Creation Lesson #6 (Genesis 2:5-6;8-17)

In this lesson we are going to look at some of the verses that deal with the Garden of Eden. As we will show it is important to remember that the place was called Eden and the God put a garden eastward in Eden.

Verses 5-6 :

One of the main things to see here is that there was no rain before the flood of Noah. God used a mist from the earth to water the earth.

Verses 8-17 :

Note as stated earlier that the Lord planted a garden eastward in Eden and put Adam there. In verse 9 we see that God also put the Tree of Life and the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil in the Garden of Eden. At the end of this lesson we will give a list of cross references for possibly identifying these two trees.

In verses 10-14 the Bible speaks of a river going out of the garden to water the garden and it becomes into four heads. The names of the rivers are Pison (verse 11), Gihon (verse 13), Hiddekel (verse 14), and Euphrates (verse14). This information gives us a good idea of the location and size of Eden.

• The river Euphrates is easy to locate on any map. And the River Hiddekel is now called the Tigris River.
• This show us that Eden at least went as far north as modern day Iraq or even into Turkey.
• The river Gihon is connected with Ethiopia therefore this could be the Nile River.
• The river Pison is the only one not clearly located. It would most likely be in Northern Arabia or Southern Palenstine.
• With this information it could be said that the land of Eden is a triangle with a southwest border in Africa and a southeast border in Northern Arabia and a northern border in Iraq or Turkey.

In verse 15 we see the first occupation that man had and he was a Husbandman.

In verses 16-17 we see some very important things regarding Adam and Eve and what they had to do in regards to obeying God.

• Notice they could “freely” eat of every tree of the garden. This would have included the Tree of Life. The word freely is what Eve left out of her quote in chapter 3.
• They could not however eat of the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil.
• The Bible says that in the day they eat of the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil they will surely die.
• Therefore Adam and Eve were created perfect and the only way they could sin is to eat of the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil. Therefore salvation during the period of Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden is by works. Or more correctly negative works.

We will look at verses 16-17 again when we look at Adam and Eve’s sin in chapter 3.

Now we are going to go back and look at the 2 trees mentioned in verse 9. Using many different scriptures below we are going to show that it is possible that the Tree of Life was connected with an olive tree, and the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil is connected with the vine tree which would have produced a grape. Bear in mind that we are not stating doctrinally that this is exactly what these trees were, but with help from the scriptures we are making an educated guess.

For years the fruit of the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil has always been depicted as an apple. I have always wondered why because there doesn’t seem to be any reason for it in the Bible. So as we have stated above the information that we are about to give is just a guess and not doctrine. But what it shows us is that if you are going to guess at least make an educated guess using scripture not just a common belief. Remember also we said these are connected with an olive tree and vine tree. We know that these two trees were special trees. Therefore we are not saying that every olive tree is a tree of life, or that every vine tree is the tree of knowledge of good and evil.

• There are 4 things said to be in the Garden of Eden.

1. Tree of Life (Gen. 2:9) b. Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil (Gen. 2:9)
2. Fig Tree (Gen. 3:7) d. Thorns and Thistle (Gen. 3:18)

2)  In Judges 9:8-14 there are 4 trees mentioned. These trees are personified and spoken of                                                                                                     as kings that will reign over something. Note the names of these trees.

1. Olive Tree (verse 9) b. Fig Tree (verse 10)
2. Vine (verse 12) d. Bramble (verse 14)

*Now some might be thinking that the vine is not a tree but look at Ezekiel 15:2.

*The bramble would be connected with the thorns and thistles of Genesis 3:18.

Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil connected with the Vine Tree :

• The fruit of the vine tree is forbidden to a Nazarite. (Numbers 6:1-4)
• The grape is a type of blood. ( 32:14)
• Blood forbidden to eat or drink before the law (9:3-4), under the law (Lev. 17:14), and after the law (Acts 15:19-20).
• At the Lord’s Supper fruit of the vine was used and it represents blood. ( 26:26-29)
• The 1^st public miracle that Moses did was to turn water in blood. The 1^st public miracle that Jesus did was to turn water into wine.

Tree of Life connected with the Olive Tree :

• Olive oil is type of the Holy Spirit (Exodus 27:20)
• Entrance to the Temple made out of Olive (1 Kings 6:31)
• Dove returned with an Olive leaf showing Noah that they could once again live on the earth. (Genesis 8:11)
• Through receiving the Holy Spirit in church age salvation we receive eternal life.

Creation Lesson #6 (Genesis 2:5-6;8-17)

Handout

1)  What verse in chapter 2 shows us how God watered the ground since there was no rain before the flood of Noah?

2)  What are the names of the 4 heads of the river that came out Eden?

3)  Which trees could Adam and Eve eat of in the Garden?

4)  What was the penalty for eating of the Tree of knowledge of good and evil?

5)  Give a chain reference for the Tree of knowledge of good and evil possibly being connected with the vine tree.

6)  Give a chain reference for the Tree of Life being connected with an olive tree.