The LORD God planted a garden in Eden, in the east, and there he placed the man he had formed.

At some point, before the foundations of the world, God proposed an idea to His divine family, the hosts of heaven; "Let's make humans in our image!" (He does this more than once in the scriptures, but that's a story for another day) But it is noteworthy that when it came time to do the actual creating, it was God Himself who performed the task. (Genesis 1:27).

He didn't just create a cosmic novelty, a "zoo attraction" to be observed from a distance. He created an extended family; a different sort of family. He created humanity.

Then, when God decided to create a special dwelling place for He, His divine, and, newly created, human family, He didn't create a distant throne room. He created a sacred space; a beautiful garden home where His presence filled every nook and cranny. He created a place where His image-bearers would tend the sacred ground.

It was here that He revealed a sacred blueprint, the design for how the world should operate: humanity would serve as priests in God's garden temple, if you will, ruling over creation with Him; living out unity between divine and human life. This week we will explore God's intended purpose for humanity: an intimate partnership in a holy and sacred space. A world where the divine (created spiritual beings), God, and humanity would live in harmony and glory, where man would rule over all creation (Genesis 1:28) as God's ambassadors.

Think about how amazing this would have been ...

No barriers to communion. No brokenness. Just God breathing life into dust and planting a paradise of abundance and Divine provision. Eden wasn’t just pretty scenery. It was sacred architecture, God’s sanctuary where heaven flowed into earth and both realms coexisted in the same space.

The command to “work it and watch over it” (Genesis 2:15) echoes the priestly service of tabernacle keepers (priests) we see later in the scriptures, commissioning humanity as royal "gardeners" to spread God’s holy presence from Eden across creation. (Genesis 1:28)

God wasn't building a factory for workers to produce His goods. He fashioned a family estate where He and His family would rule in peace over all the earth, worshiping Him along the way.

He had created a Sacred Space.
 
Our lives still echo that mandate to cultivate, protect, and extend the sacred space of Eden to all the world.

How does considering Eden a "family" dwelling for God and His family change the way you think about His desire for relationship with you?

How can you extend God's presence in the world around you today?