God's Big Picture: Genesis 2:4-25

CIT: Because God cares for us, he provides for our needs and redeems us, in order to dwell with us.

3 Actions of God in Genesis 2:4-25

God provides for our needs (Gen. 2:7-9, 18-25)

God has a plan for redemption (Gen. 2:4)

God will dwell with us (Gen. 2:10-14)

God provides for our needs

Life

Gen. 2:7

This verse is zooming in on the event of Gen. 1:26

God formed us

in forming us from the dirt God is making us material

God breathed life into us

In breathing life into us God is giving us a spirit, making us eternal

A home

Gen. 2: 8-9

Their home was the garden in Eden

The garden itself was not Eden, we will see what Eden truly is in a moment

This is also not a small garden, this of a kings palace’s garden, not a backyard herb garden.

In the kings garden there would be trees for food, water for drink, and servants who work and keep the garden with whom the king could also spend time with.

God provided sustenance and life in this garden

Community

Gen. 2:18-25

The only part of creation that God deems not good is that man is alone.

So, God provided a helper fit for him, that is woman.

This should not cause us to think that woman is lower than man because she is deemed a “helper” no she was made for man to be complete enjoying true community with someone like him.

We learn two things in this passage about community

First, that community expressed in marriage has been instituted by God to be enjoyed by one man and one woman.

But our ultimate hope does not rest in one day being married, that is a misunderstanding. Our ultimate hope and satisfaction comes from faith in Christ Alone.

Second, in the New Covenant community, that is the Church, we can enjoy true fulfilling community through the Church Body and not just marriage (1 Cor. 7:8)

God has a plan for redemption

Gen. 2:4

The phrase, “these are the generations” appears also in Gen. 5:1 and Gen. 11:27

This is where God’s next two characters in the story of redemption are mentioned, Noah and Abraham respectively.

This shows us that the plan for God redeeming a people for himself for his glory did not come into place in John 3:16 or even in Genesis 3:15. This was not God’s back up plan, it had always been God’s plan to choose specific people, Adam, Noah, Abraham, etc. to help bring about his grand plan of redemption.

We as Christians should be encouraged by this because God has chosen us to be part of his redeemed people in order to preach the gospel to the nations. You were not a mistake, you are part of God’s plan!

If the main purpose of Gen. 1-11 is to teach us about the primary covenant keeper between God and man, which it is, then it is teaching us that God wants to redeem us.

Why? So he can dwell with us.

God will dwell with us

Gen. 2:10-14

In Gen. 2:10 we see that a river flowed out of Eden to water the garden.

To answer the question of “Where is God” from before, this garden is where Adam and Eve are, Eden is where God is.

The river flowing from Eden was to show that it is from God where we get life, where we get “living-water”

In the fall we reject God’s supply of life and choose death instead.

Jer. 2:13 tells us that we have rejected the everflowing streams of living water from God and have made cracked water bottles. A cracked water bottle will give the illusion of satisfaction, but when it comes time to drink it’s empty.

When I was in high school we had these really bad water bottles to drink from during high school. Every time we would get a water break we would run to these bottles to get refreshed from the heat and humidity. But there was always something wrong, these bottles were in the sun so they were always warm, to make matters worse I had to run against the varsity defense once and was promptly tackled into these water bottles, breaking them. When we went to our next water break we were expecting warm water, but got nothing because these bottles were broken. But here’s the thing, the next season someone gave a gift to the team, it was a thing that had a bunch of hoses coming out of it and was connected to the hose itself! Now, when we went to be refreshed we always had cold water to drink, no more warm water from broken bottles only leaving us wanting more.

See in John 4:13 Jesus tells the woman, and us, that he is the source of satisfaction, he is the living-water! He is the river of Eden giving us new life by grace through faith.

Now, with new life from the living-water, we look forward to the better garden, the New Earth.

Better than the Garden in Eden you ask? YES! Here’s why were not going back to the garden in our redemption, because the dwelling place of God is with man, Rev. 21:3.

We will no longer just be in the garden, we’ll be in the palace with God!

Conclusion

God, in his grace and sovereignty in creation, has provided for our needs, has created a plan for redeeming a chosen people for himself, so that we may dwell with him in his palace for all eternity.

This satisfaction of our deepest need, that is redemption, is only made possible through drinking of the living-water of Jesus Christ through faith. So, as we sing thanks to him I ask you to believe in him as well. Take this time to pray and place your faith in Jesus for your ultimate satisfaction.