Okay, you can turn in your Bibles
to Genesis chapter 2. Genesis chapter 2, I'll read
beginning in verse 4 to the end of the chapter, and then our
focus tonight is the man placed in the garden in verses 4 to
14. So beginning in verse 4, this
is the history of the heavens and the earth, when they were
created, in the day that the Lord God made the earth and the
heavens, before any plant of the field was in the earth and
before any herb of the field had grown. For the Lord God had
not caused it to rain on the earth, and there was no man to
till the ground. But a mist went up from the earth
and watered the whole face of the ground. And the Lord God
formed man of the dust of the ground and breathed into his
nostrils the breath of life, and man became a living being.
The Lord God planted a garden eastward in Eden, and there he
put the man whom he had formed. And out of the ground, the Lord
God made every tree grow that is pleasant to the sight and
good for food. The tree of life was also in
the midst of the garden, and the tree of the knowledge of
good and evil. Now a river went out of Eden to water the garden,
and from there it parted and became four riverheads. The name
of the first is Pishon. It is the one which skirts the
whole land of Havilah, where there is gold. And the gold of
that land is good. The Delium and the Onyx Stone
are there. The name of the second river
is Gihon. It is the one which goes around the whole land of
Cush. The name of the third river is Hittikal. It is the one which
goes toward the east of Assyria. The fourth river is the Euphrates.
Then the Lord God took the man and put him in the Garden of
Eden to tend and keep it. And the Lord God commanded the
man, saying, Of every tree of the garden you may freely eat,
but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not
eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die.
And the Lord God said, It is not good that man should be alone.
I will make him a helper comparable to him. Out of the ground the
Lord God formed every beast of the field and every bird of the
air and brought them to Adam to see what he would call them.
And whatever Adam called each living creature, That was its
name. So Adam gave names to all cattle,
to the birds of the air, and to every beast of the field.
But for Adam there was not found a helper comparable to him. And
the Lord God caused a deep sleep to fall on Adam, and he slept.
And he took one of his ribs and closed up the flesh in its place.
Then the rib which the Lord God had taken from the man he made
into a woman, and he brought her to the man. And Adam said,
This is now bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh. She shall
be called woman because she was taken out of man. Therefore,
a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his
wife, and they shall become one flesh. And they were both naked,
the man and his wife. And we're not ashamed. Amen. Well, as we continue through
this particular chapter, as I said tonight, we're going to look
at the man placed in the garden in verses 4 to 14. And then in
verses 15 to 17, we'll see the man placed in a covenant of works. And then in verses 18 to the
end of the chapter, the man is given a help meat. one comparable
to Him to assist Him in the task that God had given in terms of
exercising dominion and expanding the garden temple to encompass
the entirety of the earth. We see that this was, in fact,
short-lived. As we get into chapter 3, they
succumb to temptation, and they ultimately rebel against God.
They do not operate by faith in the Word of God, but rather,
they would rather be like God. And thus, they reject the Lord,
they resist the Word, and they plunge posterity into sin. But let's look at this man Adam
placed in the garden. First, we want to look at the
creation of man in verses 4 to 7, and then secondly, the preparation
of the garden in verses 8 to 14. Now, the garden obviously
is the place of probation, that place where Adam would be placed
in that covenant of works and given that prohibition. against
eating the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. You've probably
heard me say in the past that the garden functions as well
as the first temple. So I want to draw that out a
bit tonight, but we'll first look at the creation of man in
verses 4 to 7. Now, if you look at verse 4,
I introduced this last time. It says, this is the history
of the heavens and the earth when they were created. in the
day that the Lord God made the earth and the heavens. This convention,
this literary convention, this is the history of the heavens
and the earth. This is the history of, or these
are the generations of. It's the Hebrew word, toledoth,
and it will occur several times from here on out in the narrative.
We see it in chapter 5, chapter 6, chapter 10, chapter 11, twice. chapter 25 twice, chapter 36
twice, and chapter 37. And typically it introduces what
follows. Some have suggested that here
it sort of brackets what we have in the previous verses because
verse 4 of chapter 2 sounds very much like verse 1 of chapter
1. But rather than seeing it that way, we ought to look at
1.1 to 2.3 as introduction to the book as a whole. It's sort
of offset. And then in 2.4, we have this
idea of these are the generations of, or this is the history, and
specifically of the heavens and the earth when they were created.
As well, I've mentioned that this isn't a separate creation
account. We've already been told that
Adam was made. We've already been told that
God created man, male and female, in Genesis chapter 1, verses
26 to 28. What we have there is a general
statement, and now what we have in chapter 2 is sort of an exploration
and development and an expansion of the creation of Adam on the
sixth day. It gets into the nitty-gritty.
It gets into the specific details, and it shows us how God made
him and what God did with him after He made him. And I want
you to notice as well in verse 4, the name, the Lord God, Yahweh
Elohim. This is the first time we see
this in the narrative up to this point. Elohim means God. It is
what He is. Yahweh is who He is. It is the covenant Lord. It is
the One who has revealed Himself to His people via His Word. Specifically, as well, He reveals
Himself through His Son in the New Covenant. So we have a reference
here to Yahweh Elohim. Now, God will reveal that name
in Exodus 3.14 to Moses specifically, and when we get to that, the
Lord willing, we'll explore that that name in a bit more detail.
But just suffice to say, that does sort of dominate the narrative
from this point on, at least in this section. The Lord God. Now note the creation of man
in verses 5 to 7. The narrator, the author, Moses,
focuses on the third day. Notice in verses 5 and 6. Before
any plant of the field was in the earth, and before any herb
of the field had grown, for the Lord God had not caused it to
rain on the earth, and there was no man to till the ground.
But a mist went up from the earth and watered the whole face of
the ground." That explains for us, verse 6, how everything managed
to live. If there was no rain, how could
God sustain the earth? Well, there was this mist that
came up from the earth and watered the whole face of the ground.
Now when we get to Noah and the flood, obviously God opens the
windows of heaven and He sends rain to destroy the earth. But this does explain how God
sustained the earth prior to rain and prior to man and his
cultivation of the earth. Now, why only the third day is
indicated here, I think, is precisely this. The emphasis in this part
of the narrative is on verse 7. He doesn't deal with the sea.
He doesn't deal with the sky. He doesn't deal with all those
particular things. He simply deals with the land and then
the ruler over that land, specifically man. So verse 7 tells us, the
Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground and breathed into
his nostrils the breath of life, and man became a living being. So as I said, the sole emphasis
on the land in verses 5 to 7 paves the way for the emphasis of verse
7, I'm sorry, 5 and 6, land, verse 7, the man, and then the
man as he is in the garden, as he is in the covenant of works,
and as he has been given this wife, and as he enters ultimately
into sin. So man is the highlight. The
account is not another but an expansion of what is given in
chapter 1. John Salehammer says, what the
author had stated as a simple fact in chapter 1, man, male
and female, was created in God's likeness, is explained and developed
throughout the narrative of chapter 2. Now note here as well, chapter
1 we are told that God made man in His image. Here, we're told
that God formed man of the dust of the ground. There's no contradiction. There's no discrepancy. It is
simply detailing more specifically how God fashioned man. But there
in chapter 1, we see that man is like God. He is created in
the image of God, but here in 2.7, we learn that he's also
unlike God. He is not creator, he is creature. He owes his existence to the
sovereign God, the one God alone who is able to create, and he
has more in connection or more in unity with the dirt of the
ground, on the one hand, than he does with Almighty God. So,
the Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground. This also
anticipates chapter 3, verse 19, when Adam is cursed. In the
sweat of your face you shall eat bread, till you return to
the ground, for out of it you are taken, for dust you are,
and to dust you shall return. So he is both like God in terms
of being made in the image of God, but he's unlike God. We
are creature. We are formed from the dust of
the ground. And we see how God then breathes
into his nostrils the breath of life, and man became a living
being. Gordon Wenham says, man is more
than a God-shaped piece of earth. He has within him the gift of
life that was given by God himself. Now the same breath that is in
man is the same breath that animates animals, but man is highlighted
because man bears the image of God. Certainly animals have a
physical being, animals have a heart, animals have a circulatory
system, they breathe. But what is sort of on display
here is the dignity of man, but as well the creatureliness of
man, and he does have dignity under God. Now note, secondly,
the preparation of the garden in verses 8 to 14. Notice in
verse 8, the Lord God planted a garden eastward in Eden, Now
it seems to me that Eden was a larger portion of land and
that the garden was planted in it. Now God didn't plant the
garden the way that you and I plant the garden. He didn't go down
to Home Depot He didn't buy seeds, he didn't buy a little spade,
he didn't buy a bucket, he didn't buy a bonnet, and then he didn't
go home and he didn't turn the dirt and plant the seed. It's
an anthropomorphism. It's speaking to us in the manner
of man to tell us or to lead us by the hand as to how God
dealt with Adam. So the Lord God planted a garden
eastward in Eden, and there He put the man whom He had formed.
So he planted the garden in Eden. And again, Sailhammer says, the
word Eden appears to be a specific place. And since in the Hebrew
Bible the word means delight, we may assume that the name was
intended to evoke a picture of idyllic delight and rest. It
was a paradise-type place. It was a wonderful garden place
that God had created. and then notice that God puts
the man there whom He had formed. Now, if you'll follow as I lead
us through the discussion of this garden being the first temple,
I think we learn from this particular situation that God made man for
fellowship with God. In other words, that is the purpose
for which we were created. The Shorter Catechism asks the
question, what is the chief end of man? Man's chief end is to
glorify God and to enjoy Him forever. We were created for
communion with God. Now certainly chapter 3 introduces
a breach or a rupture in that intended plan. The glory of God
is revealed throughout Scripture in that He remedies that through
the second or rather last Adam. The Adam the first plunges us
into sin. Adam the last, the Lord Jesus
Christ, brings many sons to glory. But the purpose for which God
made us was so that we would fellowship with Him, so that
we would commune with Him, so that we would be in His presence.
God formed this this man, he planted this garden, and then
he brings the man to the garden so that God and the man can commune
together. This is the fundamental reason
why we exist. Not just us as believers, but
unbelievers as well. There's evangelistic sort of
rationale here. When we go to sinners, we tell
them, You are supposed to want God. You are supposed to commune
with God. You are supposed to fellowship
with God, but because of sin and depravity and wickedness
and wretchedness, you rebel, you reject, and you resist Him.
The way of return or the way to Him is through the Lord Jesus
Christ, the power of the Christian gospel. So God initiates contact
with His creature, specifically Adam, by planting this garden
eastward in Eden, and there He put the man whom He had formed.
Notice as well the abundance in the garden. Verse 9, And out
of the ground the Lord God made every tree grow that is pleasant
to the sight and good for food. The tree of life was also in
the midst of the garden, and the tree of the knowledge of
good and evil." Now those two trees anticipate what follows
in the rest of the narrative. So we'll visit those trees in
more detail when we move to that particular section. But here
suffice to say, or it's sufficient to say, that what we have in
verse 9 shows us there was no reason whatsoever for Adam and
Eve to disobey God. In other words, they should not
have reached out and taken the fruit from the tree of the knowledge
of good and evil. There were plenty of trees. There
was plenty of fruit. There was an abundance of food.
Man resisted and man rejected the Lord God. who had given Him
everything. And so we see in this an exacerbation
of the sinfulness of man. We are given all good things
by our God, and nevertheless we go after that which He has
prohibited us from having. And then notice, with reference
to the water for the garden in verses 10 to 14. Now, there's
a whole lot of ink on where these rivers are And I will just, you
know, send you to John Gill or some of the better commentators
because I just did not have the time to look at a map and try
to figure it all out. But Wenham, probably one of the
best modern commentators on Genesis says that most likely Eden was
in Mesopotamia and he says specifically Armenia. Now, for what that's
worth, you know, you can maybe then take a trip to Armenia,
I guess. try to visit Eden? I don't know. I know the Mormons
think it was in Missouri. That's pretty depressing, actually.
But nobody knows for certain where Eden was. But, you know,
the best guess in terms of the rivers and in terms of the water
systems is that it was in Mesopotamia. Now, all of that to bring us
to the significance of the garden. And I want to spend most of our
time here tonight, I think the sort of exposition of this section, verses 4 to
14, is pretty straightforward, but I would like to draw out
the significance of the Garden of Eden. In the first place,
it is the context for the probation, the covenant of works, and I
think you'll see sort of an interesting parallel. Adam is placed in a
garden. Adam is placed in an idyllic
situation. Adam is placed in paradise, and
Adam is given an abundance. When we get to the last Adam,
the Lord Jesus Christ, He's driven by the Spirit out into the wilderness,
a place that is not lush, a place that is not idyllic, a place
that is not full of abundance, but rather the tempter is there. But when we see Adam I in this
glorious and wondrous Edenic paradise succumb to the tempter,
we ought to appreciate the last Adam in the sort of desolate
conditions he was in not succumbing to the tempter, rather resisting
the tempter and ultimately achieving victory over him through his
life and his death and his resurrection. So you need to understand that
what we have here in Genesis chapters 2 and 3 concerning Adam
find a parallel in the work of the Lord Jesus Christ. This is
Paul's point in Romans 5. This is why we're reformed, because
reformed people hold to what's called covenant theology. Covenant
theology is also called federalism. The idea is that we have a federal
or a covenant head or representative who stands for us. And Paul tells
us in Romans 5 that in Adam all die. Because of what Adam does
here in Genesis chapter 3, he plunges his entire posterity
into sin and into depravity. In Romans 5, Paul says, in Christ
all are made alive. Federal, representation, a covenantal
head. This is why Reformed theology
is biblical and correct, because it holds to what is called federalism
or covenant theology. So we ought to appreciate what's
happening. Paul tells us in Romans 5.14
that Adam was a type of him who was to come, even the Lord Jesus
Christ. Federal theology is taught very
clearly in Romans 5, and certainly the background is Genesis 2 and
3. Paul says, by the one man's disobedience
the many were made sinners. By the one man's obedience the
many are made righteous. So we can thank God. that while
Adam the first in this idyllic situation did not resist the
tempter but rather plunged into sin, we can thank him that Adam
the second or Adam the last was victorious over the devil in
his temptation. Secondly, we ought to appreciate
the garden as the first Temple. Now temple simply means a place
where God and people dwell together. Tabernacle is the sort of temporary
temple. Remember when Moses led the people
out of Egypt by the power in the hand of God. God commanded
them in Exodus chapters 25 to probably around 35, let me just
see, the specific directions on how to build the tabernacle. 25 to 31 are the instructions
on building the tabernacle, and then 35 to 40 is the construction
of the tabernacle. Tabernacle, dwelling place. So
when God's people, before they get stabilized in their land,
where God meets with his people is in this tabernacle. When they
do get stable in the land, when David is king over Israel, and
though he wants to build a temple, it's not until his son Solomon
comes that he builds the temple. Well, that's where God meets
with his people on a regular basis in terms of their worship
and sanctuary. And so when we look at this Garden
of Eden, it shows us or it demonstrates many features that it was in
fact the first temple. And I would suggest in the first
place, it is the unique place of God's presence. If temple
and if tabernacle simply highlight where God and man meet together,
then we'd have to suggest or have to say or agree that the
garden is in fact a temple. Notice in chapter 3 at verse
8. And they heard the sound of the Lord God walking in the garden
in the cool of the day, and Adam and his wife hid themselves from
the presence of the Lord God among the trees of the garden."
You see, this is the place, this garden, this Garden of Eden or
in Eden is where God would come to meet with Adam and Eve. And
it is intriguing that the same Hebrew word used for God's walking
back and forth in the garden also describes God's presence
in the tabernacle in Leviticus 26, in Deuteronomy 23, and as
well in 2 Samuel chapter 7. So the same sort of language
that is employed later in terms of the tabernacle is used here
in Genesis chapter 2 with reference to the garden. Now remember,
Moses wrote this. Moses wrote the book of Genesis
along with Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy. And
so vocabulary and grammar and words ought to alert us with
reference to the author. In other words, the author who's
writing this five-fold sort of work is using vocabulary to suggest
to his readers that there is some continuity between the garden
temple and the later tabernacle and ultimately temple in the
land of Israel. Secondly, the entrance to Eden
and later sanctuaries is from the east. When Adam is driven
out of the Garden of Eden, the cherubim is placed at the east
of the garden to prohibit access back in to the garden. Well,
that's how you got in to the tabernacle as well. The visionary
temple that Ezekiel portrays in his prophecy tells us that
access to the temple is through the east. Thirdly, the identification
of Adam's vocation as a priest. Not primarily as a gardener,
but as a priest. Notice in verse 15 of chapter
2. to tend and keep it. Keep could also be guard. It's the same word used in chapter
3 at verse 24. Notice he drove out the man and
he placed cherubim at the east of the garden of Eden and a flaming
sword which turned every way to guard the way to the tree
of life. That was to be Adam's function. as a priest in the sanctuary
of God to not only to tend it and to cultivate it, but to guard
it. And he fails in that miserably
in chapter 3 when the devil, via the serpent, comes and attacks
Eve. He wasn't doing his job as a
priest with reference to his calling. What we see is that
both terms that are employed here in verse 15 are also later
applied to the Levitical priests. In fact, G.K. Beal says, it is
true that the Hebrew word usually translated cultivate can refer
to an agricultural task when used by itself. When, however,
these two words occur together in the Old Testament, they refer
either to Israelites serving God and guarding or keeping God's
word, or to priests who keep the service or charge of the
tabernacle. And there are several references
to that. So in other words, when we get to the Levitical priesthood,
they do what Adam was supposed to do. So we conclude that Adam
was supposed to do what they do. His primary function wasn't
gardening. His primary function was priesthood. He was to mediate the blessings
of God upon the creation. He was to expand that garden
temple through the multiplication of image bearers and populate
the earth so that it would indeed redound to the glory and praise
of Almighty God. Alexander says, Adam's role in
the garden has Levitical connotations. He is to be a guardian of sacred
space and not merely a gardener. Now that doesn't mean he shouldn't
garden, and that doesn't mean he shouldn't work. And it is
interesting that in paradise, man works. We have this idea
today that the weekend is the best part of the week, and we
all just work to get to the weekend so that we can have time off.
It is intriguing that prior to the fall of man into sin, work
occupied it. Six days you shall labor and
do all your work." The Sabbath is a Sabbath day as unto the
Lord. Brethren, work is not bad. We're
bad. We need to have a proper adjustment
or an adjustment to our attitude with reference to work. Vocation
is a good thing. What would we do if we had a
whole bunch of time on our hands? what we typically do now whenever
we have time on our hands. We sin against God. I've often
thought the best help to prevent sinfulness is hard work, such
that when you get home at night, you have your supper, you spend
a little time with the family, you put your head on the pillow,
and you fall asleep. There shouldn't be enough time
in your day for you to go out and sin. You should be busy from
morning until dark. And that is something that we
see is good and it's blessed by God. But it's not primarily
gardening, it is primarily priesthood. As well, notice the reference
to the rivers in verse 11. It says, the name of the first
is Pishon. It is the one which skirts the
whole land of Avalok, where there is gold, and the gold of that
land is good, but Delium and the onyx stone are there. Now, those of us who gathered
together for a lengthy study in the former prophets studied
the time when Solomon built the temple. And one of the things
that Solomon used en masse to build the temple was gold. In fact, the hinges of the doors
were made of gold. I've never seen that at Home
Depot. I mean, just imagine gold hinges. What does that say about
your residence if you have gold hinges? It means you're pretty
important. You've got a lot of money, and
you have the best. Well, God is most important. He owns the cattle on a thousand
hills, and he had Solomon use his gold to furnish his house. This reference to gold, and as
well, onyx stones. You will see throughout the rest
of the Pentateuch, that's the rest of the five books of Moses,
that both gold and onyx stones are used in the construction
of the tabernacle and then later on in the temple. But also gold
and onyx stones are used on the priestly garments. The priest
has these onyx stones on him. And again, I think it's a connection
between Adam and the Levitical priesthood. But as well, we have
a specific passage of scripture, the divine commentary that tells
us that this was indeed a temple. You can turn to the prophet Ezekiel,
Ezekiel chapter 28. And while there are some difficult
things in Ezekiel chapter 28, what it says concerning the Garden
of Eden is crystal clear and is indeed a proof positive that
what we're dealing with in the garden is a temple sanctuary. What we have is a proclamation
against the king of Tyre, chapter 28, verses 1 to 10. And then
we have a lamentation for the king of Tyre in verses 11 to
19. Now, there's a lot of interpretation
about this passage. Some suggest it has to do with
the devil. Others suggest it's, you know,
I've heard some things that that are very strange to say the least. But I think what Ezekiel is doing
as he turns his attention against the nations around Israel, remember
Ezekiel prophesies concerning Judah and the captivity in Babylon,
but Ezekiel doesn't stop there. He condemns the pagan nations
around Judah and here specifically the king of Tyre. He is using
a parallel between the king of Tyre and the creation of Adam
in the garden. Why he does that, I don't know,
but that he does that, I am convinced. And note what he says in Ezekiel
28 verse 12. Son of man, take up a lamentation
for the king of Tyre and say to him, thus says the Lord God,
you were the seal of perfection, full of wisdom and perfect in
beauty. You were in Eden, the garden of God. Every precious
stone was your covering. The sardius, topaz, and diamond,
beryl, onyx, and jasper, sapphire, turquoise, and emerald with gold.
The workmanship of your timbrels and pipes was prepared for you
on the day you were created. I believe this is a reference
to Adam. And this description in verse
13 of the various precious stones is parallel to the sorts of things
that the high priest wore when he ministered unto God. Again,
Adam's vocation was priestly. He was covered in this because
he ministered unto God as a priest to God. Now here in verse 14,
it seems as if Ezekiel shifts his attention to an angel. And
this is why some suggest that this section deals with the devil.
It says in verse 14, you were the anointed cherub who covers. I established you. You were on
the holy mountain of God. You walked back and forth in
the midst of fiery stones. Now, I would suggest that what's
called the Septuagint, if this is getting a little bit too high,
just hang on. Just hang on because this is
very important. And we're going to bring it all to a conclusion
after we conclude, or when we conclude. But it's very important,
because I think that if you see what's happening in Genesis 2
and 3, and in a moment, Revelation 21 and 22, you will see that
the Bible is consistent. It's a panoramic. It's not some
bits and pieces of randomly thrown together stuff. But there's a
beginning, there's a middle, and an end. And the beginning
is about the fall of man in the first Adam. The middle is about
the coming of the last Adam. And the end is when he is victorious
and he brings his bride to church into the presence of God Most
High. That which was forfeit by Adam is secured for us by
the Lord Jesus Christ. You have got to get this. I mean,
not got like you're going to fail the test if you don't. But
if you want to appreciate the scope of Scripture and the consent
of the parts and the testimony of the whole to the glory of
God and the goodness of His salvation, I would just encourage you to
pay attention. Notice, you are the anointed cherub who covers.
The Septuagint is a preferred reading here. It's not the case
that he's introduced Adam in verse 13 and now Satan or the
angel in verse 14. The Septuagint translates, you
were with the cherub. In other words, the same person
is the focus. It's Adam, this one who was created
upright, this one who was in Eden, the garden of God, this
one who served as a priest. It's not you were the anointed
cherub, but rather you were with the cherub. I established you."
Now note this phrase, you were on the holy mountain of God. You walked back and forth in
the midst of fiery stones. Again, keep it in your head that
this is Adam in the garden. Keep it in your head that this
is Adam as a priest in the garden. Verse 15, you were perfect in
your ways from the day you were created till iniquity was found
in you. By the abundance of your trading
you became filled with violence within, and you sinned. Therefore
I cast you as a profane thing out of the mountain of God, and
I destroyed you. Again, not, O covering cherub
from the midst of the fiery stones, but rather, and the cherub has
brought thee out of the midst of the stones of fire. It's not
like he's dealing with Adam and then the cherub, or the Adam
as the cherub, or the cherub as Adam. It's Adam and there's
angel in the garden. Verse 17, your heart was lifted
up because of your beauty. You corrupted your wisdom for
the sake of your splendor. I cast you to the ground. I laid
you before kings that they might gaze at you. You defiled your
sanctuaries by the multitude of your iniquities. Here I think
it's Adam and the history of Israel. He goes on to say, "'Therefore
I brought fire from the midst, it devoured you, and I turned
you to ashes upon the earth in the sight of all who saw you.
All who knew you among the peoples are astonished at you. You have
become a horror and shall be no more forever.'" So again,
the target of the prophecy is the King of Tyre. The parallel
is with Adam in the garden. And now what we see is that the
garden is called the Garden of God. We see in verse 14 it is
called the Holy Mountain of God, and we see in verse 18 it is
a sanctuary. It's the first sanctuary upon
which the tabernacle and temple, I would argue, were modeled.
In fact, the tabernacle and the temple look back to what the
garden was all about, its pristine glory, and that time represented
where God and man did commune together without sin. And so
we have a testimony by the prophet concerning the temple, sanctuary,
nature of the Garden of Eden. Then as well, notice, he describes
it as the mountain of God. Now, for these rivers to flow
from Eden, I'm not a physicist or geologist, but I would suggest
that Eden was high. In other words, for rivers to
flow down from Eden, that would indicate that Eden itself was
a mountain. And we see that by the prophet
Ezekiel telling us that this was, in fact, the mountain of
God. Now, if you trace that theme
throughout scripture, you will see a lot of data and how God,
in His temple, is said to be enthroned upon a mountain. We
see that at Sinai, to be sure. We see it all throughout the
Psalter. Psalm 15, Psalm 24. Who shall
ascend the mountain of the Lord? We see this reference to Mount
Zion, Jerusalem, the city of David, the city of God. We see
that Solomon sits on the throne of the Lord when he's enthroned,
or when he takes the throne after David is dead. So we have this
idea that God is enthroned upon his holy mount. And then we see,
with reference to not only the end of the Bible in the book
of Revelation, but we see a prophetic statement concerning that latter-day
temple in the prophet Ezekiel. Ezekiel portrays Eden as being
on a mountain. Israel's temple was on a mountain. And the end time temple was to
be located on a mountain. Revelation 21.10. The seer is
brought up to a mountain to see the city of God. So this mountain
of God begins in the Garden of Eden, it is then in the midst
of Israel, the body politic, with a Davidic king. They defect
from God, they resist God, they reject God, and now the mountain
of God, the Zion of God, is obviously Jesus, but it's the church in
union with Jesus. In fact, turn to Hebrews chapter
12. Hebrews chapter 12, the mountain
of God is the church of God. And in Hebrews 12, that is altogether
clear. Verse 18, for you have not come
to the mountain that may be touched, and that burned with fire, and
to blackness, and darkness, and tempest, and the sound of a trumpet,
and the voice of words, so that those who heard it begged that
the word should not be spoken to them anymore. For they could
not endure what was commanded. And if so much as a beast touches
the mountain, it shall be stoned or shot with an arrow. And so
terrifying was the sight that Moses said, I am exceedingly
afraid and trembling. But you have come to Mount Zion
and to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem,
to an innumerable company of angels, to the general assembly
and church of the firstborn who are registered in heaven, to
God the judge of all, to the spirits of just men made perfect,
to Jesus, the mediator of the new covenant, and to the blood
of sprinkling that speaks better things than that of Abel. Mount
Zion is the church of the Lord Jesus Christ. It was locally
present in Jerusalem with the Davidic king until Judah apostatized
and was ultimately cast out of the land. Well, now Mount Zion
is equipped with a Davidic king, even our Lord Jesus Christ, who
sits at the right hand of God on David's throne, where he rules
over his empire, the church of the Lord Christ. So we come to
that mount. We come to a Davidic king. We come to the one whose blood
speaks better things than that of Abel. There is a theology
of temple that runs from Genesis all the way to Revelation. And
it's not just the structure, it's not just the detail, it's
not just the gold, but it's the concept of God, I will be your
God and you will be my people. That's the emphasis in Temple,
in Tabernacle, that's the emphasis in the book of Genesis with reference
to the garden, and that's the emphasis that we find in the
last book of the Bible, Revelation 21 and 22. Consider the connections
between Genesis 2 and 3 and Revelation 21 and 22. The devil of Genesis
3 is cast into the lake of fire in Revelation chapter 20. Remember
the serpent, more cunning, leads or deceives Adam. She eats the
fruit, she gives to Adam, rather to Eve, and then she gives it
to Adam, and they reject and rebel against God. Well, that
devil is ultimately cut off and ultimately sent into the lake
of fire. The first heavens and earth of Genesis 1-1 become the
new heavens and new earth of Revelation 21-1. John says, I
saw a new heaven and a new earth. For the first heaven and the
first earth had passed away. Also, there was no more sea.
Thirdly, the tree of life revealed in Genesis 2 is highlighted in
the new earth in Revelation 22-2 and Revelation 22-14. You see
a theme? Things that were mentioned, referenced,
highlighted, stipulated, set forth in Genesis 2 and 3 are
all remedied, corrected, and displayed in their rightful use
in Revelation 21 and 22. There's movement. How many times
do people view the Bible the way we view the Koran? The Koran
is just rambled musings of, you know, a wingnut prophet. The
Bible is not that. God is the author. God raised
up Moses. God raised up the prophets. God
raised up the apostles. God is the editor-in-chief over
this program. And it's a literary masterpiece.
And things introduced in Genesis 2 and 3 that were tensions to
be resolved are resolved when we get to Revelation 21 and 22. Alexander comments on the tree
of life. After Adam and Eve betray God
and are expelled from Eden, God deliberately prevents them from
accessing this life-giving tree, Genesis 3, 22 to 24. Revelation
presents a very different situation, for the leaves of the tree of
life are freely available for the healing of the nations. This
life-changing tree is mentioned nowhere else in Scripture, strongly
suggesting that the two locations are closely linked. And remember,
in Revelation 21 and 22, the idea is that John sees this New
Jerusalem, this city descending. And then we also see that the
presence of God in 3.8 of Genesis is highlighted in Revelation
21.3. Notice in Revelation 21.3, and I heard a loud voice from
heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will
dwell with them, and they shall be his people. God himself will
be with them and be their God. This is the underlying current
of all biblical covenant. This is what God's about. I will
be your God and you will be my people. It comes to realization
in Revelation 21, with the new Jerusalem coming down out of
heaven, adorned like a bride for her husband. As well, the
death brought on in Genesis chapter 3 is done away with in Revelation
21. God will wipe away every tear
from their eyes. There shall be no more death,
nor sorrow, nor crying. There shall be no more pain for
the former things that passed away. You see this? Genesis 2
and 3, Revelation 21 and 22. What happens in between? It's
the story of our Lord Jesus Christ. First anticipated and promised,
and then realized and executed by the coming of the Son of Man. The curse brought on in Genesis
chapter 3. is removed in Revelation 22.3. Revelation 22.3, "...and there
shall be no more curse, but the throne of God and of the Lamb
shall be in it, and His servants shall serve Him. They shall see
His face, and His name shall be on their foreheads." It's
only in Eden and here that we see God face to face. And then finally, note the description
of this city in Revelation 21 verses 10 to 22. It's a temple. Again, not a physical structure,
but it's a temple. It's a dwelling place of God
with men. And note specifically the way
the city is laid out in verse 16. The city is laid out as a
square. Its length is as great as its
breadth. And he measured the city with
the reed, 12,000 furlongs. Its length, breadth, and height
are equal. What does that mean? That means
it's a cube. You know, the only other structure
ever described as a cube is in 1 Kings 6, and it's the Holy
of Holies. The only two cubes in the Bible
refer to the very same thing, God dwelling with his people. Garden was the first temple. We see a theology of temple move
throughout scripture. We see it ultimately come to
fruition in the Lord Jesus. The Word became flesh and He
what? He tabernacled among us. Destroy
this temple and in three days I will raise it up. We see all
the wrongs introduced in Genesis chapter 3, righted by our Lord
Jesus Christ, and we see in this new heavens and new earth, everything
put aright by the doing and the dying and the rising of the last
Adam, the Lord Jesus. I believe that if you understand
this, it brings together all of Scripture. I believe that
if you see this, it's not esoteric, it's not a code, it's not something
that just a few enlightened will see, but hopefully you see how
crystal clear, just from this brief presentation, that the
Garden of Eden was a tabernacle, a temple, a sanctuary that God
told Adam to multiply and fill the earth with. Image bearers
that God could commune with, that would glorify God, and that
this would indeed be a glorious thing. But because of sin, God
then moves to the sending of His Son, not then moves as if
He's reacting. This was always His purpose and
His plan, to bring about this victory through the Lord Jesus.
But all those things introduced in Genesis 2 and 3 are corrected
and remedied by our Lord and brought to fruition in the new
Jerusalem. So I hope that you'll appreciate
the consistency of Holy Scripture. I hope as well you'll appreciate
the goal of our redemption, the goal of our creation is to be
with God. And if that's the case, if that's
what God made us for, and if that's what God has redeemed
us for, how then ought we to live? We ought to live as faithful
servants to this God. We ought to live in light of
this communion and fellowship we have with God. We ought not
to dishonor Him. We ought not to bring reproach
upon His name. We ought to seek to faithfully
glorify Him in this world we find ourselves in. As well, if
the church is the Mount Zion of God, ruled over by a Davidic
king, even our Lord Jesus Christ, then we should come. Corporate
worship ought to be our delight. This is why David said, I was
glad when they said unto me, let us go to the house of the
Lord. Those psalms, I think 120 to 134, they are called songs
of ascents. Why? Because the faithful were
ascending to the mountain of God, vis-Ã -vis the temple in
Jerusalem. These were the songs of Zion. These are what they sang when
they went to worship our God in his holy temple. We need to
come to Mount Zion. We need to be fervent and earnest
about this communion and this fellowship that we have with
God. Not only in terms of His intended purpose for us in creation,
but the redemptive purpose in terms of the blood shedding of
His own dearly beloved Son. He brings us out of darkness
into marvelous light, not so that we can be lazy or indifferent
or apathetic, but so that we can seek Him and serve Him and
glorify His most holy name. This was an emphasis by Martin
Luther in the Protestant Reformation. the priesthood of all believers. The Roman Catholic priesthood
is a farce. The Roman Catholic priesthood
is a fake. Luther said every believer is
a priest. Every believer serves God. Every
believer worships God. Every believer is one of those
living stones that makes up the temple of God, to quote or cite
1 Peter 2. Brethren, we have been given
a great privilege to have communion with God. So both corporately,
coming to church, and privately, reading our Bibles and praying,
we ought to utilize and enjoy the communion and the fellowship
that our God has purposed for us. What is the chief end of
man? Man's chief end is to glorify God and to enjoy Him forever. And I hope that finally we'll
appreciate the work of the last Adam. I sometimes say second. I think Israel was an Adam too. You have Adam, the first, you
have Israel, who were given a particular task as well, go into the land,
subdue the land, mediate the blessings of God to the heathen
around the land, but they failed in that, so Christ is the last
Adam. Christ comes and accomplishes
what both Adam and Israel failed to do. I believe that Luke highlights
that Jesus is an Adam-like figure, and I think Matthew highlights
that Jesus is an Israel-like figure. Israel went through the
waters into the wilderness. Jesus went through the waters
of baptism into the wilderness. Jesus withstood the tempter and
was victorious. Israel fails in the wilderness. So we have in Christ success,
we have in Christ victory, we have in Christ all and all. So brethren, let us praise God
for consistency of Scripture, the presence of God, and the
glory of the last Adam. We'll all close in a word of
prayer. Father, we thank you for your word and we thank you
for the consistent testimony of Holy Scripture concerning
your dwelling with your people. We thank you for our Lord Jesus
Christ and we thank you for his finished work, for his life and
his death and his resurrection. We thank you for sovereign grace
that taught our heart to fear. We know, Father, we would have
never come to Christ apart from your grace, apart from the gifts
given to us to believe and to repent. We give praise to you,
Most High, that we have in the Church of Jesus Christ that place
where our God, in a special way, dwells with his people. And as
the psalmist says, we know it's true today, you love the gates
of Zion more than all the dwelling places of Jacob. Help us to value
and to prize the local church. Help us to value and prize the
head of the church, that Davidic king that sits enthroned at the
right hand of the majesty on high. We thank you for our Lord
Jesus and we praise you for including us in this great redemptive plan.
We ask that you would go with us now, help us to glorify you
in the remainder of this week. We pray for brothers and sisters
who were not mentioned that have various needs. We know it's not
just physical things, we all have various spiritual trials
and difficulties and temptations. May you, by the Spirit, see us
through. And may you, by the Spirit, cause us to walk wholly
before you in this world and to exercise responsibly that
priestly function we have as living stones in the temple of
God Almighty. We ask these things through Christ
our Lord. Amen.
