Naming Nature

 

Our Scripture today is Genesis 2:19.

“Now the LORD God had formed out of the ground all the wild animals and all the birds in the sky. 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.”

Here, at the dawn of creation, God entrusts Adam with the significant task of naming the animals. This was not merely an assignment; it was the first act of biology, specifically taxonomy, the science of naming and classifying organisms.

What stands out in this passage is God’s deliberate choice to involve Adam in the creative process. God could have effortlessly named every creature Himself. Yet, He chose not to. Instead, He called upon man to do for himself, what he could do.

God still invites us to use our abilities, to cultivate knowledge, and to contribute meaningfully. Today, as in Eden, God equips us but also expects us to do for ourselves what we are capable of doing.

Adam could not create the animals, so God did it.
Adam could name the animals, so God told Adam to do it.

This partnership with God encourages us to grow, learn, and take responsibility. It calls on us to do what we can, and trust God to do for us what we cannot do.

I’m Lonnie Davis and these are thoughts worth thinking.