GOD CREATED THE GARDEN OF EDEN

GENESIS 2:4-25

KEY VERSE 2:16,17

And the Lord God commanded the man, "You are free to eat from any tree in the garden; v17 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.

Describe the condition of the earth before God created the Garden of Eden (5,6).  What did God do for the man (8)?  Describe its physical environment (9-14) and its spiritual environment (16,17).  Why did God put the man in the garden (15)?  What does this passage show about God?  About man? 

v4  This is the account of the heavens and the earth when they were created. When the LORD God made the earth and the heavens--  v5  and no shrub of the field had yet appeared on the earth and no plant of the field had yet sprung up, for the Lord God had not sent rain on the earth and there was no man to work the ground, v6 but streams came up from the earth and watered the whole surface of the ground- v7 the Lord God formed man from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living being. v8 Now the Lord God had planted a garden in the east, in Eden; and there he put the man he had formed. v9 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. v10 A river watering the garden flowed from Eden; from there it was separated into four headwaters. v11 The name of the first is the Pishon; it winds through the entire land of Havilah , where there is gold. v12 (The gold of that land is good; aromatic resin and onyx are also there.) v13 The name of the second river is the Gihon; it winds through the entire land of Cush. v14 The name of the third river is the Tigris; it runs along the east side of Asshur. And the fourth river is the Euphrates. v15 The Lord God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work and take care of it. 

[Genesis 1:1-2:3 is an introduction to the creation, and Genesis 2:4-25 is a special treatise to the creation of man.  In Genesis 1:1-2:3, God's name is "Elohim" which means "a God of power."  But from Genesis 2:4 God's name is "the Lord God" in English, and "the Jehovah Elohim" in Hebrew, which means, "the Self-Existent or the Existing One" or "a God of perfection", or "Who I am" as He told Moses, which are from the relationship with man.]

dry and no man

God created the Garden of Eden : Garden of Eden was a special creation of God for man. And he put the man there as if a father makes a beautiful backyard and put his son or daughter there.

a)  There was plenty of fruits which was good for food and pleasing to the eye. Even fruit satisfied man's sense of beauty.

b) There was a lot of water and jewelry as well.

   ======= These were all for man's physical life.

c)  There were two trees in the middle of the Garden of Eden. 

  ======= These were for man's spiritual life.

So man could be happy physically and spiritually. 

To work and take care of the Garden of Eden.

God gave the man beautiful environment. 

a)  God wants to bless man.  

Already, God blessed man so much.  He made man in his own image, and set him as a ruler of his creation.  Now He gives the man a paradise beautiful and glorious.

b)  God has deep concern about man's happiness.  

All things bestowed upon man in the Garden of Eden were necessary things for man's happiness.  In other words, they were the conditions of happiness.  Freedom, unlimited provision of delicious food, perfect environment, God's mission and God's commands.  In the Garden of Eden, man could enjoy happiness to the full of his heart.  

c)  God wants man to keep the Garden of Eden and be happy all the time.

Everything in the Garden of Eden was perfect.  If any of the conditions of happiness was missing, the Garden of Eden would not be the Garden of delight.  God wanted man to enjoy this happiness continually.  So He gave him mission to work on and take care of the Garden.

a)  Man is to serve God's mission.  Man is to work on the Garden of Eden.

To serve God's mission, man was created and brought to the Garden of Eden.  Serving God's mission is the way to obey God's will and to keep spiritual order.

Without serving mission, there is no meaning for man to exist.  Without serving God's mission, there is no happiness or satisfaction in man's life.

b)  Man is to keep the conditions of happiness.

Man is not the one who must create happiness but the one who must keep the conditions of happiness, which come from God.  Happiness comes from God, and man is to protect God-given happiness.  Man finds happiness only in God.

People try to be happy through satisfying their desires.  But it does not work because happiness comes from God.  

What command did God give man concerning the two trees in the middle of the garden (16,17)?  What does the phrase "You are free to eat any tree in the garden" show us about God and man?  Why did God give this command?

V16  And the Lord God commanded the man, "You are free to eat from any tree in the garden; v17 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.

Verses 16,17.  

Before giving man the command, God confirmed that man was free to do whatever he wanted to do.  This shows us:

God did not make man like a robot. 

God wanted man to choose to obey His command with his own choice.

God wanted to establish personal relationship with man.

With a robot, which works according to program, you cannot have personal relationship.

In order to establish the spiritual order between God and man - God first, man second, and everything third.

God knew that keeping the spiritual order was very necessary thing for man to enjoy God's blessing and be happy.  So He established the spiritual order between God and man through giving this commandment.

Man can enjoy happiness as long as he is in this spiritual order.  Once he goes beyond this spiritual order, he will surely die.  Using his perfect freedom and power, man has to keep the spiritual order between God and himself from all kinds of attacks and temptations.

(For example, fish has perfect freedom in the water.  But what will happen if fish goes up to the land, for it is bored of the life in the water?  It will surely die.)

Freedom is the gift of God bestowed upon us.  We must use this gift to keep the spiritual order.  Abusing this precious gift to break the spiritual order will cause death.  The wage of sin is death.   

What did God say before making woman (18)?  What does this show about woman?  What do you learn about the truth of marriage?  Describe God's efforts to find a suitable helper for man (19,20).

V18  The Lord God said, "It is  not good for the man to be alone.  I will make a helper suitable for him."  v19  Now the Lord God had formed out of the ground all the beasts of the field and all the birds of the air.  He brought them to the man to see what he would name them; and whatever the man called each living creature, that was its name.  But for Adam no suitable helper was found. 

It is not good for the man to be alone.

After each day's creation was over, God said, "It is good."  And after creating man, He said, "It is very good."  Everything of His creation was good.  But there was one thing, which was not good in his eyes, that was, man was alone.  So He decided to make a helper suitable for him.

God called woman "a helper suitable."

Woman was created to help man to serve God's mission more effectively and fruitfully.

Man and woman have the same level that both of them were created for God's mission.

God designed man to have one helper suitable.  There cannot be two suitable helpers for one man.

First, who made the marriage system?  God did.

The one who had the sense of problem was not the man but God.  God initiated to make a helper suitable for him.

Second, why did God make marriage?  For man's happiness and for the purpose of serving God's mission more effectively.

It looked not good for man to be alone in God's eyes.  So in order to make man feel good and happy, he established marriage system.

Another purpose of marriage is to serve God's mission more effectively.  So the name of the marriage partner is "a helper".  Marriage exists for God's mission.  

We must marry to serve God's mission more effectively.  Man exists for God's mission and must marry for it as well.

Third, who prepared a marriage partner?  God did.

While the man was serving God faithfully, God struggled hard to find a helper suitable for him.  So God brought all the animals to the man to see if the man would name of them "woman" or "coworker".  But the man never named any of animals "woman" or "coworker."  Among animals was no suitable helper for the man.

Since there was no suitable helper among his creation, God decided to make one newly for the man.  And from man's own body, He made woman and brought her to him.

We do not need to worry about our marriage partners.  If there is no one suitable for you in the world, then God will create a new one for you.  So do not worry.  Instead, serve God's mission faithfully.

In these days, the truth of marriage is destroyed.  As the result, the divorce rate exceeds 60%.  The corrupt concept about marriage is the hot bed of all kinds of evil, which is destroying the whole society.  Restoring marriage truth is one of the most urgent and important things we must do.

To get married for God's mission and to seek the helper of faith to serve God's mission effectively, this is the truth of marriage.  If you have this view of marriage, God will send you a suitable helper.

How did God make woman (21,22)?  What did God do with the woman he created (22b)?   What did Adam say then (23)?  What should a man do before being united to his wife (24a)?   What does the expression 'they will become one flesh' mean?  Read verse 25.  What does this show about their relationship?

V21  So the Lord God caused the man to fall into a deep sleep; and while he was sleeping, he took one of the man's ribs and closed up the place with flesh. v22 Then the Lord God made a woman from the rib he had taken out of the man, and he brought her to the man. v23 The man said, "This is now bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh; she shall be called `woman', for she was taken out of man."  V24 For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and they will become one flesh.  V25  The man and his wife were both naked, and they felt no shame.

From man's rib.

Using Genetic code, this will be possible.

He brought her to the man.

God is the match maker.  God knows the original pair.  Marriage partner is not one of many alternatives but an absolute one.

Adam's confession of the love.

He needs to leave his father and mother.  

The relationship between parents and children is the most strong, close and natural relationship.  But in order to make complete commitment to his marriage partner, a man must leave this relationship.  He needs to be independent from his parents and from any other relationship with others such as girl friend.

Marriage is to make one independent unit to be used by God.  One desire, one hope, one vision, one mission and one faith.  Perfect unity.

They did not hide anything from each other. Also they had no shame and perfect relationship.

It is possible only in family established by God.