This is part 1 of a 5-part series. View the entire series here.
So God created human beings in His own image. In the image of God He created them; male and female He created them. Then God blessed them and said, “Be fruitful and multiply. Fill the earth and govern it. Reign over the fish in the sea, the birds in the sky, and all the animals that scurry along the ground.” Then God said, “Look! I have given you every seed-bearing plant throughout the earth and all the fruit trees for your food…Then God looked over all He had made, and He saw that it was very good! – Genesis 1:27-29, 31 NLT
Nobody likes to be punished. It’s why we’re tempted to hide when we’ve done something wrong. It’s the kid holding the scissors behind their back after giving themselves a haircut. It’s the teenager stashing the bottle of alcohol in their bag before their parents get home. It’s the worker avoiding their boss when they know they missed a deadline.
And it was Adam and Eve in the garden. All of its goodness surrounded them. But within, only fear and guilt for what they had done. As they hear the sound of God’s footsteps in the breeze of the day, they hide…Hide their shame. Hide their misery. Hide that failure.
After they reveal themselves to God, He does the unthinkable: He sends them out of the garden. Out into the wilderness. The wild and waste. The chaos.
We might wonder, How could a good God love His children and send them away? Yet God’s ways are higher than our own, and they are always meant for our good. After confronting the fractured pair, God confers with the heavenly hosts.
Then the LORD God said, “Look, the human beings have become like us, knowing both good and evil. What if they reach out, take fruit from the tree of life, and eat it? Then they will live forever!” So the LORD God banished them from the Garden of Eden, and He sent Adam out to cultivate the ground from which he had been made. After sending them out, the LORD God stationed mighty cherubim to the east of the Garden of Eden. And He placed a flaming sword that flashed back and forth to guard the way to the tree of life (Genesis 3:22-24 NLT).
Adam and Eve’s banishment was not a result of God’s fury. Far from it. This was an act of pure mercy. A consideration for Adam and Eve’s future. To stay in the garden risked eternity in brokenness. Time away meant God could implement a divine rescue plan.
Sometimes what feels like a punishment is the extension of God’s glorious grace. When it feels like God is seeking retribution, remember that your sins were dealt with through the death of Jesus. There is no retribution, only redemption and reconciliation. Next time you find yourself on the wrong end of sin, see the hope of God’s ability and desire to redeem.
A Prayer for Reconciliation & Redemption
Heavenly Father, I know that I make wrong choices, think bad thoughts, and say things I shouldn’t. All of these things go against Your goodness. But I know that when I ask for forgiveness, You give it. I’m sorry for the wrong I’ve done. Redeem my life and use it for Your glory. I pray this in Jesus’ name, amen.
