DESIRE OF THE ALMIGHTY GOD Message 1a

The Presence Of God -

"In The Garden"

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