Gen 2: 4-17 “Make Your Eden!”

Rev Dr. Jintae Kim

Charleston Truth Alliance Church

Feb 2, 2025

 

Immediate Context

1.     2:4-6 The State of the World Before the Creation of Man: No Rain, and No Man to Work.

Man was ultimately created to take care of the world.

“4 This is the account of the heavens and the earth when they were created, when the Lord God made the earth and the heavens. 5 Now no shrub had yet appeared on the earth[a] and no plant had yet sprung up, for the Lord God had not sent rain on the earth and there was no one to work the ground, 6 but streams came up from the earth and watered the whole surface of the ground.”

2.     2:7 Creation of Man

“7 Then the Lord God formed a man[a] from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living being.”

3.     2:8-14 The State of the Blessed Garden of Eden: Perfect Environment

“8 Now the Lord God had planted a garden in the east, in Eden; and there he put the man he had formed. 9 The Lord God made all kinds of trees grow out of the ground—trees that were pleasing to the eye and good for food. In the middle of the garden were the tree of life and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. 10 A river watering the garden flowed from Eden; from there it was separated into four headwaters. 11 The name of the first is the Pishon; it winds through the entire land of Havilah, where there is gold. 12 (The gold of that land is good; aromatic resin[a] and onyx are also there.) 13 The name of the second river is the Gihon; it winds through the entire land of Cush. 14 The name of the third river is the Tigris; it runs along the east side of Ashur. And the fourth river is the Euphrates.”

4.     2:15 Man's Mission: Working and Taking Care of the Garden of Eden

“15 The Lord God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and take care of it.”

5.     2:16-17 Conditions for Eternal Life: Complete Obedience. One Thing.

“16 And the Lord God commanded the man, “You are free to eat from any tree in the garden; 17 but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat from it you will certainly die.””

 

Eden, the Eternal Utopia

Eden is an object of curiosity and eternal utopia to the people of the world.

The English word utopia originally comes from a Greek word, meaning a place that does not exist on this earth.

The world we live in is so imperfect that people, while drawing an Eden with a perfect environment, became discouraged and called it a utopia, meaning “there is no such place.”

Nevertheless, humans wander around looking for a utopia, as if chasing a mirage.

Shall we read a poem?

A poem by Karl Busse (1872-1918): Over the mountains

Over the mountains, far to travel,

people say, Happiness dwells.

Alas, and I went in the crowd of the others,

and returned with a tear-stained face.

Over the mountains, far to travel,

people say, Happiness dwells.

 

In Busse’s poem, the happiness that the poet was so desperately searching for also refers to a utopia.

So, is Eden really a mirage for us?

I don’t think so. Let’s see what Eden really means.

The meaning of Eden

1. The Hebrew word for Eden means joy. Delight

2. Eden was the environment and workplace that God entrusted to Adam.

Genesis 2:15 And the LORD God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to till it and keep it.

3. Adam was given the mission to work it and guard it, but when Adam failed to do so, it was no longer the Garden of Delight.

4. Eden is not you find somewhere else; rather, you make Eden by working and guarding what God entrusted to you here and now.

 

Application

In 1 Timothy 4:4, Paul said, “Everything God has created is good, and nothing is to be rejected if it is received with thanksgiving.” Yes, in fact, Eden can be said to be anything that God has entrusted to us. The same goes for the land of Canaan that God entrusted to Israel. Just as the land of Israel was a land flowing with milk and honey entrusted by God, so was Eden. That is why the land of Canaan was called a land flowing with milk and honey. It was another Eden that God gave to His people.

Israel abandoned the LORD God who entrusted to them the land and fell into idolatry, so they could not keep or take care of the land. We all know that they were all taken to foreign countries and became slaves. Remember: There are always conditions for every blessing that God gives. So, after Israel conquered Canaan, God divided the people in half and had them climb Mount Gerizim and Mount Ebal to proclaim blessings and curses there (Deuteronomy 27-28).

The same goes for the first Garden of Eden. God placed the tree of the knowledge of good and evil there so that if people obeyed God’s command using their free will, they could enjoy eternal bliss. However, they were deceived by the devil and failed to guard and take care of the Garden of Eden, causing all their descendants to be under the power of death.

The Charleston Truth Alliance Church that God has entrusted to us can also be called another Eden for us.

“Oh my, Adam and Israel failed, so what good can we do?” You may ask.

However, do you know what? That is ignoring the power of the Holy Spirit that God has given to us believers. We are qualitatively different from Adam and Israel. If we are children, we are also heirs with Jesus Christ. The Gospel of John says, “He has given us the power to become children of God.” And Paul said in Galatians 2:20, “It is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me.” All we have to do is let Christ live the rest of our lives in us.

Let me slightly modify the words of Genesis 2 and apply them to us.

“The LORD God has established the Truth Alliance Church here and has placed His saved saints there. The LORD God has placed us in the Church to keep it and take care of it.”

 

Therefore, if this Eden is to be maintained as a true Eden of joy, our efforts must follow. Imagine the spiritual future of our church.

“The river of blessing flows out of the Truth Alliance Church and waters Charleston, and from there, it divides and becomes four sources.”

 

Then how can we make the Truth Alliance Church a Garden of Eden overflowing with joy?

 

I would like to suggest three things.

 

1. Actively participate in worship

When we worship, we should not be onlookers or bystanders but should be active participants. We should actively seek out how we can play an important role in worship. Only then will worship be full of vitality and joy, and the church will become Eden.

 

2. Present offerings to God willingly and joyfully.

Giving offerings to the Lord is the same. Jesus said that where your material possessions are, there will your heart be also. Those who care for their church want to invest in the ministry of the church. As much as we invest, our sense of ownership of the church becomes more urgent, and at that time, our hearts will be filled with joy and fulfillment, and our lives will become lives that spread life through this.

 

3. Maintain the unity of the church

Just as Adam was commanded to guard Eden, we are also commanded to guard the unity of the church. Nothing in this world is easy. Whatever you do, first ask whether it is maintaining the unity of the church.

Prayer

 

Heavenly Father, thank you for entrusting us this church and allowing us to take care of it and guard it. Lord, grant us the ability to always take care of and protect this church as your representative, no matter what we do. Fill us with the Holy Spirit so that we can be sincere in our worship. Let us joyfully give offerings as a sign that we are offering our lives to you, Lord. Fill us with the Holy Spirit so that we can make the unity of the church our top priority. May the lives of all the saints who take care of this church and protect it and this church be filled with blessings like the Garden of Eden. I pray in the name of Jesus.