This morning God brought this verse across my path. You know, it would have been so easy to just skim over it because of its familiarity. How often we do that. As I paused to ponder this verse, the Spirit led me down a path where I learned, not only more about the human body, but more importantly more about my God.
God formed our bodies “of the dust from the ground”. I knew that our skin contained the same properties as dirt. But what I hadn’t previously realized was that our bones contain properties of limestone. So limestone must have been present in the lump of mud God used to form us. As I continued to ponder that, I found myself in awe of what an intelligent Designer our God is. Different properties were within that dirt, and God knew exactly how to arrange them. The softness of dirt for our skin and organs. The hardness of limestone to form our bones. I mean, can you imagine if God hadn’t been involved? Our skin could have been as hard as bone, unable to be penetrated easily by a needle holding medicine we need. That was quite a rabbit trail, wasn’t it? But honestly, it was a rabbit trail planned out for me by God to lead me to look at this verse with a fresh perspective. It brought a new awe to my heart and mind for our Creator, our God, our Abba. Oh how I love Him! And I love how God’s Word is alive and able to continue to teach us as long as we live and breathe!!
Live and breathe…how’s that for a segue? Haha I was also drawn to the phrase “and man became a living being”. God had done the forming, but man was still an inanimate creature until God breathed into him. Matthew Henry spoke of this and he shared some great insights. It was too good not to share with you.
“(Man) takes its rise from the breath of heaven, and is produced by it. It was not made of the earth as the body was, it is a pity that it should cleave to the earth and mind earthly things…Let the soul which God has created into us breathe after Him, let it be for Him, since it is from Him. To God that gave us these souls we must shortly give an account of them, how we have employed them, used them, proportioned them and disposed of them…and if then it be found that we have lost them, though it were to gain the world, we shall be undone for ever“
The soul was not made of the earth like the body was. That explains a lot, doesn’t it? So many people, us included if we’re honest, try to satisfy spiritual and emotional needs with things of this world. Our souls were breathed from heaven and can only be filled and satisfied with things originating from there. How’s that for refocusing, huh?
Pause to ponder areas of your heart where you may be trying to fit the square peg of earthly things into the round hole of the soul. Ask the Spirit to reveal areas in your heart and mind that need His touch, His filling.