Invitation to a Garden Party

Most women have heard the story of how we got here.

God put Adam to sleep to take a rib from his side in order to build woman. The Hebrew word refers to carefully designing and erecting a 'temple', as opposed to Adam’s forming, which is characterized as “squeezing into a mold or pressing.”

My husband started out in the construction industry as an industrial carpenter. Call him if you want something functional and sturdy. If you want delicate, decorative work in residential dwellings, you need a trim or finishing carpenter. That’s a good way to remember the difference in how God made Adam and Eve.

But I want you to notice what happened after Eve was made: Genesis 2:22 tells us that God brought her to man.

Wait. Haven’t we assumed God made her there…in Adam’s presence? Yet this verse implies that God took the rib away from man in order to craft His glorious creation—alone.

Just think. When Eve opened her eyes, she beheld God, not Adam. The Scriptures do not tell us how long they were together, but at some point God finally released her to man.

We know the rest of this story. Adam and Eve took God and His beautiful garden for granted.

They began to doubt His integrity. They questioned His goodness. They died first in a way more horrible than the physical death that followed. They rejected God's care, and all members of the human family were subsequently born under that oppressive estrangement.

Sin has left many Eves battered and bruised outside the Garden gates. They lived in fear of the flaming sword, and over time forgot about the overwhelming love that almost took their first breath away. Eves resigned to the decree that any life within them…anything they tried to bring forth…would be wrapped in pain.

The consequences of Adam’s rule over an independent-minded Eve became devastating, as selfishness, distrust, and cruelty compounded through the ages in their sons and daughters. Some Eves fought back, becoming as ruthless as their oppressors. Others took ill treatment in silence and withered within. All Adams and Eves, made in their Creator’s image and likeness, were hopelessly marred.

That is, until Jesus Christ came to set the captives free. We all know that, don’t we?  You’ve heard it—and want to really believe it--but you’re afraid to go back to where it all started to see for yourself.

Maybe it’s too good to be really true.

Maybe for others, but not for me.  It’s been too long; it’s been too bad.

Eve, your Creator is jealous for you! He wants to see you again…with no earthly man in between. He wants to hold you as before. As He does, the vision that has been clouded by earthly disappointments and pain will clear. Your labored breath will take in the sweet and exhale the bitter in the safety of His cleansing love.

You might ask, “How do I get there?”

There was a real garden on earth in the beginning, that’s true. And God came in the cool (or literal Hebrew—‘wind’) of each day to walk and fellowship with Adam and Eve. When they rejected His best for them, they forfeited their ability to intimately fellowship with the Father.

However, in an astonishing display of love, Jesus Christ “took our place”, so to speak, in life AND death. As our representative, He obeyed God in the way He lived on earth, and in how He willingly died to remove the penalty of our estrangement. He restored the possibility for all of us to have a continuous and joyful relationship with God as our true Father.

Now we don’t have to travel to a literal garden in some exotic location to be healed in God’s presence. Our spirits, the part of us that is eternal and now alive unto God because of our faith in Christ, have become God’s Garden!

That means that no matter where you are, no matter what you’re going through, there remains a secret place known only to you and God--you know, the spot where you were created--the glorious place where you first met and spent time with Him before being taken to Adam. It is located deep within--past your mind and emotions. It is a place where God is pleased to dwell.

By faith, you can go as often as you like and stay for as long as you want. Worship in the wind of His Presence, dance in the glory of His absolute love and total acceptance of you, His Beloved. Become well in your soul as He rejoices over you with singing.

This Father’s Day, God invites you to a Garden Party. Just the two of you--the way it once was--in the beginning before you knew any shame or guilt…when nothing had yet to harm you.

He says, “Just come as you are. Don’t feel as if you have to bring a peace offering—no explanations, no promises. Your willingness to come delights Me. YOU are My gift,” declares the Father.

Ready to go? Here are a few things you can do to prepare for the journey. First, read this Scripture. Does it describe how you feel now?

“A garden enclosed is my sister, my spouse; a spring shut up, a fountain sealed.” (Song of Songs 4:12)

There may be a man-made cap over your once sparkling fountain of living waters. You may have erected walls around your spirit to keep out intruders, not realizing it has also kept out the good you’ve so desperately needed.

Don’t be afraid; ask the wind of the Holy Spirit to come and awaken life within the Garden, just as the Shulamite woman did in the Song of Songs (4:16):

“Awake, O North wind; and come, thou South; blow upon my garden, that the spices thereof may flow out. Let my Beloved come into HIS garden, and eat His pleasant fruits.”

The winds will carry the pleasing scents to your Lord, signaling Him that you are on your way home.

“I am come into MY garden, my sister, my spouse: I have gathered my myrrh with my spice; I have eaten my honeycomb with my honey; I have drunk my wine with my milk: eat, O friends, drink, yea, drink abundantly, O Beloved.” (Songs of Songs 5:1)

Did you know all these beautiful things have been deep inside of you all along?

Myrrh-used to anoint bodies at burial; typifies the sacrificial death of Jesus Christ for you.

He suffered and died in your place. He was wounded for your transgressions; He carried your griefs and sorrows. He was despised and rejected, too, and is able to lift you out of your distresses and heal your broken heart.

Spices-are used to flavor food in a variety of ways. Women often lower their expectations due to past hurts. They find a safe, predictable rut and exist there—day in and day out. Your Beloved, however, has a future and a hope for you that is exceeding, abundantly above anything that you could ask or think. (Ephesians 3:20)

Honey-is one of nature’s most powerful antibiotics; it will repel invaders that seek to compromise your wellness.

Honeycomb-sweeter than honey; this is the Word of God (Psalm 19:10).
Its sweetness will counteract the bitter and sour events in your life.

Wine-has antiseptic and anesthetizing properties; indicative of the intoxicating joy of the Lord and the presence of the Holy Spirit

A surrendered life to the Holy Spirit helps you keep an uncluttered heart. You are able to walk more readily in faith, hope, and love.

Milk-nourishes and strengthens; it, too, is a type of the Word of God (1 Corinthians 3:2). It is also a symbol of blessings.

Did you also notice there are friends in your Garden?

When you are whole in Him--when you totally live, move, and have your being in Him--you won’t be afraid to open up and welcome your sisters (and even your brothers) in the Lord to join you in worship and fellowship.

This doesn’t remove the risk of ever being hurt again, but He is your Mighty Shield. Most of the time, the fiery darts of the enemy will be quenched upon impact. (Ephesians 6:16)

In other situations, you may let your guard down or be overwhelmed. Even then, you can quickly run to your Father in the Garden and give him the damage. You’ll be surprised at what He can do with it! You’ll get it back triumphantly transformed--full of forgiveness, peace, and even the word of reconciliation.

So, what are you waiting for? The gates are open wide to welcome you home.

Oh, I almost forgot! God wants you to know the gates look very different this time, Eve. There’s no impassable angel guarding them with a sword. You'll only see the word GRACE written over them...in the Blood of the Lamb.

Your Eyes Will Be Opened, and You Will Be Like God

 

"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.” (Genesis 2:15-17)

Adam's job assignment contained only TWO aspects: tend and guard the Garden. Isn't it interesting that Adam was not burdened down with volumes of rules and regulations on how to do his job?

Actually, only ONE rule existed: do not eat from the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil. It carried a stiff penalty of sure death. This forbidden tree was in the middle of the garden--not protected by an imposing fence or even a "No Trespassing" sign.

Adam and Eve could choose from countless varieties of fare from the abundant vegetation. Although God knew ahead of time what Adam had done each day, He delighted in stepping into time and walking with His children in the cool of the day, rejoicing at their progress and patiently listening to their discoveries. It was the joy of loving and being loved.

As the couple grew in knowledge and wisdom, they were to learn directly from the Creator about the intricate, spiritual dynamics outside their ever-expanding material world. (Adam had been told to protect the Garden; therefore, he knew an enemy was on the ground somewhere.)

The economy of the Garden ran on relational stewarding. Adam and Eve were co-trustees of creation--accountable to each other and to God. The moment the outsider spoke, Eve should have turned to Adam and told him. Adam, in turn, should have refused further engagements until God could be consulted. After all, the Creator of all things would know the true nature of this strange creature and exactly what it wanted.

Eve, however, fell under the charm of being singled out. Flattered by the attention and isolated by her pride, she unwittingly fell under seduction. Satan systematically wore Eve down by:

1. emphasizing the prohibition, not the provision
2. reducing God's command to a question
3. casting doubt upon God's sincerity
4. defaming His motives
5. denying the truth of the consequences

Most likely, the enemy has never has spoken to you directly, but he does use other charming things and people to get you hooked into engaging him. Look again at his methods above. In hindsight, does this M.O. look familiar?

In essence, satan asked Eve:
Do you want God to teach you what He knows, or do you want to learn it yourself?
Why do you think God wants you to have to keep coming to Him?
Could it be He desires to keep you under His thumb?
If He really loves you, why is He holding something this important and pleasurable from you?
Have you ever wondered if eating from the tree will make you just like Him, and then you won't need God anymore?
Did He say you'd die? Why, I think you'd become divine!

It worked. Genesis 3:6 records the downfall:
1. Eve "saw that the tree was good for good" (Lust of the Flesh)
2. That it was "pleasant to the eyes" (Lust of the Eyes)
3. And a tree desirable to “make one wise” (Pride of Life)

The book of James tells us the difference between godly and earthly wisdom:

From above--pure, peaceable, gentle, willing to yield, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality, without hypocrisy
From below--inspired by the devil; full of bitterness and envy that leads to self-seeking that produces confusion

Envy occurs when a person lacks another's (perceived) superior quality, achievement, or possession; and either desires it or wishes that the other lacked it.  Regardless of how well the devil spins it for you philosophically, when you want to be the captain of your soul and the master of your fate, the bottom line is--you envy God.

If we look back at Genesis 2:15, when God said, "You shall surely die", the literal Hebrews is "in dying, you shall die."

It would take hundreds of years for what Adam and Eve set into motion to steal their physical breath, but their spiritual death was immediate. How did we know? To be spiritually alive in this realm, a man or woman must be connected to God, who Himself is a Spirit, and the giver of all life (John 4:24). To be dead spiritually indicates a person is relationally, intimately cut off from God. Look at the symptoms:

After eating the fruit, Adam and Eve notice they were naked for the first time. A new emotion entered the garden--shame. They desperately make fig leaves (from the forbidden tree) to cover the most intimate part of themselves from each other. Next, they hid from God for the first time, shrinking from the One they normally welcomed into the Garden for intimate fellowship. Why? Shame was followed by a second emotion: fear.

"I was afraid," said Adam.

Finally, blame shifting manifested:

The man said, "The woman you put here with me—she gave me some fruit from the tree, and I ate it."Then the LORD God said to the woman, "What is this you have done?" The woman said, "The serpent deceived me, and I ate." (Genesis 3:12-13)

Eating the fruit from the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil gave Adam and Eve the shortcut they were looking for--the power to decide what was good and bad for themselves, but at a tremendous cost.

Physical life would go on, but under harsh conditions. Creation would no longer obey Adam because he disobeyed the Creator.

The earth no longer would acknowledge Adam as a representative of the Godhead. As a result, it was not obligated to respond to his efforts to subdue and take dominion over it. Cut off from the divine (the spiritual), man had to rely solely on his five senses to help him discern, divide, and decide.

The first humans' sons and daughters have come into this world ever since with the same amputation. We arrive as spiritual cripples, despite our intellectual capacities and talents. Our void shows. We don't appreciate the liberties we DO have as agents of free will; we focus on what our Creator prohibits and begin to question His motives. We listen to "new" voices that feed our doubts and fuel our pride.

Like Eve, we legalistically add to God's restrictions to convince ourselves of how enslaving they are. (She added, "We may not touch it, lest we die")

Like Eve, we diminish the consequences in our mind by removing "surely" from before the word "die". (Genesis 3:2)

We may still be breathing after seizing the tree, but we're not well. Society reels with one problem after another that can be traced back to the day we became fig weavers.

As a whole, we are people bent on self-preservation and hiding our true selves. When caught red-handed, we quickly pass the blame. We are steeped in fear. We don't know what it's like to live shame-free, nor without the secret delight in shaming others.

When Adam and Eve finally faced God, He would not, could not wink at their sin. He didn't grant them a "do over", much as we might to a child who lands outside the lines in a game of hopscotch.

God is holy (perfect). He is just. He is love and mercy...far beyond anything mankind has been able to fathom or experience. His attributes cannot be separated, nor can one quality be emphasized to the exclusion of the others without distorting the real character of God.

While allowing the curse to stand, God nevertheless slaughtered animals in the Garden--another first--using their innocent blood to temporarily atone (cleanse) for man's rebellion. He then made each of them clothes from the skins of those animals, which Adam and Eve wore out of the garden. The animal skins were evidence that a sacrifice had been made on their behalf.

God also promised Eve that her future Seed (another representative from God) would face the accuser again (Genesis 3:15). Adam II would be wounded by satan, but would undo the curse and crush demonic authority once and for all.

It happened--just as God promised and just as He planned.

God, the Son assumed human flesh and became Adam II to make final atonement for what happened in the Garden. Being born of a human woman, he was fully human yet fully divine. His power was never diminished-- only restrained for redemption's purpose, which was to suffer and die in our place.

"Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God someting to be used to His own advantage;
Rather, He made Himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness." (Philippains 2: 5-7)He deliberately limited His humanity in order to know man's hunger, thirst, need for sleep, tiredness, and emotions. God, the Son chose to cloak His divinity in order to learn language and social skills as a child--even carpentry--thereby authentically experiencing and sanctifying every stage of life.

"I tell you the truth, the Son can do nothing by himself; he can do only what he sees his Father doing, because whatever the Father does the Son also does. For the Father loves the Son and shows him all he does..." John 5:19-20

Given the earthly name Jesus, Christ lived a life totally dependent upon God, the Father...bypassing the temptation to partake of the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil in His humanity.

Satan wanted this Messiah to believe that the Cross was not necessary. Plotting what he thought was another easy ruse, the veteran tempter told Jesus that all he had to do was bow down in allegiance to him; then, all the wealth and power of earthly kingdoms that had been previously forfeited by the first Adam would be returned--no pain, no suffering, no loss of reputation or life.

Jesus wasn't interested. To Him, the stakes were higher: human souls.

Adam and Eve would have eventually possessed the knowledge of the universe; but they chose to seek it divorced from intimacy with God and each other. God only works relationally. This is a foundational truth we learn by looking into the profound intimacy, love, and outworkings within the Trinity.

What Adam and Eve didn't understand (and neither do most of their descendants today) is that no one really becomes his or her own god; It's just a tragic change of allegiance under the pretense of autonomy. That's another reason God couldn't say, "All right, kids; since this is your first sin, it doesn't count."

Adam and Eve had switched allegiance from God to the fallen prince of rebellion. Thinking they were free unto themselves, they were slaves of the devil and bound to his ways. They were eternally cut off from God's goodness and grace. Forgiveness was not enough. They needed a formidable deliverance!

Actually, there was a "do over", but not by sinful Adam and Eve:  It was accomplished by Christ--the final Adam. If you receive what He has done for you by faith, God will credit this finished work to your account. You will be legally transferred out of the imprisoning inadequacy of Adam and into the liberating sufficiency of Christ.

So during this season of Lent, God is calling to the fearful in hiding. He is walking once again into the Garden you soiled by sin and draped in shame. He’s not out to destroy you!

He wants to know if you're interested in making an exchange: your fig leaves for His Son.

"But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh..." (Romans 13:14)

Next in the series: The Temptation of Christ  Part One: Self-Gratification (Turning Stones into Bread)