Creation of Man

First, the fine print: this transcription of Bible scriptures is from my personal study where I rewrite scriptures in a language I will understand best. In most cases, it is KJV, with a little NKJV sprinkled in to replace the "thee's" and the "thou's". Occasionally, when an old English word from KJV did not make sense to me, but the NKJV word seemed to change the meaning, I used Strong's to find the original meaning of the original word and used that. Please understand I do not mean for this to be another translation; these are only my study notes. Additionally, I use a chronological study guide by Skip Andrews in my study. I welcome any discussion on this or anything about which I write.

A synopsis of the first chapter of Genesis is found in Exodus 20:11:

For in six days the LORD made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, and rested the seventh day. Therefore the LORD blessed the Sabbath day and hallowed it.

Beginning in Genesis 2:4, there is a more detailed retelling of the creation of man than that in Genesis, Chapter 1:

(Genesis 2:4) These are the generations of the heavens and of the earth when they were created, in the day that the LORD God made the earth and the heavens, (5) Before any plant of the field was in the earth and before any herb of the field had grown; for the LORD God had not caused it to rain on the earth, and there was no man to till the ground; (6) But a mist went up from the earth and watered the whole face of the ground. (7) And the LORD God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul. (8) And the LORD God planted a garden eastward in Eden; and there He put the man whom He had formed. (9) And out of the ground the LORD God made every tree grow that is pleasant to the sight and good for food. The tree of life was also in the midst of the garden, and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. (10) And a river went out of Eden to water the garden; and from there it parted and became four riverheads. (11) The name of the first is Pishon; it is the one which surrounds the whole land of Havilah, where there is gold. (12) And the gold of that land is good. Bdellium and the onyx stone are there. (13) The name of the second river is Gihon; it is the one that surrounds the whole land of Ethiopia. (14) And the name of the third river is Tigris; it is the one which goes toward the east of Assyria. And the fourth river is the Euphrates. (15) Then the LORD God took the man and put him in the garden of Eden to tend and keep it. (16) And the LORD God commanded the man, saying, "Of every tree of the garden you may freely eat; (17) But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die." (18) And the LORD God said, "It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him a helper for him." (19) And out of the ground the LORD God formed every beast of the field and every bird of the air, and brought them to Adam to see what he would call them; and whatever Adam called every living creature, that was its name. (20) And Adam gave names to all cattle, and to the birds of the air, and to every beast of the field; but for Adam there was not found a helper for him. (21) And the LORD God caused a deep sleep to fall upon Adam, and he slept; and He took one of his ribs, and closed up the flesh in its place. (22) And the rib, which the LORD God had taken from man, He made into a woman, and brought her to the man. (23) And Adam said, "This is now bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh; she shall be called Woman, because she was taken out of Man." (24) Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and shall be joined to his wife, and they shall be one flesh. (25) And they were both naked, the man and his wife, and were not ashamed.

Jesus later referred back to this incident and quoted scripture to the Pharisees. On more than one occasion, Jesus refers to Adam and creation. I believe His reference to a historical fact negates the argument that the story of Adam is a myth or just a Biblical "story".

(Matthew 19:4) And He answered and said to them, "Have you not read that He who made them at the beginning made them male and female, (5) And said, 'For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and shall be joined to his wife, and they two shall become one flesh'? (6) Therefore, they are no longer two but one flesh. Therefore what God has joined together, let not man separate."

(Genesis 2:1) Thus the heavens and the earth, and all the host of them, were finished. (2) And on the seventh day God ended His work which He had made, and He rested on the seventh day from all His work which He had made. (3) And God blessed the seventh day, and sanctified it, because in it He had rested from all His work which God had created and made.