The Garden Temple And Its Keepers (Genesis 2:9-18)
One of our catechism questions for our family is, “Why did God make you?” It is the Christian way of asking what your purpose is in life. Every time I hear that song sung in my home I think to myself, “There are so many people out in the world today that have no idea what their purpose is in life, but my children do.” And their response rings in my ear, “I was made to glorify God and enjoy Him forever.” And it is beautiful.
Here, in Genesis 2:9-18, we get to the heart of some of the deepest questions that we will ever have. Who are we? What is our purpose in life? Why were we created? We find those things in Genesis 2:9-18.
We are going to see that people were created to be with God, live for Him, and expand the boundaries of the Church.
God created man and put him in a beautiful garden. And that’s about as far as we think through this concept. But there is much more to the story. The Garden of Eden was indeed a garden, but it was more than a garden. It was a Garden Temple where the presence of God dwelt in a special way. (G.K. Beal’s book “The Temple and the Church’s Mission” has a lot of material on the matter. And, “Summarizing the Biblical-Theological Case for Eden Being A Temple Garden” on the Reformed Forum webpage is a good and free place to start.) And we will explore these things as we work through the text.
What we will see as we look at this text together is that people were created to be with God, serve God, and expand the boundaries of His Church.
Man Was Created To Be With God (Genesis 2:8, 10-14)
The Garden of Eden was where God’s special presence dwelt. We don’t really understand this completely until we look forward one chapter to Genesis 3:8.
“And they heard the sound of the LORD God walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and the man and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the LORD God among the trees of the garden.” (Genesis 3:8 ESV)
Like the temple, this was the unique place where God’s presence presided. Interestingly, Genesis 3:8 uses the same language as Leviticus 26:12 and Deuteronomy 23:14.
“And I will walk among you and will be your God, and you shall be my people.” (Leviticus 26:12 ESV)
“Because the LORD your God walks in the midst of your camp, to deliver you and to give up your enemies before you, therefore your camp must be holy, so that he may not see anything indecent among you and turn away from you.” (Deuteronomy 23:14 ESV)
The Lord’s special presence was thought to preside in the temple in those days. And here we see God walking in the Garden of Eden.
And this home that God gave man was quite spectacular. God’s Garden Temple was certainly a site to behold. Most ancient gardens were owned by kings who did not allow their subjects to enter in. But here, God Himself created this beautiful Garden Temple for His people to dwell in.
And the beauty of this temple was imitated by the other temples that came later. And, in some ways this Garden Temple pointed to the more glorious end times temple we see in the Book of Revelation.
Sit down and read 1 Kings 6:14-36 and you will be amazed at how much of the design of the temple was intended to look like a garden. It was lined with “boards of cedar” (1 Kings 6:15). “The cedar within the house was carved in the form of gourds and open flowers. All was cedar; no stone was seen” (1 Kings 6:18 ESV). In other places there were “engraved figures of cherubim and palm trees and open flowers” (1 Kings 6:29 ESV). This doesn’t even take account of all the different temple furnishings that we find in the next chapter that look like fruits from a garden.
We should also note the direction of the entrance to the Garden of Eden. In Genesis 3:24 we find that the entrance to this Garden Temple faced East. Now, this would be an insignificant detail if we did not know that the end times temple of Ezekiel will face East as well (Ezekiel 40:6).
The beauty of Eden was enhanced by the river that flowed out of it (Genesis 2:10). Out of Eden flowed the water that watered the garden. This aids us in understanding two different things. First, there were three sections to what is described to us here. There is Eden, where the water flows out of, then the garden, then the outer world. Similar to this structure is the Old Testament temple and tabernacle structure in which the Holy of Holies, the Holy Place, and the Courtyard existed. Like the outer world, the “courtyard” could be entered by all people. The second thing we see from the river flowing out of Eden is that the end times temple described in Ezekiel 47:1-12 and Revelation 21:1-2, 22:1-2 also has a river flowing out of it.
One last thing I believe is worth mentioning here as we discuss the beauty of the Garden Temple that Adam was placed within. Gold, bdellium, and onyx stone seem to have decorated the Garden of Eden (Genesis 2:11-12). These same stones would later decorate the sanctuaries and the clothing of the priests (Exodus 25:7, 11, 17, 31).
I hope that you see that the similarities between the temple and the Garden of Eden are more than incidental. And that means something to us in this moment.
There was a time when I didn’t think much of the phrase, “Everyone has a God-shaped hole in their life.” But you were created for a close and personal relationship with the Lord. There really is something that is missing in the life of the lost person. God created man and put Adam in His presence. This is where man was intended to be. And it was where man was until sin separated him from God.
In the next chapter of Genesis Adam will disobey God’s command. God is holy and righteous and must be obeyed. This disobedience of Adam meant that man would be separated from God. This means that though you were born to be in fellowship with God, you are not. There is something missing due to man’s rebellion against God.
God made a way for mankind to be brought back into that fellowship with Him. God sent His Son to live a perfect life on behalf of sinners who would trust in Him. Christ lived the life that we should have lived and for those who believe that life is credited to them. Jesus also died on behalf of those who would believe, completely paying the punishment for their sin. He paid the price for the sins we committed.
Now, praise be to God those who were separated from God can be brought near to Him. Those who turn from ruling their own lives and trust the Savior can be brought back into fellowship with God.
The Christian knows this already. But the Christian sometimes attempts to live their life apart from God’s presence. Sometimes we sin and don’t repent. Sometimes we choose to follow after that which will draw us away from Christ. Sometimes we hide sin. Sometimes we live prayerless lives. You were made for fellowship with God. And God gave you the Scriptures, which is His Word. Do you even take time to read it? Do you stop watching the television or piddling on your phone long enough to stop and pray? You were made for fellowship with God. And God Himself paid the high price of your being brought to Him through His Son. Do you think little of that?
And as we prioritize this in our homes, we will teach it to our kids. Teach them to go to the Lord in prayer. Study God’s Word with them. Teach them that they were created for fellowship with God.
We Were Created To Keep And Protect Righteousness (Genesis 2:9, 15-17)
In this beautiful Garden Temple there was a law and it was to be kept. God had created and placed two trees in the Garden of note. They were the Tree of Life and the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil (Genesis 2:9). The one law was that they were not to eat from one of those trees.
“And the LORD God commanded the man, saying, “You may surely eat of every tree of the garden, but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die.” (Genesis 2:16-17 ESV)
In that moment there was one law to keep. And that law was to not eat of the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil.
Adam was in the garden of Eden with a purpose and that was “to work it and to keep it” (Genesis 2:15). We understand rather intuitively that Adam’s work in the garden would have been that of a gardener, but what does that word “keep” mean?
The Hebrew word for “keep” describes watching over something or guarding and protecting something. So, Adam was to protect this place he was in. And, it should be of no surprise to you at this point in the message that this was one of the tasks of a priest in the temple (Numbers 3:7-8; 8:25-26; 18:5-6; 1 Chronicles 23:32; Ezekiel 44:14). There was evil lurking outside and Adam was to protect the Garden Temple. And when Adam failed to protect the Garden of Eden, cherubim took over the duty and began to do what Adam should have done (Genesis 3:24). And from that day forward cherubim were depicted in the temple (Exodus 25:18-22; 1 Kings 6:23-36).
One thing that we should notice is that part of the protection of the garden and protection of others in the garden would have been to teach God’s Law. And it is obvious that Adam did just that in Genesis 3:3. God gave the Law to Adam. But Eve told the Law to the serpent. Adam had taught her God’s Law at some point before her visit with the serpent.
We weren’t created to just live in this sinful world and follow whatever whims may carry us away. We were created for righteousness. We were not created to live against God’s Word. That doesn’t work. It destroys lives. It destroys societies.
What happens when God says that marriage lasts until one, or both of you dies? There is a lot of damage done. The tearing apart of that union can be devastating and have devastating effects. And children are effected by it as well, as anyone can see.
What happens when God says not to commit adultery and a spouse goes ahead and commits adultery? The covenant between the husband and wife is harmed and the relationship is devastated. The spouse who was faithful then chooses whether or not to remain, and according to Scripture they have every right to do so, but horrible damage is done in the relationship.
What happens when we take on a lot of debt, even though God’s Word says not to do so? We face difficult consequences. And sometimes they can be dire.
We could go on and on down the line here, but I want you to see that you were created for righteousness, for following God’s ways and not the ways of sin and the world.
And just as Adam was to teach God’s Law to Eve, men we are to teach God’s Word to our families. This includes our spouses. You are to love your wife as Christ loved the Church and wash her with the water of the Word (Ephesians 5:26). And you are responsible for teaching God’s Word to your family. You are to bring your children up in the “discipline and instruction of the Lord” (Ephesians 6:4 ESV).
Parents are responsible for teaching God’s Word to their children. But the responsibility does fall upon the father in a special way. Look around, there is danger lurking on every side. It has always been that way, but when drag queens do story hours in public libraries you can see the danger more clearly.
As a Church, we should be a beacon of righteousness. The Church is to be pure. And we are to seek the purity of those who live and walk among us. We see throughout the New Testament to guard the Church from the evils that lurk both within our hearts and from the world.
We are to encourage each other in holiness and righteousness.
“And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near.” (Hebrews 10:24-25 ESV)
And we are to be on guard against those people who cause divisions and create strife in our churches (Romans 16:17). We are to “admonish the idle” among us (1 Thessalonians 5:14). And we are to remove those people from among us who live in disobedience (2 Thessalonians 3:13-14). We are to confront false teachers within our church (Titus 1:9), and remove them if they do not repent (Titus 3:10). There are dangers lurking and we, the people of God, must be on guard. And Jesus outlines the method for disciplining members for disobedience and removing them from our midst if they do not repent (Matthew 18:15-20).
We Were Created To Expand The Presence Of The Lord (Genesis 1:27-28; 2:15, 18)
God created human beings in His image. And they are to multiply and fill the Earth (Genesis 1:27-28). This filling was to take place in the context of those who were created to work and keep the Garden of Eden. As more and more of the Earth was subdued, more and more of the Earth would have been incorporated into the Garden of Eden.
Another way of saying this would be to say that as men and women worked to subdue the Earth, as was their mandate in Genesis 1:28, they would be expanding the boundaries of the Garden of Eden, which is that place where God’s presence particularly dwelt. And what we see here is that this is what mankind was created to do.
You should know that I am not just making these things up. This is not Dwain running with some imaginary story and claiming it is part of Scripture.
Adam failed in his job. The serpent entered into the Garden of Eden and the job fell to God’s redeemed people. God’s presence was still going worldwide in a special way as His people subdued the Earth. And we see this depicted throughout the Scriptures.
God’s Spirit fell upon Balaam in Numbers 24 and he described God’s people as spreading out like a garden.
“How lovely are your tents, O Jacob, your encampments, O Israel! Like palm groves that stretch afar, like gardens beside a river, like aloes that the LORD has planted, like cedar trees beside the waters. Water shall flow from his buckets, and his seed shall be in many waters; his king shall be higher than Agag, and his kingdom shall be exalted. God brings him out of Egypt and is for him like the horns of the wild ox; he shall eat up the nations, his adversaries, and shall break their bones in pieces and pierce them through with his arrows. He crouched, he lay down like a lion and like a lioness; who will rouse him up? Blessed are those who bless you, and cursed are those who curse you.” (Numbers 24:5-9 ESV)
In Micah 4:1-5 the end times temple will “be lifted up above the hills; and peoples shall flow to it” (Micah 4:1 ESV). And when that happens, people from every nation will sit under the Lord’s “vine and under His fig tree” (Micah 4:4 ESV).
And though it does not use garden imagery Zechariah 1-2 speaks of that day when Jerusalem is so big that it is “inhabited as villages without walls” because of the massive number of people that dwell there. And, God’s special presence will be there when God Himself, not the ark of the Covenant, is as “a wall of fire all around” the New Heavens and New Earth (Zechariah 2:5).
And we see clearly the role of God’s people in all this when we put two things together. God made man in His image and they were to work the garden, keep the garden, and multiply which would expand the place where man dwelt with God. But after the Fall things are different.
Those who have trusted in Christ have been brought into fellowship with God. And we have a mission on this Earth and that is to bring people into fellowship with God.
“Now the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain to which Jesus had directed them. And when they saw him they worshiped him, but some doubted. And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”” (Matthew 28:16-20 ESV)
I hope your seeing and making the connection here. We are to work to subdue the Earth, and part of that is bringing people to the Lord. And Ladies, you were created to help in everything we discussed today (Genesis 2:18).
I noticed myself lamenting the modern attitude of the Church concerning the culture as I studied. Well, let me correct that statement a bit. I lamented the modern attitude of the Church and then realized I had a bit of that attitude myself.
We don’t see ourselves as those on the side of King Jesus who is taking the gospel to the nations through the work of His people. We see ourselves as a beaten up and trodden down group of individuals who just live until the King arrives. But that is not the picture we get from Genesis 2.
We are not just a small church here on the east side of Conway. We are God’s people. We are God’s priesthood working to expand the boundaries of God’s presence to a lost and dying world. We are working to subdue hearts and lives to Christ through the proclamation of the gospel. And by the grace of God and the power of the Holy Spirit we will do so.
Let that be the labor of our souls. We labor to subdue with the weapon of God’s Word by the power of the Holy Spirit. We labor to subdue our children under the lordship of Christ by the weapon of God’s Word and power of the Holy Spirit. We labor to subdue those who live near us here in Conway with the weapon of God’s Word and power of the Holy Spirit.
The fiery Scottish preacher, John Knox, labored for the salvation of his country. Mary Queen of Scots famously said, “I fear the prayers of John Knox more than all the assembled armies of Europe.” And do you know what the most famous prayer of that fiery preacher was? It was, “Give me Scotland, or I die.”
God, grant to us an understanding of our role here on this Earth and help us to see with the clarity of Knox how we are to work to expand your presence where we are.
Conclusion
We are people created in the image of God. And that means something. It means that people were created to have fellowship with God, to live for God, and to expand the boundaries of God’s presence across the entirety of this globe. And we, as a church here in Conway, must grasp take hold of that and bring the world into subjection to Christ through the declaration of His Word and work of the Holy Spirit.
R. Dwain Minor