The Garden of God

The opening chapters of the Bible present a paradigm that is often referred to throughout the Scriptures, and the initial dwelling place of Adam and Eve is no exception. The garden of Eden repeatedly resurfaces in varying ways through the story of redemption, and in many instances it is the richness and beauty of the garden that is highlighted. The first reference appears in a surprising context, namely the description of Lot’s decision-making process as he separated from Abraham. Genesis 13:10 (ESV) says, “And Lot lifted up his eyes and saw that the Jordan Valley was well watered everywhere like the garden of the LORD, like the land of Egypt, in the direction of Zoar. (This was before the LORD destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah.)” Much later, Isaiah picks up on the theme of the lushness and richness of the garden when he prophesies, “For the LORD comforts Zion; he comforts all her waste places and makes her wilderness like Eden, her desert like the garden of the LORD; joy and gladness will be found in her, thanksgiving and the voice of song” (Isa 51:3 ESV). Along similar lines, Joel taps into the contrast between the lushness of the garden of Eden and the devastation of judgment when he prophesies regarding the army of the Lord that marches on the Day of the Lord, “Fire devours before them, and behind them a flame burns. The land is like the garden of Eden before them, but behind them a desolate wilderness, and nothing escapes them” (Joel 2:3 ESV). In each case, the lushness and beauty of the garden, as it is described in Genesis 2, serves as the paradigm for what is rich and beautiful.

More specifically, the garden of God surfaces in a few references to streams. Just as the river flowed through the garden to water the whole earth, so rivers can reflect the refreshment of the presence of God. Thus, Ps 36:7-9 (ESV) consoles God’s people with these words: “How precious is your steadfast love, O God! The children of mankind take refuge in the shadow of your wings. They feast on the abundance of your house, and you give them drink from the river of your delights. For with you is the fountain of life; in your light do we see light.” Similarly, Ps 46:4-5 (ESV) declares, “There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God, the holy habitation of the Most High. God is in the midst of her; she shall not be moved; God will help her when morning dawns.” Once more, the abundance that results from the steady irrigation of a river is emphasized in Ps 65:9 (ESV): “You visit the earth and water it; you greatly enrich it; the river of God is full of water; you provide their grain, for so you have prepared it.” All of this river imagery finds its fullest expression in Rev 22:1-2 (ESV): “Then the angel showed me the river of the water of life, bright as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb through the middle of the street of the city; also, on either side of the river, the tree of life with its twelve kinds of fruit, yielding its fruit each month. The leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations.” In the New Jerusalem, this emphasis on the refreshing, life-giving nature of a steady stream of water finds its proper end.

John’s vision of the New Jerusalem also includes the tree of life, as noted in the citation above. As I noted in my sermon on the construction of the tabernacle, the menorah in the holy place was crafted to resemble the whole seasonal cycle of an almond tree, thus representing at least for the priests, the richness of the garden as the paradigm for their worship surroundings. Ezekiel makes reference to fruitful trees and healing leaves in his vision of the eschatological temple, but we’ll address that in a separate advent sermon. Interestingly, the only other significant references to the/a tree of life are in the book of Proverbs. These references stretch the paradigm because they use the imagery of the garden in a purely spiritual and symbolic way. That, however, helps us remember that all of the descriptions of and references to the garden of God ultimately transcend their physical reality and point to the richness, the life, that flows from the presence of God, who is wisdom and life. As we celebrate Christ’s first advent in the coming weeks, we celebrate that Jesus Christ, who is the wisdom and power of God, has brought spiritual restoration in himself so that we might delight in all that the garden of God represents.