God placed man in the Garden of Eden, told him to subdue the earth, and then gave him (and us!) two tasks whereby he takes dominion: dress and keep.
To dress is to work. Though sinless, the Garden would present challenges (see lesson #2). It would teach Adam how to work, manage, solve problems, and eventually lead his wife and teach his children.
Second, he is to keep. The word for keep means to watch and preserve. As a good steward, Adam was not to neglect or cause damage, which would mean not only to build but maintain.
The work of dressing and keeping would be works of delight. The Fall had not marred his endeavors; he was unacquainted with frustration. The sorrow (pain) of the curse would come after Adam's sin. But in the Garden, he would delight in his God-given tasks. The first recorded task of dominion is naming the animals.
To name something means to know and understand it. Adam demonstrates that he had taken time to explore and observe the new world (marking the birth of science), as there is no cause to make changes after completing the task. (And perhaps, in his explorations, he would discover the companionship of dogs, ride a horse, and drink up the products of goats and cows).
But as he names the animals, he discovers that he lacks a suitable helpmate. God gives him Eve, and she is not simply another specimen to classify, but a loving companion—a helpmate. Together, they are to have dominion by filling the earth with children and using God's gifts to start farms and orchards and engage in animal husbandry.
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Kurt Snow serves as a ruling elder at Covenant Reformed Church of Sacramento (RCUS). He served as a member of the Board of Governors of City Seminary of Sacramento from 2000 to 2020.
