WEBVTT 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:05.759 Tonight I'd like us just to turn for a few minutes back to Genesis chapter 2, and in 00:00:05.759 --> 00:00:14.240 particular we're going to look at verse 8, which is right there, the Lord God planted 00:00:14.240 --> 00:00:20.140 a garden in Eden. 00:00:20.140 --> 00:00:26.600 When we think back to Genesis chapter 1, 2 and 3 in the Garden of Eden, we are thinking 00:00:26.600 --> 00:00:32.520 about many of the big events that took place when God created the world and when He created 00:00:32.520 --> 00:00:33.520 humanity. 00:00:33.520 --> 00:00:38.359 And in many ways, these first three chapters of the Bible are crucial chapters. 00:00:38.359 --> 00:00:44.760 They contain information that is vital for our understanding of the whole Bible and 00:00:44.760 --> 00:00:46.600 for the whole of life. 00:00:46.600 --> 00:00:50.640 And so you will often find that people like me in sermons, even if they're preaching 00:00:50.640 --> 00:00:55.320 from somewhere way further on in the Bible, they'll come back to Genesis 1, Genesis 2 00:00:55.320 --> 00:00:59.439 and probably especially Genesis chapter 3. 00:00:59.439 --> 00:01:02.840 Huge themes are set before us in this chapter. 00:01:02.840 --> 00:01:08.640 We've got the origin of the world, the creation of humanity, the institution of marriage, 00:01:08.640 --> 00:01:14.680 the setting apart of the Sabbath day, the mandate for humanity to fill and rule the earth. 00:01:14.680 --> 00:01:23.920 And then in Genesis chapter 3, we read about the tragic fall of humanity when God's commandment 00:01:23.920 --> 00:01:24.920 was disobeyed. 00:01:24.920 --> 00:01:30.799 So there's loads of big, big, big, big, big themes in these chapters. 00:01:30.799 --> 00:01:33.840 Tonight we're going to look at none of them. 00:01:33.840 --> 00:01:38.400 And what I want to do is actually put all of these big themes to one side, not because 00:01:38.400 --> 00:01:42.359 they're not important, they're so important and we will no doubt come back to them and 00:01:42.359 --> 00:01:46.280 think about them again and again and again. 00:01:46.280 --> 00:01:50.240 But I want to put them to one side tonight because I want to do something a wee bit different 00:01:50.239 --> 00:01:58.359 tonight. I want us simply to think about the fact that when God created humanity, the environment 00:01:58.359 --> 00:02:06.119 that he chose to give them as their home was a garden. 00:02:06.119 --> 00:02:13.159 At the heart of the perfection of God's creation, there was a garden. 00:02:13.159 --> 00:02:18.639 And tonight I want us just to think about God's garden. 00:02:18.639 --> 00:02:25.439 And in particular, I want us to ask the question, what does that teach us about God? 00:02:25.439 --> 00:02:31.039 The fact that at the heart of his creation and that the heart of his purposes for humanity, 00:02:31.039 --> 00:02:32.519 there was this garden. 00:02:32.519 --> 00:02:34.399 What does that teach us about God? 00:02:34.399 --> 00:02:39.079 Well, we're going to look at eight things, eight things very quickly. 00:02:39.079 --> 00:02:41.719 They'll all be very quick. 00:02:41.719 --> 00:02:46.799 But I think that we learn eight things from a garden about God. 00:02:46.800 --> 00:02:52.560 Number one, and maybe this is the most obvious, a garden is a place of life. 00:02:52.560 --> 00:02:58.080 So if you imagine in your mind a vibrant garden in the height of summer, then the one thing 00:02:58.080 --> 00:03:02.760 that you can definitely say about that garden is that it is bursting with life. 00:03:02.760 --> 00:03:07.760 You think of the plants, the animals, the birds, they are all full of vitality. 00:03:07.760 --> 00:03:11.439 A garden is a place bursting with life. 00:03:11.439 --> 00:03:20.000 And that must have been so spectacularly true of the garden that God planted in Eden. 00:03:20.000 --> 00:03:26.319 Just try and picture the trees, the plants, the fruit, the vegetation, the wildlife. 00:03:26.319 --> 00:03:32.039 That garden must have been so full of life. 00:03:32.039 --> 00:03:39.079 And that reminds us that God is the source and giver of life. 00:03:39.080 --> 00:03:46.080 And that is one of the great logical foundations for reality that the biblical worldview gives 00:03:46.080 --> 00:03:47.080 to us. 00:03:47.080 --> 00:03:53.960 The fact that the Bible explains the reality of life because of the reality of a giver 00:03:53.960 --> 00:03:55.460 of life. 00:03:55.460 --> 00:04:01.120 The whole reason we have life is because there is a giver of life, and that's God. 00:04:01.120 --> 00:04:07.200 One of the fundamental truths about God is that He has life in and of Himself. 00:04:07.200 --> 00:04:08.840 He is self-sufficient. 00:04:08.840 --> 00:04:13.280 He's not in any way dependent on anything outside Himself. 00:04:13.280 --> 00:04:16.560 God has life in and of Himself. 00:04:16.560 --> 00:04:21.240 The phrase we sometimes use to describe that is the aseity of God. 00:04:21.240 --> 00:04:23.000 So that's a word I want you to remember. 00:04:23.000 --> 00:04:26.120 I'm sure you all know it anyway, but we'll remind you of it. 00:04:26.120 --> 00:04:32.480 The aseity of God, that in and of Himself, that's kind of what the word means, of Himself, 00:04:32.480 --> 00:04:34.639 God has life. 00:04:34.639 --> 00:04:36.720 He is self-sufficient. 00:04:36.720 --> 00:04:43.720 He can give life to creation because He has life in and of Himself. 00:04:43.720 --> 00:04:52.600 Out of that abundant self-sufficiency, He creates this universe and this garden. 00:04:52.600 --> 00:04:57.200 And that reminds us of a really important point that although God is independent, so 00:04:57.200 --> 00:05:01.440 He doesn't depend on anything else, He is not introverted. 00:05:01.439 --> 00:05:06.680 Instead, He has poured out life into this creation. 00:05:06.680 --> 00:05:10.480 His creative power has brought energy to the whole universe. 00:05:10.480 --> 00:05:12.560 It's brought life to planet Earth. 00:05:12.560 --> 00:05:19.879 And in the vibrancy of this garden, we see all the amazing results of God's life-giving 00:05:19.879 --> 00:05:20.879 power. 00:05:20.879 --> 00:05:26.319 So that garden, the Garden of Eden, was full of life, and that's grounded in the fact that 00:05:26.319 --> 00:05:29.759 it was God who planted it. 00:05:29.759 --> 00:05:37.279 He is the source, He is the origin, He is the giver of life, He is the Creator. 00:05:37.279 --> 00:05:45.480 Now when people explore the world of science, they discover all sorts of amazing insights 00:05:45.480 --> 00:05:48.680 into how that life works. 00:05:48.680 --> 00:05:53.000 And what you discover is just astonishing. 00:05:53.000 --> 00:05:55.839 But none of that should intimidate us as Christians. 00:05:55.839 --> 00:06:01.979 It should simply make us marvel all the more at what God has made. 00:06:01.979 --> 00:06:08.199 The more we look into it, the more we see the wonder of God's creative work. 00:06:08.199 --> 00:06:15.159 And one of the great anomalies of the modern world that we live in is that we accept the 00:06:15.159 --> 00:06:18.159 reality of life. 00:06:18.159 --> 00:06:22.439 We value the experience of life. 00:06:22.439 --> 00:06:29.480 And yet we're quite happy to deny that there is a source of life. 00:06:29.480 --> 00:06:38.160 Now I think it's impossible to see how that makes sense. 00:06:38.160 --> 00:06:41.480 I just can't see how that can work. 00:06:41.480 --> 00:06:46.680 Which of course is why the biblical worldview makes perfect sense. 00:06:46.680 --> 00:06:49.360 God has life in and of Himself. 00:06:49.360 --> 00:06:52.199 His nature is such that He has the energy. 00:06:52.199 --> 00:06:57.439 The resources, the power, and the ability to create a universe and to bring life to 00:06:57.439 --> 00:07:01.319 this planet and to plant an amazing garden. 00:07:01.319 --> 00:07:10.759 A garden is a place of life that teaches us that God is the giver of life. 00:07:10.759 --> 00:07:15.680 Number two, a garden is a place of beauty. 00:07:15.680 --> 00:07:19.879 So if you go back in your mind to that vibrant garden in the height of summer, what can you 00:07:19.879 --> 00:07:20.879 see? 00:07:20.879 --> 00:07:21.879 Just think. 00:07:21.879 --> 00:07:24.199 You can see flowers. 00:07:24.199 --> 00:07:25.360 You can see plants. 00:07:25.360 --> 00:07:26.600 You can see trees. 00:07:26.600 --> 00:07:31.079 You can see fruit, colors, patterns. 00:07:31.079 --> 00:07:39.079 All of that is bathed in warm sunshine and all the plants sway in a gentle breeze. 00:07:39.079 --> 00:07:47.639 The whole environment of a thriving garden is one of astounding beauty. 00:07:47.639 --> 00:07:53.759 And there can be absolutely no doubt that the beauty of the garden that God planted 00:07:53.759 --> 00:07:59.120 in Eden would have been utterly breathtaking. 00:07:59.120 --> 00:08:03.039 And in fact, Genesis makes that explicit. 00:08:03.039 --> 00:08:06.919 It says in verse nine, out of the ground, the Lord God made to spring up every tree 00:08:06.919 --> 00:08:10.759 that is pleasant to the sight. 00:08:10.759 --> 00:08:17.599 The writer of Genesis is wanting us to know that Eden looked stunning and looking around 00:08:17.600 --> 00:08:21.840 that garden was sheer pleasure. 00:08:21.840 --> 00:08:24.320 That's reinforced as you go through this chapter. 00:08:24.320 --> 00:08:29.840 When it talks about the things that God has created, it refers to gold and onyx stones. 00:08:29.840 --> 00:08:33.759 It must have been so beautiful in that garden. 00:08:33.759 --> 00:08:38.840 And it's a reminder that God makes things beautiful. 00:08:38.840 --> 00:08:43.360 And that's a really important point, that the life that God brings to His creation is 00:08:43.360 --> 00:08:47.000 not purely functional. 00:08:47.000 --> 00:08:51.919 In other words, it's not just clinical or pragmatic or dutiful. 00:08:51.919 --> 00:08:57.360 It's not that God just puts together this kind of cold, clunking, well put together 00:08:57.360 --> 00:08:58.360 machine. 00:08:58.360 --> 00:09:03.879 No, God's creation is extraordinarily beautiful. 00:09:03.879 --> 00:09:12.159 And just imagine being in the Garden of Eden and think about your five senses, okay? 00:09:12.159 --> 00:09:16.200 So think about what you would see. 00:09:16.200 --> 00:09:18.960 You'd see an abundance of blossoming flowers. 00:09:18.960 --> 00:09:26.960 You'd see magnificent strong trees, lush ripe fruit, glistening water, spectacular vibrant 00:09:26.960 --> 00:09:27.960 colors. 00:09:27.960 --> 00:09:29.200 You would see amazing stuff. 00:09:29.200 --> 00:09:32.840 Think about what you would hear. 00:09:32.840 --> 00:09:34.920 You'd hear birds singing beautifully. 00:09:34.920 --> 00:09:36.879 You'd hear leaves rustling. 00:09:36.879 --> 00:09:40.879 You'd hear water gently flowing. 00:09:40.879 --> 00:09:43.520 Think about what you would smell. 00:09:43.519 --> 00:09:47.000 You'd smell the delicate fragrance of flowers. 00:09:47.000 --> 00:09:49.439 You'd smell the freshness of grass and leaves. 00:09:49.439 --> 00:09:51.279 Who loves the smell of grass? 00:09:51.279 --> 00:09:54.279 Grass smells so nice. 00:09:54.279 --> 00:09:56.319 The clean, crisp air. 00:09:56.319 --> 00:10:00.799 And it mentioned bedelium later on in verse 12. 00:10:00.799 --> 00:10:02.720 We all think what on earth is that? 00:10:02.720 --> 00:10:06.079 Bedelium was a fragrant aromatic resin. 00:10:06.079 --> 00:10:12.399 In other words, it was something that smelled nice. 00:10:12.399 --> 00:10:15.319 Think of what you would taste. 00:10:15.319 --> 00:10:17.279 Now I absolutely love fruit. 00:10:17.279 --> 00:10:18.279 I eat. 00:10:18.279 --> 00:10:20.879 My poor wife has to spend a fortune on fruit. 00:10:20.879 --> 00:10:21.879 Love it. 00:10:21.879 --> 00:10:22.879 I eat. 00:10:22.879 --> 00:10:23.879 I don't eat five a day. 00:10:23.879 --> 00:10:26.519 I eat 12 a day. 00:10:26.519 --> 00:10:30.399 So if you love fruit, just imagine the fruit in the Garden of Eden. 00:10:30.399 --> 00:10:36.120 Just think of the juicy oranges, the ripe grapes, the soft pears, the succulent olives, 00:10:36.120 --> 00:10:39.480 the crisp apples, the sweet tomatoes, the summer strawberries. 00:10:39.480 --> 00:10:42.800 It must have been so nice. 00:10:42.800 --> 00:10:46.600 It would have tasted so good. 00:10:46.600 --> 00:10:48.039 I think about what you would touch. 00:10:48.039 --> 00:10:51.399 You could go and you could touch these delicate petals on the flowers. 00:10:51.399 --> 00:10:56.759 You could rub your hands in the soft grass, dip your hand in the cool water, hold onto 00:10:56.759 --> 00:11:02.480 the strong branches of the trees, touch the smooth leaves, the tender shoots that were 00:11:02.480 --> 00:11:04.240 growing up. 00:11:04.240 --> 00:11:10.560 The beauty of that garden is mind-blowing. 00:11:10.560 --> 00:11:21.039 And it's a great reminder that the greatest artist, musician, perfumer, flavorer, and 00:11:21.039 --> 00:11:27.560 craftsman of all is God. 00:11:27.560 --> 00:11:32.759 He makes beautiful sights, sounds, tastes, smells, and textures. 00:11:32.759 --> 00:11:36.960 When God made a garden, it was stunningly beautiful. 00:11:36.960 --> 00:11:41.159 And of course, we still enjoy so much of that beauty today. 00:11:41.159 --> 00:11:44.480 Scotland is a place of rare beauty. 00:11:44.480 --> 00:11:47.080 It's a stunning country. 00:11:47.080 --> 00:11:51.159 Further north and further west you go, the more stunning it gets. 00:11:51.159 --> 00:11:53.799 But it's a beautiful, beautiful place. 00:11:53.799 --> 00:12:00.960 And we should always marvel at that creation and always enjoy it and appreciate what we 00:12:00.960 --> 00:12:01.960 have. 00:12:01.960 --> 00:12:09.840 It's a great reminder that if anyone thinks that the God of the Bible is dull or stale 00:12:09.840 --> 00:12:15.720 or lacking in an imagination, then they have a hopelessly inaccurate understanding of who 00:12:15.720 --> 00:12:17.480 God is. 00:12:17.480 --> 00:12:27.080 The pinnacle of human art or music or taste is just a tiny, tiny reflection of the beauty 00:12:27.080 --> 00:12:29.840 that God is capable of. 00:12:29.840 --> 00:12:33.160 God can do it to another level altogether. 00:12:33.160 --> 00:12:41.879 The Garden of Eden was beautiful because God makes things that are beautiful. 00:12:41.879 --> 00:12:46.120 Number three, a garden is a place of nourishment. 00:12:46.120 --> 00:12:49.759 So if you go back in your mind to that summer garden that you're picturing, it's a place 00:12:49.759 --> 00:12:51.759 of wonderful nourishment. 00:12:51.759 --> 00:12:53.200 So the plants are watered. 00:12:53.200 --> 00:12:54.960 The soil provides nutrients. 00:12:54.960 --> 00:12:56.840 The sun gives light. 00:12:56.840 --> 00:12:59.160 The birds and the animals can find food. 00:12:59.159 --> 00:13:04.559 And even we ourselves can go and eat of the fruit of the trees or from the harvest of 00:13:04.559 --> 00:13:05.559 the field. 00:13:05.559 --> 00:13:06.639 Eden was the same. 00:13:06.639 --> 00:13:09.399 It was a place of wonderful nourishment. 00:13:09.399 --> 00:13:13.399 Again, the same verse makes it clear, out of the ground, the Lord God made to spring 00:13:13.399 --> 00:13:21.399 up every tree that's pleasant to the sight and good for food. 00:13:21.399 --> 00:13:26.879 The nourishment that humanity required was provided by this garden. 00:13:26.879 --> 00:13:31.480 Now, that reminds us of two great theological truths concerning God. 00:13:31.480 --> 00:13:34.960 First, that God is the great sustainer of creation. 00:13:34.960 --> 00:13:41.720 If you look at the world, you see that it's an amazing balance of order and interdependence 00:13:41.720 --> 00:13:46.399 within the natural world, whereby so many different things have to fit together. 00:13:46.399 --> 00:13:51.240 So you've got light and minerals and sugar and oxygen and carbon dioxide, all of these 00:13:51.240 --> 00:13:55.279 different things combining in wonderful harmony to nurture life. 00:13:55.279 --> 00:14:00.360 So God doesn't simply create, he sustains the world that he has made. 00:14:00.360 --> 00:14:06.399 But the second thing we see is that God provides for our needs. 00:14:06.399 --> 00:14:11.720 The reality of this garden meant that humanity had a perfect place to live, but that was 00:14:11.720 --> 00:14:17.799 only because God himself had provided it, which is a great reminder of the fact that 00:14:17.799 --> 00:14:24.720 God is concerned for your needs and for your nourishment. 00:14:24.720 --> 00:14:30.440 So your body needs a very complex range of nutrients in order to stay alive, and in this 00:14:30.440 --> 00:14:33.680 garden, God provides them all. 00:14:33.680 --> 00:14:39.519 It's a great reminder of the kindness of God. 00:14:39.519 --> 00:14:45.160 He knows what we need, so he provides what we need. 00:14:45.160 --> 00:14:49.720 He gives humanity a garden that will nourish and sustain them. 00:14:49.720 --> 00:14:55.600 But I want you to notice something really important. 00:14:55.600 --> 00:15:03.279 The provision of nourishment that God makes is not simply adequate. 00:15:03.279 --> 00:15:06.519 It's good. 00:15:06.519 --> 00:15:11.120 So we have a God who does more than just the essential. 00:15:11.120 --> 00:15:13.879 He goes beyond the bare minimum. 00:15:13.879 --> 00:15:19.960 He wants to provide us with nourishment that is really, really good. 00:15:19.960 --> 00:15:23.879 And that's why today, even though we live in a fallen world, we still enjoy the wonderful 00:15:23.879 --> 00:15:27.279 privilege of good nourishing food. 00:15:27.279 --> 00:15:32.360 And of course, in our fallen condition, we can abuse that, which is why gluttony is a 00:15:32.360 --> 00:15:35.960 sin in exactly the same way that drunkenness is a sin. 00:15:35.960 --> 00:15:42.639 But if we avoid these pitfalls, we can still enjoy the amazing provision of God as He nourishes 00:15:42.639 --> 00:15:50.799 us with good food, which I have to say, all of us who are on the weekend away, we lived 00:15:50.799 --> 00:15:53.439 out that reality over these past two days. 00:15:53.439 --> 00:15:55.919 Their food was wonderful. 00:15:55.919 --> 00:15:59.279 And it's to be enjoyed with thanksgiving to God. 00:15:59.279 --> 00:16:06.039 A garden is a place of nourishment because God wants to meet our needs. 00:16:06.039 --> 00:16:11.319 Number four, a garden is a place of protection. 00:16:11.320 --> 00:16:16.360 It's very interesting that the Hebrew word for garden comes from the same root word as 00:16:16.360 --> 00:16:20.240 the word for defend or the word for shield. 00:16:20.240 --> 00:16:23.520 So for example, you have Isaiah 31.5. 00:16:23.520 --> 00:16:28.160 It says, like birds hovering, so the Lord of hosts will protect Jerusalem. 00:16:28.160 --> 00:16:30.200 He will protect and deliver it. 00:16:30.200 --> 00:16:34.520 He will spare and rescue it. 00:16:34.520 --> 00:16:39.240 Same root word, garden and the two protects that you have in that verse. 00:16:39.240 --> 00:16:46.519 A garden is a place of shelter, of protection and of safety. 00:16:46.519 --> 00:16:51.639 And so when God made a garden for Adam and Eve, He was giving them a safe and secure 00:16:51.639 --> 00:16:53.840 place to live. 00:16:53.840 --> 00:16:59.759 And I think that we can relate to that when we think of our own gardens. 00:16:59.759 --> 00:17:02.480 I can remember when I was wee growing up in Stornoway. 00:17:02.480 --> 00:17:08.240 It's a very embarrassing illustration, but anyway, I'll just do it. 00:17:08.240 --> 00:17:17.319 I remember walking home and if it was winter, it was dark, Stornoway's dark from October 00:17:17.319 --> 00:17:19.640 to March. 00:17:19.640 --> 00:17:23.279 And you'd be walking up the road and I would walk up the road and I was, this is going 00:17:23.279 --> 00:17:29.240 to sound really silly, but I would come past the driveways on the street and I was always 00:17:29.240 --> 00:17:34.200 worried that there would be something or someone on the driveways and I was really nervous. 00:17:34.200 --> 00:17:36.039 What I would actually do is walk up the middle of the road. 00:17:36.039 --> 00:17:39.359 So it wasn't like we said it anyway, as I said, an embarrassing illustration. 00:17:39.359 --> 00:17:49.159 But as soon as I got into my own garden, I felt safe and felt secure. 00:17:49.159 --> 00:17:51.920 And just think of Eden. 00:17:51.920 --> 00:17:54.440 Think of all the protection that I provided. 00:17:54.440 --> 00:17:58.039 Think of the shelter of the trees if it got too hot. 00:17:58.039 --> 00:18:01.480 Think of the security of sitting by the riverbank. 00:18:01.480 --> 00:18:03.000 It was a safe place. 00:18:03.000 --> 00:18:07.759 Now, of course, when I say that, some of you might be immediately saying, well, Thomas, 00:18:07.759 --> 00:18:13.240 yeah, but if the garden was safe, how come the serpent got in? 00:18:13.240 --> 00:18:16.599 But the point that we have to recognize in regard to that question, which is often asked 00:18:16.599 --> 00:18:20.079 in different ways, if Eden was so good, how come there was a serpent? 00:18:20.079 --> 00:18:22.119 That kind of question. 00:18:22.119 --> 00:18:27.000 What we have to recognize is the fact that God had already given Adam all that he needed 00:18:27.000 --> 00:18:29.759 to be safe from the serpent. 00:18:29.759 --> 00:18:37.160 If you look at the narrative, you'll see that Adam is given dominion over all the animals. 00:18:37.160 --> 00:18:40.000 That's why he names them, because he has authority over them. 00:18:40.000 --> 00:18:48.039 So when the serpent comes and tries to influence Adam's behavior, all Adam has to do is remember 00:18:48.039 --> 00:18:52.119 that God has placed him in charge. 00:18:52.119 --> 00:18:54.359 He should have exercised the authority that he had. 00:18:54.359 --> 00:18:59.039 He should have told the serpent to clear off. 00:18:59.039 --> 00:19:03.119 God had given Adam and Eve everything that they needed to be safe and secure. 00:19:03.119 --> 00:19:11.519 And the fall happened because they doubted whether God really had their best interests 00:19:11.519 --> 00:19:14.200 at heart. 00:19:14.200 --> 00:19:19.599 And that's one of the reasons why the fall is so tragic, because the creation of this 00:19:19.599 --> 00:19:26.559 garden was such a clear statement to Adam and Eve that God cared so deeply for them, 00:19:26.559 --> 00:19:33.119 and that God wanted them to be safe and secure and comfortable. 00:19:33.119 --> 00:19:35.480 And God has not changed. 00:19:35.480 --> 00:19:40.440 If you go through the whole Bible, you will see again and again and again, God provides 00:19:40.440 --> 00:19:46.000 things for people in order to protect them. 00:19:46.000 --> 00:19:49.240 God's law is there to protect His people. 00:19:49.240 --> 00:19:52.399 God's king always had a duty to defend His people. 00:19:52.399 --> 00:19:55.480 God's prophets came to warn people. 00:19:55.480 --> 00:20:02.360 God wants His people to be safe because God is a protective God. 00:20:02.360 --> 00:20:07.759 And Jesus Himself reflected that when He spoke of His desire to gather Jerusalem under His 00:20:07.759 --> 00:20:11.640 wing to protect them. 00:20:11.640 --> 00:20:18.200 And I want you to never, ever forget that, that God wants you to be safe. 00:20:18.200 --> 00:20:25.720 Now, sometimes that means that He'll tell you to avoid things that we are drawn to. 00:20:25.720 --> 00:20:30.559 That's what you do with children all the time, the amount of times you have to tell children 00:20:30.559 --> 00:20:33.279 not to do stuff in order to keep them safe. 00:20:33.279 --> 00:20:38.640 And so when God tells us avoid that, it is only because of how deeply protective He is 00:20:38.640 --> 00:20:41.440 towards you. 00:20:41.440 --> 00:20:48.559 And yet so often, like Jerusalem, we forfeit God's protection because of our own unwillingness. 00:20:48.559 --> 00:20:55.680 A garden is a place of protection because God is a protective God. 00:20:55.680 --> 00:20:59.799 Number five, a garden is a place of work. 00:20:59.799 --> 00:21:05.559 That's one of the great principles highlighted by the creation of the Garden of Eden, that 00:21:05.559 --> 00:21:11.879 a key part of God's original plan for humanity was that we would work the Lord God, took 00:21:11.879 --> 00:21:16.440 the man, put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and keep it. 00:21:16.440 --> 00:21:21.039 It's a great reminder that even though work is affected by the fall, it's not a consequence 00:21:21.039 --> 00:21:22.039 of the fall. 00:21:22.039 --> 00:21:27.639 We are created to work, to be active and to be fulfilling the role and responsibility 00:21:27.639 --> 00:21:29.519 that God has given us. 00:21:29.519 --> 00:21:34.399 And that principle is very, very, very relevant when we think of a garden because any gardener 00:21:34.400 --> 00:21:39.840 here will tell you that looking after a garden requires a lot of work. 00:21:39.840 --> 00:21:42.040 And that was true of Eden as well. 00:21:42.040 --> 00:21:45.920 It needed to be worked and kept, and that was Adam's job. 00:21:45.920 --> 00:21:51.240 That involves commitment and effort, but it brings great reward. 00:21:51.240 --> 00:21:55.920 Anyone here who's got a nice garden, there's probably times where you're thinking, why 00:21:55.920 --> 00:21:57.720 am I doing all this work? 00:21:57.720 --> 00:22:03.759 And then in the middle of summer, on that hot, sunny day when the garden is bursting with 00:22:03.759 --> 00:22:09.680 life and with beauty, then I'm pretty sure everyone thinks it's well, well worth the 00:22:09.680 --> 00:22:11.599 work. 00:22:11.599 --> 00:22:17.440 God has made us to work, to work well, to work wisely, to work willingly. 00:22:17.440 --> 00:22:23.519 And in the garden placed in Eden, God gave us a wonderful environment for us to work. 00:22:23.519 --> 00:22:28.480 It brought routine and purpose and achievement to Adam and Eve's lives. 00:22:28.480 --> 00:22:33.720 And of course, that's a great reminder that God doesn't like laziness. 00:22:33.720 --> 00:22:38.920 God himself is never lazy, and part of our image-bearing role is to make sure that we 00:22:38.920 --> 00:22:41.480 are never lazy as well. 00:22:41.480 --> 00:22:46.920 And even though the fall has ruined work for us, and even though work is now hard toil, 00:22:46.920 --> 00:22:52.600 and sometimes our own jobs will be hard toil, the Garden of Eden's a great reminder that 00:22:52.600 --> 00:22:59.360 God's great plan was to give us a brilliant job, a stimulating, satisfying, rewarding 00:22:59.359 --> 00:23:04.639 role that brings purpose and fulfillment to our lives. 00:23:04.639 --> 00:23:12.559 A garden is a place of work because God has made us to be workers, just like He is. 00:23:12.559 --> 00:23:18.000 Number six, a garden is a place of rest. 00:23:18.000 --> 00:23:22.799 So yes, the Garden of Eden was a place of work, but it was also a place of rest. 00:23:22.799 --> 00:23:26.919 From the very beginning, that pattern of Sabbath rest was established by God. 00:23:26.920 --> 00:23:32.240 And you can see so much beautiful logic in what God is doing. 00:23:32.240 --> 00:23:35.640 God has created this magnificent garden for Adam and Eve. 00:23:35.640 --> 00:23:41.600 He wants them to work in it and look after it, and He then wants them to rest and enjoy 00:23:41.600 --> 00:23:43.720 it. 00:23:43.720 --> 00:23:50.200 And that's a great reminder of what an incredibly positive thing the Sabbath principle is. 00:23:50.200 --> 00:23:56.360 And sometimes I get very disappointed by the fact that a lot of energy has been put into 00:23:56.359 --> 00:24:05.039 and defending the Sabbath day, but that's often been done in negative terms about what 00:24:05.039 --> 00:24:10.079 we shouldn't do and stuff like that. 00:24:10.079 --> 00:24:15.399 And I find that disappointing because the truth is that a day of rest is an incredibly 00:24:15.399 --> 00:24:18.000 positive thing. 00:24:18.000 --> 00:24:23.639 It's an amazing thing to have as part of your weekly routine. 00:24:23.640 --> 00:24:31.200 And so I can just imagine Adam and Eve working for six days and then resting on the Sabbath 00:24:31.200 --> 00:24:37.520 day and going around that garden, admiring the work that they've done and discovering 00:24:37.520 --> 00:24:44.240 more and more and more of God's amazing creation in this garden. 00:24:44.240 --> 00:24:48.920 So God says to humanity, yes, I want you to work in this garden, but I also want you to 00:24:48.920 --> 00:24:51.280 enjoy it. 00:24:51.279 --> 00:24:58.519 And just imagine resting in the garden of Eden, just the environment, the beauty around 00:24:58.519 --> 00:25:04.119 you, the warmth, the security, the safety, the peace. 00:25:04.119 --> 00:25:07.480 What a brilliant resting place. 00:25:07.480 --> 00:25:11.559 And Adam and Eve had that because God wanted them to have it. 00:25:11.559 --> 00:25:14.440 God wants to bless us. 00:25:14.440 --> 00:25:17.319 God wants to be good to us. 00:25:17.319 --> 00:25:20.639 That's an incredibly important theological point. 00:25:20.640 --> 00:25:23.800 That's what the character of God is. 00:25:23.800 --> 00:25:25.300 He is gracious. 00:25:25.300 --> 00:25:26.300 He's kind. 00:25:26.300 --> 00:25:28.080 He's generous. 00:25:28.080 --> 00:25:30.640 He's extravagant in his goodness. 00:25:30.640 --> 00:25:33.240 He is so loving. 00:25:33.240 --> 00:25:38.200 He wants to pour out upon us the most extraordinary privileges. 00:25:38.200 --> 00:25:46.280 His great desire was that humanity could rest and relax in this stunning garden because 00:25:46.280 --> 00:25:50.240 God is no slave driver. 00:25:50.240 --> 00:25:53.200 He's a gentle and a kind God. 00:25:53.200 --> 00:26:02.440 A garden is a place of rest because God wants to be gentle with us and kind to us. 00:26:02.440 --> 00:26:06.920 Second last one, number seven, a garden is a place of joy. 00:26:06.920 --> 00:26:09.839 This garden was a place of joy. 00:26:09.839 --> 00:26:15.400 Again, as we think of it in our minds, we can just see the astonishing beauty of everything 00:26:15.400 --> 00:26:16.920 that is all around us. 00:26:16.920 --> 00:26:22.200 All pointing us to the fact that a garden is a place of great joy. 00:26:22.200 --> 00:26:28.920 There's something so pleasant and happy and cheerful about being in a nice garden. 00:26:28.920 --> 00:26:32.720 And for Adam and Eve, this place must have been a source of so much joy. 00:26:32.720 --> 00:26:36.640 They lived in these stunning surroundings. 00:26:36.640 --> 00:26:39.120 Adam had this amazing environment. 00:26:39.120 --> 00:26:41.920 He had God's clear instructions for his life. 00:26:41.920 --> 00:26:44.000 He had a wife who was made for him. 00:26:44.000 --> 00:26:47.599 He had a routine that was healthy and purposeful and meaningful. 00:26:47.599 --> 00:26:51.759 He had all the nourishment and provision and protection that he needed. 00:26:51.759 --> 00:26:56.359 And he must have thought, wow, this is good. 00:26:56.359 --> 00:26:59.440 This is so good. 00:26:59.440 --> 00:27:02.759 And we can still get a taste of that today. 00:27:02.759 --> 00:27:09.200 We can still see glory and beauty and splendor in the world around us. 00:27:09.200 --> 00:27:12.839 And some of us went on a hill walk yesterday for the weekend away. 00:27:12.839 --> 00:27:17.399 And when you get to the top of a hill in Scotland and you look out, it's impossible not to say, 00:27:17.399 --> 00:27:21.359 wow, it's amazing. 00:27:21.359 --> 00:27:31.119 And that joy, if it's true now, boy, it must have been so true back in Eden. 00:27:31.119 --> 00:27:35.240 It's reminding us of the fact that God wants us to have joy. 00:27:35.240 --> 00:27:41.759 He gave Adam and Eve the best, not just a good garden, not just, it was just brilliant. 00:27:41.759 --> 00:27:44.119 He gave God the very best. 00:27:44.119 --> 00:27:49.879 And it's a reminder, God does not want us to be miserable. 00:27:49.879 --> 00:27:53.559 He wants to give humanity great joy. 00:27:53.559 --> 00:27:58.799 A garden is a place of joy because God wants to give us joy. 00:27:58.799 --> 00:28:03.200 And the last one, number eight, is that a garden is a place of wonder, which I suppose 00:28:03.200 --> 00:28:05.680 is kind of a summary of everything that we've said. 00:28:05.680 --> 00:28:10.920 All that we've said and looked at tonight is coming together to remind us that Eden 00:28:10.920 --> 00:28:14.600 must have been a place of astounding wonder. 00:28:14.600 --> 00:28:19.640 The colors, the smells, the sounds, the safety, the routine, the joy, the scenery, everything 00:28:19.640 --> 00:28:22.640 must have been just astonishing. 00:28:22.640 --> 00:28:25.560 It's a place of wonder. 00:28:25.560 --> 00:28:33.039 And that wonder points us to the one from whom it all came, as Vershe tells us, God planted 00:28:33.039 --> 00:28:35.480 that garden. 00:28:35.480 --> 00:28:43.440 And like all of creation, from the stars to the hills to the flowers, it's all a revelation 00:28:43.440 --> 00:28:49.000 of the glory of God because He's the great artist. 00:28:49.000 --> 00:28:50.839 He's the great architect. 00:28:50.839 --> 00:28:52.839 He's the great musician. 00:28:52.839 --> 00:28:55.000 He's the great provider. 00:28:55.000 --> 00:28:57.400 He's the great gardener. 00:28:57.400 --> 00:29:05.920 The glory of Eden is giving us a glimpse of the glory of God. 00:29:05.920 --> 00:29:09.200 So that garden must have been an amazing place. 00:29:09.200 --> 00:29:16.120 It's a place of life, of beauty, of nourishment, of protection, of work, of rest, of joy, and 00:29:16.120 --> 00:29:18.600 of wonder. 00:29:18.600 --> 00:29:23.960 And that's teaching us about the glory and majesty and goodness of the God who planted 00:29:23.960 --> 00:29:26.160 it. 00:29:26.160 --> 00:29:35.279 And it's a great reminder that from the very beginning, God wants to give humanity the 00:29:35.279 --> 00:29:37.279 best. 00:29:37.279 --> 00:29:48.440 Now, please make sure that you write that truth onto your heart because the devil has 00:29:48.440 --> 00:29:50.880 plagued humanity. 00:29:50.880 --> 00:29:59.280 From Adam onwards, he has plagued humanity with the lie that God does not want what's 00:29:59.280 --> 00:30:05.880 best for us and that God's instruction and that God's purposes are actually spoiling 00:30:05.880 --> 00:30:10.080 our lives and restricting us. 00:30:10.080 --> 00:30:16.880 And as a result, many, many people have abandoned God and they've gone headlong down a path 00:30:16.880 --> 00:30:21.480 of self-destruction. 00:30:21.480 --> 00:30:29.720 Never ever, ever doubt that God wants to give you the best. 00:30:29.720 --> 00:30:33.840 But the last thing I want to say is this. 00:30:33.840 --> 00:30:38.040 At one level, when we think of Eden, it's amazing. 00:30:38.039 --> 00:30:47.399 But when we think of Eden, we could also find ourselves thinking of that garden with a sense 00:30:47.399 --> 00:30:55.720 of sorrow because we lost it. 00:30:55.720 --> 00:31:07.759 Adam and Eve sinned and by the end of chapter 3, they've been expelled from the garden. 00:31:07.759 --> 00:31:16.879 And all of that wonder that chapter 2 sets before us is lost by the time we get to the 00:31:16.879 --> 00:31:22.480 end of chapter 3. 00:31:22.480 --> 00:31:31.879 But the astonishing truth of the gospel is that through faith in Jesus Christ, God wants 00:31:31.879 --> 00:31:35.920 to bring us back. 00:31:35.920 --> 00:31:40.039 That's what the new heavens and the new earth are going to be. 00:31:40.039 --> 00:31:43.960 A restoration of creation back to what it was meant to be. 00:31:43.960 --> 00:31:49.440 In other words, back to the glory and splendor of Eden. 00:31:49.440 --> 00:31:56.519 Only it will be even better because now that Jesus has risen from the dead, the devil cannot 00:31:56.519 --> 00:32:03.400 touch us and no one can ever separate us from our Savior. 00:32:03.400 --> 00:32:08.000 So if you're sitting here tonight as a Christian, you should not be thinking we've lost Eden. 00:32:08.000 --> 00:32:13.720 You should be thinking we're going back. 00:32:13.720 --> 00:32:24.200 And that's confirmed to us on the cross and in something that Jesus said. 00:32:24.200 --> 00:32:28.400 I'm going to break every rule in the book just now. 00:32:28.400 --> 00:32:33.759 You're supposed to never ever ever mention Greek in the pulpit, they say. 00:32:33.759 --> 00:32:38.240 Greek words like agape, not allowed. 00:32:38.240 --> 00:32:40.240 I'm going to put a whole verse up. 00:32:40.240 --> 00:32:42.400 Now don't worry if you can't read it, it's okay. 00:32:42.400 --> 00:32:45.120 I just want you to listen because you can all listen and you can all hear it. 00:32:45.120 --> 00:32:47.320 So listen really carefully. 00:32:47.320 --> 00:32:51.800 I'm not an expert in Greek and I'm not pretending to be, but I can probably fumble my way through 00:32:51.800 --> 00:32:52.800 this verse. 00:32:52.799 --> 00:32:58.680 But I want you to listen really carefully. 00:32:58.680 --> 00:33:09.079 That says, amenssoi lego semeron metemu esse ento paradiso. 00:33:09.079 --> 00:33:12.319 I bet there's one word you all know in that verse. 00:33:12.319 --> 00:33:13.519 And I'm sure you know what this is. 00:33:13.519 --> 00:33:17.639 This is Jesus speaking to the thief and he says, truly I say to you today you will be 00:33:17.639 --> 00:33:20.879 with me in paradise. 00:33:20.879 --> 00:33:21.879 Yeah? 00:33:21.880 --> 00:33:25.400 That's that word at the end, paradise. 00:33:25.400 --> 00:33:27.000 Now here's another Greek verse. 00:33:27.000 --> 00:33:31.680 This time it's the Greek translation of the verse that we've had as our text, Genesis 00:33:31.680 --> 00:33:32.680 2.8. 00:33:32.680 --> 00:33:33.680 Okay? 00:33:33.680 --> 00:33:37.200 And listen to this verse again really carefully. 00:33:37.200 --> 00:33:49.760 Cae effe tiusen curios hothaios paradisoen en edin. 00:33:49.759 --> 00:33:53.319 And there's one word that's in both verses, isn't it? 00:33:53.319 --> 00:33:56.200 And I'm sure you know what it is. 00:33:56.200 --> 00:34:00.799 It's that word, paradise. 00:34:00.799 --> 00:34:07.059 Because when Jesus told the thief that he was going to be in paradise, he was promising 00:34:07.059 --> 00:34:12.440 him a return to the wonder and splendor of Eden. 00:34:12.440 --> 00:34:17.000 The word paradise means garden. 00:34:17.000 --> 00:34:25.800 And so as we look forward to what God has for us, when we think of the promise that 00:34:25.800 --> 00:34:35.480 God wants to take us to paradise, it's a promise that he's going to take us back to all of 00:34:35.480 --> 00:34:47.199 that astounding beauty and wonder and security and joy of Eden. 00:34:47.199 --> 00:34:51.920 That's where God wants you to be. 00:34:51.920 --> 00:35:05.800 And the utterly astonishing thing is that God the Son died to get you there. 00:35:05.800 --> 00:35:08.800 Thanks be to God. 00:35:08.800 --> 00:35:18.039 Let's pray. 00:35:18.039 --> 00:35:24.320 God our Father, we marvel at the work of your hands. 00:35:24.320 --> 00:35:31.000 We're so thankful that we can read about what Eden was like, about how amazing that garden 00:35:31.000 --> 00:35:46.159 was and what is really even more amazing is your promise to bring us back to paradise, 00:35:46.159 --> 00:35:53.879 to the new heavens and the new earth, which will be a restoration of this universe back 00:35:53.879 --> 00:35:59.119 to the perfection of what you always intended for it. 00:35:59.119 --> 00:36:08.480 And we just thank you so, so, so much that you are willing to be so good to us. 00:36:08.480 --> 00:36:22.320 Not only to provide us with so much, but also to sacrifice so much so that it could be ours. 00:36:22.320 --> 00:36:32.880 We thank you for Jesus, our Savior who died and rose again, and the one who can now take 00:36:32.880 --> 00:36:37.519 us to be with you in paradise forever. 00:36:37.519 --> 00:36:38.519 We thank you so much. 00:36:38.519 --> 00:36:39.519 Amen. 00:36:39.519 --> 00:37:08.519 Amen.