Genesis Chapter 2 Part 3

Transcript

SPEAKER_00 0:06

Welcome back to our third lesson in Genesis chapter 2. Today we're going to look at Eden, the purpose, the provision, and ultimately the command. As we go through this, we'll be in Genesis chapter 2, verses 8 through 17. Now, before we start, let me ask just a question. What if I told you that Genesis and the fall of man has been taught incorrectly for years? Are there parts of this that we just glance over and really never catch the full meaning of what the message truly is? And are there questions that we need to answer? Things like, who was there when the command was given? Who sinned first? And the answers going through Genesis chapter 2 and Genesis chapter 3, the answers are there, and they may surprise you just a little bit. Now, let's walk through this and look at Genesis chapter 2, verses 18 through 17 very carefully. In our previous lessons, we saw that God formed Adam from the dust of the ground and breathed into him the breath of life. That humanity was not created by accident, but was personally fashioned by God. Now the story moves from the creation of man to the place God prepared for him. Genesis chapter 2, verse 8 through 17, it introduces us to the Garden of Eden, one of the most significant locations in all of Scripture. Now, Eden is more beautiful than a garden. It is a setting, or the setting, where humanity first enjoyed fellowship with God, where it received its divine purpose and encountered its first morality or moral responsibility. This passage teaches us three foundational truths. Number one is that God provides. Number two is that God gives us purpose. And number three is that God establishes boundaries. These truths remain just as important today as they were in the Garden of Eden. So let's read the passage. There's a few words in here I will probably mispronounce. We'll do the best that we can. Genesis chapter 2, verses 8 through 17. I'll be reading from the New American Standard, the NASB. And it says, The Lord God planted a garden toward the east in Eden, and there he placed the man whom he had formed. Out of the ground the Lord God calls uh to grow, caused to grow every tree that is pleasing to the sight and good for food, the tree of life also in the midst of the garden, and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. Now a river flowed out of Eden to water the garden, and from there it divided and became four rivers. The name of the first is Pishon, it flows around the whole land of Havilah, where there is gold. The gold of that land is good, and the onyx stones are there. The name of the second river is Gihon, it flows around the whole land of Cush. The name of the third river is the Tigris, and it flows east of Assyria, and the fourth is the river of Euphrates. Then the Lord God took the man and put him into the Garden of Eden to cultivate it and keep it. The Lord God commanded man, saying, From any tree of the garden you may eat freely, but from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat. For in the day that you eat from it, you will surely die. Now let's start off by looking at God planting in the garden. The passage says the Lord God planted a garden toward the east in Eden, and there he placed the man whom he had formed. Now notice the personal nature of God's action. The text does not merely say a garden appeared. It says that God planted it. The creator who formed Adam also prepared a home for him. He prepared a home with himself. God prepared it. This ties us into John chapter 14, where Jesus told the disciples that he was going to prepare a place for them. This reveals something important about God's character. That think about this. Before Adam ever performed a task, before he obeyed a single command, before he accomplished anything, God had already provided for him. This means that God's provision comes before any performance. God's grace is shown before any responsibility is given. Throughout scripture, we see the same pattern. We always see that God acts first, and then we are called to respond. We are called to respond to Jesus on the cross. And although I do not agree with all of his beliefs, this is partly where John Calvin began to develop his theology when he said this. He said, God did not place man in a barren wilderness, but in a garden furnished with every delight, and that Adam might know the goodness of his creator. And so the Garden of Eden was not merely functional, it reflected God's generosity. The God of Scripture is not stingy. God delights in blessing his creation. Notice this the beauty and abundance of Eden. Verse 9 says, out of the ground the Lord God calls to grow every tree that is pleasing to the sight and good for food. Notice the descriptions. The trees were pleasing to the sight and good for food. So God created both usefulness and beauty. This is the importance of understanding what we're reading. This is an important biblical principle. God did not create merely a practical world. God created a beautiful world. Think about the colors of the sunsets, the majesty of the mountains, the complexity of flowers, the brilliance of the stars. They all testify to a creator who values beauty. And I can't help think, but this is what Paul had in mind when he wrote Romans chapter 1. Now, some skeptics will argue that belief in God actually discourages appreciation from the natural world. But historically, the opposite has often been true. Many of the founders of modern science viewed nature as worthy of study precisely because it reflected the wisdom of a creator. Kepler famously describes scientific inquiry as thinking God's thoughts after him. The order and beauty of creation point beyond themselves to the one who designed them. David wrote in Psalm chapter 19, verse 1: the heavens are telling of the glory of God, and their expanse is declaring the work of his hands. Now, consider the two trees in verse 9. It says, the tree of life also in the midst of the garden, and the tree of knowledge of good and evil. Genesis chapter 2, verse 9. Among all the trees in Eden, there are two that are specifically highlighted: the tree of life and the tree of knowledge of good and evil. And these two trees become central to the biblical story. The tree of life symbolizes ongoing life and blessing in God's presence. That's key, in God's presence. Its significance extends all the way from Genesis throughout Revelation. The Bible begins with the tree of life in the Garden of Eden, and the Bible ends with the tree of life in the New Jerusalem. Revelation chapter 22, verse 2 says, In the middle of the street on either side of the river was the tree of life, bearing twelve kinds of fruit, yielding its fruit every month, and the leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations. So what was lost through sin is ultimately restored through Christ. Now the next tree that we see is the knowledge of good and evil. This tree has generated so much discussion throughout church history. The issue was not that knowledge itself was evil, it's that scripture consistently values wisdom and understanding. And the issue was really one of authority. Would humanity trust God's definition of good and evil? Or would humanity attempt to determine good and evil independently? The tree represented a choice: trust God or trust yourself. And I still believe this is where a lot of our problems come through in modern day. We constantly try to define what is good and what is bad apart from the one who created everything. I've often used the analogy of one trying to put together a complex piece of furniture that they received in a box without ever reading the instructions. When we do that, we find ourselves discouraged and beaten and sometimes hopeless, and a lot of times we just give up. Instead, if we read the instructions, then we have a better time and we ultimately assemble and we don't lose money, right? And so we find ourselves in this situation where we really need to understand what God is saying. It was Irenaeus that said the command was given not because the tree was evil, but so that man might learn obedience to God. We learn to trust God. And so the test of the tree of knowledge and good and evil was never about fruit, it was about trust. Now, next I want you to see the rivers of Eden. And this is something I would highly recommend you to study if you have more time to do so. Some readers skip these verses, but they're extremely important. The mention of rivers and regions and gold and precious stones, they emphasize Genesis, that Genesis presents Eden as a real place connected to the very real world. The Tigris and Euphrates are historically known rivers. And while scholars debate the exact location of where Eden would have been, the text clearly intends to root the account in geography rather than in mythology. Now, critics will often claim that Genesis is merely symbolic literature with no historical foundation. Yet Genesis repeatedly includes geographic details, names, genealogies, and locations, many or most that have been discovered. And whether one can identify Eden's exact location today is another question in itself. But that's not really the point. The point is that Genesis presents itself as history. The Bible authors consistently treated Adam and Eden and the events of Genesis as real historical events. Jesus did, Paul did, and the apostles did. And the rest of Scripture builds upon that foundation. Now, verse 15 brings us to humanity's first job. In verse 15, it says, And the Lord God took the man and put him in the garden of Eden to cultivate it and keep it. This verse destroys modern misconceptions, which is that work is the result of sin. I have heard that a lot throughout the years, that people have to work because of the fall in Genesis chapter 3. Work existed before the fall. Adam had meaningful responsibilities in a perfect world. The curse of Genesis chapter 3 negatively affected that work, but it did not create work. Work itself is part of God's good design. When we work, when we build, when we cultivate, we actually show the attributes of God who created, who worked, who built, who cultivated. The Hebrew word translated cultivate and keep carried rich meaning. The word translated keep can also mean to guard, to watch over, or preserve. Later in the Old Testament, these same terms are frequently associated with priestly service in the tabernacle. It's many scholars that have noted parallels between Eden and later biblical sanctuaries. So in this sense, Adam's role resembles that of a priest who was serving in God's sacred dwelling place. And so humanity's original calling involved worshiping, stewardship, and fellowship with God. Labor was given before sin so that man may learn diligence and learn gratitude. The biblical view of work differs dramatically from many ancient philosophies. There were many cultures that viewed labor as a curse that was only reserved for the lower classes. Scripture presents meaningful work as part of human dignity. And that brings us to the first command. In Genesis chapter 2, verse 16 and 17, it says, The Lord God commanded the man, saying, From any tree of the garden you may eat freely. For from the tree of knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat from it, you will surely die. Now notice how the command begins. It begins not with restriction, but with generosity. God first says, From any tree of the garden you may eat. The emphasis here is abundance. Only one tree is forbidden. And have you ever noticed that? Every tree that was there was available to eat, except for one. In humanity, we always seem to focus on prohibition. We always want what we do not possess. We're not satisfied with the abundant blessings of God. And I'll be honest with you, if you were to sit back and think about the blessings and be content with what God has given us, a lot of times we'll find so much joy in our life instead of seeking those things which are either forbidden or which we do not possess. And so here what we see in the scriptures is that God begins with provision. Many critics portray God's command as oppressive. And yet every meaningful relationship involves trust. Parents establish boundaries for their children. Governments establish laws for their society. Even scientific study depends on objective rules. Freedom without boundaries is not freedom, it's chaos. Now, God's command was given as an invitation to trust in his wisdom. And so we have we have to ask here, if we're trusting in God's wisdom, then what's the meaning of the next statement? We have to ask, what is the meaning of death? Because in verse 17, he says, For in that day you eat from it, you will surely die. Now I find it interesting in this particular passage that he tells him not to, but he says, but when you do, it's almost like God is anticipating and telling them, but you're going to do it anyway. You're eventually going to eat. The Hebrew construction here is especially strong, literally saying, dying you shall die. It emphasizes certainty that death would become humanity's destiny if God's commands were violated. Then the consequences would be spiritual, relational, and eventually physical. And this warning establishes one of the Bible's central themes that sin leads to death. The apostle Paul connects Genesis chapter 2 to the gospel. In Romans chapter 6, verse 23, when he writes, For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. And so what began in Eden reaches its solution at Calvary. Death entered through Adam's disobedience, but life is offered through Christ's obedience. That's why in the New Testament, Jesus is referred to as the obedient Adam, the new Adam. Where Adam faced a test in the garden and failed, Jesus faced a test and remained faithful. Adam chose his own will, what he did not possess. Christ submitted to the Father's will. Adam brought death, Jesus brings life. Paul wrote in Romans chapter 5, verse 19, for as through the one man's disobedience, the many were made sinners. Even so, through the obedience of the one, the many will be made righteous. That means the story of Eden ultimately points to Christ. Augustine summarized humanity's struggle well when he said the root of sin is the refusal to be ruled by God. That was the issue in Eden, and it remains the issue today. So what's the application for us? Genesis chapter 2, verse 8 through 17 teaches us several important truths. First, is that God provides before he commands, his generosity always precedes his requirements. Second, work is part of God's design for humanity. So meaningful labor is a gift, it's not a curse. Third, freedom requires boundaries. God's commands, God's boundaries, they exist for our good, for our benefit. They're not oppressive. Fourth, sin begins when we reject God's authority and seek to define good and evil for ourselves. And finally, about this passage, I want you to see that it points to Jesus. The first Adam failed in the garden. The last Adam succeeded and secured redemption for all who trust in him. And so the Garden of Eden reveals God's original design for humanity, a place of provision, a place of, a place of purpose, a place of fellowship with God, a place of obedience to the Lord. And yet, within this perfect environment, there stood a choice. Would humanity trust the Creator, or would they seek independence from him? And that question will ultimately dominate the rest of the Bible, the next chapter in Genesis, and in reality, the entire story of humanity and mankind. In our next lesson, we'll examine Genesis chapter 2, verse 18 through 20, explore the first thing in creation that God declared was not good, man being alone, and why human relationships are central to God's design for us.