It’s such an interesting conversation to be privy to listen in on....some of the very first words God, the Creator of the heavens and the earth...and man, shared with His creation.
God had made man in His image and likeness...blessed them, and then told them to go forth and multiply (Gen. 1:27-28)
What is noteworthy here is while having this whole world before them, God chose to ‘plant a garden there in Eden’. And that is where He put man. (Gen. 2:8)
We can learn a lot about God and His ways in the opening chapters of Genesis. It is a book of beginnings and foundational truths for sure. And who knew...that God was in to ‘gardening’? We certainly see this theme woven through the scriptures from Genesis to Revelation.
When God put man in the garden, it is noted that He also set in the midst of the garden two particular trees which He refers to as the ‘tree of life’ and the ‘tree of the knowledge of good and evil’.
There is mention of this tree of life found in the final chapter of Revelation as well that reads “Blessed are those who do His commandments, that they may have the right to the tree of life, and may enter through the gates into that city.” (22:14)
You are probably familiar with many of the teachings of Jesus who continued on this ‘gardening’ theme wherever He went. He shared parables about men sowing seed. He talked about trees that bore good fruit and bad fruit. He talked about what happens when trees don’t bear good fruit, or no fruit at all. They get cut down and tossed in a fire.
Jesus also spent time discussing this idea of ‘abiding’ in Him, with us being ‘branches’ and Him being the ‘vine’ or root. And He explained how we were incapable of producing good fruit on our own unless we abided in Him and that He was the one who produced the fruit. Again, more warnings there to what happens to fruitless branches. (John 15:6)
Paul will touch on this idea of us being God’s ‘field’ in 1 Cor. 3:9. He would later give strong warning in Galatians 6:7-8 about being deceived and how God is not mocked and then lays down a statement which many refer to as the ‘law of sowing and reaping’. In other words, whatever a man ‘sows, that will he reap’. If you plant carrot seeds, guess what will come up? Carrots.
According to Paul’s words there, we are told that if we ‘sow to the flesh (nature) we will reap corruption, but if we sow to the Spirit, we will reap everlasting life’.(8). But more on that later.
We know Jesus spoke often using parables, or illustrative stories. One is found in Matt. 21:33 and I just want to share the first line: “Hear another parable: There was a certain landowner who planted a vineyard and set a hedge around it, dug a winepress in it and built a tower.”
The only reason I share so many of these verses from all over is to include as many ‘pieces to the puzzle’ so the picture becomes more clear. The prophet Isaiah relays how God reacts to a ‘vineyard that went bad’ in his fifth chapter. It is a sobering chapter for sure. But it begins with this theme of how “His Well Beloved” had a vineyard and was hoping and planning on it bearing good fruit. In vs. 7 he connects some more dots to help our understanding in seeing the bigger picture, telling us plainly that the ‘vineyard of the Lord is the house of Israel’.
We should also be made aware of that Israel and its people are a type or foreshadowing of what we would come to know as the ‘church’ – the ones that God calls out to be a people unto Him. Holy and separate...the ‘apple of His eye’. Oh, one other thing- this ‘vineyard’ in Isaiah 5 also had a ‘hedge’ around it. You probably know what a hedge is for, yes? For protection; -to keep predators out.
So let’s go back to this garden in Eden. God set man in this garden. I believe it is safe to say that this garden had a hedge around it as well. (I’ll point that out here later). But why...would there be any need for a ‘hedge of protection’ in such a place? I mean...this is early on in creation, as in the very beginning. What is ‘out there’ that might be ‘bad’ or a ‘predator’?
Let me assure you, there is much I lack understanding in and so I stay focused on what I’m learning. But if you look at Revelation 12:7-12, you will quickly see who was also dwelling here in this world God had created. Satan and a host of his fallen angels. Lots we don’t know, so let’s just work with what we are told. (You might go glance quickly at that passage in Rev. 12)
I’m guessing this special garden in Eden with the hedge of protection where God placed Adam and Eve was in part due to what also inhabited this world. You may ask why on earth would God even start something off in this manner. I don’t know what to tell you and would simply direct you to take that up with Him. But God seems to have no problem moving in that direction. I think it is also safe to say that God has no problem with Satan or his minions. He is God, after all.
So God set in the midst of this garden, the two trees mentioned. There were, of course, many other trees that were ’pleasant to the sight and good for food.” (Gen. 2:9)
And God said: “Don’t eat off this one tree (of the knowledge of good and evil). If you eat off this one tree, you will surely die. (2:17). Were you aware that God tests the hearts of men...to see if they will do as He directs...given He gave us free will? (1 Thess. 2:4; Deut. 8:2; Prov. 17:3)
I could be wrong here, but I have to suspect that Adam may not have truly known what it meant to ‘die’ since death had not yet entered the world. But God did warn them so maybe He elaborated some on what ‘dying’ could possibly mean, but we have nothing there to prove this. Just that one command...”Don’t eat off this tree for in the day that you eat off it you shall surely die.” So there you have it...Adam and Eve in this garden of Eden that God carved out for them where He blessed them and wanted them to multiply.
Then chapter 3 happens. The sub title in my bible reads: “The Temptation and Fall of Man”. There really is no ‘scene to set’ for us other than what is given here so let’s dive in. Enter: talking ‘serpent’ who we are told was ‘more cunning than any beast of the field which the Lord God has made.” (3:1)
I’m not sure there is any benefit to speculate on what all we are not told here, so probably wise to just focus on what we have, agreed? And the serpent’s dialogue begins with a question.
“Has God indeed said, ‘You shall not eat of every tree of the garden’?”
Now we know that is NOT...what God told Adam in 2:17. But please note, that the serpent approaches the woman and immediately cast doubt with a question on what God had said, even twisting to some extent, God’s words. Do you see this? God was very concise and clear in what He told Adam.
The woman responds: “We may eat the fruit of the trees of the garden; but of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God as said, ‘You shall not eat it, nor shall you touch it, lest you die.” (3:2) Well, truth be told, God said nothing about ‘touching the tree’ and His warning was more direct than ‘lest you die’. He said you ‘shall surely die’.
I’m not sure what the breakdown here was regarding the misunderstanding the woman had. Perhaps Adam was not clear in relaying the message since scripture seems to suggest Adam got this edict before Eve was even created. But here we are. Notice what the serpent comes back with:
“You will not surely die.” (3:4)
I am going to pick up from here tomorrow, but for now, I want to redirect your attention to two passages in the NT. The first one is in 2 Cor. 11:2-4. (You should be familiar with this one now). Paul expressed concerns that in the same manner that Eve was deceived by the crafty serpent, we could also be led astray or deceived. He goes on to share what that might look like as we end up embracing ‘another gospel’. As in contrary to the gospel he came preaching. It’s a thing, you know...’other gospels’ to lead people astray. (Gal. 1:6-9)
One last passage for today. Revelation 12:15 relays this interesting picture again, of all things, a serpent’ attempting to ‘carry a woman away with a flood’. How does he do it? He ‘spewed water out of his mouth like a flood that he might cause her to be carried away by the flood’.
What typically do we witness or hear...coming out of mouths? Maybe...’words’?
What did Jesus tell us in Matt. 24:39 was going to carry people away in the last days...to destruction? (see also Luke 17:27). And what did Jesus say would test men’s foundations in Matt. 7:27? And if you are familiar with our story in Genesis 3, what is Eve about to be ‘carried away by’?
Would you do yourself a favor right now. Take a moment or two, and quietly whisper to God and ask Him this simple question: “Lord...if there is anything here You are wanting me to see and understand, would you please do so and give me ears to hear and eyes to see that I might know Your truth.”
Have a blessed day.
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