If you haven’t been with us for the last few weeks let me catch you up. If you have been with us, let me refresh you. We are in the middle of our Genesis series, and we have taken the last few weeks to unpack Genesis 2. It was intended to be a two-part series but quickly turned into a 4-part mini-series. Here’s the recap. Creation is about a who, not just a how.

Genesis 2 is about Creation’s divine intention, formation, and invitation. Divine intention is to bring life, through water and breath. Divine formation was with purpose and for a purpose. Now we are going to see Divine’s invitation through wisdom and community.
We should see a pattern in Genesis 2 of what God, Yahweh, Creator is about through the rest of scripture. Some of the patterns we can see are water, breath, trees, and people in sacred space. Which means our ears should perk up whenever we see these things, not just as tangible things, but things that tell a greater story within scripture and life.
Let’s open to Genesis 2. But to see the depth of this passage, let’s set the scene again. Remember vs. 5 tells us that there was no life, completely desolate, barren, dry, desert like. God adds water and breath, brings life.

Genesis 2:8-9, 16-17- 8 Now the Lord God had planted a garden in the east, in Eden; and there he put the man he had formed. 9 The Lord God made all kinds of trees grow out of the ground—trees that were pleasing to the eye and good for food. In the middle of the garden were the tree of life and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil... 16 And the Lord God commanded the man, “You are free to eat from any tree in the garden; 17 but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat from it you will certainly die.”

The first thing I want you to pay attention to is the great garden. Out of desolation, out of lifelessness God filled it with life, many trees; trees that were appealing, that were good for food, that were a life source.

Let’s be honest, we take trees for granted; we can look outside and see beautiful, lush oak trees, birch trees, pine trees, cedars. Remember the ancients who were writing this lived in the barren desert, desolate, lifeless place and what they see is the Creator creating abundant life in the middle of a wasteland.

What does it mean for you to have that frame of reference, that out of desolation, God brings life?

Not only that, we also see our first command. Enjoy the garden. You are free to enjoy the trees and the fruit on the trees. They are good to eat, good for sustenance. The Creator of life is giving life to his creation and he commands us to eat and enjoy.

Which means, God is not holding out on you. Some of you need to hear that, write it down, allow it to sink in. God’s first command was a command of blessing, enjoyment, life and you did nothing to earn it or deserve it. God gives grace before our idea of grace is ever needed.

This should break any idea of an “if/then” faith. If I do this, then God will give me this. If I don’t do this, God won’t give me this. God starts creation with blessing and grace, and we did nothing to deserve it or earn it.

Sit with that reality for a moment. God starts with blessing, life, goodness and you did nothing to deserve it. How does that line up with the way you see God or interact with him? Do you feel like God is holding out on you? What would life look like if your starting point with God was his goodness, regardless of the circumstances around you?

If you want to sit with this song, please, allow it to connect to the deeper parts in you. Goodness of God