Discovering The Mission Of Mankind-2

DISCOVERING the MISSION of MANKIND-II—Genesis 2:4-25

Attention:

A local priest was being honored at his retirement dinner after 25 years in the parish.

A leading local politician & member of the congregation was chosen to make the presentation & to give a little speech at the dinner.

However, he was delayed so the priest decided to say his own few words while they waited:

"I got my first impression of the parish from the first confession I heard here. I thought I had been assigned to a terrible place. The very first person who entered my confessional told me he had stolen a television set &, when questioned by the police, was able to lie his way out of it. He had also stolen money from his parents, embezzled from his employer, had an affair with his best friend's wife, & taken illicit drugs. I was appalled.

"But as the days went on I learned that my people were not all like that & I had, indeed, come to a fine parish full of good & loving people."

Just as the priest finished his talk, the politician arrived full of apologies for being late. He immediately began to make the presentation & said: "I'll never forget the first day our parish priest arrived. In fact, I had the honor of being the first person to go to him for confession."

The politician’s mission from that point on— Never, never, NEVER-EVER be late!

God has a Mission for mankind.

Have we discovered our part in it?

Need:

God had a mission for mankind.

& He still does.

How is mankind’s mission to be experienced/entered/engaged/found/discovered?

The last time we were in Genesis we discovered that

Mankind’s mission is bound-up with....

1. His HISTORY (:4) Past

2. His FUTURE(:4-6)

3. His BREATH(:7)the Breath of Life—God-given

4—Mankind’s mission is bound-up with....

His PLACEMENT(:8-14)

Explanation:(:8-14) The Garden in Eden

:8—“The LORD God planted a garden eastward in Eden, & there He put the man whom He had formed.”

Upon his creation & being given life, YeHoWaH also prepared a specific place for the man. He “planted a garden.

He planted it “eastward”—of the location of man’s creation— in a place known(to the Israelites?) as “Eden.” As Eden means pleasure, it is possibly significant as this relates to a further aspect of man’s nature, that is, he was created with an ability to experience pleasure. YeHoWaH wanted man to live with a degree of pleasure.

YeHoWaH actively “put”/“placed” the man in this garden after He had been “formed.”

“Planted”—ejn naw-tah'—To plant, fasten, fix, establish. Strong—properly, To strike in, i.e. Fix; specifically, To plant (literally or figuratively):-- Fastened, plant(-er).

“Garden”—Ng gan—Garden, enclosure. Strong—A garden (as fenced):-- Garden.

“Eastward”—Mdq keh'-dem—N. common masculine singular absolute—1) East, antiquity, front, that which is before, aforetime—1a) Front, from the front or east, in front[the front of the tabernacle faced eastward], mount of the East, 1b) Ancient time, aforetime, ancient, from of old, earliest time, 1c) Anciently, of old (adverb), 1d) Beginning, 1e) East.

“Eden”—Nde ay'-den—= “Pleasure”

“Put/Placed”—Mws soom—To put, place, set, appoint, make.

“Formed”(See :7, 19)—ruy yaw-tsar'—V. Qal waw Consecutive third masculine singular—To form, fashion, frame. Strong—To mould into a form; especially as a potter; figuratively, To determine (i.e. form a resolution):-- X earthen, fashion, form, frame, make(-r), potter, purpose.

:9—“And out of the ground the LORD God made every tree grow that is pleasant to the sight & good for food. The tree of life was also in the midst of the garden, & the tree of the knowledge of good & evil.”

Within the garden, God caused all manner of “trees” to “grow.” These trees served at least two purposes...1)They were “pleasant to the sight”(of man) & 2)They were “good for food.”

1) Again relates to the name of the garden & God’s intention for man to experience pleasure. The tree’s appearance gave man pleasure. Thus man is a visually oriented creature.

2)The trees also provided nourishment for the man.

There are also, in the garden, mentioned two particular trees. These trees were located “in the midst of the garden.” They are known as “the Tree of Life” & “the Tree of the Knowledge of Good & Evil.” Very strange names for trees. This oddity signifies that these trees have more than a mere physical significance...theirs is spiritual as well. This will become apparent in the events of 2:17, 3:1-7 & 3:22-24.

“Tree”2X—Ue ates— Tree, wood, timber, stock, plank, stalk, stick, gallows.

“Pleasant”—dmx khaw-mad'—V. Nifal participle masculine singular absolute—To desire, covet, take pleasure in, delight in—1b) (Niphal) To be desirable. Strong—To delight in:-- Beauty, greatly beloved, covet, Delectable thing, (X great) delight, desire, goodly, lust, (be) pleasant (thing), precious (thing).

“Sight”—harm mar-eh'—Sight, appearance, vision.

“Good”2X(See :12)—bwj tobe—N. common masculine singular absolute—A good thing, benefit, welfare.

“Food”—lkam mah-ak-awl'—Food, fruit, meat.. Strong—An eatable (includ. provender, flesh & fruit):-- Food, fruit, ([bake-]) meat(-s), victual.