil. because Adam did not obey God's word and took of the wrong tree, sin entered into mankind, with the wage of sin, which is death. this tree, together with the tree of life, are within us. we have to be careful moment by moment everyday. everyday, we are facing such a choice, whether we will choose the tree of life, or the tree of knowledge. we need to exercise our will to make the right choice, to choose life, not death!!

for more detail, read 

CWWL 1963 vol 1 "the Believer's Experience of Transformation" chapter 1