Peace.
In my opinion, Adam was the first man to have known God by having the Spirit of God breathed into him.
Adam is not necessarily the literal “first man” ever but is the literal first man to have a relationship with God by the indwelling of His Spirit. No other man before Adam had the dwelling of the Spirit of God within him.
The LORD God formed man (Adam) from the dust of the “ground”….that is, from the dust of the “Adamah” (meaning “red ground”).
Genesis 2:7 (7) And the LORD God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man
became a living soul.
The “adamah” represents the people of the world who live after the flesh only….fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind and are by nature children of wrath.
When God formed Adam from the dust of the adamah, He breathed the breath of life ( plural “lives) into his nostrils (which can mean “wrath” also). He formed man of the “dust”….of the humble, lowly…of the ground. God chooses the lowly things of the world….in this case, a lowly man (the dust) of the world to breathe His Spirit (the breath of lives) into by which the first Adam was to preach to the rest of mankind with.
The “others”…who are children of wrath…. are the “adamah”. His Spirit separates us in our minds from the carnal mind of the world who by nature are only minding the things of the flesh and behaving according to their alienated-from-God mind.
Ephesians 2:3-5 KJV (3) Among whom also we all had our conversation in times past in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the
flesh and of the mind; and were by nature the children of wrath, even
as others.
The “adamah” walks in the vanity of their mind (singular) as they all have the same hostile mind which is alienated from the life of God.
Ephesians 4:17-18 KJV (17) This I say therefore, and testify in the Lord, that ye henceforth walk not as other Gentiles walk, in the
vanity of their mind, (18) Having the understanding darkened, being
alienated from the life of God through the ignorance that is in them,
because of the blindness of their heart:
The “adamah” are alienated from God and are enemies in the mind because of wicked works.
Colossians 1:20-21 KJV (20) And, having made peace through the blood of his cross, by him to reconcile all things unto himself; by him, I
say, whether they be things in earth, or things in heaven. (21) And
you, that were sometime alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked
works, yet now hath he reconciled
The carnal (fleshly) mind is hostility against God and it is not subject to the law of God and neither can it be.
Romans 8:6-9 KJV (6) For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace. (7) Because the carnal mind is
enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither
indeed can be.
They that are in the flesh cannot please God.
(8) So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God.
The “adamah”(the “red ground”) are in the flesh and are minding earthly things only as they do not have the Spirit of God dwelling in them and they are hostile to God.
God takes the man from the adamah and breathes the breath of life into his nostrils (the wrath...the hostility) and then the man became a living soul. Adam means “red” as he was washed from the works of the flesh…the earthly mindedness. The adamah does not have the Spirit of God dwelling in them.
(9) But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of
Christ, he is none of his.
Only then can the man have both to will and to do His good pleasure (Eden means “delight, pleasure”). Man cannot have the will to do His good pleasure without the indwelling of the Spirit.
Philippians 2:13 KJV (13) For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure.
The natural man (the adamah) cannot receive the things of the Spirit of God…and neither can he know them.
1 Corinthians 2:12-14 KJV (12) Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the spirit which is of God; that we might know the
things that are freely given to us of God. (13) Which things also we
speak, not in the words which man's wisdom teacheth, but which the
Holy Ghost teacheth; comparing spiritual things with spiritual. (14)
But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for
they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they
are spiritually discerned.
“Eden” means “delight”. Those who have the Spirit of God delight in doing His commandments as He gives us the inward willingness to do them through His Spirit.
Only then can we please God …..while the carnal mind cannot. The carnal mind is not subject to His law nor can it be. The carnal mind is outside.
What is the man supposed to dress (to work) and to keep ? His commandments in the “garden”.
Genesis 2:15 KJV (15) And the LORD God took the man, and put him into the garden of Eden to dress it and to keep it.
Leviticus 22:31 KJV (31) Therefore shall ye keep my commandments, and do them: I am the LORD.
This is where the man knows God in the garden of delight...by doing and keeping His commandments which are not burdensome. God put the man in the garden to work and keep His commandments….and to find delight in them….and God delights in the man who does them.
1 John 2:3-5 KJV (3) And hereby we do know that we know him, if we keep his commandments. (4) He that saith, I know him, and keepeth not
his commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him. (5) But
whoso keepeth his word, in him verily is the love of God perfected:
hereby know we that we are in him.
The man has his “delight” (Eden) in the law of the Lord and in His law does he meditate day and night (he keeps it in remembrance).
Psalms 1:1-3 KJV (1) Blessed is the man that walketh not in the
counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor
sitteth in the seat of the scornful. (2) But his delight is in the
law of the LORD; and in his law doth he meditate day and night.
That man is like a tree planted by the rivers of water bringing forth his fruit in his season…
(3) And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not
wither; and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper.
We are in the "garden" of "Eden" so to speak when we keep His commandments and do those things that are pleasing (Eden) in His sight. He that keeps His commandments dwells in Him and He in him....the garden of Eden.
1 John 3:22-24 KJV (22) And whatsoever we ask, we receive of him, because we keep his commandments, and do those things that are
pleasing in his sight. (23) And this is his commandment, That we
should believe on the name of his Son Jesus Christ, and love one
another, as he gave us commandment. (24) And he that keepeth his
commandments dwelleth in him, and he in him. And hereby we know that
he abideth in us, by the Spirit which he hath given us.