The Garden

Gen 2:8-9   8 Now the Lord God had planted a garden in the east, in Eden; and there he put the man he had formed. 9 And the Lord God made all kinds of trees grow out of the ground — trees that were pleasing to the eye and good for food. In the middle of the garden were the tree of life and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.
Gen 2:15-17   15 The Lord God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and take care of it. 16 And the Lord God commanded the man, "You are free to eat from any tree in the garden; 17 but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat of it you will surely die."
NIV

Why did God create a garden?  The way I see it, the garden became the focal point of God’s relationship with man, or with man’s relationship with God.  How God created it, and why, gives us a glimpse of how we, as God’s created beings, should look at life.  The garden was where God initially placed the first man.  How He made it would show man how God wanted him to live.

BEAUTY

9 And the Lord God made all kinds of trees grow out of the ground — trees that were pleasing to the eye…

God didn’t just fill the garden with trees and plants, He made them pleasing to the eye.  It’s interesting how the concept of beauty comes from the Lord.  When we plant gardens in our homes we always want them to be beautiful, so that they are pleasing to our eyes, and to those who visit our homes.  It’s nice to know that God Himself first thought of this.  Imagine when Adam first opened his eyes, as he looked in wonder at all the beauty that God wrought in nature.

The beauty of nature, of created things, should always bring our hearts back to the One who created them.  Sad to say many stand in awe of the beauty of nature, and just stop there.  We’ve even invented the term “Mother Nature”.  The beauty of nature is meant to lead us back to the Creator, and give Him glory.

PROVISION

9 And the Lord God made all kinds of trees grow out of the ground — trees that were pleasing to the eye and good for food

The Lord also made the trees good for food.  Adam didn’t have to ask.  God knew that he would need something to eat.  So He provided for him.

This is the same God we trust in.  There are times when we pray we doubt whether He does know our needs, or whether He will provide for us.  But as far back as creation the Lord already shows us that He is concerned for us.

WORK

15 The Lord God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and take care of it.

The moment the garden was prepared the Lord placed the man in it.  To what?  To sit back, relax and enjoy the view?  No.  He placed the man to work it and take care of it.  Other versions say “to tend it and keep it”.  This is what work was meant to be – something that we tend, care for, and protect.  Why?

First, we believe that work comes from God.  It is the Lord who provides for the work that we have now.  Not man, not a company.  God.

Second, we are to be good stewards of what God has given us.

Because of sin work has become “toil”.  But if we treat work as a blessing from the Lord, and recognize that we are to care for it and keep it, work becomes more than just a way to make money.  It becomes an avenue to see God’s faithfulness, and for Him to build up our character and faith.

COMMAND

16 And the Lord God commanded the man, "You are free to eat from any tree in the garden; 17 but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat of it you will surely die."

Then God gave them a command.  This becomes the very foundation, the very heart, of mans relationship with God.  It was man’s disobedience to God’s command that destroyed their relationship.  This was all that God wanted from man – his obedience.

Obedience to God’s command was all that God wanted man to be concerned about.  He took care of the beauty, provisions and work.  And yet, today, man concerns himself with his beauty, provisions and work, and makes his relationship with God his last priority.  But this was not how it was meant to be.

All God was asking was to obey.  And here we see the very purpose of the garden.  First it was to be a source of blessing.  Second, it was to be the setting for God to test man.

The blessings that God bestows upon us also become the very object that the Lord tests us with.  He blesses us with finances, but will test if we spend it wisely.  He blesses us with promotion at work, but will test us if we remain faithful to Him.  He blesses us with success, but tests us if we allow success to take His place.  God tests us to make sure that our allegiance is not on the blessing, but on the “BLESSER”.

Thus, each one of us is provided with our own “garden” today.  He blesses us with our “beauty”, with provisions and with our work.  But let’s make sure the foundation of our life are not what we enjoy in this garden of ours, but in our relationship with Him.