Eviction from Eden
Notes
Transcript
It was a swimming accident - the summer before his last year of college, Noland Arbaugh was paralyzed from the shoulders down.
This ended his college career and any plans he had for the future.
He found himself spending most of his days in bed.
His primary digital device was a tablet which he controlled using a mouth-held stylus (mouth stick).
The mouth stick not only caused discomfort and fatigue after prolonged use, but it also had to be put in place by a caregiver, which limited when and how long he could use his tablet.
This was one of many challenges he faced as he adjusted from being an independent college student to relying on others for daily tasks.
Then in 2024 a breakthrough in science and technology through one of Elon Musk’s companies allowed them to bring assistive technology to Noland
In January 2024, Noland became the first person to receive a Neuralink implant.
Christianity Today titled an interview with Noland Arbaugh after the implant...”Meet the Christian Cyborg Who Named His Brain Chip Eve”
They go on to mention...
“Elon Musk’s first Neuralink recipient is a believer, both in God and in the future of cybernetic enhancement.”
The Neuralink implant, or Link, is a fully implantable, cosmetically invisible, wireless brain-computer interface (BCI)
It’s purpose is to restore autonomy, and independence to people with paralysis.
It enables users to operate their devices; phones, tablets, and computers with just their thoughts.
This is not a sci-fi imaginary tale - this has happened and is still being used
In fact at the time I am preparing this study there are seven people who have received these brain-computer interfaces or Neuralink.
Noland was able to go back to college:
The clinical trail report noted of Noland:
After almost a decade of feeling limited by his injury, Noland decided to participate in the PRIME Study and received a Link. He is now able to control a cursor with his thoughts to browse the internet, play games, and continue his educational journey with greater independence. He has maintained a rigorous daily schedule dedicated to exploring a diverse range of subjects, from mathematics and philosophy to foreign languages and creative writing. With the Link, he can operate his digital devices in his own time
One has been able to go back to design - there is a video clip of him designing a latch for a gate on his farm using CAD - all with just his thoughts.
Another plays a game and you can see their moves - all with just their thoughts.
While we could spend hours debating the ethical, privacy, and spiritual issues and ramifications of such devices - I find myself excited at the possibilities and potentials now available to those whom a short time ago was prohibited.
On the other hand, I find reservations, fear of the unknowns, too many dystopian and apocalyptic tale induced imaginary-but could be real - scenarios -
But I ask myself the question - why are we advancing the technology? Why are we attempting human augmentation? Why would we run a clinical trial on a neuralink?
Throwing all the conspiracy theories aside - and believe me - there are tons of them about all of this -
What I see - what I am hearing - what my opinion is of what we see unfolding is a crying out, a longing for, an attempt to fill the need for EDEN
“In the quest to restore what was lost—mobility, autonomy, even immortality—man is not just advancing science. Man is crying out for Eden. Neuralink may restore some movement. But only Jesus can restore the soul.”
This year marks the 100th anniversary of the Scopes Monkey Trial - I would encourage you to study up on it. It’s importance figures deeply in many of the current political and dare I say theological and spiritual battles of the current age.
While the main premise of the whole trial was to bring about different things - one of the things on trial was the ability and the legality of teaching evolution in our public schools.
Can you believe it was at least in places illegal to do so at one time.
This trial emboldened, strengthened, and I would say even empowered the fundamentalist evangelical movement.
From this we seemed to get a more robust, more engaged, more attempt at a scholarly approach to literal interpretation of scripture.
Out of this came, perhaps more indirectly, but still resulting from the trial and its aftermath - a strong resurgence of the Young Earth theory.
One of those strong ministries and advocates of Young Earth is Ken Hamm and Answers in Genesis. If you have never been to the Creation Museum and Ark Encounter in KY I would encourage you to go.
But the title of the ministry has often struck me more, than even some of the teachings.
Answers in Genesis
An even older ministry and academic, scientific research organization founded by Dr. Henry Morris is called Institute for Creation Research. They have put out a periodical for years called ACTS & Facts and in this paper is a section appropriately titled, BACK TO GENESIS
Now I don’t know your thoughts about a young earth, or creationism, or Answers in Genesis, or Institute for Creation Research
Perhaps there are some here or who are listening - who believe in evolution or theistic evolution, but that is a debate for another time
But for our purpose this morning - I want to use that thought of “GOING BACK TO GENESIS” and that there are “ANSWERS IN GENESIS”
For there we find the beginning of the ending
One has said:
“Genesis is the seed-plot of the whole Bible. It is referred to or quoted 60 times in the New Testament, and divine authority is set like a seal on its historical facts. See Matthew 19:4–6, 24:37–39, Mark 7:4, 10, 10:3–8, Luke 11:49–51, 17:26–29, 32, John 1:51, 7:21–23, 8:44–56.” Richard Gunther1
1 Ray Comfort, The Evidence Bible: Irrefutable Evidence for the Thinking Mind, Notes, ed. Kirk Cameron, The Way of the Master Evidence Bible (Orlando, FL: Bridge-Logos, 2003), 1.
The title “Genesis” is a transliteration of the Greek word meaning "birth", "creation", "cause", "beginning", "source" or "origin.
In the Hebrew text, Bereshith, {buh-ray-SHEET) is the title given to it because it is the first word of the Torah, or Bible, being translated, “in the beginning.”
Going back to Genesis we find answers in Genesis...
We find the start of what is really going on in the world, our society, of humanity in full.
I will tell you at the outset - much of the inspiration for this study came from a theological book on Holiness
Drs. Matt Ayars, Caleb Friedmen, Chris Bounds from Wesley Biblical Seminary wrote an excellent resource - now this is more of a technical book - but I would encourage you to find it and read it if you can - especially pastors,
Ayars, M., Bounds, C. T., & Friedeman, C. T. (2023). Holiness: A Biblical, Historical, and Systematic Theology. IVP Academic: An Imprint of InterVarsity Press.
In Genesis 1 we find the forming and filling motif
The term forming/filling motif is a literary and theological term that describes the pattern that helps us organize the creation account into two parallel sets of three days.
This forming/filling motif shows how God first forms realms or domains and then fills them with inhabitants or functionaries. It reflects God's orderliness and intentionality in creation.
Days 1-3 we find forming days - this is where we find how God first forms realms or domains. It is during this time that God is preparing environments or realms that were previously “formless” (Gen. 1:2)
Days 4-6 are filling days - God populates or assigns rulers over these realms and environments that addresses the problem of “void” (Gen. 1:2)
To look at this a little clearer:
THE FORMING:
Day 1: God forms the Light/Darkness or we might say TIME, as well as day and night (Gen 1:3-5)
Day 2: God forms the sky/waters below - we might say SPACE: heavens and seas (Gen 1:6-8)
Day 3: God forms the Land/Vegetation - we might say MATTER - habitable earth - (Gen 1:9-13)
THE FILLING: Remember this is where God fills the realms or environments with rulers and inhabitants.
Day 4: Sun, Moon, and Stars - to govern or rule the day and night and seasons. (Gen 1:14-19)
Day 5: Birds and Sea Creatures - they fill the sky and the sea (Gen 1:20-23)
Day 6: Land Animals and Humans - Fill the land - Animals inhabit - Humans are made in God’s image to rule over all.
There is a lovely verse in Genesis 1:31
31 And God saw every thing that he had made, and, behold, it was very good. And the evening and the morning were the sixth day.
This is the great summation of God himself as he looks over creation.
Five times we find previously where God looked at his handiwork and “Saw that is was good”
But now - not as some speculate that “God happened to notice it was good and was surprised to find that what he made was good”
God’s summary evaluation is the conclusion of his six days of creation and combination of all that he had made.
As Kenneth Matthews put it,
Genesis 1–11:26 Excursus: Interpreting the “Image of God”
“All” that God had made was worthy of commendation. His highest acclaim is withheld until the completed creation because only after the six creation days has the lifeless earth been fully changed (1:2). Now the earth as a result of God’s “Spirit” and animated word is well-ordered, complete, and abounding in life-forms under the watch care of royal humanity.
It also included the highlight or the culmination the magnum opus pro tem… humanity
Turn with me if you will to Genesis 2:7-9
7 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.
8 And the Lord God planted a garden eastward in Eden; and there he put the man whom he had formed.
9 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.
Skipping down to Gen 2:15 -
15 And the Lord God took the man, and put him into the garden of Eden to dress it and to keep it.
16 And the Lord God commanded the man, saying, Of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat:
17 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.
What does all of this mean - why is this important - why do I need to hear about something I’ve heard so many times before?
Because this is the root of the issue -
Man was created and made in such a way that when God looked on he summarized it as “very good”
We have fallen a long way from “very good”
You know the story of Adam and Eve how they ate of the forbidden fruit of the tree - and we call that The Fall
They fell from what they were to something very similar and relatable to what we are now
We can’t really relate to what it was before the fall - except there seems to be a longing, a desire, a drive, a push to get back to Eden.
Part of that Eden
God creates humanity in the divine “image” and “likeness” (Gen 1:26)
As this is how they were created they were then tasked with two commands
Multiply
rule over the creation
Genesis 1:26 “26 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.”
They became the creator’s image-bearing vice-regents
This vice-regency was to fill the whole cosmos with God’s glory
But they fell:
When we look at the fall through the lens of Genesis 1 it becomes much more than just human disobedience needing punishment -
The Fall isn't just disobedience—it's the rejection of our role as image-bearers.
We were to fill the earth with the glory of God - but instead we abdicated our image-bearing vocation for what we want to do
Doing things the way we want to do at the expense of fellowship with our Creator.
Adam and Eve wanted to define good and evil for themselves.
Only God has the right to moral authority—humans weren’t designed for that.
Moral autonomy leads to chaos—because creation is built to run on God's definitions. (think of the damage moral relativity has done our society and culture)
Turning away from God’s moral order leads back to disorder, death, and separation from Him.
The failure to recognize the creator as God is a failure of worship. It is an act of idolatry. Proper worship is one of the natural outcomes of holiness. Misplaced worship by way of idolatry results in the unraveling of the cosmos. The unraveling of the cosmos is what Genesis 4–11 is all about. As the story progresses after the fall, sin escalates to cosmic proportions. Evil becomes the standard. The brokenness of human life becomes, in a word, “common.”
What am I talking about - The Eden that was made perfectly fitted and formed for man was a place we were being EVICTED from.
Now there aren’t many things I nerd out or geek out over but there are two things I really love:
Bible Study (along with that is Theology)
and Music
To me Theology the study of God and Bible study go hand in hand
Depending upon your source of classification: typically in Systematic theology there are at least eight categories to Systematic Theology -
By systematic theology - I am referring to a systematic way of studying the subjects. We like systems because it gives us a framework and categorization capability to put data and information
The typical eight categories to Systematic Theology are:
Theology Proper – Doctrine of God
Christology – Doctrine of Christ
Pneumatology – Doctrine of the Holy Spirit
Anthropology – Doctrine of humanity
Hamartiology – Doctrine of sin
Soteriology – Doctrine of salvation
Ecclesiology – Doctrine of the Church
Eschatology – Doctrine of last things
Others can be added - but for our purpose this will suffice:
When I tell you I nerd out over theology - I took both a college level course on Systematic Theology at GBS and a masters level course on Systematic Theology at Wesley Biblical Seminary at the same time
I’m not bragging - I’m saying that is how nerdy I am about it
But in this study we are going to be looking at
Theology Proper
Christology
Anthropology
Hamartiology
Soteriology
and Eschatology
In this four day study I want us to see four things from this using the term EDEN as an acronym:
E= Eviction or Exile
D=Despair & Disappointment
E=Emmanuel
N=New Creation
I want to take us on a journey from Genesis 1-3 to Revelation 21-22 and see Jesus as our Great Restorer of Eden
John Milton in his 17th century epic poem- whether you agree with his method or conclusions aptly titled his classic work - Paradise Lost
Here he tells the story of the fall of man - in vivid detail
He starts off:
“OF Mans First Disobedience, and the Fruit
Of that Forbidden Tree, whose mortal taste
Brought Death into the World, and all our woe,...”
But I love his next line:
“With loss of Eden, till one greater Man
Restore us, and regain the blissful Seat,”
The Eviction is one of the saddest portions of scripture to me:
24 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.
That Hebrew word we translate “drove” is not just a neutral "sent away." It’s a forceful banishment—a severing of intimacy and place. This word underscores:
The seriousness of sin—there are consequences.
The loss of sacred space—the garden represents God’s presence.
The tragic rupture in the relationship between humanity and God.
This EVICTION from EDEN - brought about so many things:
THE RESULTS of the FALL -
I. Immediate Spiritual and Relational Consequences (Genesis 3)
I. Immediate Spiritual and Relational Consequences (Genesis 3)
1. Loss of Innocence
1. Loss of Innocence
Genesis 3:7 – “Then the eyes of both were opened, and they knew that they were naked…”
Shame enters where once there was innocence.
2. Fear and Hiding from God
2. Fear and Hiding from God
Genesis 3:8–10 – “I was afraid because I was naked; and I hid myself.”
The intimacy between humanity and God is broken.
3. Blame-Shifting
3. Blame-Shifting
Genesis 3:12–13 – Adam blames Eve; Eve blames the serpent.
Harmony between people is fractured.
II. Consequences on Creation and Human Existence
II. Consequences on Creation and Human Existence
4. Curses Pronounced by God (Genesis 3:14–19)
4. Curses Pronounced by God (Genesis 3:14–19)
Serpent: Cursed above all beasts, destined to crawl and be crushed (v. 14–15)
Woman: Increased pain in childbirth, relational struggle (v. 16)
Man: Ground cursed, toil and sweat to eat (v. 17–19)
I think part of our hunger for Eden can be seen in our thirst for creature comforts:
I love this enclosed tabernacle for several reasons -
One of the main ones is the air conditioning - boy that is nice - to sit in here at campmeeting and not wear your elbow out fanning
To be able to focus on the Word and enjoy the music and worship God without all the sweat dripping down your face
The padded pews - my shirt doesn’t stick to the bench every time I try to get up.
Far less unwelcomed guests
Many of you knew Bro. John Preston - perhaps his brother David Preston wasn’t as well known - but I often looked to him as the keeper of the Fly Swatter.
It didn’t matter if you were eating lunch, or in the middle of hot fiery sermon - if he saw a fly, or bug he was going to squash it, smash it, stomp on it, or in Texas they had wood bees in their tabernacle some times - I’ve seen him break off a little stick and put it in the holes the bee had bore in the wood after he saw the bee enter it.
But I don’t miss having to constantly swat at, shoo away all of those bugs
Many of those pesty bugs I believe are part of the fall are part of the curse
Sometimes we joke - “Why didn’t Noah swat those two mosquito’s on the ark? Well I don’t know if there were mosquito’s on the ark or not - but they sure can be a pain.
The story is told of Macarius of Alexandria one of the Dessert Fathers who was so penitent after having killed a mosquito that he went and lived for six months in a swamp going naked allowing the insects to sting him as a way of disciplining his body and showing repentance.
History records that When others found him, his body was so swollen from bites that he was nearly unrecognizable.. History records that
The story is reported in several sources from that era - but Joseph Grant Morrison called it The Mosquito Scourge.
He tells about a campmeeting along the banks for the James River that was attempted. and they had more in attendance than people
One described them colorfully like this: “And the mosquitoes -- they were a terrible scourge! Great, wide-winged,long-legged, sharp stinging, loud humming creatures of the "galnipper" variety, were in evidence during those trying days. Great swarms of them would even come up from the woods, as welcoming committees to the campmeeting folks as they arrived. These solicitous clouds of insects would follow one from the city limits to the camp, pointedly pressing their interested inquiries into the physical condition of the attendants.”
It was so bad - Uncle Bud Robinson was the main preacher he commented, “ that they were so big that "a good many of them would weigh a pound."
As Uncle Bud was beginning to preach - breathed one into his mouth - and began to spit vigorously.
They finally had to get two young men to stand by “Uncle Bud” and wave off the mosquito’s while he preached.
What am I talking about - Mosquitos - no - the curse
but it wasn’t just he mosquitos -the curse went beyond just flesh biting, blood sucking pesty bugs
Even the ground was cursed -
I tell you if my family’s food source depended on my agricultural ability - I sure wouldn’t be this overweight.
I seem to do more harm than good to plants - but that is part of the curse
5. Death Enters the Human Experience
5. Death Enters the Human Experience
Genesis 2:17 – “You shall surely die”
Genesis 3:19 – “Dust you are, and to dust you shall return”
Physical and spiritual death begin.
Man is longing - looking for ways to extend life, to regenerate life - to bring back Eden
III. Separation from God and Paradise
III. Separation from God and Paradise
6. Expulsion from Eden
6. Expulsion from Eden
Genesis 3:23–24 – “So He drove out the man…”
Separation from the Tree of Life and God’s immediate presence.
IV. Long-Term Effects in Humanity and History
IV. Long-Term Effects in Humanity and History
7. Sin Nature Passed to All Humanity
7. Sin Nature Passed to All Humanity
Romans 5:12 – “Through one man sin entered the world, and death through sin…”
Psalm 51:5 – “In sin did my mother conceive me”
All are born with a sinful nature.
8. Universal Death
8. Universal Death
Romans 6:23 – “The wages of sin is death…”
23 For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.
1 Corinthians 15:22 – “In Adam all die…”
22 For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive.
9. Enmity Between Man and Evil
9. Enmity Between Man and Evil
Genesis 3:15 – The protoevangelium: enmity between the seed of the woman and the seed of the serpent.
15 And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel.
I love that our God - in the midst of passing judgment and a curse upon the world - gives us a glimmer of hope - a hope that was so impactful to Eve that she named her child after this.
A promise of a future Redeemer even amid judgment.
V. Theological and Redemptive Implications
V. Theological and Redemptive Implications
10. Need for Atonement and Redemption
10. Need for Atonement and Redemption
Genesis 3:21 – God clothes them with animal skins (the first shedding of blood).
Hebrews 9:22 – “Without the shedding of blood there is no remission.”
11. Christ as the Second Adam
11. Christ as the Second Adam
Romans 5:18–19 – “As through one man’s disobedience many were made sinners, so also through one Man’s obedience many will be made righteous.”
1 Corinthians 15:45 – “The first man Adam became a living being. The last Adam became a life-giving spirit.”
We have already hinted at were we are going with some of this - but I hope I have driven home the real and terrible situation that mankind is in without God -
In that eviction from Eden we are now longing, hoping, reaching desiring a return
Three times Paul talks about this in the New Testament:
22 For we know that the whole creation groaneth and travaileth in pain together until now.
23 And not only they, but ourselves also, which have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting for the adoption, to wit, the redemption of our body.
2 For in this we groan, earnestly desiring to be clothed upon with our house which is from heaven:
4 For we that are in this tabernacle do groan, being burdened: not for that we would be unclothed, but clothed upon, that mortality might be swallowed up of life.
I don’t know how profound this is - but this is exciting and interesting to me - to realize that redemption was not just for humanity
There is a push in some sectors of our society for transhumanism - the next phase in humanistic evolution
Part of this ideaology includes human augmentation or combining humanity with technology - some I heard on a podcast the other day were even speculating that we will evolve into robotic or ai created beings - well I will leave that to the speculators and conspirators
but I do know that man is seeking for something - longing for Eden
And as a teaser I will give you two verses:
24 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.
7 He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches; To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the tree of life, which is in the midst of the paradise of God.
Tomorrow I will look at how this seeking and longing has typically brought despair and disappointment because we are attempting to replace it with other things.
Thank you for your kind attention.
