Epistles to the Cyberchurch - Su Min

To: en
From: Su Min
Subject: Adam And Eve

Hi, today's message and meditation revolves around the Garden of Eden, Paradise, Heaven on Earth, Man and Woman, Husband and Wife, lessons that are there for us to learn from Genesis Chapter 2, lessons to God's children to teach them how God wants us to live in families, Husband and Wife, a life long commitment. Again the figurative vs literal interpretations exist: some of the most basic fundamentalists insist on the literal meaning of the Adam and Eve story. I believe it was so. More liberal theologians say that this is just a figurative way of expressing how God created mankind. I am quite happy both ways and can see it is theologically possible to be literally true.

Genesis 2:1-7 is a recapitulation of what went on before, in a shortened compressed precise. Why the story is repeated I do not know, but maybe in its repetition it highlights how true it is. This is what I find in the bible: everything said there is important, and whatever is repeated is doubly important; rarely we find some statements repeated three times, and there must be very very important: for example, in the "reinstatement of Peter" in the Gospel of John Ch 21, thrice does Jesus ask "Do you love me?" and thrice does he instruct "feed my sheep": another triplet is found in Revelation, Ch 22, in vs. 7, 12 & 20, "I am coming soon" says Jesus, announcing His second coming. So anyway, we get a double description of creation, so it must be important, and it must be true.

I find it exciting to read 2:8-14 and understand the description of the Garden of Eden. From the description of the Rivers Tigris and Euphrates, it seems that this Eden was somewhere near the present day Kuwait and Iraq. It also corresponds with the area where Abraham came from (the Ur of the Chaldees, Gen 11:31). It seems to me that this was how God planned life for us to be, and that as we seek to do his will, much of our joy and happiness will be found in similar settings: lush vegetation, streams of water, trees that are pleasing to the eye and good for food. As we recognise how much God loves us and how he cares and provides for us, it is no wonder we call out to Jehovah Jireh, my God who provides!

Vs 15 describes how God placed Adam in the garden of Eden and gave him instructions and limitations. The great theological lesson here is that God does not want us to be robots, but gives us freedom of choice to choose. We can choose to put God first, as He desires, or we can choose to be selfish, and try to put Self in place of God. This was the original sin. This was the sin of Adam and Eve. This was the sin of Lucifer (Isaiah 14:12-15). And very often this is our sin, that we would place the will of self before the will of God.

It is now my 12.45 pm On Saturday, and I guess you are asleep in Jacques place, soon to get up and get ready to return to Poole.

Much love: I shall continue with Adam and Eve on Monday. Dad.


For any comments or enquiries please write to Dr. Lim Su Min



Back to Antioch's Well
Back to Antioch's Home Page