8. The Lord God planted a garden toward the east, in Eden.
and there he placed the man whom He had formed.
9.Out of the ground the Lord God caused to grow
every tree that is pleasing to the sight and good for food;
the tree of life also in the midst of the garden and
the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.
10. Now a river flowed out of Eden to water the garden:
and there it divided and became four rivers.
15. Then the Lord God took the man and
put him into the garden of Eden to cultivate it and keep it.
Genesis 2

God created man and then created for him,
a worthy purpose.
A work.

The man was created for a garden and a garden . . .
for the man.

Eden was not a Paradise of mere languid ease.
It was a growing place created for Adam's occupation.
Gardening was the first human endeavor and the
original calling of God.
Planting and growing will ever be
the most delightful interest of humanity
whatever form the 'garden' takes.

Responsibility was given to the first man,
a work to do, a goal to complete.
"to tend, guard and keep it." (Amplified)

Responsibility was the privilege and gift of Eden.
Labor causes you to grow along with that which you grow.

Work is original to Creation and was not then a burden.
It was pure joy only, a child-delight,
a hand-in-hand dance with the Smiling Creator.
 
Without a specific work to do and a sphere of "cultivation" -
life has no meaning
and man, no growth himself.
 
Work was the Glory of God in His six days of labor.
Of the seven days, six were filled with wonderful works.
Achievements that gave God pleasure.
 
To tend His plantings of whatever nature, is to
share His joy and to walk with Him through it.
A "Garden" is the scene of knowing
God's tranquil presence by the
need of His direction in the working.
 
Every day in the breeze of morning, God walked in the
Garden of Adam and Eve's charge and
together they watched the growings and
rejoiced in each other.

Responsibility is the sphere of relationship with the Divine
and the arena of adventure.
 
Without a specific work to do and a sphere of "cultivation" -
life has no meaning
and man, no growth himself.

Growth. That is the purpose of all Creation.
Increase. Multiplication.
And that requires . . . work.
 
Many of Jesus' parables dwell in a garden setting.
The Fig tree, the treasure in the field, the vine, and so on.

The core of man's meaning has some connection to
tending the earth and mutiplying its increase.
 
The height of spiritual union is pictured in a garden,
and all its elements speak of the Beloved and her Bridegroom
in their journey and about their intimacy.

The Beloved Bride to the Bridegroom . . .

Let us go early to the vineyards,
to see if the vines have budded,
if their blossoms have opened,
and if the pomegranates are in bloom -
There I will give you my love.
Song of Songs 7:12 NIV

Copyright © 2001 Martha Blaney Kilpatrick