Eden: Past and Future
By Carolyn
Hulliberger
“He will swallow up
death forever. The Sovereign LORD will wipe away the tears from all faces; he
will remove his people’s disgrace from all the earth...”
Isaiah
25:8 (NIV)
Imagine
the scene: Adam, newly created by God, enjoying perfect community and
conversation with the Creator, naming the rest of creation (Genesis
2:19). “Adam, what would you like to name this one? Cow? Sounds nice. I like how I made the eyes
on this one…very gentle. Let me show you how she needs to be milked. That will
be part of your job. Oh, what about this one? Hawk, you say? I love how
majestic he looks in the air.Then there’s this little guy…Bunny? I’m especially
fond of his softness. We’ve got another one, right next to the one you called
Lion…Lamb? That sounds perfect. This one will need to have its coat cut back.
I’ll show you how we’re going to do that. Let’s take a look at the fish next…”
Fast
forward to Genesis 3. Eve and Adam have disobeyed God. Their eyes are opened to
their nakedness (v.
7) and they sew fig leaves together to cover themselves. My mind’s eye sees
them as franticly gathering leaves, helplessly trying hide their nakedness from
God, but more importantly…their shame.
God
still sees them, and knows that the perfect communion He created and enjoyed,
has been shattered. His creation will now experience pain, destruction and
death. He sees the shame, and knows the fig leaves will not hold up. So “The
LORD God made garments of skin for Adam and his wife and clothed them” (Genesis
3:21). Here Scripture records the first death. Visualize, “Adam, I need you
to bring me Lamb. I will help you with your nakedness. This is how you will
cover yourselves.” And the precious pet is sacrificed to cover their shame,
while they look on. In the background, Hawk swoops down to take Bunny, and
Cheetah takes down Gazelle.
The
world became broken. And I want to weep for what was lost.
Thankfully,
God’s story is not finished, and someday Eden
will once again be restored for those who follow Him:
“And
I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Look! God’s dwelling place is now
among the people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. ‘He will
wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death’ or mourning or
crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away” (Revelation
21:3-4).
And
I want to cheer for what will be found again.
GOING DEEPER:
1. Spend time imagining yourself in Eden and what communion
with God will be like.
FURTHER READING:
Along
with caring for her family, Carolyn works as an insurance representative,
serves in Oakwood
Church’s Student
Ministries with an awesome group of junior high girls, and is the treasurer for
Women’s Ministries.
