Connect Acts 17:25 with Genesis 2:7 on God giving life to humanity. The giver of life - Genesis 2:7: “Then the LORD God formed man from the dust of the ground and breathed the breath of life into his nostrils, and the man became a living being.” - Acts 17:25: “Nor is He served by human hands, as if He needed anything, because He Himself gives all men life and breath and everything else.” Both verses point to a single, unchanging truth: the living God is the sole source of every heartbeat, every inhale, every moment of existence. Genesis 2:7—The first breath - God personally “formed” humanity—hands-on, intentional, not accidental. - “Dust of the ground” reminds us we are created, not self-existent. - His own breath turned inert matter into a “living being.” Life is not simply biological; it is God-given. Acts 17:25—The continual gift - Paul tells the Athenians that God “gives all men life and breath and everything else.” - The verb “gives” is present tense: He did not just start life once; He sustains it every moment. - Our ongoing breath is evidence of His active care. One unified truth - Creation (Genesis 2:7) and providence (Acts 17:25) are inseparable. - Job 33:4 echoes the link: “The Spirit of God has made me; the breath of the Almighty gives me life.” - Isaiah 42:5 affirms, “He… gives breath to the people on it.” - Scripture consistently presents God as both the origin and maintainer of life. Implications for daily living - Humility: Remembering our dust origin keeps pride in check. - Dependence: Each breath testifies we rely on God moment by moment. - Worship: Gratitude naturally flows toward the One who gives “everything else.” - Stewardship: Because life is His gift, using it for His purposes matters (Romans 12:1). Covenantal echoes in Christ - John 1:3-4—“In Him was life.” The Word through whom we were first made entered creation to restore us. - John 20:22—Jesus “breathed on them” and said, “Receive the Holy Spirit,” signaling new-creation life. - Colossians 1:16-17—“All things were created through Him… and in Him all things hold together,” tying Genesis 2:7 and Acts 17:25 to Christ’s ongoing sustenance of life. Key takeaways - Life began with God’s breath and continues by His hand. - Every person, believer or skeptic, is daily upheld by the same gracious Giver. - Recognizing this truth invites us to live gratefully, dependently, and purposefully before Him. |
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