Genesis Ch2v4-17 - A Temple Garden

Genesis chapter 2, and we're going to read from verse 4 down to verse 17.

Genesis 2 · chapter mention

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They're all there for you.

Genesis chapter 2, starting in verse 4.

Genesis 2 · chapter mention

This is the account of the heavens and the earth when they were created, when the Lord

God made the earth and the heavens.

Now no shrub had yet appeared on the earth, and no plant had yet sprung up, for the Lord

God had not sent rain on the earth, and there was no one to work the ground.

But streams came up from the earth and watered the whole surface of the ground.

Then the Lord God formed a man from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils

the breath of life.

And the man became a living being.

Now the Lord God had planted a garden in the east, in Eden.

And there he put the man he had formed.

The Lord God made all kinds of trees to grow out of the ground, trees that were pleading

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.

A river watering the garden flowed from Eden, and from there it was separated into four headwaters.

The name of the first was Pishon.

It winds through the entire land of the Havilah, where there is gold.

The gold of that land is good.

Aromatic resin and onks are there.

The name of the second river is the Gihon.

It winds through the entire land of Cush.

The name of the third river is the Tigris.

It runs along the east side of Asher.

And the fourth river is the Euphrates.

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

And the Lord God commanded the man, you are free to eat from any tree in the garden, but

you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat from it,

you will certainly die.

Well, keep your Bibles open and we'll pray.

Father, we're thankful for life today, for health and strength to be here,

giving us minds that can understand and comprehend.

And yet, Father, we long that our hearts would respond to you as we should, as you created us to be.

That as you speak, we would listen.

And as we listen, that we would delight in your ways.

Teach us today.

Breathe the breath of your Spirit upon us.

For your glory.

Amen.

Well, I wonder if you noticed the change.

There's a significant difference between Genesis 1 and Genesis 2.

It's not a different creation, but it's creation from a different perspective.

Genesis 1 is all about the creation of the cosmos, the universe.

Whereas Genesis 2 is all about the creation of mankind.

Genesis 1 really informs us how God is separate and distinct from his creation.

Genesis 2 is all about how God is intimate with mankind.

We see this clearly when we compare and contrast chapter 1, verse 1 with chapter 2, verse 4.

So if you go back to chapter 1, verse 1,

we read this.

The first verse of the Bible,

Now, God, the word there for God, or if you're into Hebrew, Elohim, is a very general name.

And it would be used by all the different nations to refer to the God of Israel.

In the beginning, God.

Now, compare that with chapter 2, verse 4.

We get something very similar.

Chapter 2, verse 4.

This is the account of the heavens and the earth when they were created.

When the Lord God made the earth and the heavens.

Lord, which appears there in capitals in our English Bibles,

and you'll see it all the way through the Old Testament,

simply means Yahweh.

This is God's personal name given to his people.

God's covenant name.

The one who's entered into a relationship with his people.

No longer is God just God of the nations.

But he's saying to them,

You can call me Yahweh.

You see, God is not just distinct and separate and great and big.

But he's intimate and involved with his people.

So as we move from Genesis 1 into Genesis 2,

we move from transcendency, the greatness and the bigness of God,

to the personal, the intimacy of God.

From God speaking creation into existence.

Where God is now speaking personally to his image bearers.

You can call me Yahweh.

So what do we learn about this personal encounter with Yahweh?

Well, here's the first.

First, the Lord God gives life to mankind.

Look at verse 5.

Now no shrub had yet appeared on the earth,

and no plant had yet sprung up,

for the Lord God had not sent rain on the earth.

And there was no one to work the ground.

So we've got a picture here of a lifeless land.

There's nothing growing.

There's nothing producing.

But, verse 6,

streams come up from the earth

and water the whole surface of the ground.

Life begins to flourish.

Now this acts in some ways as a parable

for the life that God gives to mankind.

So look at verse 7.

Then the Lord God formed a man from the dust of the ground.

But there's no life in that form, in that shape.

It's a lifeless form.

Something else must happen.

So, rest of verse 7,

God breathed into his nostrils the breath of life,

and the man became a living being.

Just as the water flowed onto the land

and gave life to the earth,

so God's breath flows into man and gives him life.

But the life that God gives is so much more than just physical life.

Remember, this is pre-form.

So the life God gives is not just physical,

moving and walking,

but he's given him spiritual life.

Man is created to be a living being

who can communicate with God

and enjoy fellowship with God.

It's a life given by the breath of God,

or we might say by the spirit of God,

because again,

and I'm no Hebrew scholar,

but the scholars tell me that

the word for breath

is the same word for spirit.

You remember back in Genesis chapter 1 and verse 2,

Genesis 1 · chapter mention

we read there at the end

that the spirit of God,

or the breath of God,

was hovering over the waters.

The life-giving spirit

was hovering over the waters.

Now we read in chapter 2, verse 7,

that the Lord God breathed into his nostrils

literally the spirit of life.

This is what makes us different

from the creatures and the animals.

We have been given the spirit of life

so that we can know God.

Now this spiritual life

is an abundant life.

Look at verse 8.

Now the Lord God had planted a garden

in the east in Eden,

and there he put the man he had formed.

Eden, well it can mean delight,

but I think here the focus is on abundance.

Eden is about a land of abundance.

So literally the Lord God

has placed man in a garden of abundance.

Everything is provided.

Look at verse 9.

The Lord God made all kinds of trees

grow out of the ground,

trees that were pleasing to the eye

and good for food.

Everything is sustained in this garden.

Verse 10.

A river watering the garden

flowed from Eden.

In fact,

go back to the end of verse 9.

In the middle of the garden

were the tree of life

and the tree of the knowledge

of good and evil.

Later we're told that

they're not to eat from the tree

of the knowledge of good and evil,

but there's no such command saying,

don't eat from the tree of life.

They can eat its fruit and live.

Just as food nourishes our physical bodies,

so the life that God gives

is an abundant life.

It's no surprise then

that the psalmist would say

in Psalm 34,

taste and see that the Lord is good.

Blessed is the one who takes refuge in him.

God is exceedingly good.

He gives spiritual life

that is abundant.

Second,

not only does he give life,

the Lord God dwells together with mankind.

So as we read through the text,

it becomes clear that God is not just

distant and removed,

but Yahweh, the personal God,

is present and involved.

He is with the first man and woman.

God's intention to be among his people is clear.

Look at verse 8.

The Lord God planted the garden

and there he put the man he had informed.

And then what unfolds is

God begins to speak to him with commands.

And this becomes explicitly clear

in chapter 3.

Just quickly have a look at chapter 3, verse 8.

Well, we have a wonderful picture

of God and man in relationship.

Then the man and his wife

heard the sound of the Lord God

as he was walking in the garden

in the cool of the day.

Yes, this is after the fall,

but we get the picture of what's going on.

The implication is that God was present

with them in the garden,

walking and talking

and enjoying the beauty of creation,

but above all,

enjoying fellowship with one another.

There's no hiding in Genesis 2.

There's no shame.

It's full and free.

This is God's good design,

his purpose for mankind,

that he would dwell amongst his people.

In fact,

God's design is that the whole earth

would be a dwelling place for God.

The whole earth is to be a dwelling place.

Look at what's happening here.

In Eden,

God plants a garden.

So there's a place called Eden

and in the place in Eden,

he plants a garden.

And it's right there

that we find mankind.

But again,

remember what we've learned so far

back in Genesis 1,

Genesis 1:28

verse 28.

What did God say to them?

Be fruitful,

increase in number

and fill the earth

and subdue it.

You see,

it was never God's intention

that man would just stay

in the garden.

Man was to expand

the borders of Eden.

They were to multiply

and grow

and fill the whole earth.

In other words,

God's desire

was that the whole earth

would be his dwelling place

where he would dwell

with mankind.

Again,

I think the rivers

that are described here

in verses 10 down to 14

act almost like

as a parable

of what's going on.

So look at verse 10.

A river watering the garden

flowed from Eden

and from there

it was separated

into four headwaters,

four different rivers.

So try and get this picture

in your mind.

We've got a river

that starts in the garden of Eden

and then begins to flow out.

And this river

branches into four rivers,

each of which extend

into different directions.

They are nourishing the land

as they flow out.

This river is expanding,

isn't it?

And so God is saying

to mankind,

well,

this is what I want to view.

This is what we're to do.

I want you to

extend the borders

of the garden.

Here we are in the garden,

but we're to extend

the borders

out into Eden

and beyond Eden

to the ends

of the earth.

Let the whole earth

be a dwelling place

for God.

This becomes clearer for us

down in verse 15.

The Lord God

took the man

and put him

in the garden of Eden

to work it

and to take care of it.

Now commentators

have pointed out

that this task,

if you look carefully

at verse 15,

of working

and caring,

it's specific,

it's unique.

The only other time

it's repeated

in scripture

is when it's referring

to the priests

who were serving

at the temple.

Their job was to

work

and to care.

So what we're getting

a picture here

is that this garden

is actually

like a temple.

It's a dwelling place

for God.

And it's the place

where man

is to serve

and care.

But it's a temple

that's not to stay

as it is.

It's a temple

that's to grow

and expand

as mankind

does his work

of serving

and caring.

Because it's God's

longing and desire

that the whole

world

would be

his dwelling place.

that the whole world

would become

a temple

of his presence.

God is to be

known and experienced

in every corner

of the earth.

So God

gives life,

he dwells

with his people

and God

demands

obedience

from mankind.

Now Yahweh

may be present,

the personal God

is there

with his people

but there is

a distinction.

Yahweh

is the creator.

We are the created.

We are living

under God's rule.

He's the one

who speaks

and we listen.

So look at

verse 16.

And the Lord God

commanded

the man,

you are free

to eat

from any tree

in the garden.

no prohibition

on eating

the fruit

from the tree

of life.

You can do that.

But,

verse 17,

you must not

eat from the tree

of the knowledge

of good and evil

for when you

eat of it

you'll die.

You see,

there is

such a thing

as morality.

People say

there isn't

but there is.

There is a good

and there is

an evil

and it's

God who

declares

what is right

and what is wrong.

It's not

mankind

who gets

to decide.

We don't

get to make

up the rules

what is evil

and what is

good.

That's the

distinction here

between Yahweh

and mankind.

He speaks

we listen.

God commands

we obey.

This is

God's world

and he always

knows what is

best and what

is right for us.

He isn't

being mean

and stingy

by saying

you can't

eat from

this fruit

because he's

provided every

other tree

for food.

His law

is good

and he knows

that if we're

to eat of it

it's not going

to be good

and following

his law

leads to an

abundant life.

This is good

for you.

You see,

this tree

in the garden

is to remind

man who is

in charge.

Who's the

boss?

The tree

reminds us

that God

demands

undivided

loyalty.

You see,

with this tree

comes a test

of loyalty.

Man is a

living being

capable of

thinking and

reasoning and

showing love

and the way

mankind is to

declare his

love,

the way he's

to show his

love to God

is by obeying

his commands.

God's

God's

God's

God's

God's

God's

God's

God's

God's

God's

God's

word,

not eating

the fruit

was a sign

of submission.

It's an

expression of

love.

It's saying

I trust

God

that when

he says

things

it's for

my best

and all

his ways

are pure.

Even when

I don't

understand

everything,

what he

says is

always right

and good.

However,

if they're

to go and

eat the

fruit,

it's

completely

the

opposite,

isn't

it?

It's

an

expression

of

rejection.

By

eating

the

fruit,

they'll

be

saying

I

don't

want

God

telling

me

what

is

good

and

evil.

I

will

decide

what's

good

and

evil.

It's

saying

I

want

to

be

like

God.

I

want

to

rule

the

world.

I

want

to

fill

the

world

with

my

presence

and

say

what

is

good.

I

want

to

be

boss.

In

fact,

to eat

of it,

end of

verse 17,

God

says

you'll

die.

Not

just

physical

death,

but a

spiritual

death.

A

life

without

God,

without

his

dwelling

with

his

people,

without

his

presence.

Instead

of an

abundant

life,

it would

be filled

with

chaos

and

disorder.

So

the

tree

was a

way of

showing

your

loyalty

to

God,

a

means

of

declaring

your

loving

obedience.

Now

what a

wonderful

picture we

have here

in

Genesis

2.

Isn't

it an

amazing

picture?

Here we

have

mankind

living an

abundant

spiritual

life,

enjoying

the

presence

of God,

enjoying

his dwelling,

walking

amongst them,

talking with

them.

Here they

are to

extend the

borders of

the garden

so that

the earth

is filled

with God's

presence.

How

wonderful

that is.

Would

you like

to be

there?

Is

that

something

that kind

of goes,

yes,

that's

where I'd

like to

be?

Would

you?

Maybe you're

wondering,

should I or

should I

not,

what's

coming

next?

Well,

I think

there's

something

better.

There's

something

better than

this.

You see,

this is

much more

than just

a description

of creation

because we

know,

and we'll

get to it

in a couple

of weeks,

we know

what?

They just

had to

obey.

Don't

eat it.

And

everything

would be

all right.

But they

didn't.

Instead of

leaving an

aroma of

the presence

of God,

mankind

has left

a trail

of destruction

behind them,

a tornado

of chaos,

of broken

relationships.

Now,

this is

much more

than just

a description

of creation.

This is

a picture

of the

church.

It's a

picture of

the church.

You see,

creation is

just a

display model

of the

local church.

What we're

reading in

Genesis 2

is a

picture of

you and

me.

Yes,

it is.

Here in

the garden,

we have a

blueprint for

what the

church should

be.

And it's

better.

Let me

show you.

I hope you've

got your

Bibles ready.

We're going to

look at a few

things.

First,

God gives

life by

his Spirit.

Let's

remember,

Genesis 2

may be

pre-fall,

but we're

reading this

post-fall,

aren't we?

We've been

given physical

life,

we're breathing,

but the

Bible says

we've been

born spiritually

dead.

We're not

born into

a relationship

with God.

We don't

enjoy intimacy

with God.

We need the

Spirit to

give us

life.

The prophet

Ezekiel gives

us a brilliant

picture of

this.

God had

promised Ezekiel

a time when

the Spirit

was going

to come

who would

be not

just with,

but in

the people.

When the

Spirit would

give life.

I have a

reference

here.

Ezekiel 36

Ezekiel 36:26–27

verses 26

to 27.

This is what

God promised.

He says,

I will give

you a new

heart and

put a new

spirit in

you and I

will remove

from you

your heart

of stone and

give you a

heart of

flesh and I

will put my

spirit in

you and

move you

to follow

my decrees

and be

careful to

keep my

laws.

And to

help us

see what

God has

promised.

Ezekiel has

another vision.

We're going

to look this

up together.

Go to

Ezekiel

Ezekiel 37 · chapter mention

chapter 37

in your

Bible.

Ezekiel

Ezekiel 37 · chapter mention

chapter 37.

Isaiah,

Jeremiah,

Lamentations

and then

Ezekiel.

You may

remember this

picture.

The vision

of the

valley of

dry bones.

And the

picture we

have in

chapter 37

is this

valley which

is full

of bones.

So it's

lifeless,

it's dead,

it's a

picture of

the spiritual

state of

God's people.

They are

spiritually

dead.

Now listen

to what God

says to

Ezekiel in

verse 4.

Then God

said to me,

prophesy to

these bones

and say to

them, dry

bones, hear

the word of

the Lord.

This is what

the sovereign

Lord says to

these bones.

I will make

breath, and

again the word

here is

spirit, I

will make

breath enter

you and you

will come to

life.

I will

attach

tendons to

you and

make flesh

come upon

you and

cover you

with skin.

I will

put breath

my spirit

in you and

you will

come to

life, then

you will

know that

I am the

Lord.

Verse 10,

so I

prophesied as

he commanded

me and

breath

entered them

and they

came to

life and

stood up

on their

feet, a

vast

army.

It is a

picture of

a spirit

filled

people, a

vast army,

much greater

than just

Adam and

Eve, but

a vast

army of

a spirit

filled

people,

filled with

a spirit

enabling them

to do and

to follow

God's law.

You see,

without the

spirit of

God, without

his spirit,

we are

dead.

And we

are now

living in

an age in

a time when

the spirit

has come.

The coming

of Jesus

means the

spirit is

here, because

Jesus came

to give

spiritual life

to all who

are dead.

Listen to

the words,

you can see

them on the

screen here.

The words

of Jesus

in John

John 6 · chapter mention

chapter 6.

Jesus says,

the spirit

gives life,

the flesh

counts for

nothing.

The words

I have

spoken to

you, they

are full

of the

spirit and

life.

You see,

the words

of God.

The word

about Jesus

is life.

And as we

hear the

word about

Jesus, the

spirit takes

that word

and applies

it to our

life.

It's like

spiritual

CPR.

The breath

of life,

the breath

of God

is breathed

into us.

Our spiritual

dead bodies

are transformed

and we become

spiritually alive.

life.

Where once

we had no

love for

God, we

now love

him and

obey him.

This is

the fullness

of life.

This is

true

abundant

life.

But not

only does he

give life

by his

spirit,

God is

with us

by his

spirit.

because when

he gives

us new

life, he

doesn't leave

us in

isolation, he

joins us

together with

other believers

so that he

might dwell

with us, not

just amongst

us, but in

us.

Just like the

garden was to

be a temple, a

dwelling place

for God, so

the church is

a temple,

isn't it?

Listen to what

Paul says to

the church in

Ephesians.

Jesus, in

him, in

Jesus, the

whole building,

so he's

talking about

the people

as a

building, in

him the

whole building

is joined

together and

rises to

become a

holy temple

in the

Lord, and

in him, you

too, are

being built

together to

become a

dry throat,

can somebody

get me some

water, please?

Sorry.

I'm going

to have to

stop, sorry.

I need

some breath.

Thank you,

Ralph.

Thank you,

Ralph.

That's

better.

So where

were we?

Let me just

backtrack a

little bit,

shall I?

So when God

gives us

spiritual life,

he doesn't

leave us in

isolation, but

he joins us

together with

other spirit-filled

believers so

that he might

dwell with us,

just like the

garden in

Genesis 2

was a temple

and to be a

dwelling place

for God, so

the church is a

temple.

That's what we

have here.

In him, the

whole building

is joined

together and

rises to

become a

holy temple

in the Lord,

and in him,

you too are

being built

together to

become a

dwelling in

which God

lives by

his spirit.

Look at

us.

We are much

bigger and

greater than

the garden of

Eden.

God, once

again, dwelling

with his

people, speaking

to us through

his life-giving

words so

that we might

enjoy fellowship

with him.

But there's

something more.

God doesn't

just give us

life.

He's with us

by his spirit

and he's at

work by his

spirit in the

church.

The church,

this temple,

is to also

grow and

expand.

God's

presence is

to be

known

everywhere.

Just as

the borders

in Eden

were to

expand

beyond them

to the

ends of

the earth,

that's what

Adam and

Eve were to

do, but

they failed.

And God

has given

his spirit

to his

church, and

right now

all across

the world

there are

little

garden

churches,

we might

call them

like that,

where God

is present

in all

the nations.

Remember

what Jesus

said to

his disciples,

you will

receive power

when the

Holy Spirit

comes on

you, and

you will

be my

witnesses

in Jerusalem,

Judea and

Samaria, and

to the ends

of the earth,

just as they

were to move

out of the

garden to

Eden, to

the ends

of the

earth, so

mankind is

beginning to

fulfil all

that God

had set

out to

do.

Can you

see that

life in

the garden

is just a

picture of

life in

the church?

A spirit

filled people

where God

dwells amongst

us by his

spirit, never

to leave us,

but with us

permanently,

secured and

sealed by the

work of

Christ.

A people

empowered by

his spirit so

that we can

now love and

obey God's

words and do

what is

right, reaching

out with the

good news of

Christ so

that the

earth is

filled with

the presence

of God.

That's what

we're doing

tomorrow when

you spend

time with

your children

at home,

you are

expanding the

borders as

you share

the gospel

with your

children so

the presence

of God

might be

known and

experienced

everywhere.

It's what

happens as

you disperse

amongst your

neighbourhood

and go

to work.

That as

you share

the good

news, it

is expanding

and growing

and the

presence of

God is

becoming known

in your

workplace and

in your

neighbourhood.

It happens

as you get

involved in

Sunday school

and the

rock and

rooted.

The presence

of God

expanding and

growing.

It's happening

through the

Cork-Carrie

project.

It's

happening

through our

partners

whether that's

in Kashmir

or in

Kosovo

to the

ends of

the earth.

What we

see in

Genesis

is just a

glorious

picture of

the church

today.

Let's

pray.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Father,

would you

please fill

us afresh

with a

vision for

your church.

Thank you

that we

are a

spirit-filled

people,

given new

life,

that we

can know

you,

we can

talk to

you,

that you

will never

ever leave

us.

Thank you,

Father,

that your

spirit is at

work through

us in our

homes,

in our neighborhoods at work

wherever we are

may we

by your power and your help

extend the borders

so that the presence and the knowledge of Christ

is known everywhere

help us we ask

in Jesus name

Amen

we're going to sing together

Holy Spirit

living breath of God

breathe new