Maybe He really is a gardener? Genesis 1, 2
Jesus throughout the Scriptures: Genesis (1)
Pray Psalm 33.1-5.
Rejoice in the LORD, O you righteous!
For praise from the upright is beautiful.
Praise the LORD with the harp;
Make melody to Him with an instrument of ten strings.
Sing to Him a new song;
Play skillfully with a shout of joy.
For the word of the LORD is right,
And all His work is done in truth.
He loves righteousness and justice;
The earth is full of the goodness of the LORD.
Sing Psalm 33.1-5.
(Truro: Shout, for the Blessed Jesus Reigns)
Sing with rejoicing in the LORD, for praise becomes His righteous ones!
With harps and songs raise grateful words, and let new songs of praise be sung!
Joyfully shout! His Word is true; He does His work in faithfulness.
His love prevails the whole world through; the LORD loves truth and righteousness.
Read Genesis 1.26-28 and 2.15-25; meditate on 2.18-20.
Preparation
1. With what did God charge Adam and Eve?
2. What specific works did Adam do?
Meditation
In John 5.39, Jesus said that all Scripture testifies of Him. All the Bible points to Jesus in some way, either forward to His coming (and His second coming) or backward and around to His incarnation and ongoing work through the Spirit. Wherever we’re reading or studying in Scripture, Jesus is there, like some half-hidden figure in a stereogram, pressing to reveal Himself as a reward to careful contemplators.
In this study, we’re going to take Jesus up on that promise and work to hone our skills of observation and meditation as we daily work our way through the Bible, considering what passages throughout Scripture reveal about our Savior and King. Our goal in this effort is to enlarge our vision of Jesus, to see Him more clearly, to encounter Him more consistently, and thus to know, love, and serve Him with greater joy.
We begin with the creation of Adam and Eve, who were made in the image and likeness of God—human and material refractions of unseen divine realities—and placed in a garden to do the “very good” (Gen. 1.31) work of God. The account in chapter 2 is not a separate account from that in chapter 1, but a detail, slowing down and restating the action of Genesis 1.26-28.
God gave Adam the authority to name the animals—turning “things” into “somethings” by his spoken word alone. He appointed him to cultivate and defend the garden so that, ultimately, the whole earth would be a garden. He and Eve were to beget holy offspring who would develop and guard their part of the garden in perpetuity.
And all this points to Jesus, Who incarnated unseen realities, was buried in a garden and mistaken for a gardener. Now He is building His Church as a new Eden, fitting His people to be His bride and to inherit the garden of the new heavens and new earth which He is preparing for us. Through His work He reclaims a garden for His Father, and by His Word calls nothings like us into somethings—sons and daughters, disciples, witnesses, ambassadors, members of His Body, workers in His field—who look forward to a new heaven and new earth where righteousness dwells.
The story of Jesus began in a garden, is unfolding as a garden, and will be consummated in a garden where eternal life is the continuous fruit.
Treasure Old and New: Matthew 13.52; Psalm 119.162
“Who has ascended into heaven, or descended?
Who has gathered the wind in His fists?
Who has bound the waters in a garment?
Who has established all the ends of the earth?
What is His Name, and what is His Son’s Name,
if you know?” (Prov. 30.4)
Since the very beginning Jesus has been and has never not been; as the hymn writer (John Wade, 1751) so aptly described Him: God of God, and Light of Light begotten…very God, begotten, not created…O come, let us adore Him, Christ the Lord.
It is interesting to note that “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…but for Adam there was not found a helper comparable to him…so [God] took one of his ribs, and closed up the flesh in its place. Then the rib which the LORD God had taken from man He made into a woman, and He brought her to the man” (Gen. 2.19-22). To sum up, woman was the only created being not made from dirt.
It seems a foretaste of Jesus’ words to Nicodemus regarding salvation: “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. Do not marvel that I said to you, ‘You must be born again.’” (Jn. 3.5-7).
The first creation consisted of dirt and flesh, and regeneration occurs through flesh and Spirit.
But why do we need to be born again? Why did eternal Jesus need to leave His heavenly home to come to earth? Because the first creatures couldn’t manage obedience. Nor can we.
“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 you eat of it you shall surely die” spiritually and physically (Gen. 2.16, 17). And you’re going to need a Savior.
Come, Thou long expected Jesus, Born to set Thy people free;
From our fears and sins release us; Let us find our rest in Thee.
Israel’s strength and consolation, Hope of all the earth Thou art;
Dear Desire of every nation, Joy of every longing heart.
(Charles Wesley, 1744)
The Scriptures “are they which testify of Me” (Jn. 5.39).
Genesis to Revelation, all of it speaks of God’s Son—
Whose Name, we know, is Jesus.
Reflection
1. What is your approach to seeing Jesus in every passage of Scripture you read?
2. Why is it important that we do this?
3. How would you describe the picture of Jesus that emerges from this study? Share that picture with someone today.
Moses now adds, that the earth was given to man, with this condition, that he should occupy himself in its cultivation. Whence it follows that men were created to employ themselves in some work, and not to lie down in inactivity and idleness. This labor, truly, was pleasant, and full of delight, entirely exempt from all trouble and weariness … John Calvin (1509-1564), Commentary on Genesis 2.15
Pray Psalm 33.18-22.
Pray that you will see the Lord Jesus in the reading for today, and that God will transform you increasingly into His image and give you grace and strength to serve Him today.
Sing Psalm 33.18-22.
(Truro: Shout, for the Blessed Jesus Reigns)
God watches those who fear His Name, who hope upon His grace and love:
He keeps their souls from death and shame who trust in Him Who reigns above.
God is our Helper and our Shield; upon us let Your grace descend!
We hope in You; to You we yield; we trust in Jesus to the end.
T. M. and Susie Moore
If you have found this meditation helpful, take a moment and give thanks to God. Then share what you learned with a friend. This is how the grace of God spreads (2 Cor. 4.15).
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Except as indicated, all Scriptures are taken from the New King James Version. © Copyright 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved. For sources of all quotations, see the weekly PDF of this study. All psalms for singing are from The Ailbe Psalter.
