Genesis 2:15-17. 15 The LORD God took the man and put him in the garden of Eden to work it and keep it. 16 And the LORD God commanded the man, saying, “You may surely eat of every tree of the garden, 17 but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die.” (ESV)
Eco-anxiety is increasingly being recognized by mental health professionals. The terms itself is not listed in the official Diagnostic Statistical Manual (DSM) which is the diagnostic tool for mental health issues published by the American Psychiatric Association (APA). But, while it is not listed as a type of anxiety disorder, it is certainly recognized amongst mental health professionals. The definition of eco-anxiety provided by the APA is “anxiety or worry about climate change and its effects,” including loss of biodiversity and other forms of environmental degradation. Worryingly, the incident rates of this mental health issue are climbing. https://www.healthing.ca/wellness/children/askalyson-eco-anxiety-the-latest-mental-health-challenge-facing-our-kids/
As human beings living on this planet, we must ask ourselves what responsibilities do we have to each other, the other living things around us, to generations not yet born, and to God Himself. Do we have a dominion mandate, and if so, is it one based on freedom or responsibility? If it is of responsibility, is there a priority?
God’s intention from the beginning was to put people to work. (Because of sin) work became drudgery, but initially work was something not only which God intended for people to do but also something that God engaged in Himself! “And on the seventh day God ended His work which He had done, and He rested on the seventh day from all His work which He had done” (Gen. 2:2).The creation order is perfectly straightforward—(Human beings are) to work properly and rest adequately. It is significant that the Sabbath rest which was to become such a distinctive feature of the lifestyle of God’s people was introduced by God Himself at the (end) of creation. (Humanity’s) ignoring of it may be far more detrimental to them physically, socially, and spiritually than one realizes.! (Briscoe, D. S., & Ogilvie, L. J. (1987). Vol. 1: The Preacher's Commentary Series, Volume 1 : Genesis. The Preacher's Commentary series (40). Nashville, Tennessee: Thomas Nelson Inc.)
The brief account of God's direction to Adam in the garden of Eden as recorded in Genesis 2:15-17 is instructive to us in establishing a dominion mandate for every generation that has followed him. In this account of direction and prohibition, we see three things: 1) God's Commission (Genesis 2:15), 2) God's Commandment (Genesis 2:16), and finally 3) God's Caution (Genesis 2:17).
In directing people in what is expected to be done and forbidden, Genesis 2 specifies:
1) God's Commission (Genesis 2:15)
Genesis 2:15. [15] The LORD God took the man and put him in the garden of Eden to work it and keep it. (ESV)
God placed the man in the garden for the stated purpose of supervising it. Verse 15 continues the thought of v. 8 but with a subtle difference in the language. “Put” translates the causative form of the verb nûa?, “rest,” and so could be rendered literally “caused to rest.”. God promised to give Israel safety (“rest”) in the land from its enemies (e.g., Deut 3:20; 12:10; 25:19). This is illustrated by Lot and his family; visited by angels who “led them safely [“gave rest”] out of the city” (Gen. 19:16). It also is used of dedicating something before the presence of the Lord (E.g., Exod 16:33–34; Num 17:4; Deut 26:4, 10; cf. priestly garments, Lev 16:23). God prepares the garden for man’s safety, where he can enjoy the divine presence (E. R. Clendenen, “Life in God’s Land: An Outline of the Theology of Deuteronomy” in The Church at the Dawn of the 21st Century (Dallas: Criswell Publications, 1989), 162–63)
The text does not indicate that the entire primeval earth was a paradise. The word garden (gan) signifies a place protected by a fence or wall. (Linguistically in the words used to describe it, and from various ancient reports), the garden was located “eastward” in respect to the writer and in a plain (‘eden) at the confluence of four rivers (Gen. 2:8, 10–14). Two of the rivers can be identified—the Hiddekel (Tigris) and the Perat (Euphrates). The Pishon and Gihon are likely two of the other Mesopotamian rivers which flow into the Tigris and Euphrates. These four rivers joined to flow through the garden as one river (E.A. Speiser, Genesis, The Anchor Bible (Garden City, NJ: Doubleday, 1964), pp. 19f.). The author seems to be describing the geography of ancient Sumer just north of the Persian Gulf in what is present-day Iraq (Smith, J. E. (1993). The Pentateuch (2nd ed.) (Ge 2:8–17). Joplin, Mo.: College Press Pub. Co.).
In the garden God gives the man a purposeful existence that includes overseeing his environment. Work is a God-given assignment and not a cursed condition. It was not to do whatever he chose but fulfill his God-given responsibilities in God's prescribed manner. After the fall, the punishment is not “working the ground” but laboring outside the garden against the harsh new conditions of the land, which was “cursed” as a result of the fall (Gen. 3:17–18). It was sin that spoiled the pristine relationship between the man and his environment, making work a toilsome chore that became a requirement for mere existence (3:17–19, 23). This understanding of work is not only different from the common accounts portrayed today, but from ancient understandings as well. Mesopotamian accounts of human creation typically show how human beings were created for the purpose of work, but there human beings work to supply food for the selfish, lazy gods. Divine travail over their incessant labors is relieved by the creation of a human workforce. In contrast the biblical account portrays God as Provider for man’s needs, a part of which is the honorable, meaningful labor of tilling the soil. The man’s principal commission is to “work” and “take care” of his pristine garden home (v. 15). The word translated “work/service” (?abad) is the common one for tilling the soil (e.g., 3:23; 4:2, 12) or for other labor (e.g., Isa 19:9); it also speaks of “service” to another (e.g., Gen. 29:15; 31:6) and is often used of worship (e.g., Exod 3:12). Work was an important and dignified part of representing the image of God and serving Him, even before the Fall (MacArthur, J. J. (1997). The MacArthur Study Bible (electronic ed.) (Ge 2:15). Nashville: Word Pub.). Man is placed in the garden as servant. He is there not to be served but to serve (Hamilton, V. P. (1990). The Book of Genesis. Chapters 1-17. The New International Commentary on the Old Testament (171). Grand Rapids, MI: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co.).
• There is true pleasure in the business God calls us to, and employs us in. Adam could not have been happy if he had been idle: it is still God’s law, He that can, but will not work has no right to eat (2 Thes. 3:10) (Henry, M., & Scott, T. (1997). Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary (Ge 2:15). Oak Harbor, WA: Logos Research Systems.). Regardless of the environment, the ideal state...is not one of laziness without responsibility. Work and duty belong to the perfect state”. The Garden of Eden was not some picnic ground where mankind was to sit and watch the butterflys all day. Duty is beneficial (Butler, J. G. (2008). Analytical Bible Expositor: Genesis (22–23). Clinton, IA: LBC Publications.)
The second verb of responsibility in Gen. 2:15 is to keep/tend/guard/take care (Heb. šamar)—carries a slightly different nuance. The basic meaning of this root is “to exercise great care over,” to the point, if necessary, of guarding. There is no thought involved of protecting it from external enemies, of which there were none, but rather that of exercising a careful and loving stewardship over it, keeping it beautiful and orderly, with every component in place and in harmonious relationship with the whole. The charge of certain latter-day evolutionary ecologists that the concept of man’s dominion has led to exploitation of earth’s resources is patently absurd. God’s command was to keep the ecology, not to destroy it; and those who believe and understand the Bible have always taken it that way (Morris, H. M. (1976). The Genesis record : A scientific and devotional commentary on the book of beginnings (92–93). Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Books.). The plants of nature, left to their own course, may degenerate and become wild through the poverty of the soil on which they land, or the gradual exhaustion of a once rich soil. The hand of rational man, therefore, has its appropriate sphere in preparing and enriching the soil, and in distributing the seeds and training the shoots in the way most favourable for the full development of the plant, and especially of its seed or fruits (Murphy, J. G. (1863). A Critical and Exegetical Commentary on the Book of Genesis (104). Edinburgh: T&T Clark.).
• It is often when we just let things "run their course" that chaos degenerates from order. It was man's failure to live up to his dominion mandate that the cherubs we put on guard to prevent access to the tree of life in the garden (Gen. 3:24). (Hamilton, V. P. (1990). The Book of Genesis. Chapters 1-17. The New International Commentary on the Old Testament (171). Grand Rapids, MI: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co.).
Please turn to 1 Corinthians 3
Put together, the two infinitives, to "work" and to "keep", connote not plunder but care and attention. They enhance the delight of the garden. By the same token, they give to the earth creature the joy of work. The “keeping” of it may refer to the guarding of it by enclosure from the depredations of the cattle, the wild beasts, or even the smaller animals. It includes also the faithful preservation of it as a trust committed to man by his bounteous Maker... Gardening was the first occupation of primeval man (Murphy, J. G. (1863). A Critical and Exegetical Commentary on the Book of Genesis (104). Edinburgh: T&T Clark). The point is made clear here that physical labor is not a consequence of sin. Work enters the picture before sin does, and if man had never sinned he still would be working. Eden certainly is not a paradise in which man passes his time in idyllic and uninterrupted bliss with absolutely no demands on his daily schedule. Work is not necessarily something to be dreaded or endured. It has value in and of itself. The fact that humanity is given work to do prior to the debilitating effects of the Fall shows its inherent worth. This work changes human life from passivity to participation...Work fulfills both creature and environment, providing dignity and integrity. It testifies to the oneness of humanity and soil at the same time that it establishes the responsibility of the earth creature for the earth. Distinction without opposition, dominion without domination, hierarchy without oppression: to "work" and to "keep" the garden is to live life in harmony and pleasure (Kissling, P. J. (2004-). Genesis. The College Press NIV commentary. (165). Joplin, Mo.: College Press Pub. Co.).
There is a difference between making a living and making a life. Paul’s admonition to the Corinthians is altogether pertinent. He says in 1 Corinthians 3:
1 Corinthians 3:10-16. 10 According to the grace of God given to me, like a skilled master builder I laid a foundation, and someone else is building upon it. Let each one take care how he builds upon it. 11 For no one can lay a foundation other than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ. 12 Now if anyone builds on the foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw— 13 each one’s work will become manifest, for the Day will disclose it, because it will be revealed by fire, and the fire will test what sort of work each one has done. 14 If the work that anyone has built on the foundation survives, he will receive a reward. 15 If anyone’s work is burned up, he will suffer loss, though he himself will be saved, but only as through fire. 16 Do you not know that you are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit dwells in you? (ESV).
• Through the grace of God, the Apostle Paul carefully and diligently accomplished the work that God called him to do, He did not presume that He was the sole one to do everything, because he knew that there would be those who would continue the task after he was gone. We can use the world’s methods producing only temporary results, or we can be used by the Holy Spirit using God’s methods and produce a lasting legacy that others can build upon. We have been given every gift and talent necessary to accomplish the Lord’s work. The only question is if we will be faithful in doing the work He has called us to do and be rewarded by Him, or neglect our duty, assuming someone else will do it, and leave no lasting legacy or needful impact at all.
Illustration: Making a Living or Making a Life?
Moses was a herdsman; David was a shepherd; Paul a tent-maker; Luke a physician; Lydia a merchant; and Jesus a carpenter. Carey was a cobbler; Beethoven a musician, and George Washington Carver a chemist. God’s labor union is all-inclusive and is concerned with far more than bargaining strategy, hours and wages, and economic battering rams. It is compassionately concerned with the nature, needs, and destiny of persons (Jones, G. C. (1986). 1000 illustrations for preaching and teaching (39). Nashville, TN: Broadman Press.).
In directing people in what is expected to be done and forbidden, Genesis 2 specifies:
2) God's Commandment (Genesis 2:16)
Genesis 2:16. [16] And the LORD God commanded the man, saying, "You may surely eat of every tree of the garden, (ESV)
The Garden of Eden had laws or statutes. All the universe is under laws. The stars, moon, sun etc. all operate under laws. If they broke these laws, it would be chaos. We speak of the “law of gravity.”.... Laws do not have to be evil. When made (in righteousness, they can be for the public good) as are God’s laws (Butler, J. G. (2008). Analytical Bible Expositor: Genesis (23). Clinton, IA: LBC Publications.). As God had given the natural world and all life-forms boundaries, human life too is instructed to live within prescribed boundaries. This is reflected in the verb “commanded” (v. 16) which occurs twenty-five times in Genesis, but this first occurrence is the only place in Genesis where the narrative introduces a divine command by this formula: “And the LORD God commanded” (cp. 3:11, 17). The imperfect verb form probably carries the nuance of permission (“you may eat”) since the man is not being commanded to eat from every tree. The accompanying infinitive absolute adds emphasis: “you may surely eat,” (Biblical Studies Press. (2006; 2006). The NET Bible First Edition Notes (Ge 2:16). Biblical Studies Press.)
The man is addressed personally as an individual “You/Thou.” Unlike all other created life, the human being is endowed with special significance as a “person” in the eyes of his Creator, enjoying a privileged depth of divine-human communion. This is likewise evidenced in the creation narrative, unlike the creatures, God spoke to humanity bestowing His blessing of procreation (Gen. 1:28). All human life merits respect and protection by virtue of the esteemed position to which God has exalted it. Whether or not these were the first words listened to by man, they clearly presuppose the person to whom they were addressed to have had the power of understanding language, i. e. of interpreting vocal sounds, and representing to his own mind the conceptions or ideas of which they were the signs, a degree of intellectual development altogether incompatible with modern evolution theories. They likewise assume the pre-existence of a moral nature which could recognize the distinction between “thou shalt” and “thou shalt not.” (The Pulpit Commentary: Genesis. 2004 (H. D. M. Spence-Jones, Ed.) (46). Bellingham, WA: Logos Research Systems, Inc.)
The instruction of the Lord is given as a positive expression of God’s goodness rather than a harsh restriction (v. 16b). The Hebrew clause is headed by “of/from any/every tree [mikkol ?e?] of the garden,” evidencing God’s broad provision. This generosity is heightened by the following Hebrew construction translated “you may surely/are free to eat,” which could also be translated “you may eat freely” (cf. NRSV This strong affirmation indicates that the provision of God for the first couple is plentiful and to be enjoyed liberally by them. God’s laws are not to kill joy but to provide for it and protect it (Butler, J. G. (2008). Analytical Bible Expositor: Genesis (23). Clinton, IA: LBC Publications.).
Please turn to 1 John 5
The key, which is the basis of ethics, is to use Godly wisdom in the exercise of freedom to honor God in our bodies for the good of others and the glory of God (1 Cor. 9:7-10). John explained in 1 John 5 how the commandments of God are for our Good and how true faithfulness glorifies Him:
1 John 5:1-5. [5:1] Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ has been born of God, and everyone who loves the Father loves whoever has been born of him. [2] By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God and obey his commandments. [3] For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments. And his commandments are not burdensome. [4] For everyone who has been born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world--our faith. [5] Who is it that overcomes the world except the one who believes that Jesus is the Son of God? (ESV)
• What does it say to the world when we claim to be a victim of circumstances? It says that our faith is weak, if existent at all. How can we possibly give a convincing argument that there is victory in Christ when we don’t do what we know God has commanded. The world sees that Christ is real, when real love for the brethren of Christ is shown. Our faithfulness to what God has commanded is the most convincing proof that God is real and the source of real love.
Quotation: It has been said that: YOU CANNOT be free without restrictions. A fish is not free to roam the jungle. It wasn’t made for that. A lion is not free to live in the ocean, because it wasn’t made for that. Freedom is having benefits accumulate to you that you were created to receive. Freedom doesn’t mean there are no boundaries. Freedom means that within the right boundaries you can maximize your potential.[Evans, T. (2009). Tony Evans' book of illustrations: Stories, quotes, and anecdotes from more than 30 years of preaching and public speaking (112–113). Chicago, IL: Moody Publishers.]
Finally, in directing people in what is expected to be done and forbidden, Genesis 2 specifies:
3) God's Caution (Genesis 2:17)
Genesis 2:17. [17] but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die." (ESV)
Freedom has no meaning without prohibition; the boundary for Adam is but one tree. This prohibition, however, is stated in the strongest terms, as was the provision. The adversative beginning the clause (“but”) establishes the contrast between provision and prohibition. It is given as a command: “you shall/must not eat.” The form of the prohibition is the style of command prominent in the Ten Commandments and occurring often in the laws of Moses. The time when this is specified is "in the day". Without a specific date stated, it implies fixed certainty rather than absolute immediacy (e.g., 1 Kings 2:42) (Crossway Bibles. (2008). The ESV Study Bible (54). Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles.).
The causal clause (“for,” kî) that follows explains the severity of the prohibition; the consequence of such an action is stated emphatically: “you shall/will surely die.” Commonly the expression “you shall/will surely die.” decrees death for a culprit either by God (Gen 20:7; Ezek 33:8, 14) or a king (E.g., Gen 26:11; 1 Sam 14:39, 44; 22:16; 1 Kgs 2:37, 42; 2 Kgs 1:4, 6.). It occurs repeatedly in the legal collections of the Pentateuch, condemning criminals to death (e.g., Exod 21:12; Lev 20:2; Num 35:16–18). The prohibition against eating the fruit of the “tree of knowledge” gave Adam opportunity to worship God through loyal devotion. The preemptive warning is necessary because, unlike the other members of the created order, humanity alone has the potential for crossing moral boundaries. Out of God’s goodness and mercy he informs the man that the consequence of disobedience is death; what is at stake is whether he will choose to trust God’s words. There is no suggestion from the passage, as is assumed by some, that Adam was created immortal but subsequently forfeited immortality by his sin. Immortality is the trait of deity alone (1 Tim 6:16). Without sin Adam’s “earthly life truly would have been temporal; yet he would have passed into heaven without death, and without injury,” thereby receiving eternal life (Calvin, Comm., p. 127.).
Perpetuating or renewing earthly life was possible through the “tree of life” (v. 9), but once sin was committed, the sanction of disobedience necessarily meant the man and woman’s expulsion from the garden and its tree of life (Gen. 3:22–24).Man already had knowledge of “good.” All he had seen and experienced was “good.” Rejection of God’s word would necessarily convey knowledge of “evil” to him. Partaking of the forbidden fruit would therefore surely give Adam knowledge of good and evil, as well as the difference between them, in the most intensely real way. Adam should have obeyed God merely as an expression of his love. But God, in grace, provided him still further incentive by giving clear warning of the necessary consequences of disobedience. Rejecting God’s love would necessarily raise a barrier between man and God, and would break the sweet fellowship for which man was created. Since God was the source of life itself, real life is found only in communion and connection with the divine life. The essence of death (the opposite of life) is therefore separation from God (the opposite of fellowship with God...The primary warning is undoubtedly that of spiritual death, or separation from God. But this also entails physical death, since God is the source of physical life as well as spiritual life. ... the moment Adam disobeyed God, the principle of decay and death would begin to operate in his body; and, finally, this would overcome the built-in metabolic processes and he would go back to the dust from which his body was formed. Even though he continued functioning biologically for over nine hundred years, he died both spiritually and (in principle) physically the very day he rejected and disobeyed the word of God. (Morris, H. M. (1976). The Genesis record: A scientific and devotional commentary on the book of beginnings (94). Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Books.).
The instructions in Genesis 2:16–17, together with the instructions in Genesis 1:28–30, (could) be called God’s “covenant” with Adam... The man (Adam) receives this covenant on behalf of the rest of humanity: you is singular in 2:16–17, which provides the basis for Paul’s use of Adam as a representative head of the human race, parallel to Christ, in 1 Cor. 15:22; cf. Rom. 5:12–19. The word “you” is plural in Gen. 3:1–5, where the woman’s statement shows that she has appropriated the command for herself. Also, by virtue of Adam’s disobedience, his offspring receive the penalty: they cannot return to the garden any more than he can, and they descend into sin and misery (ch. 4) (Crossway Bibles. (2008). The ESV Study Bible (54). Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles.).
Please turn to Romans 5
Perhaps it seems unfair of God to put a forbidden tree in the Garden, or that we all suffer for the sin of Adam. It is the effect of sin on the mind that causes us to see this way. We often fail to see the great liberality of provision that God gave Adam, but even more importantly the ultimate provision that comes by faith. The Apostle Paul explains in Romans 5:
Romans 5:12-21. [12] Therefore, just as sin came into the world through one man, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men because all sinned-- [13] for sin indeed was in the world before the law was given, but sin is not counted where there is no law. [14] Yet death reigned from Adam to Moses, even over those whose sinning was not like the transgression of Adam, who was a type of the one who was to come. [15] But the free gift is not like the trespass. For if many died through one man's trespass, much more have the grace of God and the free gift by the grace of that one man Jesus Christ abounded for many. [16] And the free gift is not like the result of that one man's sin. For the judgment following one trespass brought condemnation, but the free gift following many trespasses brought justification. [17] For if, because of one man's trespass, death reigned through that one man, much more will those who receive the abundance of grace and the free gift of righteousness reign in life through the one man Jesus Christ. [18] Therefore, as one trespass led to condemnation for all men, so one act of righteousness leads to justification and life for all men. [19] For as by the one man's disobedience the many were made sinners, so by the one man's obedience the many will be made righteous. [20] Now the law came in to increase the trespass, but where sin increased, grace abounded all the more, [21]so that, as sin reigned in death, grace also might reign through righteousness leading to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. (ESV)
• Contrary to secular thought that regards death as a “natural” part of human life. In the biblical sense, death is never natural but is “the last enemy” (1 Cor. 15:26; cf. 15:54) that will be conquered finally and forever at the return of Christ (Rev. 21:4). Death begins with spiritual separation from God and culminates in physical death. All are in Adam by physical birth, while only those with the new birth are in Christ. Death ruled the human race by virtue of the one sin of Adam, whereas Christians now stand as rulers because of the work of Christ. (Crossway Bibles. (2008). The ESV Study Bible (p. 2166). Crossway Bibles.).
Quote: In summing all this up, as one writer declared: “Sin, death, and judgment flowed from the act of Adam. Righteousness, life, and kingship flow from the cross of Christ. The sin of Adam was a stone cast into a pool which sent ripples to every inlet. The cross of Christ was the rock of ages cast into the ocean of the love of God, and it is the destiny of all who are in Christ to be carried on the swell of His majestic love and life and power both now and forever.” (Donald Grey Barnhouse, God’s Grace, vol. 5 of Romans (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1959), 14)
(Format note: Some basic commentary from Mathews, K. A. (2001). Vol. 1A: Genesis 1-11:26 (electronic ed.). Logos Library System; The New American Commentary (208–212). Nashville: Broadman & Holman Publishers.)
