CARE FOR THE GARDEN

Passage: Genesis 2:8-17

Key verse: 15

NIV

8 Now the Lord God had planted a garden in the east, in Eden;(A) and there he put the man he had formed. 9 The Lord God made all kinds of trees grow out of the ground—trees(B) that were pleasing to the eye and good for food. In the middle of the garden were the tree of life(C) and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.(D)

10 A river(E) watering the garden flowed from Eden;(F) from there it was separated into four headwaters. 11 The name of the first is the Pishon; it winds through the entire land of Havilah,(G) where there is gold. 12 (The gold of that land is good; aromatic resin[a](H) and onyx are also there.) 13 The name of the second river is the Gihon; it winds through the entire land of Cush.[b] 14 The name of the third river is the Tigris;(I) it runs along the east side of Ashur. And the fourth river is the Euphrates.(J)

15 The Lord God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden(K) to work it and take care of it. 16 And the Lord God commanded the man, “You are free to eat from any tree in the garden;(L) 17 but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil,(M) for when you eat from it you will certainly die.”(N)

Read full chapter
Footnotes
  1. Genesis 2:12 Or good; pearls
  2. Genesis 2:13 Possibly southeast Mesopotamia
Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
Source: BibleGateway

ESV

8 And the Lord God planted a (A)garden in Eden, in the east, and there he put the man whom he had formed. 9 And out of the ground the Lord God made to spring up every tree that is pleasant to the sight and good for food. (B)The tree of life was in the midst of the garden, (C)and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.

10 A river flowed out of Eden to water the garden, and there it divided and became four rivers. 11 The name of the first is the Pishon. It is the one that flowed around the whole land of (D)Havilah, where there is gold. 12 And the gold of that land is good; bdellium and onyx stone are there. 13 The name of the second river is the Gihon. It is the one that flowed around the whole land of Cush. 14 And the name of the third river is the (E)Tigris, which flows east of Assyria.[a] And the fourth river is the Euphrates.

15 The Lord God took the man (F)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 (G)you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat[b] of it you (H)shall surely die.”

Read full chapter
Footnotes
  1. Genesis 2:14 Or Asshur
  2. Genesis 2:17 Or when you eat
The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Text Edition: 2016. Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.
Source: BibleGateway

After creating the universe, the earth, and everything in it, God created a beautiful garden and put the first man Adam there to take care of it. God gave him everything he needed to survive. All of God’s beautiful creation on earth was his life’s work to care for.

God still calls us to be stewards of the earth and to care for it as our home while we are living in it. All of creation reveals God’s glory. When we are connected to nature, in even small ways, we can experience the wonder of God. How can I be a good steward of this earth that God has put me in? How can I preserve this earth for future generations? Whether in big or small ways, we can take part in enjoying and caring for this world that God has put us in.

Prayer: Creator God, the beauty and life-giving resources of the earth sustain me. May I enjoy it and care for it.

One Word: Be a good steward of your garden.