Genesis 2 continued

The Waters of Eden

Before peopling the earth, the LORD God had to arrange the planet to handle the situation. As we have seen in the past readings, it was a ball of earth completely covered by water and needed modifications to make into a home for humanity.

So we pick up our story at the end of that process:

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Genesis 2:

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As we saw in our last reading, the first week, in which the Son of God performed the work of creation in six days and rested on the seventh day, was typical of every other subsequent week. The LORD God in His six days of creation and one day of rest, measured off the first cycle as a sample for successive weeks till the close of time. In the statement, "These are the generations of the heavens and of the earth when they were created," the LORD refers to the productions of His work at the close of each literal day. Each day was accounted of Him a generation, because every day He generated or produced some new portion of His work. Then, on the seventh day of the first week the Son of God rested from His work, joined His Father, blessed the day of His rest, and set it apart for the use of man. "And He said to them, The Sabbath was made for man, and not man for the Sabbath: therefore the Son of man is LORD also of the Sabbath." Mark 2:27-28.

Therefore the weekly cycle of seven literal days, six for labour, and the seventh for rest, which has been preserved and brought down through Bible history, originated in the great facts of the first seven days.

After Lucifer rebelled and withdrew from heaven with one third of the angels as his followers, there appeared a gap in heaven in the ideal number of creatures that God requires to fulfil His life, so the LORD took steps to remedy that deficiency. One day the redeemed from this earth will publicly acknowledge that fact. They will cry, "You are worthy, O LORD, to receive glory and honour and power: for You have created all things, and for Your pleasure they are and were created." Revelation 4:11.

But first He arranged the ideal conditions in which the new creatures could exist. When completed, while the earth with its cloud cover rotated, and the brightly shining sun and moon took turns in the sky, there was a difference in temperature between the "day" and the "night." We are told, "And they heard the voice of the LORD God walking in the garden in the cool of the day." Genesis 3:8. (The sun and the moon were not then as we have them today, but we have already covered that situation in an earlier reading.) The cool variation in temperature was sufficient to allow some of the cloud vapour to fall on the earth as mist or dew, and then be lifted back up to its place when the temperature rose again.

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Genesis 2:

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All heaven took a deep and joyful interest in the creation of the world and of man just as children anticipate a new arrival in the family. Human beings were a new and distinct order, yet like all the others in the universe, they were made "in the image of God." God and His creatures have one head, two arms and two legs etc. We all have a "person" and a personality but we are all different, Christ alone being exactly like the Father, His "express image."

Because it was the Creator's design that Adam and Eve should populate the earth slowly, there was an enormous difference between humans and the other creatures of the universe, as well as the likeness. Adam and Eve could reproduce (re-create) themselves, while angels cannot. Hence the need for marriage here but not elsewhere. In answer to a question posed by some of His critics, "Therefore in the resurrection whose wife shall she be of the seven? For they all had her," Jesus answered and said to them, "You do err, not knowing the scriptures, nor the power of God. For in the resurrection they neither marry, nor are given in marriage, but are as the angels of God in heaven." Matthew 22:28-30.

What we should also notice here is that man "BECAME" a living soul as a result of the inflow of the "breath of life." There was a body lying on the ground, fashioned from the elements of the soil, and not until the power of God was put into it did it become a living soul. So we have two things – the power of God and the handiwork of God. When they were combined there came into being a third product which God calls a "living soul."

Because of Satan’s continual misrepresentations regarding the "soul" of man it is not easy for some of us to appreciate just what we are being told in these words. But if we take an electric light bulb which is made of the materials of this world, and connect to it electricity, which is not something that men can make or even hold on to for very long, then we have a close analogy. (Electric power is something that is plucked out of the air by spinning a rotor between two magnets. Those who collect it do not know how it operates or what it is – all they know is it that it does things in various circumstances.)

In the situation we are discussing the combination of bulb and power produces light. We can feel the glass, we can feel the power of the electric current, but we cannot take hold of the light which they produce when combined, for it does not exist as a separate object – it is ALWAYS produced by the combination. It is the same with a coiled wire and electricity – that combination can produce heat to make a toaster work, for example. Break the combination by turning off the power switch and the light goes out, or the heat dissipates. Turn the switch back on and what happens?

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Genesis 2:

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Not content with giving His new "babies" (for by now Adam had his "other" self) a whole world in which to live, the Son of God made a special place for them which they could call "home" and where the LORD and/or His angels could come and visit often.

Why a special place? Because that was where the two trees were.

The phrase "healing of the nations" has puzzled some folk, but it is simply a way of saying that the fruit of this tree ensures that the redeemed will retain their immortality. Just as God gives us life now, but requires us to eat every day to stay alive, so in the new world He gives us the new life and then requires us to eat once a month to retain it. The "river" shows a visible connection to Him via His throne. In the new world there is no need of the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil for all the redeemed have learned its lesson, and will never sin or "know" evil again. "What do you imagine against the LORD? He will make an utter end: affliction shall not rise up the second time." Nahum 1:9.

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Genesis 2:

And the fourth river is Euphrates.

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In an endeavour to make the pre-Flood picture even more real to his readers Moses was directed to describe the water of life as reaching to all the then known world. Then, many hundreds of years later, in a mixture of literal and spiritual truths the messenger of the Son of God again explained to Ezekiel the way of the gospel message on earth.

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Ezekiel 47:

Again he measured a thousand, and brought me through; the waters were to the loins.

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The "water" represents the Holy Spirit proceeding forth from the door of the temple with healing in His wings. Looking from the south (the human perspective) the water moves first to the right or east, then south, downwards towards the viewer. After passing through the altar (representing Christ) it swings around and heads back up north aways before turning again to the right and passing out of the courtyard through the east gate. However, Ezekiel’s guide took him out of the courtyard through the north gate (God’s gate) and then led him around outside the wall around to where the water was coming through the eastern gateway.

At that point another angel measured the distance it had covered (representing time) and led Ezekiel to cross over it. It was shallow, only coming up to his ankles. A second measurement found it deeper, to his knees, while at a third attempt it covered half of his body. At the last of the trials it had become a raging torrent, one in which a swimmer would not last long. In this way the work of the Spirit was portrayed.

Ezekiel was asked if he had understood what he had seen, but he has not recorded his answer for us, merely stating that his guide then led him to the bank of the river. There he saw many trees, for the Spirit of God has many ways of explaining the truth, but the main one is the Bible.

The angel then explained that the Spirit’s influence goes out toward the east country of "Babylon", then into the desert (the Pagan people of the world) and finally into the "Dead" sea (all the rest). Wherever it goes it brings comfort and healing and life, the life of Christianity. In the end of the world, there will be fishermen "standing" on the raging waters throwing out their nets and bringing in a great harvest. ("And Jesus said to them, Come you after Me, and I will make you to become fishers of men." Mark 1:17.)

But, even at that time there will be muddy places that will not accept its sweet living-giving influence, and they must be left to perish. (See Matthew 13:47-50.)

Then the angel explained that the influence of the Spirit will not cease when the harvest is gathered, but in the new world He will still continue to sustain life in the redeemed.

Lateral thought:

There are today many as ignorant of the Holy Spirit's work upon the heart as were the believers in Ephesus; yet no truth is more clearly taught in the word of God. "And it came to pass, that, while Apollos was at Corinth, Paul having passed through the upper coasts came to Ephesus: and finding certain disciples, he said to them, "Have you received the Holy Ghost since you believed?" And they said to him, "We have not so much as heard whether there be any Holy Ghost." And he said to them, "Unto what then were you baptized?" And they said, "Unto John's baptism." Then said Paul, "John verily baptized with the baptism of repentance, saying to the people, that they should believe on Him which should come after him, that is, on Christ Jesus." When they heard this, they were baptized in the name of the LORD Jesus." Acts 19:1-5.

Prophets and apostles have dwelt upon this theme of the work of the Spirit. Christ Himself calls our attention to the growth of the vegetable world as an illustration of the agency of His Spirit in sustaining spiritual life. The sap of the vine, ascending from the root, is diffused to the branches, sustaining growth and producing blossoms and fruit. (John 15:1-5.) So the life-giving power of the Holy Spirit, proceeding from the Saviour, pervades the soul, renews the motives and affections, and brings even the thoughts into obedience to the will of God, enabling the receiver to bear the precious fruit of holy deeds.

The Author of this spiritual life is unseen, and the exact method by which that life is imparted and sustained, it is beyond the power of human philosophy to explain. Yet the operations of the Spirit are always in harmony with the written word. As in the natural, so in the spiritual world. The natural life is preserved moment by moment by divine power; yet it is not sustained by a direct miracle, but through the use of blessings placed within our reach. So the spiritual life is sustained by the use of those means that Providence has supplied. If the follower of Christ would grow up "to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ" (Ephesians 4:13), he must eat of the bread of life and drink of the water of salvation. He must watch and pray and work, in all things giving heed to the instructions of God in His word.

Bye for now,

Ron