Finding Paradise
Now this is paradise. The Bible tells us that after “the heavens and the earth were completed in their vast array … the LORD God … planted a garden in the east, in Eden, and there he put the man he had formed. And the LORD God made all kinds of trees grow out of the ground – trees that were pleasing to the eye and good for food … a river watering the garden flowed from Eden” (Genesis 2:1,8-10). So it’s hard to believe that Adam and Eve didn’t consider the Garden of Eden paradise at all, but prison. Instead of thanking the LORD God for creating a luxury home for them they cursed Him for not making it better. With the help of the devil they longed for their dream paradise waiting just beyond their reach.
Just a taste is all they needed. Then they’d be happy. So Adam and Eve took the fruit that God had prohibited and the devil had promoted, eagerly anticipating the paradise that would be theirs. What they chewed and then swallowed was not paradise at all, but poison.
These are our parents indeed.
What is your fruit, son of Adam? Where is your paradise, daughter of Eve? What do you think you must have? Where do you think you must be? … that God has prohibited in His perfect wisdom and love? Whatever and wherever it is, let me assure you of this: the devil knows it.
In their sin, Adam and Eve wanted to be as far away from God as possible, to hide from Him, blame Him, and shut Him out of their lives. In His mercy, the LORD God wanted to be closer to Adam and Eve than ever. He loved them and would not let them go.
After Adam and Eve disobeyed the LORD God came to them and called out to them, “Where are you?” with anxious and seeking love.
That anxious love became an active love when the LORD God took matters into His own hands. There in the garden He turned on His heels to the devil himself, “I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and hers; He will crush your head, and you will strike His heel.” Beginning then, the devil would never be considered a friend by anyone who belongs to God. Beginning then, the influence of the devil’s unbelieving followers in the world would be noticeably poisonous to the believing followers of God. And at a time to come in the future, one descendant of Eve would have His heel bitten by the devil’s bite but turn and crush the devil in conquering defeat.
Here, breathed by God’s promise in the garden, is Jesus Christ, the paradise of sinners. During the days of Lent we witness Him harassed by the devil’s fiery temptations and clamped by the serpent’s venomous fangs, but He deals the first crushing blow to Satan’s head by His perfect obedience. Jesus cannot – will not – be tricked by Satan. And when He makes his way to the tree of the cross, the Savior of the world deals the final blow to Satan’s head by His sacrificial death for our sins.
The one who overcame humanity by a tree has, in turn, by a tree been overcome. The devil offers only poison, as sweet as it may taste. Jesus Christ is our true paradise.
“The Tree of Life,” a beautiful new hymn in our Christian Worship Supplement puts it like this:
The tree of life with ev’ry good In Eden’s holy orchard stood, And of its fruit so pure and sweet God let the man and woman eat. Yet in this garden also grew Another tree, of which they knew; Its lovely limbs with fruit adorned Against whose eating God had warned.
The stillness of that sacred grove Was broken as the serpent strove With tempting voice Eve to beguile And Adam to by sin defile. Oh, day of sadness when the breath Of fear and darkness, doubt and death, Its awful poison first displayed Within the world so newly made.
What mercy God showed to our race, A plan of rescue by his grace: In sending One from woman’s seed, The One to fill our greatest need— For on a tree uplifted high His only Son for sin would die, Would drink the cup of scorn and dread To crush the ancient serpent’s head!
Now from that tree of Jesus’ shame Flows life eternal in his name; For all who trust and will believe, Salvation’s living fruit receive. And of this fruit so pure and sweet The Lord invites the world to eat, To find within this cross of wood The tree of life with ev’ry good.
Just a taste is all they needed. Then they’d be happy. So Adam and Eve took the fruit that God had prohibited and the devil had promoted, eagerly anticipating the paradise that would be theirs. What they chewed and then swallowed was not paradise at all, but poison.
These are our parents indeed.
What is your fruit, son of Adam? Where is your paradise, daughter of Eve? What do you think you must have? Where do you think you must be? … that God has prohibited in His perfect wisdom and love? Whatever and wherever it is, let me assure you of this: the devil knows it.
In their sin, Adam and Eve wanted to be as far away from God as possible, to hide from Him, blame Him, and shut Him out of their lives. In His mercy, the LORD God wanted to be closer to Adam and Eve than ever. He loved them and would not let them go.
After Adam and Eve disobeyed the LORD God came to them and called out to them, “Where are you?” with anxious and seeking love.
That anxious love became an active love when the LORD God took matters into His own hands. There in the garden He turned on His heels to the devil himself, “I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and hers; He will crush your head, and you will strike His heel.” Beginning then, the devil would never be considered a friend by anyone who belongs to God. Beginning then, the influence of the devil’s unbelieving followers in the world would be noticeably poisonous to the believing followers of God. And at a time to come in the future, one descendant of Eve would have His heel bitten by the devil’s bite but turn and crush the devil in conquering defeat.
Here, breathed by God’s promise in the garden, is Jesus Christ, the paradise of sinners. During the days of Lent we witness Him harassed by the devil’s fiery temptations and clamped by the serpent’s venomous fangs, but He deals the first crushing blow to Satan’s head by His perfect obedience. Jesus cannot – will not – be tricked by Satan. And when He makes his way to the tree of the cross, the Savior of the world deals the final blow to Satan’s head by His sacrificial death for our sins.
The one who overcame humanity by a tree has, in turn, by a tree been overcome. The devil offers only poison, as sweet as it may taste. Jesus Christ is our true paradise.
“The Tree of Life,” a beautiful new hymn in our Christian Worship Supplement puts it like this:
The tree of life with ev’ry good In Eden’s holy orchard stood, And of its fruit so pure and sweet God let the man and woman eat. Yet in this garden also grew Another tree, of which they knew; Its lovely limbs with fruit adorned Against whose eating God had warned.
The stillness of that sacred grove Was broken as the serpent strove With tempting voice Eve to beguile And Adam to by sin defile. Oh, day of sadness when the breath Of fear and darkness, doubt and death, Its awful poison first displayed Within the world so newly made.
What mercy God showed to our race, A plan of rescue by his grace: In sending One from woman’s seed, The One to fill our greatest need— For on a tree uplifted high His only Son for sin would die, Would drink the cup of scorn and dread To crush the ancient serpent’s head!
Now from that tree of Jesus’ shame Flows life eternal in his name; For all who trust and will believe, Salvation’s living fruit receive. And of this fruit so pure and sweet The Lord invites the world to eat, To find within this cross of wood The tree of life with ev’ry good.
It was so easy to commit the sin, but so hard to repair the damage. And God isn't fair? Pastor Zarling's recent first Adam, second Adam comparisons are foundational to our faith and understanding.
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