| A Meditation: The Glory of Naming Day by Cleone Weigand (March-April, 2003) |
18 The LORD God said, “It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper suitable for him.”
19 Now the LORD God had formed out of the ground all the beasts of the field and all the birds of the air.
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. 20 So the man gave names to all the livestock, the birds of the air and all
the beasts of the field. But for Adam no suitable helper was found. (Genesis 2:18-20) 1
Some arrange to have their weddings in church. For some the choice is an outdoor wedding. And from there on
the bazaar selections multiply. What was the setting for the very first wedding? It was a setting chosen by God
when he created the first woman and brought her husband in the first marriage. The setting reminds one of
Noah’s ark with all the animals traveling to that huge barge like ship. Only this time, instead of passing by Noah
and entering the ark, the animals paused before Adam, the first man, and he gave them all a name. In a short
time he would be giving a name to another creature of God that would be special and outclass all the animals he
had named. The name? Eve! The person? His wife! Adam foresaw that she would be the mother of the whole
human race and give life to all who would be born. Adam therefore chose the name “Eve” which means “life,” as
the name for the special companion God gave him.
Let us think about and consider the one marriage that God planned. Let us appreciate anew that God is a poet
and an artist in all he plans and does. Think of the beauty of all the living creatures assembling for the grandest
wedding ever, and every one being given a name by the groom. Think of the yearning for a partner of his own
that this remarkable parade evoked in the heart of Adam who did the naming. Realize that it was against this
back drop planned by the Lord that the first and only perfect marriage took place. Recognize how God used the
creatures he had created earlier to add beauty to this special event. Appreciate the poetry. The many pairs in
the animal kingdom became part of the “prelude music” for the wedding. Naming these many happy creatures in
the animal kingdom climaxed in the naming of his own dear partner, his wife, Eve.
We often and rightly focus our attention upon the great love God demonstrated in the miraculous way he went
about planning and carrying out the salvation of us sinners. It is good we do that. It is also good that we nourish
our love for God by reviewing his many other acts of kindness and great wisdom such as demonstrated on the
day he gave Adam his wife. LSI
19 Now the LORD God had formed out of the ground all the beasts of the field and all the birds of the air.
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. 20 So the man gave names to all the livestock, the birds of the air and all
the beasts of the field. But for Adam no suitable helper was found. (Genesis 2:18-20) 1
Some arrange to have their weddings in church. For some the choice is an outdoor wedding. And from there on
the bazaar selections multiply. What was the setting for the very first wedding? It was a setting chosen by God
when he created the first woman and brought her husband in the first marriage. The setting reminds one of
Noah’s ark with all the animals traveling to that huge barge like ship. Only this time, instead of passing by Noah
and entering the ark, the animals paused before Adam, the first man, and he gave them all a name. In a short
time he would be giving a name to another creature of God that would be special and outclass all the animals he
had named. The name? Eve! The person? His wife! Adam foresaw that she would be the mother of the whole
human race and give life to all who would be born. Adam therefore chose the name “Eve” which means “life,” as
the name for the special companion God gave him.
Let us think about and consider the one marriage that God planned. Let us appreciate anew that God is a poet
and an artist in all he plans and does. Think of the beauty of all the living creatures assembling for the grandest
wedding ever, and every one being given a name by the groom. Think of the yearning for a partner of his own
that this remarkable parade evoked in the heart of Adam who did the naming. Realize that it was against this
back drop planned by the Lord that the first and only perfect marriage took place. Recognize how God used the
creatures he had created earlier to add beauty to this special event. Appreciate the poetry. The many pairs in
the animal kingdom became part of the “prelude music” for the wedding. Naming these many happy creatures in
the animal kingdom climaxed in the naming of his own dear partner, his wife, Eve.
We often and rightly focus our attention upon the great love God demonstrated in the miraculous way he went
about planning and carrying out the salvation of us sinners. It is good we do that. It is also good that we nourish
our love for God by reviewing his many other acts of kindness and great wisdom such as demonstrated on the
day he gave Adam his wife. LSI
