QT 7/15/2025 Gen 2:10–17, Life was created with meaning and purpose -- the original heaven

Genesis 2:10–17 (ESV) —

10 A river flowed out of Eden to water the garden, and there it divided and became four rivers. 11 The name of the first is the Pishon. It is the one that flowed around the whole land of Havilah, where there is gold. 12 And the gold of that land is good; bdellium and onyx stone are there. 13 The name of the second river is the Gihon. It is the one that flowed around the whole land of Cush. 14 And the name of the third river is the Tigris, which flows east of Assyria. And the fourth river is the Euphrates.

15 The Lord God took the man and put him in the garden of Eden to work it and keep it. 16 And the Lord God commanded the man, saying, “You may surely eat of every tree of the garden, 17 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.”

 

NOTE: Some of the rivers are known and some of the land masses are known. They do not line up completely with today's geography. That would suggest that the areas parted to some degree during the flood. It quite possible that during creation the land (crust) floated on a cushion of water that surrounded the mantle. The climate was mild due to the heavy water cushion in the air as well. The flood changed everything creating climate extremes as well as many areas where the crust directly interacted with the mantle, causing volcanoes and tsunamis today. The climate extremes are the cause of weather that probably didn't exist in the creation days like it does today.

 

The planet was different and so was work. God provided a pristine and beautiful garden. Man's job, to care for the garden, was enjoyable and purposeful. There were no weeds, work was not frustrating. There was one command (given to the man -- vs 1, and probably later passed on to the woman), a sort of test I guess, do not eat of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. Otherwise, what we call sin today, did not captivate the senses. It was not even noticed. We were, in a sense, oblivious to evil. And we had eternal life from the get-go. This was heaven, beauty, purpose, abundance, and eternity. In the next passage, God adds sex and relationships to this perfect heaven.

 

PONDER:

1. If this was God's original idea for man eternally, why do some say that heaven will be boring?
2. Life had meaningful purpose. Why does God mention the gold and gems in the hills if not for the expectation of mining and creating?

 

PRAYER: Lord, earth while still beautiful in many parts today was glorious at creation. I know you will restore its beauty in the future. I look forward to your new creation and the purposeful lives you have planned in eternity.