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by Sandy Shaw
At the end of verse 6 in Genesis Chapter 2, everything is ready - the vegetation - the streams - but so far there has been no man. (There is NO pre-Adamite man.)
God forms man from the dust, and breathes the life of God into his nostrils. Today we are very familiar with mouth to mouth resuscitation, so why should we have questions about this?
The Hebrew is - "vayi pach" - breathed - strong inbreathed breath! Speak the Hebrew and you can identify with what is happening.
God places man in a parkland - that is a better translation than garden - a parkland which He has planted and prepared. For the animals it is just random growth, but for man there is aesthetic beauty. Man has that ability to appreciate. Man needs a useful place to live in, and an attractive place. O that the architects and planners and designers realised that.
Eden means delight. Our Creator Loving Compassionate Considerate God places man in "The Park of Delight" - or the Delightful Park - and man has to develop it - and take care of it and protect it.
In Creation lies all we need to know about the importance of Conservation and Ecology and Environmental issues, and all the other things that man is suddenly becoming so very interested in today. Here they are in God's Word, and people ask "Is the Bible relevant?"
Man is able to change the shape of nature, but if he takes more out of it than he puts in, then things go wrong.
God goes on to talk with man. The scene is perfection. We are reading of a perfect environment - where there is no disease - no sin - no death!
In Romans Chapter 5 verse 12, Jesus is the second Adam who came to save and rescue what was wrong and put right what was wrong – see also I Corinthians Chapter 15 verse 45.
Do you see where the deception of the teaching that we evolved leads us to? There is then no need for the Second Adam to shed blood and die and rescue and save and wash and cleanse! If there was no FALL, there is no need for a Saviour.
This Delightful Parkland is watered by rivers and mists.
When God gives you a gift - keep it in good shape. You have to work at it - excel at it.
Protect your gift and use your gift, and develop your gift.
We receive gifts from Jesus. We have to learn how to use these gifts for the good of the whole church - and work at it. The society and community around us - and the environment – can all benefit.
Note in verse 16 - the Lord commanded the man. Now some people do not like to be commanded, but right at the beginning of The Bible - before the Fall - before there is any sin - while man's environment is absolutely perfect - there is a GOD who commands. God gives very clear orders.
Come to terms with that. He is a GOD who commands. We are not allowed to do just whatever we want to do, and think just whatever we decide to think. And by the way, God always refuses to take NO for an answer.
This is where we can begin to see things just about to go wrong. We are quite pleased to receive gifts and blessings - and to be placed in beautiful surroundings - but how do we react when HE comes along and issues a command?
“Gracious God, at Creation everything was all so beautiful and sin free – but thank You for sending Jesus Christ, the Saviour, to save us from our sins and from the consequences of sin. Wash me, O Lord. Cleanse my heart. Amen”
Alexander 'Sandy' Shaw is pastor of Nairn Christian Fellowship in Nairn, Scotland. Nairn is 17 miles east of Inverness - on the Moray Firth Coast - not far from the Loch Ness Monster!
Gifted as a Biblical teacher, Sandy is firmly committed to making sure that his teachings are firmly grounded in the Word.
Sandy has a weekly radio talk which can be heard via the Internet on Saturday at 11:40am, New Orleans time, at wsho.com.
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