Adam gave names to all the creatures. Adam’s mental capacity, and the names given, have been discussed. But, this also shows an order that God had in mind for the universe. It was one where God allowed man to have dominion over the other creatures. Hence, whatever he said, that’s what they were called.
This, in turn, allowd man to think of just how different he is from God. I’ve sometimes used the following analogy with Heaven. I’ll say that to describe Heaven to someone here on Earth is like telling a dog what it’s like to play the piano, or produce a work of art.
Elephants have been taught to use a paintbrush, but that creature is not creating the way humans create. Human artists have a feel for things which are pleasing to the senses. That means painters can make things that pelase their eyes – and hopefully the eyes of others. Musicians can compose or play wonderful melodies. Humans have an appreciation that goes far beyond what animals have.
This superiority, of course, does not mean mankind has the right to abuse animals. It also teaches mankind to be humble. When we recognize that animals have less capacity than we do, we should have compassion on them. However, because of our sin nature, we can be really cruel – not just to them, but to each other.
God knew that just being on top wasn’t enough, though. He knew man needed someone who could experience things in the same way, as noted earlier. But, He created male and female animals right away, according to most commentators. Why didn’t the Lord do the same thing with man? It’s impossible to say for sure. However, remember that the world was made to be perfect. Before the Fall, Adam could educate everyone not only about God, but about his own experiences. One of those experiences was loneliness. God knew that there could be times when people questioned why there were so many others on the earth. Adam could tell them that it was no fun to be alone, away from fellow humans. He could then elaborate on how God had given him an equal.
