DESIRE OF THE ALMIGHTY GOD Message 1

The Presence Of God -

"In The Garden" Message 1

I want you to turn with me please to Genesis 2.

Genesis 2 KJV 1900

Thus the heavens and the earth were finished, and all the host of them. And on the seventh day God ended his work which he had made; and he rested on the seventh day from all his work which he had made. And God blessed the seventh day, and sanctified it: because that in it he had rested from all his work which God created and made. These are the generations of the heavens and of the earth when they were created, in the day that the Lord God made the earth and the heavens, And every plant of the field before it was in the earth, and every herb of the field before it grew: for the Lord God had not caused it to rain upon the earth, and there was not a man to till the ground. But there went up a mist from the earth, and watered the whole face of the ground. 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. And the Lord God planted a garden eastward in Eden; and there he put the man whom he had formed. And out of the ground made the Lord God to grow every tree that is pleasant to the sight, and good for food; the tree of life also in the midst of the garden, and the tree of knowledge of good and evil. And a river went out of Eden to water the garden; and from thence it was parted, and became into four heads. The name of the first is Pison: that is it which compasseth the whole land of Havilah, where there is gold; And the gold of that land is good: there is bdellium and the onyx stone. And the name of the second river is Gihon: the same is it that compasseth the whole land of Ethiopia. And the name of the third river is Hiddekel: that is it which goeth toward the east of Assyria. And the fourth river is Euphrates. And the Lord God took the man, and put him into the garden of Eden to dress it and to keep it. And the Lord God commanded the man, saying, Of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat: But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die. And the Lord God said, It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him an help meet for him. And out of the ground the Lord God formed every beast of the field, and every fowl of the air; and brought them unto Adam to see what he would call them: and whatsoever Adam called every living creature, that was the name thereof. And Adam gave names to all cattle, and to the fowl of the air, and to every beast of the field; but for Adam there was not found an help meet for him. And the Lord God caused a deep sleep to fall upon Adam, and he slept: and he took one of his ribs, and closed up the flesh instead thereof; And the rib, which the Lord God had taken from man, made he a woman, and brought her unto the man. And Adam said, This is now bone of my bones, and flesh of my flesh: she shall be called Woman, because she was taken out of Man. Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh. And they were both naked, the man and his wife, and were not ashamed.

Today let us look at the presence of God 'In the Garden', and that is the Garden of Eden, that is.

Now we're not going to do an initial reading just at the beginning, but I want to do a general introduction first of all concerning 'The Presence of God'.

Now there is more written in Scripture about God's desire to dwell with His people than there is about man's desire to be with God.

Let me repeat that: there is more written in Scripture about God's desire to dwell with His people than there is about man's desire to be with God - and that is profound when you consider the whole of Scripture.

The great passion of God's heart, as He has revealed it to us from Genesis to Revelation, is to dwell in the midst of His people - not just to dwell, but to have a manifest presence among His people.

Now that has always been His heart's passion, it is presently His heart's desire, and it always will be into the eternals: to dwell with His people, but to manifest, to manifest His revealed presence among them.

This is a predominant theme from Genesis to Revelation, and that's why I've taken the headings that I have :

1. 'The Presence of God in the Garden';

2. 'The Presence of God in the Tabernacle and the Temple'

; and this is the pinnacle of God's revelation of Himself

3. 'The Presence of God in Immanuel', God With Us;

4. 'The Presence of God in Pentecost', or alternatively in the Holy Spirit and His work, His person, and His ministries;

and then we're going to look at His manifest presence

5. 'In the New Jerusalem', in the eternal state.

Each one mentioned are just examples of how generally this is the weight of the message of the Bible:

God wants to dwell with people, and He wants to visibly dwell with them.

Now, if that is the predominant theme of the word of God, surely then it follows that this must and ought to be the pre-eminent focus of our personal Christian experience?

God's presence, and God's manifest presence - to know the presence of God in our personal lives.

So let me ask you right at the outset of this series: how much of the presence of God do you know?

Or how much of the manifest presence of God do you know?

Now, some will say: 'Well, surely God is omnipresent?' - and you know what that means, don't you?

He is all-present, He is everywhere present - and, of course, that is true.

Psalm 139

Psalm 139 KJV 1900

To the chief Musician, A Psalm of David. O Lord, thou hast searched me, and known me. Thou knowest my downsitting and mine uprising, Thou understandest my thought afar off. Thou compassest my path and my lying down, And art acquainted with all my ways. For there is not a word in my tongue, But, lo, O Lord, thou knowest it altogether. Thou hast beset me behind and before, And laid thine hand upon me. Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; It is high, I cannot attain unto it. Whither shall I go from thy spirit? Or whither shall I flee from thy presence? If I ascend up into heaven, thou art there: If I make my bed in hell, behold, thou art there. If I take the wings of the morning, And dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea; Even there shall thy hand lead me, And thy right hand shall hold me. If I say, Surely the darkness shall cover me; Even the night shall be light about me. Yea, the darkness hideth not from thee; But the night shineth as the day: The darkness and the light are both alike to thee. For thou hast possessed my reins: Thou hast covered me in my mother’s womb. I will praise thee; for I am fearfully and wonderfully made: Marvellous are thy works; And that my soul knoweth right well. My substance was not hid from thee, When I was made in secret, And curiously wrought in the lowest parts of the earth. Thine eyes did see my substance, yet being unperfect; And in thy book all my members were written, Which in continuance were fashioned, when as yet there was none of them. How precious also are thy thoughts unto me, O God! How great is the sum of them! If I should count them, they are more in number than the sand: When I awake, I am still with thee. Surely thou wilt slay the wicked, O God: Depart from me therefore, ye bloody men. For they speak against thee wickedly, And thine enemies take thy name in vain. Do not I hate them, O Lord, that hate thee? And am not I grieved with those that rise up against thee? I hate them with perfect hatred: I count them mine enemies. Search me, O God, and know my heart: Try me, and know my thoughts: And see if there be any wicked way in me, And lead me in the way everlasting.

If I take the wings of the morning, and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea, even there Your hand shall lead me, and Your right hand shall hold me'.

You can't escape the presence of God, He is everywhere - but if that is the case, and it is, surely then that applies to unbelievers as well as believers?

Does it not?

If He is beside us in His omnipresence, He is beside them wherever they may be tonight in all sorts of places, even immoral places, God must be there in the same sense as He is with us in His omnipresence - but here's the great question: do they know His presence? Of course they don't.

This Morning I wish to look at this subject this way allow me to give you the outline of todays message

THE PRESENCE OF GOD IN THE GARDEN OF EDEN.

I) Meaning Painted :- Eden

‛êden

BDB Definition:

Eden = “pleasure”

1) the first habitat of man after the creation; site unknown (noun proper masculine locative)

2) a Gershonite Levite, son of Joah in the days of king Hezekiah of Judah (noun proper masculine)

Part of Speech: see above in Definition

A Related Word by BDB/Strong’s Number: the same as H5730

H5731

עֵדֶן

‛êden

ay'-den

The same as H5730 (masculine); Eden, the region of Adam’s home: - Eden.

Total KJV occurrences: 16

II) Majestic Picture

Now, the first record of man experiencing the Divine presence is in the Garden of Eden, Genesis chapter 2 and chapter 3. Genesis 2: 8, and I'll not be reading a whole long reading, we'll just be jumping in from place to place, in verse 8 we read these words:

'The LORD God planted a garden eastward in Eden; and there he put the man whom he had formed'.

Genesis 2:8-17

Genesis 2:8–17 KJV 1900

And the Lord God planted a garden eastward in Eden; and there he put the man whom he had formed. And out of the ground made the Lord God to grow every tree that is pleasant to the sight, and good for food; the tree of life also in the midst of the garden, and the tree of knowledge of good and evil. And a river went out of Eden to water the garden; and from thence it was parted, and became into four heads. The name of the first is Pison: that is it which compasseth the whole land of Havilah, where there is gold; And the gold of that land is good: there is bdellium and the onyx stone. And the name of the second river is Gihon: the same is it that compasseth the whole land of Ethiopia. And the name of the third river is Hiddekel: that is it which goeth toward the east of Assyria. And the fourth river is Euphrates. And the Lord God took the man, and put him into the garden of Eden to dress it and to keep it. And the Lord God commanded the man, saying, Of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat: But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die.

CRITICAL NOTES

Gen 2:14. East of Assyria] So Ges. and Dav. Lit., “before A.” wh. to a writer in Pal. is = west (Fürst).

Genesis 2:14 KJV 1900

And the name of the third river is Hiddekel: that is it which goeth toward the east of Assyria. And the fourth river is Euphrates.

Gen 2:17. Surely die] Heb. “die, die shalt thou;” as in Gen 2:16 “eat, eat shalt thou,” Gen 3:16, “increase, increase will I:”—“a frequent and quite peculiar idiom for the indication of emphasis” (Ewald).

Genesis 2:17 KJV 1900

But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die.

Genesis 2:16 KJV 1900

And the Lord God commanded the man, saying, Of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat:

Genesis 3:16 KJV 1900

Unto the woman he said, I will greatly multiply thy sorrow and thy conception; in sorrow thou shalt bring forth children; and thy desire shall be to thy husband, and he shall rule over thee.

Dying thou shalt die” is misleading, has in fact misled many into groundless subtleties.

MAIN HOMILETICS OF THE PARAGRAPH.—Gen 2:8-17

Genesis 2:8–17 KJV 1900

And the Lord God planted a garden eastward in Eden; and there he put the man whom he had formed. And out of the ground made the Lord God to grow every tree that is pleasant to the sight, and good for food; the tree of life also in the midst of the garden, and the tree of knowledge of good and evil. And a river went out of Eden to water the garden; and from thence it was parted, and became into four heads. The name of the first is Pison: that is it which compasseth the whole land of Havilah, where there is gold; And the gold of that land is good: there is bdellium and the onyx stone. And the name of the second river is Gihon: the same is it that compasseth the whole land of Ethiopia. And the name of the third river is Hiddekel: that is it which goeth toward the east of Assyria. And the fourth river is Euphrates. And the Lord God took the man, and put him into the garden of Eden to dress it and to keep it. And the Lord God commanded the man, saying, Of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat: But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die.

THE GARDEN OF EDEN

There has been much speculation as to the situation of the Garden of Eden; but in vain, it is utterly impossible to ascertain its site.

All vestage of it was probably swept away by the deluge.

This, however, is of little moment, in comparison with the higher and more solemn moral truths with which this garden stands connected.

In these the world is interested, in them it finds its most difficult problems, and the only explanation of its present condition.

I. In this garden provision was made for the happiness of man.

This is evident from the description of the garden found in these verses.

1. The garden was beautiful.

There was planted in it “every tree that is pleasant to the sight.”

Beautiful scenery does much to enhance the comfort and enjoyment of man: in order to gaze upon it men will travel to the ends of the earth.

By all that was lovely and inspiring in material nature, Adam was daily surrounded.

2. The garden was fruitful.

“And good for food.”

Hence with the beautiful in nature, there was blended all that would be needful to supply the temporal requirements of man.

The material beauty by which he was surrounded was only indicative of the plenty that everywhere presented itself for his service.

3. The garden was well watered, “and a river went out of Eden to water the garden; and from thence it was parted, and became into four heads.”

Thus we cannot wonder at the beauty and fertility of this garden.

The teaching of this garden is, that God intended man to enjoy a happy life. He did not design that man should be shut up in a cloister, but that he should wander amid the beautiful scenes of nature; He did not design that man should lead a melancholy and sad life, but that he should be jubilant, and that his joy should be inspired by all that was beautiful and morally good.

In this happy picture of primeval life we have God’s ideal of life, a pattern for our own.

II. In this garden provision was made for the daily occupation of man. Gen 2:15

Genesis 2:15 KJV 1900

And the Lord God took the man, and put him into the garden of Eden to dress it and to keep it.

1. Work is the law of man’s being.

Work is a divine ordination.

God put Adam to it.

He was the first Employer of labour.

Man’s ideal of life is to have nothing to do, to be “independent” as it is called.

Work is compatible with the most ideal existence.

It is a token of dignity; a willingness to perform it, is a vestige of the former splendour of our being.

People tell us that work is the result of the fall.

This is not true.

Man worked before he fell, but free from fatigue or pain.

The element of pain which has been infused into work, that is the result of the fall. Man must work.

He is prompted to it by natural instincts.

He is cheered in it by happy results.

He is rewarded after it by an approving conscience.

(1) Man’s work should be practical.

Adam was to dress the garden.

It is man’s work to develop, and make God’s universe as productive as possible.

Some men spend their lives in speculation; it would be far better if they would employ them in digging.

Aim to be practical in your toil.

The world needs practical workers.

The world is full of men who want to be great workers, and they would be, if they would only undertake little tasks.

(2) Man’s work should be healthful.

There is no employment more healthy than that of husbandry.

It enables a man to get plenty of fresh air.

It will make him stalwart.

It would be much better for the health of the world if less men were engaged in offices, and more in the broad fields.

(3) Man’s work should be taken as from God.

“And the Lord God took the man, and put him into the garden of Eden.”

This will dignify work.

It will inspire the worker.

It will attain the full meaning of service.

A man who lets God put him to his trade, is likely to be successful.

2. Work is the benediction of man’s being.

Work makes men happy.

Indolence is misery.

If all the artizans of our country were freed from their employment to-morrow, it would not increase their joy; to what would they turn their attention?

Work is the truest blessing we have.

It occupies our time.

It keeps from mischief.

It supplies our temporal wants.

It enriches society.

It gets the approval of God.

III. In this garden provision was made for the spiritual obedience of man.

1. God gave man a command to obey.

Adam was not entirely to do as he liked in this garden, one restriction was made known to him.

He was to be none the less happy.

He was to be none the less free.

He was to be the more obedient to that Being who had so kindly ordered his circumstances.

Man is not to do as he likes in this world.

God places him under moral restrictions, which are for his welfare, but which he has the ability to set aside.

There are certain trees in the world, of whose fruit we are not to eat.

But these restrictions are not irksome or unreasonable, they refer only to one tree in all the great garden of life.

Let us attend to the regulation which the gospel puts upon our use of the creatures by which we are every day surrounded.

2. God annexed a penalty in the case of disobedience.

(1) The penalty was clearly made known.

(2) It was certain in its infliction.

(3) It was terrible in its result.

SUGGESTIVE COMMENTS ON THE VERSES

THE TWO PARADISES.—Gen 22:8; Rev 2:2 Gen 2:8.

Genesis 22:8 KJV 1900

And Abraham said, My son, God will provide himself a lamb for a burnt offering: so they went both of them together.

Revelation 2:2 KJV 1900

I know thy works, and thy labour, and thy patience, and how thou canst not bear them which are evil: and thou hast tried them which say they are apostles, and are not, and hast found them liars:

Genesis 2:8 KJV 1900

And the Lord God planted a garden eastward in Eden; and there he put the man whom he had formed.

I. Compare the Places.

The second is superior to the first.

1. In respect to its elements.

What was dust in the first paradise was gold in the second.

2. Of its extent.

The first paradise was the corner of a small planet; the second is a universe of glory in which nations dwell, and whose limits angels know not.

3. Of its beauty.

II. Compare the Inhabitants.

of the two paradises.

The inhabitants of the second are superior to those of the first.

1. In physical nature.

2. In employment.

The employment of heaven will relate to beings rather than to things.

The sphere of activity will be more amongst souls than flowers.

Will call into exercise loftier faculties; will tend more to the glory of God.

3. In rank.

4. In freedom.

5. In security.

Adam was liable to temptation and evil.

In the second paradise is immunity from peril.

6. In vision of God. In the first paradise God walked amid the trees of the garden.

Adam realizes the overshadowing Presence.

The inhabitants of the second paradise shall enjoy that Presence more perfectly.

(1.) Vision brighter.

(2.) Constant.

[Pulpit Analyst.]

A garden:—

1. Its plantation.

2. Its situation.

3. Its occupation.

Gen 2:9. As God gives us all things freely, so He takes special notice of all that He bestows upon us.

Genesis 2:9 KJV 1900

And out of the ground made the Lord God to grow every tree that is pleasant to the sight, and good for food; the tree of life also in the midst of the garden, and the tree of knowledge of good and evil.

Every plant grows where, and in what manner God appoints it.

God’s bounty abounds unto men, not only to the supply of their want, but also for their delight.

It is usual with God to mix delight and pleasure with usefulness and profit in all his blessings.

God’s commandments ought to be full in view of His people.

It is usual with God to teach His children by things of common use.

Gen 2:10-15. God’s blessings are in every way complete and perfect.

Genesis 2:10–15 KJV 1900

And a river went out of Eden to water the garden; and from thence it was parted, and became into four heads. The name of the first is Pison: that is it which compasseth the whole land of Havilah, where there is gold; And the gold of that land is good: there is bdellium and the onyx stone. And the name of the second river is Gihon: the same is it that compasseth the whole land of Ethiopia. And the name of the third river is Hiddekel: that is it which goeth toward the east of Assyria. And the fourth river is Euphrates. And the Lord God took the man, and put him into the garden of Eden to dress it and to keep it.

Springs and rivers of waters are not amongst the least of God’s blessings.

Every son of Adam is bound to some employment:—

1. Necessary to mutual subsistence.

2. The creatures of the world are not serviceable without toil.

3. To occupy time.

4. To employ our faculties.

Our daily calling—

1. Undertaken by a Divine warrant.

2. Pursued with cheerfulness and fidelity.

3. Guided by God’s word.

4. Seeking the good of the community.

5. Abiding there till God shall discharge us.

Duty and not gain should be the ground of our daily calling.

Man’s employment ought to be in those places where it is most needed.

Very rich in earthly treasure was the habitation of innocency.

Gen 2:16-17.—Eden: or God’s voice to man on entering his earthly sphere of life.

Genesis 2:16–17 KJV 1900

And the Lord God commanded the man, saying, Of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat: But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die.

I. That man’s earthly sphere of life is furnished with vast and varied blessings. “Of every tree.” There are many trees of pleasure for man in this life.

1. There is the sensational tree. Material nature with its million branches is a tree all thickly clustered with fruit.

2. There is the intellectual tree. Life is crowded with ideas, every form of life embodies them, every event starts them.

3. There is the social tree.

4. There is the religious tree. This gives it beauty and worth to all. What a rich garden is our earthly life.

II. That these vast and varied blessings are to be used under certain Divine regulations. “But of the tree.”

1. His regulations are proper.

2. His regulations are liberal.

3. His regulations are needful.

III. That the violation of these Divine regulations will entail the utmost ruin.

“Thou shalt surely die.”

To disobey God is sin, and the wages of sin is death. Disobedience to God will produce death.—[Homilist.]

II) Majestic Picture-of Eden

Now, it seems that there was a special Garden in the vicinity of a place called Eden, not just Eden itself but a locality called Eden, and in Eden somewhere there is a garden.

In Ezekiel 28:13-19 we read that Eden is the garden of God, so that simply means that this is a garden made by God for man - Adam.

Ezekiel 28:13–19 KJV 1900

Thou hast been in Eden the garden of God; every precious stone was thy covering, the sardius, topaz, and the diamond, the beryl, the onyx, and the jasper, the sapphire, the emerald, and the carbuncle, and gold: the workmanship of thy tabrets and of thy pipes was prepared in thee in the day that thou wast created. Thou art the anointed cherub that covereth; and I have set thee so: thou wast upon the holy mountain of God; thou hast walked up and down in the midst of the stones of fire. Thou wast perfect in thy ways from the day that thou wast created, till iniquity was found in thee. By the multitude of thy merchandise they have filled the midst of thee with violence, and thou hast sinned: therefore I will cast thee as profane out of the mountain of God: and I will destroy thee, O covering cherub, from the midst of the stones of fire. Thine heart was lifted up because of thy beauty, thou hast corrupted thy wisdom by reason of thy brightness: I will cast thee to the ground, I will lay thee before kings, that they may behold thee. Thou hast defiled thy sanctuaries by the multitude of thine iniquities, by the iniquity of thy traffick; therefore will I bring forth a fire from the midst of thee, it shall devour thee, and I will bring thee to ashes upon the earth in the sight of all them that behold thee. All they that know thee among the people shall be astonished at thee: thou shalt be a terror, and never shalt thou be any more.

Now there is much speculation about the geographical location of where Eden was, but of much greater importance is the meaning -

what does 'Eden' signify?

'Eden' may be related to a Hebrew verb which simply means 'to luxuriate', or 'to delight' -Pleasure -- alright?

Now that gives us an idea of what Eden is all about.

In fact, the Psalmist put it like this in Psalm 16:

Psalm 16 (KJV 1900)

Michtam of David.

Preserve me, O God: for in thee do I put my trust.

O my soul, thou hast said unto the Lord, Thou art my Lord: My goodness extendeth not to thee;

But to the saints that are in the earth, And to the excellent, in whom is all my delight.

Their sorrows shall be multiplied that hasten after another god: Their drink offerings of blood will I not offer, Nor take up their names into my lips.

The Lord is the portion of mine inheritance and of my cup: Thou maintainest my lot.

The lines are fallen unto me in pleasant places; Yea, I have a goodly heritage.

I will bless the Lord, who hath given me counsel: My reins also instruct me in the night seasons.

I have set the Lord always before me: Because he is at my right hand, I shall not be moved.

Therefore my heart is glad, and my glory rejoiceth: My flesh also shall rest in hope.

For thou wilt not leave my soul in hell; Neither wilt thou suffer thine Holy One to see corruption.

Thou wilt shew me the path of life: In thy presence is fulness of joy; At thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore.

'You will show me the path of life', and you remember there was a Tree of Life in Eden, 'and in Your presence is fullness of joy; and at Your right hand are pleasures forevermore'.

If ever there was a definition of the garden that was in Eden, it is that: 'to luxuriate', 'to delight' in God's presence.

It actually stands parallel with a description of what is called 'The Garden of Jehovah' or 'Yahweh' in Isaiah 51: 3.

Isaiah 51:3 KJV 1900

For the Lord shall comfort Zion: He will comfort all her waste places; And he will make her wilderness like Eden, And her desert like the garden of the Lord; Joy and gladness shall be found therein, Thanksgiving, and the voice of melody.

You don't need to turn to it, I'll quote it to you:

A.'For the LORD will comfort Zion, A PLACE OF COMFORT

He will comfort all her waste places;

He will make her wilderness like Eden',

and this is what it is to be like Eden,

'And her desert like the garden of the LORD;

B. Joy and gladness will be found in it, A PLACE OF JOY AND A PLACE OF GLADNESS

C. thanksgiving and the voice of melody' A PLACE OF THANKSGIVING , EVER PRESENT VOICE OF MELODY

III) MELODIOUS PRESENCE:- PLACE OF MELODY

H2172

זמרה

zimrâh

BDB Definition:

1) music, melody, song

Part of Speech: noun feminine

A Related Word by BDB/Strong’s Number: from H2167

H2172

זמרה

zimrâh

Total KJV Occurrences: 4

melody, 2

Isa 51:3, Amos 5:23

Isaiah 51:3 KJV 1900

For the Lord shall comfort Zion: He will comfort all her waste places; And he will make her wilderness like Eden, And her desert like the garden of the Lord; Joy and gladness shall be found therein, Thanksgiving, and the voice of melody.

Amos 5:23 KJV 1900

Take thou away from me the noise of thy songs; For I will not hear the melody of thy viols.

psalm, 2

Psa 81:2, Psa 98:5

Psalm 81:2 KJV 1900

Take a psalm, and bring hither the timbrel, The pleasant harp with the psaltery.

Psalm 98:5 KJV 1900

Sing unto the Lord with the harp; With the harp, and the voice of a psalm.

- that's what Eden is like, 'Joy and gladness will be found in it, thanksgiving and the voice of melody'.

Now it is obvious, right from the very beginning of the record of God, that Eden, this garden idyllic paradise in the midst of the locality of Eden, was a trysting place for God with man, for Adam to meet God.

It was a personal and private retreat where Adam the first man, and Eve the first woman, could rendezvous with their Lord.

It's no surprise, therefore, that the name is given perennially to it as 'Paradise'.

Can I ask you before we go on any further: do you have a paradise?

Do you have a retreat?

Do you have a personal private rendezvous with the Lord?

Do you have an Eden?

Do you know what it is to draw to the right hand of God and know fullness of joy and pleasures forevermore?

Do you know what it is to go down the path of life?

Do you know what it is to have joy and gladness, thanksgiving and the voice of melody?

That's what God intended from the very beginning.

In chapter 3 of Genesis 3:8 gives us a more intimate indication of how this fellowship may have developed.

Genesis 3:8 KJV 1900

And they heard the voice of the Lord God walking in the garden in the cool of the day: and Adam and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the Lord God amongst the trees of the garden.

If you look at verse 8 of chapter 3 this time - and even though this is after the fall, this gives us some clues into the relationship with God

- it says in verse 8: 'And they heard the voice of the LORD God walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and Adam and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the LORD God among the trees of the garden'.

Note some things from this scene in the garden of Eden

a. VOICE of the Lord God

b. WALKING.

c. COOL of the Day.

d. HID themselves

e. from the PRESENCE of the the Lord.

f. AMONG.

g. TREES

The above list lends us a bit of an idea of how fellowship with God developed in the Garden.

They heard God approaching - Well that's what it says: 'they heard the sound', or the voice, 'of the LORD God walking in the garden'.

The implication is that when they heard God approaching their direction they instinctively knew that God wanted to be with them.

That is the way it was from the very beginning: God approaching them - and we have got this concept, don't we, rightly or wrongly, of us always coming to God?

IV) MESSAGE PRESENTED .

Now allow me to highlight some thoughts here in this Scene in Genesis the Garden of Eden.

THOUGHT ONE:-

Here it is: God was coming to them continually.

Is that FOOTSTEPS that I hear

Footsteps in the garden and guess what?

God wants to meet with them

They had sinned now - and it's very interesting to me, and , look at verse 8 they hid themselves 'among the trees of the garden'.

And now it appears that when they heard God approaching, they used the provisions of God that He had given them in the garden to hide themselves from the presence of God.

Heres another THOUGHT TWO

Hiding from the PRESENCE of GOD using the Gifts God has given us for our benefit and sustenance etc.

Think about that for a moment: in Eden, this place for private and personal intercession and communion with the Almighty,

The gifts that God had given them to feed them and sustain them, think about it for a moment they are actually using those good gifts, perfect gifts, to hide themselves from the presence of God.

I can tell you: that's what a lot of Christians are doing today!

They're using church as a substitute for experiencing the abiding presence of God.

They're using their doctrine - some of them right, some of them not so right, but it doesn't matter - substituting with doctrine a real living presence of God in their lives.

You can see this in many people who have hobbyhorses, doctrinal hobbyhorses, it's all they ever talk about - it's substituting a living vital relationship with God in His presence.

It's fascinating to me that they actually used the things that God had given them.

I hear people talking about 'quiet time', and I don't talk about 'quiet time' any more because people have a conception that if you read a couple of chapters for the day, and you pray down your shopping list of prayer, that you've met with God.

The Bible is from God and prayer is from God, but you're using the gifts of God to hide yourself from the presence of God if that's the superficial level of your walk with God.

Now, this verse 8 seems to indicate, even before the fall I believe, how the Lord fellowshiped with Adam and Eve.

You can see that it's very natural, isn't it?

'They heard the sound of the LORD God walking in the garden in the cool of the day' - it's close fellowship.

Leopold, the commentator, says: 'The almost casual way in which this is remarked indicates that this did not occur for the first time just then. This was something that was a regular occurrence.

THOUGHT THREE:-

There is extreme likelihood that the Almighty assumed some form analogous to the human form, which was made in His image'.

There's anthropomorphism here, that simply means references to human faculties concerning the Divine:

They hear his Footsteps He's walking, They hear his voice- and allow me to suggest that this is a pre-incarnate manifestation of the Lord Jesus Christ, the Word of God, who was with God and was God from the very beginning. John 1:1-3

John 1:1–3 KJV 1900

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God. All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made.

Wow what a beautiful scene we have here: Adam and Eve, in the Garden of Eden, in this private personal place of joy, gladness, fellowship and life, they have walked with the pre-incarnate Christ - and yet now we find them hiding from His presence.

It's 'the cool of the day' - in the margin of your reference Bible it might show you that that simply means 'the breeze of the day'.

From Hebrew geography and culture, we hazard a guess that this is probably late afternoon in the day.

I want you to think about this, this is painting a picture:

late afternoon, Adam has worked a day - there's nothing sinful in work, that was before the fall! -

he had worked a full day's work, the blood is pumping through his veins, his muscles are smarting.

He comes in and he sits down in his trysting place with God and, I hazard a guess, here late in the afternoon he rests in God's presence - does he have a meal with God?

There's a lot about us dining with God and dining with Christ, isn't there?

That's fellowship, isn't it?

I don't know, but it's a wonderful picture, isn't it?

Certainly Adam knew what it was to say:

'I come to the garden alone, And the voice I hear falling on my ear The Son of God discloses.

He walks with me, and He talks with me, He tells me I am His own; And the joy we share as we tarry there, None other has ever known'.

The presence of God in the garden.

Here's something more we know, back to Genesis 2: 9.

Genesis 2:9 KJV 1900

And out of the ground made the Lord God to grow every tree that is pleasant to the sight, and good for food; the tree of life also in the midst of the garden, and the tree of knowledge of good and evil.

There were many trees in the garden, chapter Gen 2: 9, 'out of the ground the LORD God made every tree grow that is pleasant to the sight and good for food' - there are two trees in particular that seemed important in God's original creation, 'The tree of life was also in the midst of the garden, and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil'.

Genesis 2:9 KJV 1900

And out of the ground made the Lord God to grow every tree that is pleasant to the sight, and good for food; the tree of life also in the midst of the garden, and the tree of knowledge of good and evil.

One tree of life, and the other of the knowledge of good and evil.

the message that God was sending out right at the beginning - and there are great questions over the problem of evil, and why did God put the knowledge of good and evil before Adam and Eve and all the rest, we're not getting into that today, but I'll tell you this much -

THOUGHT FOUR:-

God was giving mankind was the choice between His presence and self.

That's why these two trees are in the garden: the choice between communion and intimacy with the Godhead, and there was a test in the Garden of Eden right at the very beginning - God wanted man to choose freely Himself over self.

Let me say this : that is always the choice.

Every day of our waking lives that is the choice.

The test in the Garden of Eden has always been the test: will I be God's, or will I be my own?

Please note also that the first sin was that very choice that was made in the presence of God, the first sin was a choice made in the presence of God - and every decision that takes us out of God's presence is sin.

Adam made this grave mistake, Let me say to you also that this trend was repeated in his son's life, Cain.

Look at Genesis 4: 13: '.

Genesis 4:13 KJV 1900

And Cain said unto the Lord, My punishment is greater than I can bear.

Genesis 4: 16, now look at this:

Genesis 4:16 KJV 1900

And Cain went out from the presence of the Lord, and dwelt in the land of Nod, on the east of Eden.

Now here are two lessons, very simple: one, we must make the choice to be in God's presence - is that the choice you're making?

Two, it will be a choice of disobedience that will take you out of God's presence.

It's very simple, isn't it, but profound?

Every day of your life, every moment of every day of your life, you make a choice to be in God's abiding presence or outside it - and that will determine how much of God's manifest presence you're experiencing.

Equally so, it will be a choice of disobedience that will take you out of God's presence.

Look at verse 15

Genesis 2:15 for a moment, with the choice, and this is a choice, there is great responsibility - , now this is before the fall:

Genesis 2:15 KJV 1900

And the Lord God took the man, and put him into the garden of Eden to dress it and to keep it.

'The LORD God took the man and put him in the garden of Eden to tend it', to dress it, to cultivate it, 'and keep it' - that's simply what 'dress it' means, to tend it, to cultivate it and keep it.

Now we, when we commune with God, are in a gracious, merciful relationship - and it is a free gift, but it's got to be cultivated, it's got to be worked at.

So this garden - this is before the fall - when God gave him this Beautiful place, he had to work at it, he had to keep it.

So, with the choice to be in God's presence, there is a responsibility - but something else: Eden was not just a responsibility and a privilege, but it was something that benefited others.

If you look at Genesis 2:10, out of this communion with God we see blessing flowing, benefiting others - verse 10 of chapter 2: 'Now a river went out of Eden to water the garden, and from there it parted and became four riverheads'.

Genesis 2:10 KJV 1900

And a river went out of Eden to water the garden; and from thence it was parted, and became into four heads.

Do you see it?

A river flowing from the midst of Eden, and the picture is that outflowing this relationship and communion of God with mankind came a life-giving, a fertilising river that blessed the whole of creation.

Now that's literal, but it's also a spiritual picture of what the Psalmist said in Psalm 46:4

Psalm 46:4 KJV 1900

There is a river, the streams whereof shall make glad the city of God, The holy place of the tabernacles of the most High.

Psalm 46:4 KJV 1900

There is a river, the streams whereof shall make glad the city of God, The holy place of the tabernacles of the most High.

We'll see this Later as you go to Revelation 22: 1, and we go to the New Jerusalem, John was shown 'a pure river of water of life, as crystal, proceeding from the throne of God and of the Lamb'.

Revelation 22:1 KJV 1900

And he shewed me a pure river of water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding out of the throne of God and of the Lamb.

Better than that: now, in the life of the believer, we are to know rivers of blessing outflowing from our inner being.

Jesus said in John 7:37 '.

John 7:37 KJV 1900

In the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried, saying, If any man thirst, let him come unto me, and drink.

You see, there are great blessings - this is basic stuff, really basic stuff:

God made us to meet with Him, God's desire has always been to dwell in the midst of His people,

a greater desire than we have ever had to be in His presence.

When we are with Him, it's a responsibility, you've got to work at it, it's a choice that's made every day and every moment of every day to abide in His presence, in a million choices that are facing us every single moment of our lives.

Yet, if we are in that place of paradise, rivers of blessing will outflow from our lives that will fertilise and bring life to many!

But, of course, this story doesn't have a happy ending.

In Genesis 3:10 we see the tragic consequences of Adam's choice.

Genesis 3:10 KJV 1900

And he said, I heard thy voice in the garden, and I was afraid, because I was naked; and I hid myself.

He made the choice, and in Gen 3:10 he said:

Genesis 3:10 KJV 1900

And he said, I heard thy voice in the garden, and I was afraid, because I was naked; and I hid myself.

Now, I hope you question the word of God - I don't mean you question it from the point of view of authenticity, but you ask questions when they arise.

Don't just skirt over things and try to say, 'Well, it's the Bible and it must be true'.

We know it's true, but we've got to try and reconcile many of the things within the word of God.

One thing that pops up at me when I read that statement in verse 10 where Adam says 'I was naked', is that he senses a shamefulness in his nakedness.

THOUGHT FIVE:-

THEY HID THEMSELVES as always Mankind Hids or tries to cover up their sin their Nakedness before a holy God.

In Genesis 2: 7 we see this:

Genesis 2:7 KJV 1900

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.

There was a shamefulness in the nakedness, but to me that just grates a wee bit with something we read in Genesis 1: 25, if you look at it, it says - now this is before the fall into sin:

Genesis 1:25 KJV 1900

And God made the beast of the earth after his kind, and cattle after their kind, and every thing that creepeth upon the earth after his kind: and God saw that it was good.

'They were both naked, the man and his wife, and were not ashamed'.

Now I can't be dogmatic in this, and I want to reiterate that - I'm not saying that you can prove this from Scripture - but there seems to be something has happened here.

They're naked in chapter 2, and they're naked in chapter 3, but all of a sudden they feel shame about their nakedness.

Now I know that the depraved and fallen mind has a lot to do with that, and the connotation of what their nakedness now meant to them in their depravity - and there's still nothing wrong with nakedness, He formed the body, God did, and it is pure and perfect, it's what our minds and our hearts do when we see that form - but I think there may be something else here.

THOUGHT SIX:-

Something Happened the Moment Adam Disobeyed, something changed ,

May i Suggest the IMAGE and the IDENTITY Of man Gen 1:26-27

Genesis 1:26–27 KJV 1900

And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth. So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them.

The First thing Changed image of God in man Was Marred Not entirely Recognized as to its original creation, don’t ask me to explain right now but that is one thing that we know changed.

The SECOND thing changed:-IDENTITY— In Adam or In Christ Second Adam. and that is what needs to happen for mankind to be Transformed from the First Adam to the Second Adam Christ by way of the New Birth, WE are first born in Adam and we need the second Birth in Christ to be born again.

John 3:1–4 KJV 1900

There was a man of the Pharisees, named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews: The same came to Jesus by night, and said unto him, Rabbi, we know that thou art a teacher come from God: for no man can do these miracles that thou doest, except God be with him. Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God. Nicodemus saith unto him, How can a man be born when he is old? can he enter the second time into his mother’s womb, and be born?

THOUGHT SEVEN:-

When ever God’s Presence comes on the Scene He will always EXPOSE , REVEAL OR HIGHLIGHT .

When God’s presence is on the Scene Evil cannot deal with it , allow me to suggest maybe why in our generation more so today they the Evil doers are always seeking to get God out of the thinking and activities of society, But that will never happen while the Born again Christian and the Holy Spirit remains in the World.

Notice in Gen 3:24

Genesis 3:24 KJV 1900

So he drove out the man; and he placed at the east of the garden of Eden Cherubims, and a flaming sword which turned every way, to keep the way of the tree of life.

We can take notice here that God did not Destroy Eden v24 Chapter 3 , But that is another story , as we close let me ask Are you IDENTIFIED with the FIRST Adam or the SECOND Adam , CHRIST have you been born again