Placed in the Garden of Christ’s Kingdom

A Devotional Series from Genesis

Online Bible Audio/Readings Links (ESV)

3/6 Reading Portions: Exodus 17; Luke 20; Job 35; 2 Corinthians 5

Genesis 2:15

The LORD God took the man and put him in the garden of Eden to work it and keep it.

WORK

YHVH God repeats placing man in the garden. Let’s take a look at the eighth verse again.

And the LORD God planted a garden in Eden, in the east, and there he put the man whom he had formed. Genesis 2:8

God repeats the act of putting man in the garden (Gen 2:8, 15). The first reason He does so is that it is because He presents an interlude whereas the details of the garden He planted are given (Gen 2:10-14), reminding us that He had put Adam in the garden He planted. Another reason God is redundant in the Scripture here is because it is prophetic with regard to the gospel. Remember, in yesterday’s devotional thought, we considered that the rivers of Eden presented a prophetic foreshadow of Christ’s gospel. Today’s verse expresses several truths of Christ’s gospel as well.

When once a soul is saved through the truths expressed in the rivers, we recognize that a soul is saved by God’s grace alone (The LORD God took the man and put him in the garden). Man did not, could not, and will not place himself into the garden God planted. God must do so. Salvation is likewise: we could not, cannot, and will not save ourselves. The greatest desire to be in heaven will not send a soul there (Matt 7:21-23). Remember, Satan wants to go to heaven too (Isa 14:12-17; Jas 2:19).

Second, in the former verse (Gen 2:8), YHVH God did the work, breathing into the man the breaths of lives. In the latter verse (Gen 2:15), YHVH God, sovereignly puts Adam in Eden’s Garden, but it is for the purpose of work (to work and keep it). When once we’ve been saved, put into Christ’s kingdom by God’s sovereign grace, it is to work and to keep, or protect and cherish, the kingdom, and most especially, to keep, protect, and cherish the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ. It is written,

…work out your own salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for His good pleasure. Philippians 2:12-13

Hallelujah! What a Savior!