Third, Adam is given a priestly commission. Genesis 2 says that when God planted a garden in Eden (v. 8), “The LORD God took the man and put him in the garden of Eden to work it and keep it” (v. 15). Adding to the ruling commands of Genesis 1:28, Adam is given the priestly task of “serving” Yahweh in his garden sanctuary and “guarding” his sacred space. We know this double command (i.e., “work/serve” combined with “keep/guard”) is priestly because of the way Moses uses it later in Numbers 3:7–8;
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