(a) Narrate the Second Creation story.
(b) In what two ways were the functions assigned to man in this account significant?
(a) In the beginning, God made the earth and the heavens. There were no plants nor herbs because rain had not fallen. The Lord formed man out of dust (of the earth) and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, thus making him become a living being. God then planted a garden in Eden, put the man there and grew plants and the tree of life and the tree of knowledge of good and evil. Four rivers flowed on four sides to water the garden and the man was to maintain the garden. God directed the man to eat of all the trees but not the fruit of the tree of knowledge, for he would die any day he ate the fruit. The man was alone, hence, there was the need to find a suitable help mate. Then God created all living creatures and the man was charged to give them names. To provide the man a helper fit for him, God made from Adam's rib a woman, gave her to Adam as flesh of his flesh and Adam called her woman.
(b) The functions assigned to man in the second creation story are as follows:
(i) He was to act as God's agent in furthering the act of creation of various types of vegetation.
(ii) He was to give names to all creations. This is a very important function because by knowing the name of a person or thing, you know his or its nature and can, therefore, exercise power over it.
(iii) He was to eat of all trees and plants, but, never the tree of knowledge of good and evil. This order refects the dual nature of man, flesh and soul, good and evil. It is unfortunate that this dual nature was soon to play a negative role when flesh overtook soul while evil overtook good, leading to the fall of man.
(iv) By his acceptance of Eve,woman, Adam acknowledged God's institution of marriage.
(v) Man now has a right to choose between life and death.
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