The first garden we are told God ever planted was the Garden of Eden. Eden was the perfect garden. Everything God made and planted was good. And God didn’t keep His garden private. Nope! He put Hos children – the first man and woman – Adam and Eve in His perfect garden.
Moses tells us that every tree and plant that grew in the Garden of Eden was pleasant to the sight – it was beautiful – and good for food – it was tasty and nourishing. The garden was surrounded by four rivers and in the middle of grew two impressive trees: the Tree of Life and the Tree of Knowledge.
God’s garden was perfect. And He gave His perfect garden to Adam and Eve to tend and keep it. The first job God gave man was to be a gardener like He was.
As a gardener especially out here in Wesr Texas – I’m jealous of Adam and Eve. God’s garden was perfect. And He have His perfect garden to them to tend and keep. What an amazing job. It’s hard gardening in West Texas but to be a gardener in Eden – well that would have been amazing. Think of the flowers and bushes and trees and fruit and vegetables. It all grew perfectly.
God gave them only one rule. Do not eat of the Tree of Knowledge. You may have anything else and eat it as much as you like but do not eat of the Tree of Knowledge in the midst of my garden – it is mine. If you break my rule, you will die and be cast out of the garden.
And like all children – Adam and Eve got as close to the tree as they could. They probably looked at it, walked around it, and maybe even touched it. They probably wondered what the big deal was but for a while decided they would just obey their parent. Afterall, no one wants to disappoint their parent or be punished so they resisted. But apparently it was always in the back of their minds – the Tree of Knowledge.
So one day Satan appears and lies to them about God and why God has forbidden them this one tree. He lies to them about what God will do if they break His rule. He tempts them to disobey their parent. And Eve gives in first and her husband follows right after. Satan appears to have just disappeared. His mission accomplished. Ruin God’s perfect garden. Lead His children to disobedience. Hurt God. Hurt His children. After the bites are taken – poof He is gone.
God immediately knows what has happened. He comes searching for them and asks them what they’ve done. Eventually and reluctantly and with blame casting, both Adam and Eve tell God they’ve broken His one rule. The perfect garden was not tainted with sin.
Adam and Eve would indeed be cast out of the Garden. Death – both physical and spiritual – were now a part of their lives. Adam was going to have to continue being a gardener but the world had been cursed and ruin with the introduction of sin so it would be hard work. Eve’s punishment was now childbirth would be hard and difficult. Satan was punished immediately and told of His eternal punsihment as well.
And the Garden of Eden – well it was sealed off and protected by cherubim with a flaming sword that turned in every direction. Adam and Eve and the rest of mankind would never step foot in God’s first garden again.
How sad for them and for us. Adam and Eve created in perfection and were themselves perfect yet they were not content and rebelled against God’s one rule. When God casts them out, we do not read anywhere in the Bible they God removed their memories of Eden or changed their emotional or spiritual existence or desires. He left the memories of perfection in them and their souls and the souls of all mankind afterwards would long for the perfection of the Garden of Eden but mankind’s sins have separated us from that perfection.
We all long for perfection in this world but it is an elusive dream. We have that deep desire because years and years ago mankind was made to live in perfection.
The Garden of Eden shows us so much:
🧑🌾 God love us so much because everything He made for us was perfect.
🧑🌾 It shows selfless God is because He immediately gave it away to Adam and Eve.
🧑🌾 It shows how serious and just God is – He gave us rules to live by and He expects us to obey them.
If we ever want to return to God’s eternal garden, we must learn the lessons from God’s first garden. #lessonsfromthemastergardener
Adonai's Appeal 