Genesis 2:8 (NKJV)The Lord God planted a garden eastward in Eden, and there He put the man whom He had formed.
Emphasis Mine
A garden was planted in Eden, though a physical garden, it denotes quite a few things that are representatives of our Father’s design for our physical habitation. A garden in this context denotes “territory” or we could say “land”; an assigned place of influence, authority, and stewardship; channel; freshness, and beauty.
TERRITORY
The online dictionary defines territory as “an area of land under the jurisdiction of a ruler or state”. It also defines it as “a land with a specified characteristic”.
So, God gave them this enclosed piece of land for their dwelling. It was theirs. It was not borrowed. It was not rented. God’s original idea is for us to steward the piece of land on which we dwell in. We ought to exercise authority and dominion over our allocated territory of dwelling.
The word of God has so much to tell us about God’s desire to give us land for our dwelling.
I will read a few scriptures that indicate the Father’s perspective on territory/land.
- Talking to Abram, God says to him in Genesis 12:7 (NIV) - The LORD appeared to Abram and said, "To your descendants I will give this land" So he built an altar there to the LORD who had appeared to him.
- Then, in Genesis 13:15 (NIV), God says to Abram, All the land that you see I will give to you and your offspring forever.
- When Moses went to deliver the Israelites, one promise among many God made to them through Moses to the Israelites was this - Exodus 6:8 (NIV) 'I will bring you to the land which I swore to give to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and I will give it to you for a possession; I am the LORD.'"
- Joshua 24:13 (NKJV) - I have given you a land for which you did not labor, and cities which you did not build, and you dwell in them; you eat of the vineyards and olive groves which you did not plant.’
By now, I believe we can all agree that land is not a foreign idea rather, something God desires to give man. Amen. So the question is what should I do from this point? I will say this, knowledge has come through the word, faith has come, start believing God so that you can receive from Him. Become a landlord, a land owner.
Receive a mind-set shift from a tenant to an owner. That is the Father’s good intention for you. He wants us to steward land He gives you, not borrow or rent out places or things. Dream big and start seeing yourself owning lands; building on your own piece of land; living in your own piece of land and celebrating occasions on your own piece of land. Amen.
AN ASSIGNED PLACE OF INFLUENCE, AUTHORITY & STEWARDSHIP
Besides territory, a garden is symbolic of an assigned place of influence in this case by God himself. We are told in Genesis 2:15 (NLT) that the Lord God placed the man in the garden of Eden to tend and watch over it. Meaning, we determine what happens in that environment. What comes in and what goes. What we say about what comes in and what we say about what goes out. Who comes in, who goes out. We also decide who the final authority is, in that environment.
Genesis 2:19 (NKJV)
Out of the ground the Lord God formed every beast of the field and every bird in the air, and brought them to Adam to see what he would call them. And whatever Adam called each living creature, that was its name.
In Genesis 1:28, that is where we first see the Father hand authority to man to have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over every living thing that moves on the earth. Remember that these creatures will have to reside in a territory.
Genesis 1:28 (NKJV)
Then God blessed them, and God said to them, "Be fruitful and multiply; fill the earth and subdue it; have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over every living thing that moves on the earth."
CHANNEL
Genesis 2:10-14 (NKJV)
Now a river went out of Eden to water out of Eden to water the garden, and from there it parted and became four riverheads. The name of the first is Pishon. It is the one which skirts the whole land of Havilah, where there is gold. And the gold of that land is good. Bdellium and the onyx stone are there. The name of the second river is Gihon; it is the one which goes around the whole land of Cush. The name of the third river is Hiddekel; it is the one which goes toward the east of Assyria. The fourth river is the Euphrates.
Our goal is to emphasize the symbolism of a garden even as we relate it to our habitat. I will like for us of think of channel as a medium through which resources pass through. We see from the scriptures read that a river went out of Eden, watered the garden and later parted and became four river heads watering other lands. Have you ever thought of how swampy the garden should have become if the water coming out of Eden into the garden became stagnant? It eventually will not be useful even to the garden. So too is our homes. When we allow the spiritual atmosphere of our homes to be properly cultivated, our homes become a channel through which Kingdom resources flow to others, and they become blessed as a result. We can allow our homes to be the channel through which both spiritual and physical resources can pass through to others.
FRESHNESS & BEAUTY
A garden is synonymous with freshness and beauty. In order to keep a garden fresh and beautifully looking, it requires consistent attention. So too does our homes require consistent attention. The freshness of revelation from the word is necessary and in order for this to be reality, a personal time with the Father is a must from a place of love. The freshness of the food eaten is necessary and in order for this to become a reality, we need to re-examine our shopping list to make sure that our food choices are more on the fresh produce aisle versus the canned food aisle. The freshness of the flowers in your home is necessary versus artificial flowers. Remember, certain plants will help purify the air in your home environment; plants also enhance the process of gaseous exchange which is beneficial to us. There are enormous benefits to having fresh plants/ flowers in our homes versus the artificial. What about consuming more water than you consume canned drinks? Remember, your environment is only as beautiful as you are inside. Your environment will reflect you. Do that which is required of you to stay fresh and beautiful and your environment will reflect just that.
