February 19, 2024

Version 1.01

In the Garden 1

The Garden of Eden Articles One and Two

About the Eden Articles

1. In the Garden-1, Being Adam: this informal article offers an idea about what it may have felt like being Adam before the first sin was committed.
2. In the Garden-2, Loving Adam: a few clues in Genesis may be used as evidence that God loved Adam.

Being Adam

What did it feel like to Adam when he was together with God?

Sometimes, we see something in the Bible that appears extraordinary and important, but we do not understand it. Whatever it means, we can’t make use of it.

Sometimes, a question about God or the creation comes to mind. We do some research, we ask others what they think, and yet all answers seem to fall short of satisfaction.

We may ponder a question, research, speculate, and test theories, and years later, we conclude that the answer does not matter. What matters lies outside the range of possible answers to the question.

I was thinking about the Garden of Eden, Adam, and God in the late summer months. The question entered my mind: what did it feel like to Adam when he conversed with God? So, now we evaluate whether this is worth researching and pondering, or should we drop the question and move on? But the question kept gently coming back into conscious thinking. It did not feel like a crisis, something critical, but it persisted as one of the occasional thoughts we all have each week.

My Chance of Knowing the Answer During the Present Era

There are questions we understand sufficiently well to know that our chance of finding the answer is slim to none. How could I possibly know what it felt like to be Adam conversing with God? It seemed impossible, and yet, the question continued to return occasionally.

We have all researched one topic and then been surprised with a meaningful discovery on another. This is one reason to proceed with research on a question that seems impossible to answer today.

A few other speculative questions went through my mind, too, but I quickly dismissed those. One of the questions which did not serve a purpose at the time was, how did they communicate? Was it through words? Or did they converse through thoughts conveying meaning?

Do I work on the answer to the question or not? There was no immediate first step that came to mind. I chose not to work on it; I did not see what good would come from it. It continued to emerge as a thought. Some unanswered questions annoy me every time they come, but not this one. This one came with a ‘feeling payload’ of being gently relaxed and warm.

A few months later, on a Sunday morning, we attendees received a presentation that included information on a verse in Exodus. Now, let us step back to the beginning of the year before returning to the present.

Eight Months Earlier

What you are about to read is the testimony of something that happened. It only existed as an inspiration, a vision of what could be. If someone else had written it and they had left out details of the inspiration, I would be frustrated. I cannot explain the following: the potential miracles do not exist except as an example of what could be. I could detect the hand of God at work, but their purpose is for the recipient to become convinced that God wants to do miraculous things through you. So, I write the following confidently in your God, our God.

In the last week of January 2023, I had a few conversations with a Christian in the food preparation business. I liked the guy and wanted to help, but honestly, I am not so good in this field. Over the years, I have learned to avoid cafes with menus where the house specialty is build-your-own. I like trying, but there have been meals that, upon sampling my creation, it became evident neither I nor anyone could eat that flavor combination. I remember thinking, at least I would not go hungry; I would thank the Lord for the fried potato wedges.

I decided to make the food preparation business a study topic using the Bible as a resource. My spouse was lying down with a head cold that evening, and I set up a study area in the hotel room. With my paper, pen, Bible software, commentary software, and comfortable clothing, I settled in for an evening of research.

Without thought, I knew that there was no way I could do this based on my skills and knowledge. I direct my attention to the Lord, preparing to signal, Lord, your servant awaits. I had the answer and knew where to start before completing the sentence. So, as instructed, I begin by recalling verses from memory in Genesis and am mentally prepared to continue through the Bible. Specifically, verses that had anything to do with cookware, cooking, food, food types, cook apparel, and so on. I had just barely formed a list of one or two verses in memory when a spontaneous explosion of what God can do came to mind. I had to look away (speaking figuratively) because I was overwhelmed.

It was pointless to write the details down; it was not for me. Writing it down for someone in the food preparation business did not make sense because it was not about human instruction but the Holy Spirit’s enabling.

Christians in the food business must continue to seek the Lord. Do not use science fiction to imagine what God will or can do. No one can imagine what He is willing to do. Our God loves His children. Paraphrasing a line from a song, who am I to deny what the Lord can or can’t do? Let’s return to the present.

The Key

A verse in Exodus held the key needed to unlock the answer to my question: what was it like to be Adam in the Garden before the first sin?

YAHWEH

(Exodus 3:13-14 NKJV) “Then Moses said to God, “Indeed, when I come to the children of Israel and say to them, ‘The God of your fathers has sent me to you,’ and they say to me, ‘What is His name?’ what shall I say to them?” 14 “And God said to Moses, “I AM WHO I AM.” And He said, “Thus you shall say to the children of Israel, ‘I AM has sent me to you.’ "

God gave Moses a message to pass on to the people. Moses appears to be trying to get out of this assignment. Moses says to God, they will not believe me. He continues, they will ask the name of the one that sent me to them. God says to Moses, say, I AM.

Question to the reader of this article: do you feel, as I do, that God’s answer is profound? God’s answer is extremely important; it is intended for you and me to read, but what does it mean? How do we make use of it? It should be easy to find commentary on this verse, but I did not look.

Aside: sometimes classic, widely respected commentators provide satisfying answers to a question we may have. When you use a commentary to understand a verse, do your best to use three classic commentaries and contemplate similarities and differences. When our curiosity is satisfied, at least for me, it can delay or diminish the time I am willing to wait on the Lord for the answer.

The speaker that Sunday morning explains that the word used here is a verb, not a noun. OK, so it is a verb: God is. Thank you, Lord, for talking through the speaker and giving me information that makes me feel good. I know the explanation of the verse is important. It means He is alive, but there is more to it. The supporting information is now in place for the answer.

The Path to a Possible Solution

Think about various social settings where you converse with at least one person. For example, a friend and you drive to attend the service at a church.

Mr. Tokalittle: Would you like to stop at a restaurant for lunch on the way home?

Mr. Tokalot: No, I will cook lunch.

Mr. Tokalot: I will want to stop at a grocery store to buy something for dinner tonight.

Mr. Tokalittle: OK.

Based on your experience, does the conversation above look reasonable? Now, to the crux: did each speaker start communicating with the other person’s identifier, their name? No, they did not. Why not? There was no need for it. What specific aspects of this setting made it clear to the participants that they did not need to use their given names?

First, without turning to look each time they talked, each knew they were with another person, and they knew who that person was.

Second, without asking, they each knew that the other person knew who they were with and who that person was talking to.

They knew addressing the other person by name would be pointless and make an awkward conversation.

I think God was saying that HE could make it possible for Moses to have an intimate sense of God being beside him. In that intimate setting, God and Moses know the other knows they are present and listening, so it would be weird for Moses to address God by a name. The message to Moses from God is that I can be that close to you so that you will know that when you talk to me, there is no need for a name.

God, the only perfect father to have ever existed, through the Spirit, can give Christians a sense of His closeness far beyond what is possible with even the best, most involved human dad.

I am confident that when Adam’s thoughts turned toward the Lord, the Lord was present and listening. The most important point is that God gave Adam a sense of closeness, letting Adam know that our invisible God was present and listening. It was immediate. The interaction between God and a person is spontaneous. I am just beginning to have a small amount of peace regarding the spontaneity of inspiration. Yet, it is so easy to recall everything that can go wrong.

Conclusion

“I AM WHO I AM.”

(Exodus 3:15 NKJV) Moreover God said to Moses, “Thus you shall say to the children of Israel: ‘The LORD God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, has sent me to you. This is My name forever, and this is My memorial to all generations.’

God is very close to each of us, and He can give us a sense of His nearness. We know we do not need a proper name for God; He is that close. When you approach Him with a request or a question, His response can be so immediate that it comes before you complete it. Why? He already knows our needs. And He is waiting for you just to make your request known to Him.

(Deuteronomy 4:7 NRSV) “For what other great nation has a god so near to it as the LORD our God is whenever we call to him?”

Notes / Additional Information

Personal Advice

Prepare a space, perhaps a notebook or a folder on the computer, to save notes on a long-term basis. If it is on the computer or removable media (memory), then be sure to back it up regularly. A voice recorder could work as a scratch pad.

When you believe you have received a revelation (any inspiration) from God, write it down and save it to the space you prepared. Add environmental data, such as did it come through the Bible, a direct thought, a song, or another Christian.

It is delightful to receive an inspired thought, emotion, or other. In the moment, you know that you know it is from God, and you cannot imagine ever forgetting the moment. You may not forget it, but later, the emotions generated by the event will subside. Sometimes, this is six hours later, six days, months, whatever. You remember it, but without the emotions, you may wonder if it was God or your imagination. Review the environmental data; it substantiates that the event occurred in real-time and at some location. Is the inspiration compatible with Scripture? If so, exercise faith in God and look for the time and place to apply it. Its purpose may be intended for the person you share it with.

(Deuteronomy 4:9 GNB) “Be on your guard! Make certain that you do not forget, as long as you live, what you have seen with your own eyes. Tell your children and your grandchildren.”

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