A Garden
“The Lord God planted a garden eastward in Eden, and there He put the man whom He had formed. And out of the ground the Lord God made every tree grow that is pleasant to the sight and good for food. The tree of life was also in the midst of the garden, and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.” (Genesis 2:8-9)
Why did GOD create man?
Man was created to have dominion over the earth and everything in it. (Genesis 1:26)
Recently it was pointed out to me that the angels were created on Day 6, at the same time as the animals and mankind (thank you, Bishop Malcolm Wilson),
Genesis 2:1 says, “Thus the heavens and the earth, and all the host of them, were finished.” The earthly animals and the heavenly hosts — aka angels — were created.
GOD gave the earth to man to manage. Is it possible that this enraged Lucifer, which led Him to inhabit the serpent? Perhaps GOD gave the earth to man, out of love and also out of the knowledge that Lucifer’s pride would be exposed…
Why did GOD put man in Eden?
GOD put man in a paradise, full of beauty and perfection. Then He added woman, who would become deceived by the serpent.
Surrounded by absolute perfection and full of love, man has everything. He names the animals; he has responsibility. That certainly is fulfilling. But he gives it all up….
Preparing the Bride for GOD’s Story
How do we prepare as the Bride of Christ? One aspect is to learn GOD’S STORY. He created us in His image…. Piece by piece, and peace by peace, we learn to walk as He has walked. And we learn His perspective.
Where Adam fits in
Adam was presented a choice: to remain in his current state intimate with GOD and free from sin, or to discover knowledge to be “as GOD” — he chose the latter. He chose knowledge of good and evil, and Eve over GOD, His creator and companion.
Adam chose to “go it without GOD”. Although he may not have known GOD would send Him from the garden, he wanted knowledge and risked paradise. He may not have known GOD would send him away and their relationship would be forever changed, but he chose Eve and disobedience (only then to blame her for his choosing her*) over GOD.
GOD’s desire
GOD wants us to choose Him. GOD wanted Adam to obey which was his way of choosing GOD. Adam reveals to us that we all have a choice and the choice we make, for or against GOD, will effect our lives now and forever.
What Adam’s actions reveal
Adam reveals in us our power to choose.
Adam reveals in us our weakness and our strength.
Adam reveals in us our choice.
GOD gives everyone a choice and what we do with it shows us GOD’s unequivocal love and forbearance. When we choose other, GOD loses us and He grieves. When we choose Him, now that Jesus has paid for our sin, when we will fail from time to time, GOD accepts our repentance and forgives us.
Adam fits into the Genesis Story because he exposes our choices, our humanity and our frailty.
Some might say the story of Adam and the garden and all of the Creation Story is an allegory or a metaphor, revealing GOD’s character and our own. I think this is true. Some recognise the story literally, which I believe as well. GOD creates the perfect opportunity for Creation to choose Him or to rebel.
In Adam, we see humanity’s natural proclivity to rebel. And through Adam’s disobedience, we see GOD’s compassion, desire for relationship, and love. He does not destroy Adam but there are consequences for his sin.
Adam now separated from GOD, unveils the unfolding of human history: how man becomes rejoined. It is a master plan of GOD’s, because only in choosing Him, does GOD truly have relationship with us.
*There is so much more that could be said about Adam, Eve, their relationship, the deception and the rebellion… but not for this time:)