Garden of Eden

[Dennis1209]

Starting my annual Bible reading plan, there are always a zillion questions that pop into my mind trying to form a mental picture. I’ll be brief with these questions, and I am interested in your thoughts.

In Genesis 1:15, Adam is to dress the land in the Garden of Eden. To “dress” can be translated as “to till.”. It is not until Genesis 3:17-19 that God cursed the land and brought forth thorns, thistles, weeds, etc.

I’ve always pictured the Garden as a perfect paradise. Here are the questions I am pondering:

·         Why did the Garden need to be tended and tilled?

·         What implement could Adam fashion to do so?

The above would require labor, sweat, and pain. By the sweat of thy brow and sorrow was not yet implemented. What do you think?

[ayin jade]

Tending a garden with no weeds does not mean it was sweaty arduous painful labor. Tending a garden gave adam a purpose but was not enough apparently to keep adam and eve out of trouble.

[Marilyn C]

2 hours ago, Dennis1209 said:

Starting my annual Bible reading plan, there are always a zillion questions that pop into my mind trying to form a mental picture. I’ll be brief with these questions, and I am interested in your thoughts.

In Genesis 1:15, Adam is to dress the land in the Garden of Eden. To “dress” can be translated as “to till.”. It is not until Genesis 3:17-19 that God cursed the land and brought forth thorns, thistles, weeds, etc.

I’ve always pictured the Garden as a perfect paradise. Here are the questions I am pondering:

·         Why did the Garden need to be tended and tilled?

·         What implement could Adam fashion to do so?

The above would require labor, sweat, and pain. By the sweat of thy brow and sorrow was not yet implemented. What do you think?

Hi Dennis,

Good questions. Work is good before the fall, as we read of God resting from His work. (Gen. 2: 2) In glory we will have work to do which will be related to the gifts and abilities the Lord will give to each. God is the Creator and the universe is not the end of His creating.

Work for Adam and Eve would be rewarding, as they would see the fruits of their work, being included in God`s great creation. Remember their bodies were much stronger than ours. Even when they fell, their bodies lasted hundreds of years. So probably `no sweat` to do pruning etc. (ha, ha)

As to the implements, I think a strong pair of hands would do it.

Marilyn.

[Tzephanyahu]

Hi @Dennis1209

9 hours ago, Dennis1209 said:

Why did the Garden need to be tended and tilled?

Gardening needn't be such hard work as it is today.  In fact, in New Jerusalem the saints will have their own land to till, and it will yield in abundance, but it won't require hard grafting as if you raised a garden/vineyard/farm today.

I think Yahweh gave Adam a job to do so that he wasn't sat idle.  It was his purpose and goal for each day, week, month and year.  And consider that tending a garden doesn't solely mean protecting and de-weeding it, but also nurturing for it and "cleans" it...

Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit, He takes away; and every branch that bears fruit, He cleans it so that it may bear more fruit. - John 15:2 (LSB)

Cleaning a vine in such a way helps it to produce more fruit and so it's likely Adam had some kind of similar "performance monitoring and enhancing" job in the Garden.

9 hours ago, Dennis1209 said:

What implement could Adam fashion to do so?

That's a great question, I have no idea.

It's possible that it was by hand alone.  Some legends write of Adam and Eve being of a much bigger and taller stature than we are today.  Perhaps he could prune a bush as easily as we pinch through a small cluster of grapes?  

Peace

[Michael37]

10 hours ago, Dennis1209 said:

Starting my annual Bible reading plan, there are always a zillion questions that pop into my mind trying to form a mental picture. I’ll be brief with these questions, and I am interested in your thoughts.

In Genesis 1:15, Adam is to dress the land in the Garden of Eden. To “dress” can be translated as “to till.”. It is not until Genesis 3:17-19 that God cursed the land and brought forth thorns, thistles, weeds, etc.

I’ve always pictured the Garden as a perfect paradise. Here are the questions I am pondering:

·         Why did the Garden need to be tended and tilled?

·         What implement could Adam fashion to do so?

The above would require labor, sweat, and pain. By the sweat of thy brow and sorrow was not yet implemented. What do you think?

Hi Dennis, Yes, I have in the past pondered the duties of Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden prior to the Fall when "till" became "toil". 

Originally dressing and keeping the Garden would not have been arduous or painful but pleasant and satisfying. With nothing decaying, nothing poisonous, and no pests or diseases I am inclined to think the employment of Adam and his helpmate Eve, was in fact a spiritual interaction that involved observation, appreciation, and participation with the then perfect elements of nature. Perhaps just their pure and innocent presence and proximity was sufficient to transmit enhancements and vitality to anything anywhere in the Garden so that implements weren't needed.   

[Dennis1209]

11 hours ago, Marilyn C said:

Hi Dennis,

Good questions. Work is good before the fall, as we read of God resting from His work. (Gen. 2: 2) In glory we will have work to do which will be related to the gifts and abilities the Lord will give to each. God is the Creator and the universe is not the end of His creating.

Work for Adam and Eve would be rewarding, as they would see the fruits of their work, being included in God`s great creation. Remember their bodies were much stronger than ours. Even when they fell, their bodies lasted hundreds of years. So probably `no sweat` to do pruning etc. (ha, ha)

As to the implements, I think a strong pair of hands would do it.

Marilyn.

Good morning, Marilyn,

You mentioned another aspect associated with the topic: their size and strength. Even today, we can see and understand everything degrades over time (death entered + the curse).

From the fossil record, I don’t think it is even debatable that at one point, plant and animal life were on steroids. Hyperbaric experiments have been performed, proving plants and fish will grow to mammoth size under these conditions. Therefore, it is assumed the earth at one time must have had a higher pressure, higher 0² content, and probably a protective layer in the firmament.

Remember Joshua and Caleb (post flood), bringing back one cluster of grapes and taking two men to carry (grasshoppers in their sight). Those were not global conditions that produced gigantism in plants and humans that the Hebrews had never witnessed.

So, it is reasonable to assume Adam & Eve (and descendants) were probably giants compared to today’s standards. However, their caloric intake was probably proportionate to their size, but they were super strong. As today, their physical size is perhaps proportional to their environment and surroundings.

Visualization is a crucial element of my learning process and picturing things.

[Alive]

Increased CO2 aids the growing of vegetation.

[Who me]

14 hours ago, Dennis1209 said:

Genesis 1:15, Adam is to dress the land in the Garden of Eden. To “dress”

In genesis 2:15 Adam is given responsibility  for the garden of Eden. Just how hard he would have had to work we don't  know because he fell before he had an opportunity to care for it.

It cannot have been as strenuous  as farming became.