In the Garden

Photo courtesy of Philbrook.org

Genesis 2:8-15 (KJV)  ^And the LORD God planted a garden eastward in Eden; and there he put the man whom he had formed.   And out of the ground made the LORD God to grow every tree that is pleasant to the sight, and good for food; the tree of life also in the midst of the garden, and the tree of knowledge of good and evil.  And a river went out of Eden to water the garden; and from thence it was parted, and became into four heads.  The name of the first is Pison: thatis it which compasseth the whole land of Havilah, where there is gold;  And the gold of that land  is good: there is bdellium and the onyx stone.  And the name of the second river is Gihon: the same is it that compasseth the whole land of Ethiopia.  And the name of the third river isHiddekel: that is it which goeth toward the east of Assyria. And the fourth river is Euphrates.  And the LORD God took the man, and put him into the garden of Eden to dress it and to keep it.

When they were young, the Hubster and I took our daughters on a weekend trip to Tulsa, Oklahoma to see the Philbrook museum and gardens. While the collection of art and fine antiques were stunning, we were amazed by the beauty of the garden.

Our family spent a sunny June afternoon strolling through and enjoying this lush green oasis, stopping by fountains, bridges, and statuary.

The Bible recounts several beautiful gardens, but none so splendid as the first. The Garden of Eden was made by God and planned to be the home of Adam and Eve, the first humans. Genesis 2:8 tells of the garden’s beauty and lush vegetation, not to mention loads of animals to keep them company. And they got to walk with the Lord every day!

Because the world at that time was without sin, the Garden was idyllic with no decay or disease. The temperature and humidity were always in perfect alignment. Death had no part there. The first couple and the wildlife that lived there were in harmony; no blood was shed. They all ate of the fruit of the Garden.

Each day, Adam and Eve took care of the garden and its' inhabitants. Their labor was not hard, but joyous. And each evening, they walked and communed with God the Father.

It was perfect...for a time.

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Female in Motion Announcement: February is my birthday month, so let's celebrate! During this multi-part series on the Gardens of the Bible, please read and comment on any or all of these posts. When you do, you will be entered in a drawing to win a $25 Target gift card.

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Notable Quote: 

"The Bible is the story of two gardens: Eden and Gethsemane. In the first, Adam took a fall. In the second, Jesus took a stand. In the first, God sought Adam. In the second, Jesus sought God. In Eden, Adam hid from God. In Gethsemane, Jesus emerged from the tomb. In Eden, Satan led Adam to a tree that led to his death. From Gethsemane, Jesus went to a tree that led to our life."--Max Lucado, author