And the Lord God said unto the serpent, because thou hast done this, thou art cursed above all cattle, and above every beast of the field; upon thy belle shalt thou go, and dust shalt thou eat all the days of thy life. And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall crush thy heed and thou shalt bruise his heel.
“Unto the woman he said, I will greatly multiply thy sorrow and thy conception; in sorrow thou shalt bring forth children; and thy desire shall be to thy husband, and he shall rule over thee.
“And unto Adam he said, because thou has hearkened unto the voice of thy wife, and hast eaten of the tree of which I commanded thee, saying, Thou shalt not eat of it; cursed is the ground for thy sake; in sorrow shalt thou eat of it all the days of thy life. Thorns also and thistles shalt it bring forth to thee; and thou shalt eat the herb of the field. In the sweat of thy face shall thou eat bread, till thou return unto the ground; for out of it wast thou taken; for dust thou art, and unto dust shall thou return. Unto Adam also and also to his wife did the Lord God make coats of skins, and clothed them.” (Genesis 3:14-21)
The creation of man was the exclusive initiative of God. God created man, so that man can be His friend. So God created man in His likeness, since two friends cannot commune unless they agree. God made man from the dust of the earth, a most unusual and commonest material. Then God implanted His breath into man. That was His signature. From the admixture of breath and dust emerged the living soul called man, and Adam.
Now, all of humanity was wrapped in Adam, the Crown Prince of all creation. He was made of both the material and immaterial. The breath of immortality in Adam made him prince over all material creation. Adam was made of dust that he might relate with the material world. His relationship with the material sphere was a prince-subject relationship. Adam was made of celestial essence that he might relate with God as friend and lieutenant. No other creation transcends the material and celestial terrain as Adam. He was a citizen of heaven, and crown prince on earth.
Though the whole earth was Adam’s territory, God placed him in a garden called Pleasant. The whole of creation was very good, but the garden was Pleasant because it was the meeting place between God and man; the place where Divinity communed with humanity. When a child gazes at the evening sky, it seems to him that the sun descends somewhere behind the hills or takes his night sleep in the ocean. It was in Eden, actually, that heaven kissed the earth; where the transcendent Yahweh became the immanent Yahweh, and yet so transcendent.
The flowers of Eden were not different from other flowers outside the garden. The trees were not any more spectacular. Eden was a place of enchantment and pleasure because Yahweh chose it as His meeting place with men.
God took man out of the world into His secret place; away from beauties and glory of the world into the heavy weight of glory of His presence and the abundant riches of His face.
That meeting place became the spring of pure fold and wealth. From Eden flowed not just riches but springs of waters that wet the whole earth.
A river rises in Eden to water the garden; beyond there, it divides and becomes four branches. The name of the first is Pishon, it is the one that winds through the whole land by Havilah, where there is gold. The gold of that land is excellent.
The name of the second river is Gihon; it is the one that winds all through the land of Cush, the name of the third river is the Tigris. It is the one that flows east of Asshur. The fourth river is Euphrates.
Today, God is still inviting men into His presence. God still calls people to take their eyes away from the riches and pleasure of the world and to look into His face. God is still telling people to drop what they have in their hands, so that they might receive what He has in His hands for them. The Giver-of-Life is still seeking men.
Today, will you answer his call? Will you hearken to His voice? Will you accept His invitation? He is still waiting.
