Genesis 14 – The Garden of Eden
Today's Word of God is from Genesis chapter 2, verses 8 through 17. Please listen carefully to the Word of God.
“Now the Lord God had planted a garden in the east, in Eden; and there he put the man he had formed. The Lord God made all kinds of trees grow out of the ground—trees that were pleasing to the eye and good for food. In the middle of the garden were the tree of life and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. A river watering the garden flowed from Eden; from there it was separated into four headwaters. The name of the first is the Pishon; it winds through the entire land of Havilah, where there is gold. (The gold of that land is good; aromatic resin and onyx are also there.) The name of the second river is the Gihon; it winds through the entire land of Cush. The name of the third river is the Tigris; it runs along the east side of Ashur. And the fourth river is the Euphrates. The Lord God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and take care of it. And the Lord God commanded the man, “You are free to eat from any tree in the garden; but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat from it you will certainly die.””
Amen!
When God created the heavens and the earth, He brought order to the chaos and void, filled it, and made a world where people could live. But He did not just place people there to live; according to today's passage, He created a special region. And He had people live there. So, could they not live in the regions outside of it? No, that's not it. God certainly created regions where all people could live when He created the heavens and the earth. Nevertheless, God created the region we know as Eden.
Eden's Purpose: The Starting Point of God's Kingdom
God's original purpose was not simply for people to gather in one area and live well. He commanded them to be fruitful and multiply on the earth. He commanded them to fill the world and subdue the earth. Thus, from the very beginning when He created people, God desired His will and kingdom to be fulfilled in the world. Nevertheless, the meaning behind creating a place called Eden again was not merely to allow humans to live better there than elsewhere, or to make Eden a more livable place, but we must clearly understand that God had a special purpose there. That is, this Eden created by God was not a place intended simply to let people live in a better environment rather than the uncomfortable parts of the earth.
"God's Garden": Meaning of Ownership and Presence
Therefore, deeply examining God's reason for creating the Garden of Eden by establishing such a specific area will be extremely important not only for our faith but also for understanding God's creation. In the Bible, this place is called the Garden of Eden, but the expression frequently used in the Bible is actually "the Garden of God". Although Eden was the garden where Adam lived, it was called not Adam's garden, but God's garden, Yahweh's garden. Ezekiel 28:13 records it this way: "You were in Eden, the garden of God," and then follows a description of various precious stones. What is used here is "the Garden of God". Similar expressions appear in Ezekiel 31, Isaiah 51, and several other passages in Genesis. In other words, the Bible intentionally calls Eden the Garden of God. What does that mean? Whose possession does this garden signify? Yes, it is God's possession. It means God is the owner of the garden. Although created for man, the owner of this garden is God. It also expresses that it is a place that serves as God's house, that is, a place where God dwells. Therefore, placing man there signifies His intention to communicate with people in that garden. And He showed His intention to bring harmony there between all creatures and God the Creator, and to have man rule over all things created there. It means He created such a place for us.
Connection between Eden and the Heavenly Sanctuary
To express this fact a bit more simply, it is as follows. It means that God declared He would show His kingdom on this earth. This is a very important expression. The "Kingdom of God" mentioned here refers to the part belonging to heaven when the Bible speaks of heaven and earth. Heaven and earth, that is, in the word "cheonji" (heaven-earth), 'cheon' (heaven) does not mean the sky we can see with our eyes, the English 'Sky', but refers to the heavenly sanctuary where God resides in heaven. Therefore, it means that God's sanctuary, where He resides in heaven, has now appeared in the place called the Garden of Eden. The Garden of Eden appeared as the first manifestation of God residing in this material world.
Expansion of God's Kingdom: Like Mustard Seed and Leaven
Therefore, this Garden of Eden became for us a place like a temple. What kind of place is a temple? Yes, it is the place where God is present. Therefore, this Garden of Eden is God's garden where God is present, and simultaneously it came to serve a role like that of a temple. That is why God decided to designate it as a special area. So, there Adam has the special experience of God being present with him, and also the great experience of God's unchanging love being poured out on him. God is actually beginning the Kingdom of God together with Adam. Everyone, do you remember the parables of the leaven and the mustard seed that Jesus used when explaining the Kingdom of God? What is the characteristic of those parables? It means that although it was originally something small like a mustard seed, it grows and spreads throughout the whole. He said that the mustard seed, which was barely visible, forms a tree where birds come to nest. This is the characteristic of the Kingdom of God. Likewise, in this event of creation, the Kingdom of God is beginning in this way together with man. This Garden of Eden is the starting line now. From the very beginning when God created the heavens and the earth, His purpose was for all creatures to fill the earth, and He is starting that now from this Garden of Eden. And just looking at this fact, we can easily see that God's method is very different from what we think. In our thinking, it seems likely He would create the entire planet and then command us to go there and conquer and live over all of it. But God chooses one place, sets boundaries for it, dwells there, walks with people, loves them, and together with them, He is setting out towards the whole universe He created, launching that kingdom together.
The Meaning of "Eden": Joy Beyond Abundance
God's heart like this is well expressed in the term "Garden of Eden". First, let's look closely at the word "Eden". Today's passage, verse 9: "Out of the ground the LORD God caused to grow every tree that is pleasing to the sight and good for food; the tree of life also in the midst of the garden, and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil." This verse is very interesting. Do you remember from last week's content that it couldn't rain, so plants couldn't grow there? So God made it rain to make the plants grow. It also said there were no vegetables in the field because there was no one to cultivate them. And I mentioned that to solve these two problems, God gave rain to this earth and created man.
Solving Creation's Problems: Plants, Man, Water
That is, when God first created this world, there was a problem regarding edible plants, and the reason was due to three absences. Namely, the rain needed for plants to grow, the person to cultivate the fields, and water. To solve this problem, God designated a place that resolved these three absences, and that place was precisely this Garden of Eden. There were fruits of trees good for food, He placed Adam there, and finally, rivers flowed out from that place. Thus, it becomes a form where everything is abundant. If you imagine this scene more vividly as a picture, you can understand how magnificent and dynamic this scene was. First, what God intended to solve was edible food sources—fruits and vegetables. Plants. And next was the person to cultivate them. And finally, it was the rain and water that could make them grow. But in this Garden of Eden, all those things are abundant. So we can know that Eden is a place of abundance. Then, does the meaning of the word Eden contain the meaning of abundance? Rather than that, the word Eden contains more of the meaning of joy. It is precisely the Garden of Joy. Then, it could be understood in the sense that it is joyful because all these things are abundant. Since we can cultivate all these plants to sustain our lives on this earth we must live on, and He provides abundant food by giving rain and water, one might think this is indeed a place where everything that allows us to rejoice and be glad is fulfilled.
Eden as Temple: Structural Similarity
However, if we define Eden solely by this fact, we might be missing a more important truth. That is the fact that this Garden of Eden is related to the temple, as mentioned above. From now on, let's look more deeply into God's temple hidden within this Garden of Eden. This Garden of Eden, as is well known, is closed due to Adam's sin. But in fact, this garden does not disappear. If you imagine visiting the tabernacle, the first things you can see are the Holy Place and the Most Holy Place. First, there is the Holy Place, which can be described as "Holy," and attached to it is the Most Holy Place, also called the "Holy of Holies". But between the Holy Place and the Most Holy Place, there is a large veil spread from top to bottom, dividing these two places, and it has a structure that blocks anyone from entering the Most Holy Place. And in front of that blocking veil, figures of angels, also called cherubim, are embroidered. That is, they have the appearance of guarding so that no one can enter this Most Holy Place. This is very similar to the scene after Adam and Eve sinned and were expelled from the Garden of Eden, when God placed a flaming sword at the entrance of the garden and stationed cherubim so they could not re-enter. Likewise, no one can enter the Most Holy Place. Then, if the Garden of Eden itself symbolizes God's sanctuary, this Most Holy Place is precisely God's "Mercy Seat," that is, the place where God's throne is and where God dwells; therefore, it means that this Eden is precisely the place where God dwells. In other words, this Most Holy Place is precisely the Garden of Eden.
The Torn Veil: The Restored Path to Eden
However, you probably know well what happened when Jesus Christ died on the cross. What took place? The moment the Lord died, the veil in the Jerusalem temple was torn in one go from top to bottom. What does this signify? It means the veil was torn, and the way into the Most Holy Place was opened. In other words, it means the way into the Garden of Eden was opened. It means we have come to enter God's sanctuary.
Heavenly Citizenship Enjoyed in Christ
Since we are not Jews, this fact might not resonate with us with such great significance. If you and I had ever lived as Jews, we would easily understand how astonishing this event is. Only one person, the High Priest, could enter the Most Holy Place, and even then, only once a year, to atone for the sins of all Israel. Even at that time, they made him enter with bells attached to the hem of his robe. Because if he made even the slightest mistake upon entering, he could die on the spot. But through the death of Christ, that veil was torn, and all the children of God who are in Jesus Christ came to enter within. That is why Paul spoke of this fact in this way. The words from Ephesians: "You are in heaven in Christ Jesus." At first glance, this seems nonsensical. Although we are clearly living on this earth now, Paul in the Bible very surprisingly says that we are beings currently in heaven. Like the confession in the hymn, "This world is harsh, and though I am weak," he tells us that even if we live a life full of hardship, it does not end there. It teaches us that we must remember this fact even when we think the world we live in is harsh, we are weak and suffer from illness, groan in pain and suffering, and our hearts are so weary and exhausted from many trials we cannot resolve that even standing on this earth feels difficult. It teaches us that because we are precisely in Christ Jesus, that place is precisely heaven. What heaven does that refer to? It means that we have now come to approach the very presence of God. Precisely in our Lord Christ Jesus. You and I are people living on this earth, but simultaneously, you are now living in the hidden heaven.
An Unshakeable Kingdom and Eternal Possession
Putting it this way might make it easier to understand. Although America might insist it is a superpower now, history shows that even nations like Rome fell. We certainly hope America lasts forever. But this country too is one nation, a union entangled with various peoples. No one can be certain that this nation will last forever. In that sense, our homeland, the Republic of Korea, is truly a remarkable country. How long is its history, after all? However, everything in the world can be shaken, and ultimately, all must perish. But the only place that will not disappear is precisely the Kingdom of God. Heaven cannot be shaken. And because you belong there, you are citizens belonging to a kingdom that does not perish. Of course, even though I always say this, perhaps you are living lives anxious every day, feeling like you might perish on this earth. Worry doesn't leave you, does it? That's why Paul constantly exhorts us through the Word like this: "Your home is not on this earth but in heaven, you are citizens of the Kingdom of God belonging to heaven, as long as this kingdom of heaven is not shaken, you have absolutely no reason to be shaken!" As long as we know that God walks with us and God is with us, we have no reason to be shaken or worried. Why can we say that? One might think it's the end if you lose everything you have in the world or all possessions disappear. Yes. But Paul says it's not so. He says we have something that will never disappear forever. He says there is something that absolutely does not disappear even at the moment we lose everything. To put it crudely, it means we always have at least our principal investment. It means that even if we lose everything, we never lose our principal. So, it's worth giving life a try. Well, whatever we do, the principal remains, so why not give it a shot? It means that no matter what we lose on this earth, there is something that doesn't disappear from us and that we always carry with us.
Eden's True Joy: Walking with God
Therefore, because of the fact that God's people are in this heavenly sanctuary, the Bible says Adam was a person who could truly enjoy this abundant blessing of God. And the most important thing is not just the abundance itself, but that the God who gives it is directly with Adam, that is, because God's presence is there, it says he was able to rejoice also in God. You and I usually feel joy due to our possessions, but the Bible asks us what it would be like if God Himself were our possession. If God Himself were our everything, what would our joy be then? To be able to walk with God every day, to get to know Him every day, to emulate His goodness every day, and to be able to do His good will—this would indeed be a great joy. And that was precisely the joy Adam could enjoy in Eden.
The Essence of Joy: Fulfillment of Love
It would be good for you and me to ponder once more about this thing called joy. What indeed is the meaning of joy? Why are we able to rejoice? If we think carefully about what we rejoice in and like within ourselves, we can know where we place our greatest interest in life. When are you most joyful? It might be when you have achieved planned tasks. Or it might be when you are engaged in your favorite hobby, or when you have obtained the job you desired. When all such things are accomplished, when achieved, then we are joyful. Receiving a completely unexpected gift would also be incomparably joyful. However, if we think a bit more deeply, we can see that our joy is clearly connected to what we like and love. In the old days when we lived in hardship, if there was a grandmother raising her grandchildren, perhaps when grilling precious meat one evening, probably not a single piece of meat would enter that grandmother's mouth. Why? Because it all goes into the grandchildren's mouths. Meanwhile, she reassures the grandchildren that grandmother has already eaten plenty. Why does she do that? Was it because grandmother wasn't hungry? Was it because she disliked meat? No. It is precisely because of love. Because she loved her grandchildren so much. So just watching the grandchildren eat is truly joyful for her, because she loves them.
Shifting the Object of Joy: Love Towards God
Then, it is the same for us. True joy is the emotion felt when love is fulfilled, when love achieves its purpose. When something you love is fulfilled for you, you become joyful. When things you are interested in and like are fulfilled, you rejoice. Then, we can understand what needs to change for us to become truly joyful. It is precisely the object of our true love. If you love only yourself, then achieving what you want, your own success, etc., constitutes the entirety of your joy. And that joy cannot last long either. Because there is no life where only good things happen all the time. When difficult, fearful, and hard times come again, one inevitably becomes sad again. But what if your joy lies in loving God? Then, the fulfillment of God's will is our joy. Think about your life. If we truly believe in Jesus Christ as Savior, decide to follow that Lord, and realize that we have become lives walking together with Jesus Christ, then what is being fulfilled in your life? Precisely God's will is being fulfilled. Then what happens? If we love God and God's joyful will is fulfilled within us, what does that become in our lives? Yes, it becomes a joyful thing for us. It means your life itself becomes a joyful thing.
Joy in Suffering: Paul's Paradox
I am not saying that life becomes smooth. I am not saying that life always goes well. It can be painful, and it can be very hard. Nevertheless, we have assurance. What is that assurance? It is precisely that God holds my life, and God's will is being fulfilled within me. So, although reality may be difficult and pain may follow, we can rejoice. That is what Paul expressed in the Bible when he said, "Rejoice always." It wasn't that Paul was simple-minded, rejoicing in anything and feeling no pain or sorrow in any situation. Paul also confessed in the Bible that there were times he was so hard-pressed that he reached the point of death, feeling he would rather die. But even then, what did he say? "I always rejoice!" It truly is nothing short of a paradox. How did this become possible? It was because the source of his joy, the direction of his joy, the reason for his joy was not himself. When the confession "Though I suffer hardship, may Your will be done" was made in his life, he could express it as joyful. Because he knew that the One he loved rejoiced. Therefore, even if it's a little hard, you can be joyful when you fight against sin. Even if we stumble a little while fighting against sin. Because we are weak. But when we endure to the end and at least try to resist that sin even a little, then we are joyful because of the faith that God looked upon us favorably, and because we realize the fact that God, by His loving power, led us this far. When, though angry, we think, "Still, I should pray for the person who made things difficult for me," although it might sting our hearts a little, through that, our life becomes joyful. While managing the desire to overturn everything due to irritating matters, we must remember Jesus and endure. It's not just "barely managed to endure and get through the day," but for us believers, that is joy. It truly is a joyful life. Everyone, sometimes it really seems like I believed in Jesus, but the blessing mostly goes to the person next to me. Because I endured, the other person often enjoys the pleasure without even knowing why. Due to my yielding, the other person receives blessings without understanding the reason. That is what we call a joyful life. That is precisely the meaning of living in Eden. It means you are people living in the heavenly sanctuary in the Lord.
Set Apart Space, Beginning of Rest
Then, this time, let's look at the word "Garden" in the Garden of Eden.
Meaning of Garden (Gan): Separation and Holiness
Garden in Hebrew is the word Gan (גַּן, H1588). So the Garden of Eden in Hebrew is called "Gan Eden". "House" in Hebrew is called Beth (בַּיִת, bayith). The "Beth" in Bethlehem means house. Since "lehem" means bread, it means house of bread. The "Beth" in Bethel is likewise, a word representing the house of God. Therefore, Gan Eden would be the Garden of Eden. This word Gan, therefore, means a garden or park, and in English it would be Garden. Why did the English Bible translate this word Gan as Garden? Because this Garden of Eden does not refer to a small mountain but signifies a place with set boundaries, thus having a fence or border, and passed through by a gate. That's why later, when Adam and Eve sinned and were expelled from the garden, God had angels guard the gate. Meaning, there is a gate. Meaning, there is a fence and a border. This is a characteristic of the Garden of Eden. Then why was Eden created like this? First, one might think a fence was put up to protect Adam and Eve from external enemies. Since there was an enemy, as will appear later. However, rather than this meaning, a greater reason could be that putting up this fence showed that this place was set apart. Outside this garden, plants grow in a wild state. But inside this fence, Adam will cultivate these plants. It means crops will grow. This signifies that something has been distinguished. And that word for distinction, we use another word: holy. After creating the world in six days, on the seventh day, God rested and made that day holy, the Bible records. Meaning, He set apart this Sabbath day. He made time holy, set it apart. Then now, He is setting apart space and making it holy.
Placed' in Eden: The Beginning of Rest (Nuach)
So He is saying He led Adam and placed him in this Garden of Eden. The word used here for "placed" is quite astonishing. Everyone, do you perhaps remember? I previously mentioned a word that has the same meaning as the word "Sabbath," meaning rest. It is the word "Nuach" (נוּחַ, H5117). This too is a Hebrew word meaning to rest. And in today's passage, when it says God led Adam and placed him there, the word meaning "placed" is precisely "Nuach". Then what does this mean? It means God brought Adam into rest. It means this Garden of Eden is precisely the place where God's rest begins, and it means He intends to begin that divine rest starting from Adam.
God's Unstoppable Plan and Christ's Role
If the purpose of creation is God's rest, then the meaning revealed in today's scripture passage is that God Himself initiates that purpose of creation and will carry it out. The statement that He led Adam and placed him in Eden contains the determination to begin the purpose of God's creation from this very place. Then, how far will the purpose of creation initiated by God flow? Yes, it will surely proceed until the time it is fulfilled. Soon now, Satan will appear. Human sin appears. So then, will the purpose of God's creation that began in this Garden of Eden stop? No, it will not. It will continue to move forward. And that purpose will surely be completed. This is an extremely important and amazing story not only for the Israelites but also for us today. Because this is the most decisive reason why Jesus Christ came to this earth. If you look at Hebrews 12:2, the Bible records it this way: “fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith”. If we examine this verse with a slightly more accurate translation, it is as follows: “Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the beginning of faith, the founder of faith, and also the One who perfects it, the One who completely fulfills it”. So, if God created this world and began this rest of creation, it means He will accomplish that work through Christ until it becomes complete. The passage continues: “who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God”. The cross will be mobilized to accomplish this work. And through that cross, joy will be achieved, and Jesus, the Son, will sit at the right hand of God's glorious throne. That is why this rest became inseparable from the Garden of Eden. For the sake of Eden, that Eden comes to be fulfilled.
Adam's Mission: Priest of the Eden Sanctuary
Therefore, what we can now understand is that placing Adam in this Garden of Eden to rest was not merely a change of location, but signifies that God is now beginning a tremendous work with Adam. Through this, we can understand that God fulfills His amazing purpose of creation. Let's look again at today's passage, verse 15. “Then the LORD God took the man and put him into the garden of Eden to cultivate it and keep it”. Translated our way, it becomes like this: The LORD God led the man and made him rest (nuach) in the Garden of Eden, and made him cultivate and keep it. Here, the word for cultivate is "Abad" (עָבַד, H5647) in Hebrew. This word is primarily used in the Bible to mean "to work," "to serve." And for the meaning "to keep," the word "Shamar" (שָׁמַר, H8104) was used. These two words were used many times in the Old Testament, but rarely together in the same sentence. However, when the Bible uses these words, they are always used in connection with something. That appears in Numbers. The content of Numbers chapter 3: “They shall perform the duties for him and for the whole congregation before the tent of meeting, to do the service of the tabernacle,” it says. The word used here for "service" (or duties) is precisely the word "Abad". Continuing to verse 8, the following words appear: “They shall also keep all the furnishings of the tent of meeting, along with the duties of the sons of Israel, to do the service of the tabernacle”[cite: 705]. Here, for the meaning "keep," the Hebrew word "Shamar" was used again, and for the meaning "service" (or duties) in the tabernacle, the word "Abad" was used again. That is, the Hebrew words for "cultivate" and "keep" appear together within one sentence. Then, what story is this Numbers chapter 3 talking about? It is precisely explaining the work done by the priest inside the temple. The work of the priest is precisely the work of cultivating and keeping. In other words, it becomes the work of serving and keeping. Everyone, Eden was precisely the temple. Therefore, Adam now becomes the priest of that temple. We can understand how God's heavenly temple is revealed on this earth and what God is accomplishing by calling Adam. There was a tree of life in the Garden of Eden. Where was that tree of life then? According to the content of the Bible, that tree of life was right in God's sanctuary. Looking at the content appearing in both Revelation and Ezekiel, it says, "water comes forth from the sanctuary," "water flows from the throne of the Lamb, and there is the tree of life," and "that tree of life comes forth from the throne of the Lamb where the river of the water of life is, and the tree of life is around it".
True Sacrifice: Fellowship with God and Spiritual Worship
That is, Adam is now placed in God's temple to begin God's rest, and that rest is precisely doing the work of a priest. That was precisely his rest. Do you remember some of the content from Hebrews? It says that when we believe in Jesus, just like the content of Genesis we are looking at today, we enter into rest. Because, like the content of Hebrews, by believing in Jesus we have entered the sanctuary. Then, what work do we enter this sanctuary to do? Why did He lead Adam now and place him in Eden to do what? Yes, precisely the work of a priest is what Adam and we do. When you come to believe in Jesus, from that moment on, we are called to do the work of a priest. Peter told us in his epistle: "You are a royal priesthood." This statement is not simply Peter trying to flatter you and me, exaggerating things for us, but it is declaring that God's purpose, beginning from Genesis, is finally being fulfilled through Jesus Christ. It says that the entire history of the Old Testament was continuously recorded for us precisely to achieve this. And finally, that has been fulfilled for us. Therefore, if we have lived until now without knowing we are priests ourselves, there is no greater loss in our lives than this. The most important meaning in the statement that Adam is a priest is that he is a person who goes before God and is with God. The Bible clearly shows various things that happened in the Garden of Eden. Among those events, there was the naming of animals, beasts, and also taking a wife. However, among these various events, the most important event might be what happened when Adam and Eve sinned and were hiding, and God searched for them. The content of Genesis 3:8: "They heard the sound of the LORD God walking in the garden in the cool of the day". Here, the Hebrew word Halak (הָלַךְ, H1980), meaning "walking," was used. However, in this verse, the word Halak was used as the participle form of the verb yālaḵ (יָלַךְ, H3212). By using this verb in participle form, the Bible intends to say that this was not a one-time event, but something that happened consistently and continuously. That is, the phrase "walking" means not that He came down to the garden once to look for Adam and Eve, but that He consistently and always visited Eden in that manner. And this means Adam consistently heard God's voice. And it means he walked together with God who was walking there. When we think of a priest, we primarily think of someone who offers sacrifices, responsible for slaughtering and burning those animals. Because after human fall, that became the most important role of the priest. Because through that, Jesus Christ had to be shown. However, for this Adam, who first took on the role of priest in the Garden of Eden, he was performing a role of offering a sacrifice far more important than the sacrifice for sin. In other words, he was living as a person offering the very sacrifice of loving God with his entire life, walking with Him, fellowshipping with Him, and making Him his everything. Because that was a time without sin. Therefore, the highest duty of that priest was precisely the work of walking together with God, walking with Him. He who knew God, who rejoiced in God—he was the priest of Eden. A priest of joy, walking with God, worshipping, giving thanks, tasting the love of God, living under God's care, being satisfied with all of it, living with that joy—that was the kind of priest he was. This is precisely the sacrifice we saints are offering now. It is the sacrifice the Apostle Peter describes in 1 Peter. 1 Peter 2:5 says: "you also, as living stones, are being built up as a spiritual house for a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ." This spiritual sacrifice is not the sacrifice of slaughtering animals. This spiritual sacrifice refers to the "spiritual worship" Paul spoke of in Romans, offering our entire selves, offering all of ourselves completely in loving God. This Adam of Eden clearly shows us what we need to find again, what we need to restore. However, a very significant difference exists between Adam of Eden and us. That is, the sin between Adam and God has been removed for us. The fact is, we have achieved the restoration that has overcome even sin itself. Therefore, the sacrifice of joy, the sacrifice of love, the spiritual sacrifice of offering all he had, which Adam in the past should have offered, we now, through the grace of Christ, through the grace completed by the sacrifice of death He offered for us, the sacrifice of blood, have become beings who no longer need to offer sacrifices of blood. It means we have become like Adam before he sinned, newly created, no longer needing sacrifices of blood, able to offer spiritual sacrifices directly. You and I have become holy priests offering that spiritual sacrifice. Because the Lord offered Himself and finished His sacrifice once for all, you and I are not concerned with how to resolve sin if we sin again, but have become people who think only about how to love God, how to offer our entire lives before the Lord, how all the meaning our lives possess is about living in God. What is the spiritual worship we are to offer? It is offering ourselves as living sacrifices. Adam could fail, and he did fail. But because Christ offered the sacrifice of blood for the sake of that sacrifice of obedience, that sacrifice of love, we have now become able to offer a sacrifice that cannot fail.
The Priest's Life: Keeping and Serving the Sanctuary
Everyone, Adam was also one who kept the sanctuary. That means it was about keeping that unspeakable loving relationship with God. And it was about keeping that worship. And it was about preventing anything that breaks the love between God and us from intervening. That was the duty of the one who keeps the sanctuary. It is the same for you and me who keep the sanctuary. Being able to approach God boldly is, of course, a thankful thing. The fact that we can pray to God might seem to us like a simple and easy matter of telling God what we want. However, we must remember that for this thing called prayer to be possible, from Genesis to the cross of Jesus Christ, truly many, enormous things had to take place. How precious and how glorious this prayer is, truly cannot be fully expressed in words. Because we open our mouths and just call on the Lord, and He comes to us, it might seem as if God naturally hears our prayers, but without the cross of Christ, our prayers would have had no effect at all. How could we possibly have gone to God? But that event happened to us. That's why we cannot give it up. That's why we continue, throughout our lives, the work of abandoning and putting to death everything that hinders the intimacy between God and me, everything that obstructs that love.
Because keeping that sanctuary is undoubtedly the most important task in our lives. Not compromising with anything that hinders approaching the Lord—this might seem quite grand in a way. It might also mean abandoning everything to offer holy worship. But in reality, the things we fight against to keep the sanctuary are often truly small things. We fight against laziness. When we resolve to read the Bible, the phone always rings. We decide to gather as a family for family worship this evening, but after eating dinner and resting a bit, we always forget. And then we remember the next morning. I know this well because I often live like that too, right? When we easily forget these things and live on, what we need to know is how precious it is. And we need to deeply understand what those lazy natures in our hearts are. It is that fight we are fighting. Sometimes it might seem slightly childish, but occasionally when I preach and urge you all to cherish God's word and read it, some people get upset by those words and give up their resolution to read the Bible. Their pride is hurt, you see. They decided to read voluntarily, but their pride was hurt by the pastor's encouragement. Because we are sinners, when our sin is pointed out, we tend to react defensively rather than repent. The fact of being pointed out feels bad. It's the same for me, and probably similar for you. Such pride, which might seem childish in a way, is very often the fundamental form of sin. These small things often appear as hindrances preventing us from drawing near to the Lord in our daily lives. Conversely, not making an effort to draw near to God is also, just like laziness, failing to do the work of a priest keeping the sanctuary. Everyone, church work is really simple. You come and worship, and then you go home again. What more is there? We worship together as children of God, fellowship with each other, and then go home—that's it. Because it's so simple, it might seem like there's nothing to do. That's not true. Because it's easy to think this way, there is so much to do in every corner of the church building. Today you are sitting comfortably and worshipping. Then who set up these chairs? Did God do it directly after we prayed? God absolutely does not answer such prayers.
That's why God always desires our hands to participate even a little more in this work. Because this work is a great benefit to you and me. To prepare for this worship service, someone's hands and sweat were involved. It seems simple, but everything is like that. After the service, there is always trash generated in the sanctuary, and cleaning needs to be done. There are always children in the church who need teaching, and brothers and sisters you need to pray for. If you look for it, the church is probably the place with the most work. Serving the sanctuary is serving the church. It is serving the saints. However, if we neglect this, we might be able to believe in Jesus comfortably. Because there are always people who find that work and do it, right? Just because you don't do those things doesn't mean God will stop doing the work He intends to do. But if you cannot participate in that work, you inevitably miss out on the indescribable comfort, glory, holiness, and joy of God that you could enjoy. Everyone, what do you think? Where teachers are needed, not only my skills are needed, but my encouragement is also needed. If the thought arises that you should offer some comfort out of gratitude for the hard work of the Sunday school teachers, don't suppress it. They need comfort and thanks. If you think of certain individuals or cell group leaders who always work hard for the church, that thought is given by God the Holy Spirit. Please never turn away from that thankful heart. We often forget the fact that other people need encouragement, praise, and love just as much as I do. That is why we must do the work of a priest. We must keep and care for the sanctuary.
The Priest's Inheritance: God Himself
Finally, this is the comfort offered to you who are serving the church as priests. What did the Old Testament priests live on? The tribe of Levi, to which the priests belonged, had no inheritance. They did not receive an allotment of land. To such priests, God made a promise. He also promises us, who are priests: "Your inheritance, your property, your everything is Me, God." Your strength, your every source, everything that enables you to live on this earth, my inheritance is God. You are precisely that priest.
Closing Prayer
Let us pray! Loving Lord, the grace You permit us is amazing and ever amazing. Thank you and thank you again. Since You have allowed us to stand in the place of priests, let us indeed know what it means to live like priests, and let us stand before the Word once again. And help us remember what joy we can enjoy as priests, and how great the pleasure is. Because I am a priest, help me not to lose sight of what my strength is. My eternal inheritance, O God. O Lord, more precious than my life. Since that Lord is our everything, let us draw near to that Lord. We pray in the name of Jesus Christ!