Monday 23rd January
Read Genesis 2:8-9
“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.” (NIVUK)
There is a tension that runs through these early chapters of Scripture. Is humanity at the centre of things or not? They are crowned with glory and honour and made in the divine image and yet God remains pre-eminent. We are blessed with creativity and command yet the author of creation remains before all things.
This second perspective on creation begins with a description that firmly places humanity as ‘earthly’: born of water and earth, like that which sustains him (v5-7). But the One who formed humanity cares enough to stoop down and plant a garden, making trees to grow out of that same ground from which humanity was formed. Trees that are both beautiful and life-sustaining. There is no need for them to be beautiful. It is the simplest and purest of gifts from a creator who delights in His creation. It is only the coldest of hearts that fails to be refreshed when walking through a forest. How do you feel when strolling through a curated garden? A beautiful orchard?
Yet despite this care and craft, it is not humanity who is in the middle of the garden. We often believe ourselves to be at the centre of everything. We can’t help but think that life revolves around us. Yet the witness of Scripture is that two trees stand in the middle of the garden. Gifts of a gracious God planted there both before us and for us. It is humbling to not be at the centre. To be cared for rather than independent. Is it enough for you to simply recognise and respond rightly to the beauty and bounty of God?
