What a lay out! From Adam’s perspective, the Garden of Eden was truly paradise! Lush green fields, manicured shrubs and hedges, crystal clear streams, perfect temperature, all animals in perfect harmony, no rain, no storms, and no lawns to care for! Total and complete paradise is where Adam lived. What did Adam think when God first breathed life into him. Did he have a memory or did he ask thousands of questions of God. So many things that we will only find out when we reach Heaven!
Genesis 2 teaches us several things vital in our personal walk with God. First, our physical make up. Why do you think God made Adam from earth? What makes us ’worth something’ today? Worth is not based on physical attributes but what we do with our life. Our body is a temporary vessel while on this earth. What we use our body for (witnessing for God, serving others, contributing to the betterment of those less fortunate than ourselves, visiting people in the prisons, etc.) is what determines our worth in God’s view. The only ’view’ of us that matters is God’s view.
The second lesson is how God views marriage. Why was Eve not made from dirt also? God created Eve from Adam’s rib to symbolically show He views a man and woman joined to be ’one’. God intends for us to find a mate, unconditionally love them, and spend the rest of our life with them. God did not intend marriage to be temporary, for convenience, or out of lust instead of love. A strong marriage has three cords. The man, the woman and God form this strong cord. Two strands are easily broken but when the man and woman integrate God into their marriage, the two strands become three and are incredibly strong!
The third lesson concerns what each of us face every day; temptation! Why God would place such a tempting tree in the Garden but tell Adam not to eat of it? God placed this tree to give Adam a choice. Just as God gave Adam the freedom to choose, He gives us the same today. God has given us free will to do as we please. God wants us to make the right choices but He will not control us. If He did, mankind’s ’controlled’ actions would be meaningless as there would be no choice on our part to obey God through our devotion to Him. God gave Adam this choice. Adam made a bad choice. Have you chosen to obey God? Do you choose today to disobey God while knowing that Paradise awaits those who obey? It’s a serious thing, my friend. It is a serious thing when we disobey a Holy, Just, and Awesome God. Given the choice between living in Paradise and disobeying God, Adam and Eve chose to disobey. Why?
My friend satan’s purpose is to tempt us into thinking that his way is better than God’s way. Satan makes sinful ideas appear to be so good we do not resist! Satan woos many over to his ’side’ because we have an instinct to be bad. Many people say that mankind is born ’good’ and if we enlighten ourselves through our actions, we will spend eternity with God. That is a false teaching. We are all born into sin due to the action of Adam. Adam’s fall has carried over to all mankind and we are not born good. If that were true, we would not have to teach our children to be good. In reality, our children do bad things instinctively but it is the good things that they must be taught. In the end, we know that satan is not the victor. Christ Jesus is the final victor! The next time that satan offers up a temptation to you that seems just too good to ignore, think about Adam. Was yielding to satan’s sinful offer worth being cast from the Garden’s Paradise? The answer is no.
Oh what a Paradise God set up on earth for Adam and Eve! Free will was given, marriage was given, and freedom in God was given. Truly, everyday with Adam and Eve during that time was another great day in Paradise!! We too can experience the same gifts that God gave Adam and Eve. We are free to choose, free to love and free to be free in God. Place yourself there and watch Adam and Eve fully enjoy the gifts that God had bestowed on them! Trust in God to help you overcome the temptations satan will present. Keep your eyes on Heaven; the Paradise of all Paradises!
Papa Joe Mac's Commentary:
What a lay out! From Adam’s perspective, the Garden of Eden was truly paradise! Lush green fields, manicured shrubs and hedges, crystal clear streams, perfect temperature, all animals in perfect harmony, no rain, no storms, and no lawns to care for! Total and complete paradise is where Adam lived. What did Adam think when God first breathed life into him. Did he have a memory or did he ask thousands of questions of God. So many things that we will only find out when we reach Heaven!
Genesis 2 teaches us several things vital in our personal walk with God. First, our physical make up. Why do you think God made Adam from earth? What makes us ’worth something’ today? Worth is not based on physical attributes but what we do with our life. Our body is a temporary vessel while on this earth. What we use our body for (witnessing for God, serving others, contributing to the betterment of those less fortunate than ourselves, visiting people in the prisons, etc.) is what determines our worth in God’s view. The only ’view’ of us that matters is God’s view.
The second lesson is how God views marriage. Why was Eve not made from dirt also? God created Eve from Adam’s rib to symbolically show He views a man and woman joined to be ’one’. God intends for us to find a mate, unconditionally love them, and spend the rest of our life with them. God did not intend marriage to be temporary, for convenience, or out of lust instead of love. A strong marriage has three cords. The man, the woman and God form this strong cord. Two strands are easily broken but when the man and woman integrate God into their marriage, the two strands become three and are incredibly strong!
The third lesson concerns what each of us face every day; temptation! Why God would place such a tempting tree in the Garden but tell Adam not to eat of it? God placed this tree to give Adam a choice. Just as God gave Adam the freedom to choose, He gives us the same today. God has given us free will to do as we please. God wants us to make the right choices but He will not control us. If He did, mankind’s ’controlled’ actions would be meaningless as there would be no choice on our part to obey God through our devotion to Him. God gave Adam this choice. Adam made a bad choice. Have you chosen to obey God? Do you choose today to disobey God while knowing that Paradise awaits those who obey? It’s a serious thing, my friend. It is a serious thing when we disobey a Holy, Just, and Awesome God. Given the choice between living in Paradise and disobeying God, Adam and Eve chose to disobey. Why?
My friend satan’s purpose is to tempt us into thinking that his way is better than God’s way. Satan makes sinful ideas appear to be so good we do not resist! Satan woos many over to his ’side’ because we have an instinct to be bad. Many people say that mankind is born ’good’ and if we enlighten ourselves through our actions, we will spend eternity with God. That is a false teaching. We are all born into sin due to the action of Adam. Adam’s fall has carried over to all mankind and we are not born good. If that were true, we would not have to teach our children to be good. In reality, our children do bad things instinctively but it is the good things that they must be taught. In the end, we know that satan is not the victor. Christ Jesus is the final victor! The next time that satan offers up a temptation to you that seems just too good to ignore, think about Adam. Was yielding to satan’s sinful offer worth being cast from the Garden’s Paradise? The answer is no.
Oh what a Paradise God set up on earth for Adam and Eve! Free will was given, marriage was given, and freedom in God was given. Truly, everyday with Adam and Eve during that time was another great day in Paradise!! We too can experience the same gifts that God gave Adam and Eve. We are free to choose, free to love and free to be free in God. Place yourself there and watch Adam and Eve fully enjoy the gifts that God had bestowed on them! Trust in God to help you overcome the temptations satan will present. Keep your eyes on Heaven; the Paradise of all Paradises!