WEBVTT 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:04.060 These are the generations of the heavens and the earth when they were created, 00:00:04.520 --> 00:00:07.299 in the day that the Lord God made the earth and the heavens. 00:00:08.259 --> 00:00:13.439 When no bush of the field was yet in the land, and no small plant of the field had yet sprung up, 00:00:13.620 --> 00:00:18.539 for the Lord God had not caused it to rain on the land, and there was no man to work the ground. 00:00:19.179 --> 00:00:23.039 And a mist was going up from the land and was watering the whole face of the ground. 00:00:23.039 --> 00:00:27.699 Then the Lord God formed the man of dust from the ground, 00:00:27.699 --> 00:00:32.460 and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living creature. 00:00:33.719 --> 00:00:39.560 And the Lord God planted a garden in Eden, in the east, and there he put the man whom he had formed. 00:00:40.500 --> 00:00:46.739 And out of the ground the Lord God made to spring up every tree that is pleasant to the sight and good for food. 00:00:47.379 --> 00:00:52.260 The tree of life was in the midst of the garden, and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. 00:00:53.859 --> 00:00:57.460 The river flowed out of Eden to water the garden. 00:00:57.700 --> 00:01:00.300 And there it divided and became four rivers. 00:01:01.160 --> 00:01:02.880 The name of the first is the Pishon. 00:01:03.140 --> 00:01:06.659 It is the one that flowed from the whole land of Havilah, where there is gold. 00:01:07.140 --> 00:01:09.120 And the gold of that land is good. 00:01:09.980 --> 00:01:11.700 Delium and onyx stone are there. 00:01:12.400 --> 00:01:14.520 The name of the second river is the Gihon. 00:01:15.219 --> 00:01:17.760 It is the one that flowed around the whole land of Cush. 00:01:18.520 --> 00:01:23.480 And the name of the third river is the Tigris, which flows east of Assyria. 00:01:23.480 --> 00:01:25.660 And the fourth river is the Euphrates. 00:01:26.700 --> 00:01:31.700 The Lord God took the man and put him in the garden of Eden to work it and keep it. 00:01:32.240 --> 00:01:34.140 And the Lord God commanded the man, saying, 00:01:34.800 --> 00:01:40.359 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. 00:01:40.939 --> 00:01:43.540 For in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die. 00:01:43.540 --> 00:01:45.560 Then the Lord God said, 00:01:46.160 --> 00:01:48.280 It is not good that the man should be alone. 00:01:48.700 --> 00:01:51.740 I will make him a helper fit for him. 00:01:52.740 --> 00:01:57.560 Now out of the ground the Lord God had formed every beast of the field and every bird of the heavens 00:01:57.560 --> 00:02:00.300 and brought them to the man to see what he would call them. 00:02:01.380 --> 00:02:04.500 And whatever the man called every living creature, that was its name. 00:02:05.280 --> 00:02:10.659 The man gave names to all the livestock and the birds of the heavens and to every beast of the field. 00:02:10.659 --> 00:02:14.219 But for Adam there was not found a helper fit for him. 00:02:14.859 --> 00:02:18.060 So the Lord God caused a deep sleep to fall upon the man. 00:02:18.599 --> 00:02:23.460 And while he slept, took one of his ribs and closed up its place with flesh. 00:02:24.680 --> 00:02:30.960 And the rib that the Lord God had taken from the man he made into a woman and brought her to the man. 00:02:31.719 --> 00:02:32.659 Then the man said, 00:02:33.319 --> 00:02:36.879 This at last is bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh. 00:02:36.879 --> 00:02:40.780 She shall be called woman because she was taken out of man. 00:02:41.900 --> 00:02:46.000 Therefore a man shall leave his father and his mother and hold fast to his wife. 00:02:46.299 --> 00:02:47.960 And they shall become one flesh. 00:02:48.579 --> 00:02:51.500 And the man and his wife were both naked and were not ashamed. 00:02:56.500 --> 00:02:57.919 Well good morning, my name is Dave. 00:02:57.979 --> 00:03:00.180 I'm one of the pastors here if you haven't met me before. 00:03:01.460 --> 00:03:04.079 I really hope you can stay for lunch after the service. 00:03:04.080 --> 00:03:06.760 Why don't we pray as we come to God's word. 00:03:06.920 --> 00:03:07.200 Let's pray. 00:03:12.760 --> 00:03:18.300 Father, I pray that you'll give us ears to hear what you say true rest is. 00:03:19.100 --> 00:03:20.720 Lord, we're all longing for it. 00:03:21.240 --> 00:03:25.620 But I pray that you would help us to find it in yourself, in your son. 00:03:26.360 --> 00:03:27.340 And in his name I pray. 00:03:27.580 --> 00:03:27.820 Amen. 00:03:27.819 --> 00:03:37.620 Well you might not have this problem, but often when I go away on holiday I struggle to get the rest I've been craving. 00:03:38.459 --> 00:03:47.900 And I think it's because I have just such high expectations of everything going to my plan that I just really struggle to be content when I'm on holidays. 00:03:48.060 --> 00:03:49.759 I almost prefer to be working. 00:03:49.759 --> 00:03:52.560 I am working. 00:03:52.560 --> 00:03:54.359 Yeah, this is a bit awkward now that I say that. 00:03:57.599 --> 00:04:03.060 I think that's all because I forget what rest is. 00:04:04.819 --> 00:04:10.159 And because I forget what rest is, and that I can have it while working by the way, 00:04:10.780 --> 00:04:15.000 I keep thinking I can create rest myself. 00:04:15.000 --> 00:04:18.279 Let me just give you a few examples. 00:04:18.839 --> 00:04:26.699 In our passage today, it raises two massive topics that we spend a lot of our time in life in. 00:04:26.920 --> 00:04:29.620 Work and relationships, marriage. 00:04:31.120 --> 00:04:33.319 Now, let's just take work for a second. 00:04:33.899 --> 00:04:38.779 Pastor Tim Keller talks about the work behind the work. 00:04:38.779 --> 00:04:43.719 So there's an example in the movie Chariots of Fire. 00:04:43.899 --> 00:04:49.459 It tells the true story of two Olympic sprinters, Abrahams and Liddell. 00:04:50.319 --> 00:04:52.539 Now, Abrahams is trying to prove himself. 00:04:52.719 --> 00:04:58.159 He says, I've got ten seconds to justify my existence. 00:04:59.799 --> 00:05:01.639 Do you hear the work behind the work? 00:05:02.039 --> 00:05:02.979 He's not just sprinting. 00:05:02.979 --> 00:05:05.739 He's my value, my purpose. 00:05:05.879 --> 00:05:07.719 I've got ten seconds to prove it. 00:05:09.779 --> 00:05:15.919 But Liddell says, God made me fast, and when I run, I feel his pleasure. 00:05:17.659 --> 00:05:18.539 Do you hear the difference? 00:05:19.459 --> 00:05:21.239 He already knows he's accepted. 00:05:22.079 --> 00:05:25.279 And so there isn't that work behind the running. 00:05:26.279 --> 00:05:27.739 He can actually rejoice. 00:05:29.879 --> 00:05:32.379 But what about relationships and marriage? 00:05:33.479 --> 00:05:36.299 We want to be so intimate and close. 00:05:36.300 --> 00:05:43.939 But don't you find that you're afraid because those who know you best also have the power to harm you the most? 00:05:45.180 --> 00:05:48.439 They can tear you down in a way that strangers can't. 00:05:48.439 --> 00:06:00.899 I think our society today is settling for this transactional relationship because transaction keeps a safe distance. 00:06:00.899 --> 00:06:14.019 Can you imagine being so at ease with another human being that you have zero fear that they're going to hurt or use you? 00:06:14.019 --> 00:06:17.139 Could you imagine that? 00:06:17.199 --> 00:06:18.579 Zero fear of that. 00:06:21.279 --> 00:06:24.899 We crave that kind of intimacy, I think, if you're anything like me. 00:06:25.779 --> 00:06:30.620 But our experience tells us it's dangerous to open up. 00:06:31.779 --> 00:06:34.139 And so we put up these walls to protect ourselves. 00:06:34.139 --> 00:06:39.519 So we're craving rest. 00:06:40.019 --> 00:06:43.339 And we try and find it in work and marriage in particular. 00:06:44.219 --> 00:06:49.120 And Genesis 2 gives us a picture of what rest really is and where we can find it. 00:06:50.439 --> 00:06:51.719 Now, why do I say that? 00:06:51.800 --> 00:06:53.800 Why is Genesis 2 a picture of rest? 00:06:53.959 --> 00:06:59.240 Because it sounds like another creation account, a second creation account. 00:06:59.360 --> 00:07:01.759 Why do you need another account of how things were made? 00:07:01.759 --> 00:07:07.879 Now, I want to go into some of the detail here of how we interpret Genesis. 00:07:08.819 --> 00:07:12.899 We use the same principles for interpreting Genesis as we do all the scripture. 00:07:14.680 --> 00:07:20.339 We analyze it in terms of the genre and who's speaking and to whom, what the purpose is. 00:07:21.039 --> 00:07:29.539 So notice in chapter 1, the name of God is God, Elohim, which represents the sovereignty, the power of God. 00:07:29.540 --> 00:07:37.580 And then in chapter 2, the name of God is Yahweh, Elohim, the personal covenant-keeping name of God. 00:07:38.879 --> 00:07:40.160 The focus changes. 00:07:40.280 --> 00:07:42.300 Chapter 1 is this panoramic view. 00:07:42.800 --> 00:07:43.840 We've got heaven and earth. 00:07:44.360 --> 00:07:48.980 And it goes from being in this chaotic condition to being ordered and blessed. 00:07:48.980 --> 00:07:56.420 But then the focus in chapter 2, it zooms right in, not just on the earth, but one part of the earth on a place called Eden. 00:07:56.740 --> 00:07:58.860 And the spotlight is on Adam and Eve. 00:08:00.400 --> 00:08:04.740 The genre changes from poetic structure, the seven days, the rhythm. 00:08:05.580 --> 00:08:07.080 And God said it was so. 00:08:07.200 --> 00:08:07.980 There was evening and morning. 00:08:07.980 --> 00:08:09.800 And then in chapter 2, we've got narrative. 00:08:09.960 --> 00:08:10.819 We've got story. 00:08:11.240 --> 00:08:17.060 We've got a picture of a setting and God speaking and man speaking and acting. 00:08:18.540 --> 00:08:25.020 Now, I'm not going to go into the detail, but this has led to huge debate that it's two different authors because they're so different. 00:08:25.700 --> 00:08:26.860 But there's no need to do that. 00:08:27.000 --> 00:08:30.819 Jesus himself says that God is the author of both chapters. 00:08:30.819 --> 00:08:41.700 You can picture Moses writing this to the newly formed people of God on the brink of entering the promised land. 00:08:42.639 --> 00:08:45.860 They are God's people being formed in God's covenant. 00:08:46.019 --> 00:08:52.639 They're on the edge of the promised land of blessing and they're called to live under his good rule. 00:08:54.080 --> 00:08:56.600 And that's exactly what we find in Genesis 2. 00:08:56.600 --> 00:09:02.600 We find God's people in God's place of blessing under his good rule. 00:09:03.820 --> 00:09:12.940 The theological point of this section, chapter 2 is preparing us for chapter 3 and what's loss at the fall. 00:09:13.820 --> 00:09:24.899 At the end of chapter 3 and into chapter 4, we see the spread of sin into family as Cain kills Abel and as society develops, so does sin and destruction. 00:09:24.899 --> 00:09:29.279 What should have spread is what we find in chapter 2. 00:09:29.620 --> 00:09:39.819 It should have been God's people in God's place enjoying abundance with this high calling to live for him, enjoying his presence. 00:09:39.959 --> 00:09:43.959 That's what should have spread, but what actually spreads is destruction. 00:09:43.960 --> 00:09:50.960 So if I've lost you, can you come back and let me just summarise. 00:09:51.960 --> 00:09:53.600 What's the purpose of chapter 2? 00:09:55.000 --> 00:09:57.340 Why do we need a second creation account? 00:09:57.480 --> 00:10:04.960 Well, chapter 1 is this panoramic view that shows that God alone rules over his creation. 00:10:05.960 --> 00:10:06.560 He alone. 00:10:07.200 --> 00:10:07.960 He is transcendent. 00:10:07.960 --> 00:10:09.600 He is above. 00:10:10.680 --> 00:10:14.180 And so he deserves all our allegiance and trust. 00:10:15.420 --> 00:10:22.700 Chapter 2 zooms right in, showing us that God is personal and covenant-keeping. 00:10:23.240 --> 00:10:28.019 He wants to dwell in his creation and relate to his people. 00:10:28.200 --> 00:10:29.000 He is imminent. 00:10:29.259 --> 00:10:30.840 He is very near. 00:10:32.000 --> 00:10:33.920 He wants covenant relationship. 00:10:33.919 --> 00:10:38.799 We need both pictures to live well. 00:10:42.939 --> 00:10:53.519 Another way to see why chapter 2 is a picture of rest is to notice that on day 7 of creation, there's no evening and morning. 00:10:53.519 --> 00:11:02.679 It doesn't end, which just should leave us with the question of, okay, what does this rest look like then? 00:11:03.379 --> 00:11:05.500 And that's exactly what we find in chapter 2. 00:11:05.620 --> 00:11:07.779 So let's get into it. 00:11:08.860 --> 00:11:16.960 What we find is that Yahweh wants relationship with his people, covenant relationship. 00:11:16.960 --> 00:11:21.840 But this relationship isn't between equals. 00:11:22.580 --> 00:11:29.120 So if a child says to their mum and dad, I love you so much. 00:11:29.980 --> 00:11:32.060 I love you so much, my dad. 00:11:33.080 --> 00:11:36.560 And then just completely disobeys them again and again. 00:11:36.740 --> 00:11:43.360 You can imagine the parents going, show me you love me by listening to what I say and doing what I say. 00:11:43.360 --> 00:11:47.580 So too with us and our creator. 00:11:48.240 --> 00:11:54.240 It's not an equal relationship where we can kind of decide how we relate to one another. 00:11:54.480 --> 00:11:56.300 It's between our creator and maker. 00:11:57.139 --> 00:11:59.340 And what's God's side of this relationship? 00:12:02.080 --> 00:12:05.840 Well, we see him very present. 00:12:06.779 --> 00:12:09.740 We see him as initiating everything. 00:12:09.740 --> 00:12:12.419 We see him as providing. 00:12:13.100 --> 00:12:16.480 We see him as directing the whole thing. 00:12:17.799 --> 00:12:20.799 So it's the Lord who causes it to rain or not. 00:12:21.620 --> 00:12:26.460 It's the Lord who forms mankind and gives him breath. 00:12:27.360 --> 00:12:32.680 It's the Lord who plants the garden, who produces every good tree for food. 00:12:33.700 --> 00:12:37.060 It's the Lord who puts the man in the garden to rest. 00:12:37.059 --> 00:12:41.959 It's the Lord who calls him to work and keep it, who gives him his purpose. 00:12:42.539 --> 00:12:49.359 It's the Lord who speaks directly to the man, personally to his people. 00:12:50.359 --> 00:12:55.039 It's the Lord who declares it's not good for Adam to be alone and sets about creating a helper. 00:12:55.479 --> 00:13:00.639 It's the Lord who brings animals for him to name and rule over and care for. 00:13:00.639 --> 00:13:04.340 It's the Lord who brings Eve to the man. 00:13:05.919 --> 00:13:08.419 And it's the Lord who institutes marriage. 00:13:09.259 --> 00:13:10.580 He's the main actor here. 00:13:12.460 --> 00:13:16.939 The Lord's side of the covenant is he's dwelling with his people. 00:13:17.679 --> 00:13:20.519 He's providing as our creator. 00:13:21.559 --> 00:13:22.799 He gives our purpose. 00:13:23.899 --> 00:13:25.700 He's directing all things. 00:13:25.700 --> 00:13:30.400 And he tells us where goodness can be found and where it cannot be found. 00:13:34.620 --> 00:13:41.520 I think given we live in a time and society that sees this universe as closed cause and effect system, 00:13:42.020 --> 00:13:50.940 I think we might be prone to emphasise that God is above all things, that God is sovereign. 00:13:50.940 --> 00:13:54.980 But do we also keep Genesis 2 in mind? 00:13:55.140 --> 00:13:56.260 He is also imminent. 00:13:57.340 --> 00:14:00.800 He is involved in everything at every moment. 00:14:00.960 --> 00:14:02.000 He's the one providing. 00:14:02.140 --> 00:14:03.340 He's the one speaking. 00:14:04.760 --> 00:14:07.440 We need to keep both truths. 00:14:08.200 --> 00:14:10.320 He is above but he is very near. 00:14:11.360 --> 00:14:12.860 This is not a closed system. 00:14:13.700 --> 00:14:18.220 God is, he's got his fingers in everything, so to speak. 00:14:18.220 --> 00:14:23.600 So that's the Lord's side of this covenant. 00:14:24.160 --> 00:14:25.060 What's our side? 00:14:25.139 --> 00:14:30.000 How do we respond to such a providing, involved God? 00:14:33.340 --> 00:14:38.279 Well, the first thing is we need to know who we are, that we belong to the Lord. 00:14:39.259 --> 00:14:41.580 So we're God's people, verses 5 and 7. 00:14:41.580 --> 00:14:50.280 So all the plants and the vegetation is preparing for verse 7. 00:14:51.060 --> 00:14:56.379 Then the Lord God formed the man of dust from the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, 00:14:56.879 --> 00:14:58.960 and the man became a living being. 00:14:58.960 --> 00:15:06.960 Unlike Moses' day, the ancient narratives were that the gods wanted to relax, 00:15:07.720 --> 00:15:09.860 and so they created man to do all the hack work. 00:15:11.519 --> 00:15:15.040 After God creating everything, it's not like he needs us to work. 00:15:15.740 --> 00:15:17.280 He doesn't need us to do that. 00:15:17.340 --> 00:15:17.960 It's a gift. 00:15:19.320 --> 00:15:22.120 We'll come to that more later on in verse 15. 00:15:22.120 --> 00:15:27.879 But here we've got the Lord God formed the man out of dust of the ground. 00:15:28.060 --> 00:15:31.039 The word ground in Hebrew is Adama. 00:15:32.200 --> 00:15:36.679 Even in his name, Adam, is a reminder we are dust. 00:15:37.960 --> 00:15:43.539 We're so much more than dust, because it's like the Lord does mouth-to-mouth resuscitation. 00:15:44.460 --> 00:15:47.120 He breathes into his nostrils. 00:15:47.840 --> 00:15:50.360 Like, that is an up-close and personal image. 00:15:50.360 --> 00:15:56.180 That's a very different description to the rest of the animals. 00:15:57.259 --> 00:16:01.779 It's the breath, which can also mean spirit of the Lord, that animates mankind. 00:16:02.300 --> 00:16:04.840 It's hard to know what the implications of that are. 00:16:05.860 --> 00:16:14.899 I think at least it's suggesting man is created with capacity to relate to God on a spiritual level, 00:16:15.539 --> 00:16:18.860 and I think we see that played out in the rest of the chapter. 00:16:18.860 --> 00:16:20.800 We are made different from the animals. 00:16:20.960 --> 00:16:25.320 We can know God personally. 00:16:26.980 --> 00:16:28.879 We are spiritual beings. 00:16:30.680 --> 00:16:37.000 So we're God's people created with capacity to be in covenant relationship. 00:16:37.000 --> 00:16:42.039 Then we have the description of the place, verses 8 to 14. 00:16:43.299 --> 00:16:48.039 The Greek word for garden, apparently, is the word we get paradise from. 00:16:49.440 --> 00:16:57.919 This paradise, Eden, we're told is in the east, and there's relevance to that in a moment. 00:16:58.019 --> 00:16:58.720 Just hang on to that. 00:16:58.720 --> 00:17:06.400 The river that flows from there is a single source that turns into four major rivers. 00:17:06.759 --> 00:17:10.319 Two of them we can identify with rivers that are known. 00:17:10.480 --> 00:17:16.519 Two of them, apparently, people guess, but we don't certainly know. 00:17:16.519 --> 00:17:25.180 The point seems to be the known world and the fertility that comes from those rivers, like the Euphrates, that's amazing. 00:17:25.500 --> 00:17:28.720 Imagine how amazing it was at the source of all that. 00:17:29.139 --> 00:17:30.299 I think that's the point of it. 00:17:31.519 --> 00:17:32.960 It's a place of abundance. 00:17:33.220 --> 00:17:38.279 Every tree that is good for food and precious stone of gold, like this is rich. 00:17:39.000 --> 00:17:41.119 This is a royal place. 00:17:41.119 --> 00:17:44.159 It's not some backyard. 00:17:44.839 --> 00:17:47.239 This is a huge region, size of a country. 00:17:49.119 --> 00:17:54.799 The tree of life seems to imply that there's the ability not to die. 00:17:54.959 --> 00:17:56.659 This relationship can be ongoing. 00:17:58.679 --> 00:18:06.379 And the tree of the knowledge of good and evil seems to be that if you eat it, it's not just you know about evil, 00:18:06.959 --> 00:18:09.099 but it's you experience it. 00:18:09.099 --> 00:18:11.419 You taste it for yourself. 00:18:12.500 --> 00:18:23.719 Or maybe it's about if I take of this fruit, I'm deciding what is good and evil rather than relying on God telling me this is good and evil. 00:18:27.539 --> 00:18:37.199 To Israelite ears who know their Old Testament, I think they can pick up the significance of all this more easily than we can. 00:18:37.200 --> 00:18:47.900 Because a lot of these descriptions we find in the tabernacle and in the temple, God's dwelling place with Israel. 00:18:49.259 --> 00:18:53.680 So that's where Eden being the east comes into play. 00:18:53.819 --> 00:18:55.860 That's how you enter the temple from the east. 00:18:55.859 --> 00:19:00.599 It's a place where God walks with his people. 00:19:01.259 --> 00:19:02.259 He's in the temple. 00:19:03.179 --> 00:19:07.619 It's where cherubim are guarding it, which we come to in chapter 3. 00:19:08.179 --> 00:19:14.339 The lampstand in the temple might be, not 100% sure, but might be a picture of the tree of life. 00:19:14.339 --> 00:19:25.199 The river producing abundance and producing all of life we see in Ezekiel's vision of coming from the temple. 00:19:25.919 --> 00:19:32.299 And the gold and precious stones were on the priestly garments and covering all of the temple. 00:19:35.480 --> 00:19:37.199 Eden isn't just some garden. 00:19:37.200 --> 00:19:41.720 It's the site for God's dwelling place. 00:19:43.559 --> 00:19:51.080 The best part of Eden, the source of all the abundance, is that the Lord is there. 00:19:53.120 --> 00:19:58.860 And I think that's why the best part is saved to chapter 3, verse 7, after the fall. 00:19:58.859 --> 00:20:04.500 When man tries to get blessing apart from God, they lose the very best part. 00:20:04.939 --> 00:20:10.359 Walking with God in the cool of the day, at ease with him, face to face. 00:20:15.039 --> 00:20:18.759 So we have God's people in God's place, his dwelling place. 00:20:19.359 --> 00:20:25.199 And what it means to respond to God's covenant is to be under his rule. 00:20:25.200 --> 00:20:31.940 Eden being God's temple, I think, helps us understand verse 15 better. 00:20:33.460 --> 00:20:36.019 So the Lord God took the man and put him. 00:20:36.420 --> 00:20:40.420 That word put, apparently, is an unusual word for put. 00:20:40.660 --> 00:20:42.319 It's a word for rest. 00:20:43.740 --> 00:20:49.840 So the Lord God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and keep it. 00:20:50.920 --> 00:20:54.019 So that double phrase, work and keep it. 00:20:55.200 --> 00:21:01.059 That, again, is used to describe spiritual service in the temple. 00:21:03.700 --> 00:21:05.319 To work and keep it. 00:21:05.319 --> 00:21:08.700 Like the Levites, it's the highest privilege a person can have. 00:21:09.779 --> 00:21:14.420 This isn't to say that Adam was just doing spiritual kind of activities. 00:21:14.420 --> 00:21:22.160 It's saying when he got his hands dirty in the soil, when he was caring and feeding the animals and providing for them, 00:21:22.640 --> 00:21:25.940 everything he was doing was spiritual worship. 00:21:27.259 --> 00:21:28.779 He's a son of God. 00:21:29.100 --> 00:21:29.920 He is royal. 00:21:30.860 --> 00:21:32.500 He is representing the king. 00:21:33.860 --> 00:21:35.560 He is in God's dwelling place. 00:21:35.559 --> 00:21:40.399 He is doing spiritual service to the king in everything he's doing. 00:21:41.919 --> 00:21:43.519 Such a high calling. 00:21:43.519 --> 00:21:50.740 And I think this speaks into our view of work today. 00:21:51.700 --> 00:21:54.440 And I'm thinking paid and unpaid work. 00:21:55.639 --> 00:21:57.440 Work isn't a result of the fall. 00:21:58.059 --> 00:21:59.980 Obviously, there's a lot of pain in it, and that is. 00:21:59.980 --> 00:22:06.460 But we can reflect our creator, like we saw last week, in bringing order out of chaos. 00:22:06.839 --> 00:22:14.980 When that poopy nappy is just stinking up the place, cleaning it and restoring cleanliness and order again, 00:22:15.539 --> 00:22:19.759 it's a little reflection, I think, of bringing order out of chaos. 00:22:19.759 --> 00:22:27.279 When you work in a business to bring systems that serve the clients and employees well, 00:22:27.539 --> 00:22:29.259 you're bringing order out of chaos. 00:22:29.819 --> 00:22:36.359 When you're speaking truth into someone's mind, like as a teacher to a child or to one another, 00:22:36.660 --> 00:22:43.160 you're trying to bring ordered understanding to reality out of the chaos of our thinking. 00:22:43.160 --> 00:22:54.160 I think we should see all of work as spiritual worship reflecting God as we try and bring order out of chaos. 00:22:55.500 --> 00:23:00.440 We have a high calling to represent the king in everything we're doing. 00:23:01.220 --> 00:23:07.160 Whatever you put your hand to do, we're called to do it on God's behalf, if you say. 00:23:07.160 --> 00:23:13.540 Such a beautiful picture of work compared to what our society has. 00:23:18.519 --> 00:23:22.620 And of course, this restful worship looks like obedience. 00:23:25.160 --> 00:23:29.800 Notice in verse 16, there's abundant permission. 00:23:30.100 --> 00:23:34.140 You may surely eat of every tree in the garden. 00:23:34.380 --> 00:23:35.080 It's all for you. 00:23:35.079 --> 00:23:37.379 Go for it. 00:23:37.699 --> 00:23:39.179 Enjoy fellowship with me. 00:23:39.960 --> 00:23:42.359 Enjoy it in my presence. 00:23:46.199 --> 00:23:47.759 There's one prohibition. 00:23:48.980 --> 00:23:51.659 But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, you shall not eat. 00:23:52.119 --> 00:23:54.539 For in the day that you eat of it, you shall surely die. 00:23:58.079 --> 00:24:01.639 Notice first that this is an incredible privilege. 00:24:01.640 --> 00:24:07.560 The Lord is talking directly to the man. 00:24:10.600 --> 00:24:16.000 Communication is so essential to relationship, isn't it? 00:24:16.700 --> 00:24:20.340 It's just such a privilege to have the Lord speaking directly to us. 00:24:20.339 --> 00:24:27.619 And you might wonder why the tree is there at all. 00:24:27.959 --> 00:24:31.019 I haven't found a satisfactory answer to that. 00:24:32.019 --> 00:24:34.399 I don't think scripture even tries to answer that. 00:24:34.400 --> 00:24:38.100 But there is a good purpose in it. 00:24:39.100 --> 00:24:44.460 It's crucial for the full enjoyment of covenant relationship. 00:24:44.460 --> 00:24:55.059 For Adam to have the possibility of turning away from God, of not being faithful to him, 00:24:55.700 --> 00:25:06.660 allows Adam to have integrity from his heart, to choose to respond to the love of God by loving him in return, by obeying. 00:25:06.660 --> 00:25:19.540 Having this possibility enables him to be in that genuine relationship where he's choosing to love the Lord. 00:25:21.700 --> 00:25:23.680 So there's a very good purpose in it. 00:25:23.680 --> 00:25:29.140 So there it is. 00:25:29.440 --> 00:25:32.160 This is what it looks like to enjoy God's rest. 00:25:33.160 --> 00:25:34.900 To know who we are. 00:25:35.560 --> 00:25:38.680 Created for relationship with God. 00:25:39.640 --> 00:25:41.940 Living in abundance in his presence. 00:25:43.600 --> 00:25:49.720 To have the high calling of representing the king, serving him in everything we put our hand to do. 00:25:49.720 --> 00:25:51.640 That's the full life. 00:25:53.220 --> 00:25:56.579 Covenant relationship is rest. 00:26:00.539 --> 00:26:02.180 And obviously we're not done with the passage. 00:26:02.360 --> 00:26:03.640 Verse 18 comes as a shock. 00:26:05.559 --> 00:26:10.100 Out of all the goodness that God has made, we suddenly get this not good. 00:26:10.680 --> 00:26:14.500 It is not good for the man to be alone. 00:26:15.640 --> 00:26:17.380 I'll make a helper fit for him. 00:26:17.380 --> 00:26:21.200 Now that's hard to comprehend. 00:26:21.500 --> 00:26:22.980 How could it possibly not be good? 00:26:24.700 --> 00:26:31.420 I don't think there's any reason to think that Adam was aware at this point that it was not good. 00:26:32.360 --> 00:26:35.360 I don't think it's saying that he was deficient in his joy. 00:26:36.060 --> 00:26:38.560 He had the Lord to go on evening walks with. 00:26:39.400 --> 00:26:43.220 He had plenty of relational satisfaction. 00:26:43.880 --> 00:26:46.340 He had a huge purpose in representing God. 00:26:46.339 --> 00:26:51.259 He had lots to get on and get busy with and joyfully working. 00:26:52.779 --> 00:26:54.599 It's not that Adam was deficient. 00:26:55.679 --> 00:27:01.119 But like we saw in chapter 1, God's purposes aren't complete yet for mankind. 00:27:01.119 --> 00:27:12.059 So as we look at marriage, can I ask you to not jump ahead in your thinking to work out the implications yet for today. 00:27:13.059 --> 00:27:15.659 We need to understand the original purpose first. 00:27:15.779 --> 00:27:16.500 We'll come to that. 00:27:17.339 --> 00:27:19.179 But we need to understand the original purposes. 00:27:19.180 --> 00:27:33.560 I find it surprising and fascinating that the pinnacle of rest, what creation was meant to be, is marriage. 00:27:34.120 --> 00:27:36.840 The creation of woman and marriage. 00:27:36.839 --> 00:27:43.459 The word helper is not a demeaning term. 00:27:44.939 --> 00:27:48.319 It's used of God lots in the Old Testament. 00:27:48.480 --> 00:27:53.519 One example is, you might know this verse, Psalm 46.1. 00:27:53.679 --> 00:27:57.599 God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. 00:27:57.599 --> 00:28:00.459 It's not a demeaning term at all. 00:28:02.119 --> 00:28:07.740 She will provide for Adam in a way that he alone cannot do. 00:28:07.740 --> 00:28:20.740 Now, Christian psychologist and author Larry Crabb has helped me to see that when the Bible talks about headship and submission later on in the New Testament, 00:28:21.200 --> 00:28:30.000 it's not simply a cultural way of relating that we just have to begrudgingly try and do. 00:28:30.500 --> 00:28:33.299 It's rooted in our makeup as men and women. 00:28:33.299 --> 00:28:42.720 He puts it, I won't quote him directly, but he puts it in that a woman craves what a man is uniquely made to give. 00:28:43.119 --> 00:28:47.700 And a man craves what a woman is uniquely created to give. 00:28:49.259 --> 00:28:50.339 It's in our makeup. 00:28:55.039 --> 00:29:00.279 And that's why God brings the procession of animals before Adam. 00:29:00.279 --> 00:29:04.319 He's starting to create that awareness that he isn't complete. 00:29:06.160 --> 00:29:09.599 And then she will share his image-bearing nature. 00:29:10.839 --> 00:29:13.480 So the Lord creates her out of the rib of the man. 00:29:13.819 --> 00:29:17.579 She shares her nature as imaging God fully. 00:29:17.579 --> 00:29:27.519 And it's the Lord who is the one who fathers Eve, who creates Eve and then presents her to the man. 00:29:28.960 --> 00:29:36.839 I like to picture it as it's as if God has Eve in his arm walking her down the aisle to give to Adam. 00:29:36.839 --> 00:29:43.139 And Adam's anticipation leads to the first love song. 00:29:44.220 --> 00:29:45.059 At last. 00:29:46.019 --> 00:29:49.099 This is bone of my bone and flesh of my flesh. 00:29:49.839 --> 00:29:50.579 At last. 00:29:52.079 --> 00:29:53.179 She shall be called woman. 00:29:54.000 --> 00:29:55.019 In Hebrew, isha. 00:29:55.699 --> 00:29:57.319 Because she was taken out of man. 00:29:57.459 --> 00:29:57.819 Ish. 00:29:58.259 --> 00:29:59.079 Ish and isha. 00:29:59.799 --> 00:30:03.139 Same but complementary. 00:30:03.140 --> 00:30:07.040 Sharing the same nature. 00:30:07.900 --> 00:30:10.900 To image God and know God in covenant relationship. 00:30:12.220 --> 00:30:12.980 Now this is... 00:30:12.980 --> 00:30:16.360 This description, it would have been radical in Moses' day. 00:30:16.700 --> 00:30:18.200 In their view of women back then. 00:30:18.420 --> 00:30:20.180 But it's radical today, isn't it? 00:30:21.240 --> 00:30:22.120 In different ways. 00:30:23.540 --> 00:30:26.200 It's mutual service and intimacy. 00:30:28.200 --> 00:30:32.080 Compared to our culture that just wants to blur all the distinctions. 00:30:33.140 --> 00:30:39.220 And the goodness of God's design is in that final description. 00:30:39.680 --> 00:30:42.980 The man and his wife are both naked and we're not ashamed. 00:30:45.120 --> 00:30:46.340 No fear. 00:30:47.980 --> 00:30:48.700 Oh, man. 00:30:50.460 --> 00:30:55.480 To have that, you need both an internal awareness that you have no need for shame. 00:30:56.180 --> 00:30:57.160 That you're good. 00:30:57.160 --> 00:31:01.980 Which, of course, now, our conscience plagues us. 00:31:03.200 --> 00:31:07.180 But to have no shame, you also need to know that someone's not going to mistreat you. 00:31:07.259 --> 00:31:10.600 Even if you are good, you need to know that someone's not going to mistreat you. 00:31:10.640 --> 00:31:14.660 You need to know they are going to operate on the basis of truth and grace. 00:31:14.660 --> 00:31:26.400 Can you imagine being totally seen for who you are and totally at ease with the person seeing you? 00:31:26.480 --> 00:31:29.440 Zero fear of being torn down. 00:31:29.880 --> 00:31:30.640 Only loved. 00:31:31.259 --> 00:31:32.500 I can't wait for heaven. 00:31:32.620 --> 00:31:34.580 It's going to be incredible society. 00:31:34.579 --> 00:31:42.279 Why is it not good for men to be alone? 00:31:42.279 --> 00:31:48.859 Because in this one flesh covenant union, man and woman have help. 00:31:49.199 --> 00:31:51.179 They help one another to worship God. 00:31:52.419 --> 00:32:00.579 But it's also not good until marriage comes because then we see what God is like. 00:32:01.159 --> 00:32:03.099 He is a covenant-keeping God. 00:32:04.579 --> 00:32:07.799 He wants deep intimacy and commitment. 00:32:08.599 --> 00:32:11.339 And marriage is a picture of who he is. 00:32:22.139 --> 00:32:28.299 So where it all went wrong was when Adam and Eve thought they could create a better rest, 00:32:29.799 --> 00:32:31.759 divorced from God. 00:32:34.579 --> 00:32:40.599 We have been trying to recreate rest apart from God ever since. 00:32:42.839 --> 00:32:48.599 Especially in seeking our sense of worth and purpose in our work, the work behind the work. 00:32:51.079 --> 00:32:52.019 It's nuts. 00:32:52.019 --> 00:33:03.220 We're forfeiting our high calling of being God's ambassadors in the world, thinking that we have high status because we're a CEO of a company. 00:33:03.680 --> 00:33:05.019 It's crazy thinking. 00:33:05.019 --> 00:33:20.319 Or we forfeit being naked and unashamed in grace-filled covenant relationships and seek it through transactional, self-protecting relationships. 00:33:20.539 --> 00:33:21.819 It's crazy thinking. 00:33:21.819 --> 00:33:27.960 We try and create rest without God. 00:33:30.159 --> 00:33:32.240 Without that covenant-keeping love. 00:33:34.819 --> 00:33:45.519 True rest is found first and foremost in being in covenant relationship with our maker and then that overflowing in covenant commitment to one another. 00:33:45.519 --> 00:33:53.859 But thanks be to God, he is determined to restore this rest. 00:33:56.440 --> 00:34:00.900 He restores it by making himself one flesh with us. 00:34:01.379 --> 00:34:04.819 Jesus Christ took on our bone and our flesh. 00:34:04.819 --> 00:34:14.340 The second Adam, the second son of God, came near to us. 00:34:14.659 --> 00:34:15.360 He is imminent. 00:34:16.679 --> 00:34:19.900 He became flesh and bone. 00:34:21.279 --> 00:34:23.079 And then he created a new covenant. 00:34:24.440 --> 00:34:29.980 Pierced in his side, laying down his life for his bride, the church. 00:34:29.980 --> 00:34:59.960 Pierced in his flesh. 00:35:00.420 --> 00:35:04.519 You don't have to fear because you know he's dealt with your guilt. 00:35:06.340 --> 00:35:07.559 He's dealt with it. 00:35:07.719 --> 00:35:12.679 And you don't have to fear because you know he will always treat you with grace. 00:35:16.500 --> 00:35:24.400 If you've never experienced peace with God in Jesus, you won't find it in work and relationships. 00:35:24.400 --> 00:35:29.340 What your heart is yearning for is to be at rest with your creator. 00:35:29.340 --> 00:35:43.660 Now the implications for this restoration, to be honest with you, it just sent me into a spin preparing this week because they're just so far reaching. 00:35:43.800 --> 00:35:45.620 I didn't know what to say to conclude. 00:35:46.579 --> 00:35:49.260 So I'm going to suggest let's talk about it over lunch. 00:35:49.260 --> 00:35:56.880 I just want to pick up one and that is to do with marriage because it is so prominent in the text. 00:35:57.040 --> 00:35:58.580 But I'm really just picking one. 00:35:58.579 --> 00:36:13.739 How can the Apostle Paul say in 1 Corinthians 7, he who marries does well and he who refrains from marriage will do even better? 00:36:13.739 --> 00:36:18.579 What we just looked at in Genesis 2, how can he say that? 00:36:19.579 --> 00:36:21.959 Because marriage is the pinnacle of creation. 00:36:25.399 --> 00:36:27.199 He's not downplaying marriage. 00:36:27.699 --> 00:36:30.639 He's elevating singleness. 00:36:31.359 --> 00:36:33.619 Marriage is great. 00:36:33.939 --> 00:36:35.019 Singleness, even better. 00:36:35.019 --> 00:36:40.039 How can that be the case? 00:36:40.840 --> 00:36:44.880 And how can Jesus say that there's not going to be marriage in the eternal age to come? 00:36:46.099 --> 00:36:50.800 If he came to restore all things, how can that be the case? 00:36:53.300 --> 00:37:01.420 I think it's as if the words of Paul in Ephesians 5, we can bring back to Genesis 2 and go, 00:37:01.420 --> 00:37:04.880 this one flesh mystery is profound. 00:37:05.300 --> 00:37:08.220 I'm talking about Christ and the church. 00:37:09.900 --> 00:37:15.960 When God looked into history and his goal, he saw Christ and his church. 00:37:16.360 --> 00:37:20.420 And then he created marriage to be a picture of that. 00:37:22.460 --> 00:37:30.300 Once you've got the real thing, marriage is just a picture of the real thing. 00:37:31.420 --> 00:37:36.579 To be a Christian is to be in one flesh union with God. 00:37:37.019 --> 00:37:41.820 The pinnacle of creation is God wants to marry us, if I can say that. 00:37:44.099 --> 00:37:44.700 Respectfully. 00:37:46.360 --> 00:37:46.960 Incredible. 00:37:49.019 --> 00:37:53.099 And so I think this transforms our view of marriage and singleness as Christians today. 00:37:53.539 --> 00:37:58.619 Your purpose if you're married is to display Yahweh's covenant keeping love. 00:37:58.619 --> 00:38:09.659 Your purpose if you're single is to display that Yahweh's covenant keeping love is even better than the best thing in creation. 00:38:16.139 --> 00:38:21.339 So whether married or single, finishing with this sentence, 00:38:21.340 --> 00:38:28.440 we can find true rest in the covenant love we've found in Jesus Christ. 00:38:29.420 --> 00:38:30.079 Let's pray. 00:38:30.079 --> 00:38:30.140 Let's pray. 00:38:38.860 --> 00:38:48.059 Father, I pray that you would convince our hearts that your covenant keeping love is better than life. 00:38:48.059 --> 00:39:02.059 So that we might respond to you, not dutifully, but joyfully in obedience and worship. 00:39:03.719 --> 00:39:12.159 And Lord, we just pray, the bride praying, Jesus, come back, come soon. 00:39:13.119 --> 00:39:14.219 In Jesus' name we pray. 00:39:14.519 --> 00:39:14.739 Amen. 00:39:14.739 --> 00:39:14.840 Amen.