The Pleasure of the Garden

Genesis 2:8-22

The Garden in Eden was not a failed experiment by God; rather, it was created with purpose to be a pattern of the way God will dwell with His people in a corrupt world that was created good but will eternally be glorious.

1. The Position of the Garden

Genesis 2:8 “8 The Lord God planted a garden in Eden, in the east, and there he placed the man he had formed.”

a. In the East of Eden

THE EAST

In the Old Testament, the east is often used as a reference point for where enemy nations or foreign people would come from (Judg 6:3, 33; 7:12; 8:10; compare Ezek 25:4, 10; Matt 2:1; 24:27; Rev 16:12).

Figures of wisdom are sometimes associated with the east (e.g., Job 1:3, Matt 2:1).

Job- The Wise Men come to see Jesus at his birth.

The Temple Faced the East

Just as the entrance to Israel’s later temple was to face east and be on a mountain, and just as the end-time temple of Ezekiel was to face east (Ezek. 40:6) and be on a mountain (Ezek. 40:2; 43:12), so the entrance to Eden faced east (Gen. 3:24) and was situated on a mountain (Ezek. 28:14-16).

The Structure of the Garden

Just as the temple had a tripartite structure of concentric circles of holiness (Holy of Holies > Holy Place > Courtyard), so the garden of Eden had the same (Eden > Garden > Outer World).

Ezekiel refers to “Eden, the garden of God… the holy mountain of God” and also alludes to it containing “sanctuaries” (28:18; cf. 7:24; Lev. 21:23; Jer. 51:51).

2. The Produce of the Garden

Genesis 2:9 “9 The Lord God caused to grow out of the ground every tree pleasing in appearance and good for food, including the tree of life in the middle of the garden, as well as the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.”

a. Good Food

Have you ever planted a garden or have you ever gone to the farm to pic strawberries or apples. Have you ever been to the Farmers market.

All that is was created as Good Food

Nothing Compares

These are the first plants that were created - The first plant where planted by God!

+The “tree of life” (Gen. 2:9) was probably a model of the lampstand in the tabernacle

(Exod. 25:31 “31 “You are to make a lampstand out of pure, hammered gold. It is to be made of one piece: its base and shaft, its ornamental cups, and its buds and petals. 32 Six branches are to extend from its sides, three branches of the lampstand from one side and three branches of the lampstand from the other side. 33 There are to be three cups shaped like almond blossoms, each with a bud and petals, on one branch, and three cups shaped like almond blossoms, each with a bud and petals, on the next branch. It is to be this way for the six branches that extend from the lampstand. 34 There are to be four cups shaped like almond blossoms on the lampstand shaft along with its buds and petals. 35 For the six branches that extend from the lampstand, a bud must be under the first pair of branches from it, a bud under the second pair of branches from it, and a bud under the third pair of branches from it. 36 Their buds and branches are to be of one piece. All of it is to be a single hammered piece of pure…”

1 Kings 6:18, 29, 1 Kings 6:32 “32 The two doors were made of olive wood. He carved cherubim, palm trees, and flower blossoms on them and overlaid them with gold, hammering gold over the cherubim and palm trees.”

Tree of Good and Evil

it wasn’t forbidden because it was evil. Rather, it was evil because it was forbidden.

The ark, which contained the law, in the Holy of Holies echoed the tree of the knowledge of good and evil as both lead to wisdom.

3. The Products of the Garden

Genesis 2:10–14 “10 A river went out from Eden to water the garden. From there it divided and became the source of four rivers. 11 The name of the first is Pishon, which flows through the entire land of Havilah, where there is gold. 12 Gold from that land is pure; bdellium and onyx are also there. 13 The name of the second river is Gihon, which flows through the entire land of Cush. 14 The name of the third river is Tigris, which runs east of Assyria. And the fourth river is the Euphrates.”

The products mentioned in the garden were mentioned to show the significants of what is being used in the temple and by the priests of God.

a. Gold, Bdellium, and Onyx

Just as gold and onyx are in the garden (Gen. 2:11-12), so they are used to decorate the later sanctuaries and priestly garments (Exod. 25:7, 11, 17, 31).

Exodus 25:7,Exodus 25:11 “7 and onyx along with other gemstones for mounting on the ephod and breastpiece.”

“11 Overlay it with pure gold; overlay it both inside and out. Also make a gold molding all around it.”

Exodus 25:17 “17 Make a mercy seat of pure gold, forty-five inches long and twenty-seven inches wide.”

Ezekiel 28:13 “13 You were in Eden, the garden of God. Every kind of precious stone covered you: carnelian, topaz, and diamond, beryl, onyx, and jasper, lapis lazuli, turquoise and emerald. Your mountings and settings were crafted in gold; they were prepared on the day you were created.”

b. The Rivers

Euphrates and Tigris

Most likely not the same rivers

There are rivers and places that have the same names as other location

As a river flowed out from Eden (Gen. 2:10), so a river flows from the eschatological temple (Ezek. 47:1-12; Rev. 21:1-2; cf. Ps. 36:8-9; Rev. 22:1-2).

4. The Profession of the Garden

Genesis 2:15 “15 The Lord God took the man and placed him in the garden of Eden to work it and watch over it.”

Profession- a paid occupation, especially one that involves prolonged training and a formal qualification.

a. Gardener

Work and Keep -

Priestly Language

Numbers 3:7–8 “7 They are to perform duties for him and the entire community before the tent of meeting by attending to the service of the tabernacle. 8 They are to take care of all the furnishings of the tent of meeting and perform duties for the Israelites by attending to the service of the tabernacle.”

Numbers 8:25–26 “25 But at fifty years old he is to retire from his service in the work and no longer serve. 26 He may assist his brothers to fulfill responsibilities at the tent of meeting, but he must not do the work. This is how you are to deal with the Levites regarding their duties.””

Ezekiel 44:14 “14 Yet I will make them responsible for the duties of the temple—for all its work and everything done in it.”

Vocation not Just a Job

Work to Glorify God

5. The Prohibition of the Garden

Genesis 2:16–17 “16 And the Lord God commanded the man, “You are free to eat from any tree of the garden, 17 but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for on the day you eat from it, you will certainly die.””

Prohibition- the action of forbidding something, especially by law.

You Must not Eat

Eat and Die

Covenant of Works introduced

6. The Pronouncing in the Garden

Naming the animals

Shows authority

Shows his dominion over the animals

Show that he was not like them

He

The Garden in Eden was not a failed experiment by God; rather, it was created with purpose to be a pattern of the way God will dwell with His people in a corrupt world that was created good but will eternally be glorious.

The People of the Garden

The Provisions of the Garden

The Promis of the Garden