Featured The Garden

Genesis 2:7–8 Then the Lord God formed man of dust from the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living being. The Lord God planted a garden toward the east, in Eden; and there He placed the man whom He had formed.

Genesis 2:9 Out of the ground the Lord God caused to grow every tree that is pleasing to the sight and good for food; the tree of life also in the midst of the garden, and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.

Genesis 2:15 Then the Lord God took the man and put him into the garden of Eden to cultivate it and keep it.

Genesis 3:22–24 Then the Lord God said, “Behold, the man has become like one of Us, knowing good and evil; and now, he might stretch out his hand, and take also from the tree of life, and eat, and live forever”— therefore the Lord God sent him out from the garden of Eden, to cultivate the ground from which he was taken. So He drove the man out; and at the east of the garden of Eden He stationed the cherubim and the flaming sword which turned every direction to guard the way to the tree of life.

What is the significance of God taking Adam from where he was created and putting him in the Garden (as opposed to God creating man in the Garden)?

 

And this means the creation of Adam, the Garden, and Eve occurred in the 6th Day.....I think, anyway.

 

No. I was not making a case that Eve was not made from Adam's rib before Adam was placed in the Garden.

I am saying that I believe God planted a garden in Eden and there He placed the Adam whom He had formed (that God took Adam and put him into the garden of Eden to cultivate it and keep it).

And I am saying that after Adam transgressed God's command God sent him out from the garden of Eden, to cultivate the ground from which he was taken.

Then I asked if any, who shared my view, found any significance to it.

You stated that you do not believe that God planted a garden in Eden and there He placed the Adam whom He had formed (that God took Adam and put him into the garden of Eden to cultivate it and keep it). You stated that you do not believe that after Adam transgressed God's command God sent him out from the garden of Eden, to cultivate the ground from which he was taken.

You are not qualified to offer significance to that view as you do not believe it correct (to you it has no significance).

Unfortunately your objection is based on rejecting Scripture as my statements were not mine but God's Word quoted. I think you fell into that error by imagining a case I we could make, but I doubt you know the case I'd really make.

 

The case that I am making is that the Garden can be viewed as God dwelling with man (Adam). This significance exceeds the Hebrew and Christian faith (it is also a part of the ANE worldview).

I suggest that this shared view comes from the truth of the Garden, that God dwelt with Adam in the Garden in a unique way that was lost with sin. The truth was lost among the pagans, as was the truth of the Flood (pagans have a myth of the flood).

The purpose of ANE pagan temples was to entice their god to dwell with them in a temple (cities were centered around temples). In a sense it was an attempt to recreate the Garden.

 

Then I misunderstood you. Enough is enough.


I am saying that I believe God planted a garden in Eden and there He placed the Adam whom He had formed (that God took Adam and put him into the garden of Eden to cultivate it and keep it).

And I am saying that after Adam transgressed God's command God sent him out from the garden of Eden, to cultivate the ground from which he was taken.

Do you agree or disagree (this way you can't have it both ways)?

 

It would be strange to see God name the first man "Bob".


I agree that there is a lot of wordplay. Many Christians even view the account in the Garden as a myth rather than fact (a myth to teach truths).

But I think when we start questioning specific things in the first few chapters of Genesis then we open ourselves up to error.

For example, Scripture specifically presents an order in terms of the Garden. God created the Earth, plants, etc, but He planted a Garden and took man who had been created and placed in the Garden.

Genesis does repeat some instances and it is not written in a strict chronological manner.

For example, God tells us He made man, planted a Garden, and put man whom He had made in that Garden.

Then we see a description of the Garden, and God took the man and put him in the Garden.

And then God sends man out of the Garden to the ground where he was taken.

We can talk about meanings, the Tree of Life, what would be had Adam not sinned.....but until we can at least agree on what IS stated in God's Word it is impossible to discuss those topics.

 

I agree.

What struck me about studying ANE religions is the prominence of a type of "Garden of Eden" idea in temple cities where men would entice their god(s) to come down to dwell with them, making their city great. I personally believe the "Tower of Babel" was a ziggurat in this tradition...but that's based on opinion (I have an abundance of opinions).

It is less about, IMHO, the Garden and more about God dwelling with man. In this scene, the Garden itself can be viewed as symbolic of Christ (God dwelling with man) and our placement "in Christ" a return to the Garden which will be realized to its fullest in the New Heaven and New Earth as the Old passes away.