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Why Did God Have Adam Name the Animals?
Have you ever wondered why God had Adam name the animals? Couldn’t God have done it for Adam? Yes. Here are five reasons why:
1. Adam is exercising his intellect. Notice how inspiration describes the first man. He is logical, able to distinguish different kinds of animals, along with the linguistic skills to differentiate and identify (Gen.2:20). There is no hint whatsoever of the typical grunting Neanderthal caveman.
2. Adam is exercising his rule over the world as given by God (Gen.1:28). It doesn’t do anyone any good to be given responsibility with no opportunity to fulfill it.
3. Adam is established by God as the head in the family. While both were given dominion over the earth and animals (Gen.1:28), God then specifically gives the authority of naming the animals to Adam (Gen.2:19-20).
4. Adam is discovering his need. Why didn’t God simply say, “Adam, you are all alone, that is not good. I will make a helper suitable for you.” In having Adam uncover his incompleteness for himself (again using intellect), self-discovery becomes more impactful.
5. Adam is discovering how special Eve is revealed to be in his seeing and naming her after himself (2:23). Naming the animals is part of process demonstrating Adam’s being alone (Gen.2:18), and then completed by woman. How can husbands and wives view their spouses in a special way and still mistreat or disrespect them? It is disrespecting themselves (Eph.5:28-29) and God’s other image bearer (Gen.1:26).
Not everyone needs to be married. But if we are married, animals do not complete us. Although one woman tried to show how a man was unnecessary:
“I never married because there was no need. I have three pets at home which answer the same purpose as a husband. I have a dog that growls every morning, a parrot that swears all afternoon, and a cat that comes home late at night.” (Marie Corelli)
If a husband, or a wife, has an emotional need that is met by a pet or a child instead of each other, that is a troubled marriage. God had Adam name the animals, and it led to Eve, making that which was not good, very good. Today in our culture, men still give their names to their wives. This is just one way the two become one.
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