God's Garden
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Text: Genesis 2:4-17
4 This is the account of the heavens and the earth when they were created, in the day that the LORD God made them.
5 Now no shrub of the field had yet appeared on the earth, nor had any plant of the field sprouted; for the LORD God had not yet sent rain upon the earth, and there was no man to cultivate the ground.
6 But springs welled up from the earth and watered the whole surface of the ground.
7 Then the LORD God formed man from the dust of the ground and breathed the breath of life into his nostrils, and the man became a living being.
8 And the LORD God planted a garden in Eden, in the east, where He placed the man He had formed.
9 Out of the ground the LORD God gave growth to every tree that is pleasing to the eye and good for food. And in the middle of the garden were the tree of life and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.
10 Now a river flowed out of Eden to water the garden, and from there it branched into four headwaters:
11 The name of the first river is Pishon; it winds through the whole land of Havilah, where there is gold.
12 And the gold of that land is pure, and bdellium and onyx are found there.
13 The name of the second river is Gihon; it winds through the whole land of Cush.
14 The name of the third river is Hiddekel; it runs along the east side of Assyria. And the fourth river is the Euphrates.
15 Then the LORD God took the man and placed him in the Garden of Eden to cultivate and keep it.
16 And the LORD God commanded him, “You may eat freely from every tree of the garden,
17 but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil; for in the day that you eat of it, you will surely die.”
PRAY
Introduction
How many of you like gardening?
My experience in gardening.
Did you know that God likes gardens?
We’ll work our way through the passage and then come back and focus in on the theme that I believe Moses wants us to see here.
Work through passage
Verse 4
4 This is the account of the heavens and the earth when they were created, in the day that the LORD God made them.
How does 2:4 relate to previous material?
When we get to Genesis 2, it seems like it’s a separate account of creation. But it has different elements and a different order from chapter 1. What should we make of that?
Maybe it’s obvious, but I think it’s worth saying: the differences here do not mean there’s a contradiction. All of God’s Word is true and fits together perfectly. If it seems like there’s a problem, we can safely assume the problem is with us and not the text.
It seems clear that the focus of chapter 2 is different from chapter 1. Chapter 1’s focus is on the order of creation and seeing the creation as a whole. Now in chapter 2, Moses focuses in on some specific details of the creation, not in order, but to explain to us the purpose of God’s creation and how it relates to us as humans. You’ll note that Adam and Eve are a major focus of chapter 2, and it seems that it is describing how creation relates to mankind.
LORD God vs. God
One of the differences in chapter 2 that becomes obvious once you see it is that starting in v. 4, Moses uses a different name for God. From Genesis 1:1 - 2:3, the name has been Elohim, God. 35 times in 34 verses.
But in our passage today, Genesis 2:4-17, he abruptly stops using that name and switches to LORD God (Yahweh Elohim) - and he uses this name 11 times in the rest of chapter 2. Why?
Again, I think the answer comes down to what Moses wants to emphasize in the two parts of his creation account.
In chapter 1, the name Elohim emphasizes God’s power and majesty in creation.
In chapter 2, the name Yahweh Elohim emphasizes God’s intimate involvement with His creation. (Yahweh is God’s personal covenant name revealed to Moses in Exodus 3).
In chapter 1, Moses focused on God’s awesome power in creation,
In chapter 2, Moses shifts the focus to God’s personal connection with His creation.
Toledot (Generations/account)
The word translated “account” in v. 4 is an important word that is used 11 times in Genesis, and usually translated “generations.” Generations and genealogies are an important theme in Genesis, although here the word doesn’t refer to human descendants.
5:1: The generations of Adam
10:1: The generations of Noah and his sons
11:27: The generations of Shem
… and so on.
The day (singular)
Verse 4 speaks of “the day” (singular) when God created everything.
In Genesis 1, Moses always gives us a number with the word day, but here the word doesn’t refer to a specific day of creation. Rather, it refers to the period of creation as a whole.
Verses 5-6
5 Now no shrub of the field had yet appeared on the earth, nor had any plant of the field sprouted; for the LORD God had not yet sent rain upon the earth, and there was no man to cultivate the ground. 6 But springs welled up from the earth and watered the whole surface of the ground.
A contradiction?
Some people see a contradiction here with chapter 1, because this seems to say that plants came after man, but chapter 1 says man came after plants.
But the kinds of plants described in v. 4-5 likely describe kinds of plants that only grow with cultivation (plant of the field), and perhaps things that didn’t grow until after sin (shrub of the field-with thorns).
So Moses is referring to specific kinds of plants that weren’t around yet, anticipating the creation of man and the fall into sin in chapter 3.
No rain yet, but springs
The comment about no rain seems to anticipate the flood of chapters 6-8, since it did not rain until then. But Moses is writing well after the flood. He tells us that before the flood, God watered the earth a different way - with springs from the ground.
Verse 7
7 Then the LORD God formed man from the dust of the ground and breathed the breath of life into his nostrils, and the man became a living being.
Different description of the formation of man
In chapter 1, Moses simply told us that God created man in His own image, after His likeness. He didn’t say anything about how He did it, just that He did. Now he tells us exactly how God did it.
The verb “formed” here in v. 7 is often associated with the activity of a potter, forming something with clay. Here the substance used is dust rather than clay.
From dust of the ground like animals (see v. 19)
Like the animals, man is formed out of the ground.
Genesis 2:19 (BSB)
19 And out of the ground the LORD God formed every beast of the field and every bird of the air, and He brought them to the man to see what he would name each one...
7 Then the LORD God formed man from the dust of the ground and breathed the breath of life into his nostrils, and the man became a living being.
In fact, the name Adam, which also means man or mankind, is closely related to the word ground, and appears to be a play on words.
Mankind (אָדָם) “Adam” is made from the ground (אֲדָמָה) “Adamah”. In English, that’s like saying that the “earthling” is made from the earth; or the “groundling” is made from the ground. That’s the connection between man and the ground.
But receiving the breath of life uniquely
Unlike the animals, though, man is uniquely gifted with the breath of life from God.
2 parts of man
This shows us that unlike the animals who have only a physical existence, human beings, created by God in His image, also have a spiritual existence. We have something that animals do not have. There is a part of us that goes on living forever. And this reminds us that we were created for relationship with God.
God created us as the union of flesh and spirit, spiritual beings with a body of flesh, so that we can enjoy His creation with our bodies and enjoy our Creator with our spirit.
Verse 8
8 And the LORD God planted a garden in Eden, in the east, where He placed the man He had formed.
God planted a garden after making Adam?
Again it’s worth noting that this chapter is not in chronological order. God created the garden on day 3, and the man on day 6.
Garden in Eden – Eden is a bigger region, in the east
Perhaps something that we might miss is that the Garden of Eden is not all there is to Eden. Eden is a larger region, in the east, and inside this region God planted the Garden of Eden.
Verse 9
9 Out of the ground the LORD God gave growth to every tree that is pleasing to the eye and good for food. And in the middle of the garden were the tree of life and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.
Every tree
God provided generously for Adam in the garden by giving him every kind of tree he would need, both for his enjoyment and his sustenance.
Two trees are singled out: the tree of life, and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.
Tree of life
This life-giving tree reminds us of God’s purpose that people would live forever - and He desires that they would live in close fellowship with Him forever - this is the essence of eternal life.
Tree of knowledge of good and evil
This tree seems to have to do with moral autonomy - the right to choose for oneself what is right and wrong. It is clear that the kind of knowledge of good and evil that came from eating its fruit led to being like God in a way that man does not have the right to do.
Only God has the right to decide what is right and wrong, and because of this God will forbid Adam to eat of this tree.
Verse 10
10 Now a river flowed out of Eden to water the garden, and from there it branched into four headwaters:
River flowing out from Eden
We’ll come back to the river in a minute, because this is an important detail. Notice that this river branches out into four other rivers that take this water all over the world.
Verses 11-14
11 The name of the first river is Pishon; it winds through the whole land of Havilah, where there is gold. 12 And the gold of that land is pure, and bdellium and onyx are found there. 13 The name of the second river is Gihon; it winds through the whole land of Cush. 14 The name of the third river is Hiddekel; it runs along the east side of Assyria. And the fourth river is the Euphrates.
The river from Eden turned into four branches: Pishon, Gihon, Hiddekel, Euphrates
The Hiddekel is also known as the Tigris river.
Precious metals near Pishon (11-12)
Gold, bdellium, and onyx are precious metals or stones connected to the first river.
All these rivers destroyed by the flood
Something important to understand is that these rivers and all the places mentioned would have been destroyed in the flood of Noah. Moses is describing what the geography looked like before the flood, using some names that probably only came later after the flood.
We know that the name Hiddekel and Euphrates were names used by Noah’s descendants after the flood for rivers in the Middle East near modern day Iraq. We know nothing of the other two rivers.
Verse 15
15 Then the LORD God took the man and placed him in the Garden of Eden to cultivate and keep it.
God placed (“rested”) Adam in the Garden of Eden.
Although the Garden was made before Adam, it was made for Adam. It was a place for Adam to enjoy his Creator and the good creation.
Cultivate and keep – serve and guard
And Adam had a job: cultivate and keep the garden. Or these words could be translated “serve” and “guard.” Adam was to serve the LORD by working in the garden, and he was to protect the garden from anything unholy that might defile it (like a talking snake).
Verses 16-17
16 And the LORD God commanded him, “You may eat freely from every tree of the garden, 17 but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil; for in the day that you eat of it, you will surely die.”
In these verses we have God’s command to Adam which is part of His covenant with Adam. Notice that the command was given only to Adam, not Eve (she wasn’t created yet). This indicates Adam’s responsibility to communicate God’s Word to his wife. He is to function as a prophet.
The test
God placed the tree of the knowledge of good and evil as a test of Adam’s obedience. If he passed the test, he would enjoy life in the presence of God in the garden forever.
The consequence of disobedience
The consequence for transgressing God’s command was severe. Disobedience meant death. And sadly, we know, Adam and Eve chose to sin, and they received the consequence of their disobedience.
The Garden Temple
The Garden Temple
I’d like to focus in now on something important that I believe Moses wants us to see from this passage.
That is, that God’s creation in general, and the garden specifically, are meant to be understood as a temple, with the Garden of Eden as the Most Holy Place or holy of holies, the place of God’s special presence with His people.
There are several clues in and around this passage that show us this, especially when we compare them with later Scriptures.
Moses connects God’s creation with the tabernacle:
Moses uses several of the same words to describe God’s completion of the creation and Moses’s own completion of the tabernacle. Let’s compare Gen 1:31-2:3 with Exodus 39:32, 43.
(Text from ESV )
All Finished
Genesis 2:1: Thus the heavens and the earth were finished, and all the host of them.
Exodus 39:32: Thus all the work of the tabernacle of the tent of meeting was finished, and the people of Israel did according to all that the LORD had commanded Moses; so they did.
And ___ saw all work, and behold
Genesis 1:31: And God saw everything that he had made, and behold, it was very good.
Exodus 39:43: And Moses saw all the work, and behold, they had done it; as the LORD had commanded, so had they done it.
Blessed
Genesis 2:3: So God blessed the seventh day
Exodus 39:43: Then Moses blessed them.
By using at least 8 of the same words in Hebrew, Moses is drawing a connection between God’s completion of the universe and his own completion of the tabernacle.
What I think Moses wants us to understand from this is that the universe itself is God’s tabernacle, or Temple.
God’s creation is His dwelling place.
It is where He is present with His creation.
It is the place where His glory is to be seen and He is to be worshiped and served.
God’s creation is where God rules.
And all of these things are true of the tabernacle and later the temple as well, and they will be completely fulfilled in God’s new creation.
The Structure of God’s Dwelling Place
The Structure of God’s Dwelling Place
Consider how the structure of the Garden of Eden corresponds to the tabernacle or temple:
The Garden of Eden corresponds to the Most Holy Place, the place of most intimate connection with God.
The region called Eden corresponds to the Holy Place which was outside the Most Holy Place
The rest of creation corresponds to the outer parts of the tabernacle or temple.
Let’s consider some other ways that the Garden of Eden prefigures the tabernacle and temple and ultimately leads us to Christ and the New Heaven and New Earth.
God walks among His people
God walks among His people
First, in Eden, in the tabernacle, in Christ, and in the new creation, God’s desire is to dwell with His people and walk in close fellowship with them.
In Eden
8 Then the man and his wife heard the voice of the LORD God walking in the garden in the breeze of the day, and they hid themselves from the presence of the LORD God among the trees of the garden.
In the Tabernacle
11 And I will make My dwelling place among you, and My soul will not despise you. 12 I will walk among you and be your God, and you will be My people.
In Christ
16 What agreement can exist between the temple of God and idols? For we are the temple of the living God. As God has said: “I will dwell with them and walk among them, and I will be their God, and they will be My people.”
In the New Creation
3 And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying: “Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man, and He will dwell with them. They will be His people, and God Himself will be with them as their God.
The Priest who works and keeps
The Priest who works and keeps
(Or serves and guards)
Second, in Eden, in the tabernacle and temple, in Christ, and in the New Creation, God’s people serve Him as priests.
Eden – Gen 2:15
15 Then the LORD God took the man and placed him in the Garden of Eden to cultivate and keep it.
When God rests Adam in the Garden of Eden, it is as if God has installed the High Priest in the Temple. The High Priest has entered the Most Holy Place and stands in God’s presence.
Tabernacle/Temple – Num 3:7-8; 8:26; 18:5-6
English Standard Version (Numbers 3:7-8)
7 They shall keep guard over him and over the whole congregation before the tent of meeting, as they minister at the tabernacle. 8 They shall guard all the furnishings of the tent of meeting, and keep guard over the people of Israel as they minister at the tabernacle.
Christ, the Great High Priest
14 Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to what we profess.
New Creation – Rev 1:5-6
Revelation 1:5–6 (BSB)
5 … To Him who loves us and has released us from our sins by His blood, 6 who has made us to be a kingdom, priests to His God and Father—to Him be the glory and power forever and ever! Amen.
Flowing Rivers
Flowing Rivers
What are the rivers all about?
Eden – Gen 2:10-14
10 Now a river flowed out of Eden to water the garden, and from there it branched into four headwaters:
The verses here about these rivers aren’t just here to give us information about sources of water, but to symbolize something more important, which is the life-giving nature of water. Water is necessary for life, and this water flows from the place of God’s dwelling out to the whole creation.
Tabernacle/Temple – as far as I can tell, there is no exact correspondence with either the tabernacle or temple, unless perhaps you substitute the blood of the sacrifices for the life-giving water. But the prophets Ezekiel, Zechariah, and Joel all prophesied of a day when water would flow from the temple in Jerusalem - which is ultimately fulfilled in God’s new creation. (Ezekiel 47:1; Zech 14:8; Joel 3:18)
Jesus Christ, the Fountain of Living Water
10 Jesus answered, “If you knew the gift of God and who is asking you for a drink, you would have asked Him, and He would have given you living water.”
14 But whoever drinks the water I give him will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give him will become in him a fount of water springing up to eternal life.”
37 On the last and greatest day of the feast, Jesus stood up and called out in a loud voice, “If anyone is thirsty, let him come to Me and drink. 38 Whoever believes in Me, as the Scripture has said: ‘Streams of living water will flow from within him.’ ” 39 He was speaking about the Spirit, whom those who believed in Him were later to receive. For the Spirit had not yet been given, because Jesus had not yet been glorified.
New Creation – Rev 22:1-5
Revelation 22:1–2 (BSB)
1 Then the angel showed me a river of the water of life, as clear as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb 2 down the middle of the main street of the city…
Additional ways that the Garden of Eden corresponds to the tabernacle, temple, or the new creation:
Tree of Life
Tree of Life
Tree of life in garden corresponds to the menorah in the tabernacle/temple, and the tree of life in the new creation.
Gold and Precious Stones
Gold and Precious Stones
The gold and precious stones mentioned in Gen 2 correspond to the gold and precious stones used in the design of the tabernacle and temple, and the precious stones and gold found in the New Jerusalem in the new creation.
God’s glory guarded by cherubim
God’s glory guarded by cherubim
Cherubim guard the entrance to the garden of Eden, and cherubim guard the tabernacle/temple and specifically the ark of the covenant.
Entrance on the East
Entrance on the East
Eden, the tabernacle/temple, and the New Jerusalem all seem to face east with their entrance on the east side. (East is an important direction in Scripture)
God’s Holy Mountain
God’s Holy Mountain
Ezekiel says that Eden was on a mountain, and we know that Solomon’s temple was on mount Moriah, and the New Jerusalem is seen on a very high mountain too.
These beautiful patterns throughout Scripture serve a purpose: they show us that God’s purpose is to dwell with His people, displaying His glory, so that we might worship and enjoy Him forever.
God wants a relationship with us! He wants us to have a relationship with Him where we walk with Him, talk with Him, get to know Him and how good and great He is, learn to trust Him fully, love Him passionately, and serve Him faithfully.
That’s the story of the Bible.
The beginning and end of the story show us what that perfect relationship looks like. In the Garden of Eden and the New Creation, God’s people enjoy this perfect, intimate relationship with Him.
In the rest of the Old Testament, the Tabernacle and Temple are pictures or symbols that point back to what was lost because of sin and what God is working to restore and will someday fully restore.
Jesus, the True Tabernacle/Temple
Jesus, the True Tabernacle/Temple
In the NT, the One who is the true tabernacle and temple has come to restore His people to a right relationship with Him.
John tells us that the eternal Son of God, the Word, came and made His dwelling among us. He tabernacled among us. And in Him we come to know the glory of God.
14 The Word became flesh and made His dwelling among us. We have seen His glory, the glory of the one and only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.
Jesus made the claim that His body is the temple:
19 Jesus answered, “Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up again.” 20 “This temple took forty-six years to build,” the Jews replied, “and You are going to raise it up in three days?” 21 But Jesus was speaking about the temple of His body. 22 After He was raised from the dead, His disciples remembered that He had said this. Then they believed the Scripture and the word that Jesus had spoken.
In Christ, the meaning of the tabernacle and temple are fulfilled.
He Himself is the meeting place of God and man. He is the One in whom God dwells, and we must go to Him to meet with God.
And perhaps even more amazing is what the NT teaches us about those who trust in Jesus. Believers in Jesus are part of His body and are also called God’s Temple (2 Cor 6:16; 1 Cor 3:10, 16-17; 6:19-20; Eph 2:19-22; 5:23, 30; Col 1:18; 24; Rev 21:3)
30 For we are members of His body.
16 Do you not know that you yourselves are God’s temple, and that God’s Spirit dwells in you?
19 Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own;
(and there are many other passages that speak of believers as God’s temple and the body of Christ)
Applications
Do you have a relationship with God? He created you to walk with Him and worship Him. Are you doing that?
Are you keeping God’s dwelling place holy? Believers are part of God’s temple - dwelling-place; are you keeping yourself holy - guarding the temple from impurity, serving the Lord of the temple?
We are a kingdom of priests, like Adam. We are to rightly exercise His authority over His creation, and we are to mediate His presence and blessing to His creation by serving and guarding.
PRAY
