Sunday
Now the Lord had planted a garden in the east, in Eden; and there he put the man he had formed. 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. . . .
The Lord God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and take care of it.”
(Genesis 2:8-9, 15, NIV)
The first two chapters of Genesis describe the work of the Lord God as Creator of the world. The first chapter of the Bible tells us that God Himself was pleased with His unfolding creation, so pleased that He is repeatedly described as feeling it was “good.” Verse 31 of the first chapter tells us that following the sixth day of creation, when God surveyed all that He had made, the results of His craftsmanship were “very good.” The Triune God, acting in space and time, created a perfect, harmonious universe of day and night, water and sky, land and seas, trees and plants, sun and moon, fish and birds, livestock and wild animals, and, finally, men and women.
God’s intention for His created order is powerfully illustrated by today’s verses, where Scripture notes that God creates all kinds of trees in the Garden of Eden, trees that are both beautiful to look at and good for life-sustaining food. God’s creation activity is marvelously economical. It is an interesting sidebar to note that God originally intended men and women to be vegetarian; His instructions to Adam are that he should obtain food from seed-bearing plants and fruit-bearing trees. God also supplies rivers of refreshing nourishment, and then gives man the task of working in and caring for the Garden.
In these few brief chapters we can see God’s original desire for His creation. He creates a beautiful garden where harmony exists between nature, animals and humans, where there is an abundance of nourishment for all creatures, and where man is given work to do as a sacred task. The Garden of Eden is a picture of true shalom. It is a real-life example of what God originally intended, and what those who believe in Him will experience in eternity. It is this picture of true peace that should excite our hearts because of what lies ahead, and motivate us because we know that is what God desires for us now.
Prayer
Lord, we praise you for your work as Creator of the universe that you describe as “good.” Thank you for the harmony and economy of your created order. We look forward to excitedly what awaits us when we experience eternal life with you and we ask you to help us be obedient disciples of yours in the world in which you have placed us. Amen.