We are in a series called Kingdom Revealed and looking deeply into the first two chapters of Genesis. We have talked about the cosmic temple, imagers, and trees. This week, we will discuss mountains (high places) and rivers.
Genesis 2:10–14 (NIV)
10 A river watering the garden flowed from Eden; 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, where there is gold. 12 (The gold of that land is good; aromatic resin and onyx are also there.) 13 The name of the second river is the Gihon; it winds through the entire land of Cush. 14 The name of the third river is the Tigris; it runs along the east side of Ashur. And the fourth river is the Euphrates.
While the Genesis account of the Garden of Eden doesn’t come right out and say that it is on a mountain, it is inferred by seeing that Eden is a high enough place for a river to flow out and water various distant regions of the land. Understanding Eden as a cosmic temple on a mountain or high place, from which flows a river of divine life that provides life for all nations, is foundational for the biblical story line.
The prophet Ezekiel refers to Eden as a mountain.
Ezekiel 28:13a (NIV)
13You were in Eden, the garden of God;
Ezekiel 28:14b (NIV)
14 … You were on the holy mount of God;
As you read the Bible, many important things, good and bad, happen in mountains and high places. About the rivers flowing out of Eden, each name is associated with various regions of the ancient biblical map:
Pishon – (Sinai Peninsula) Northern Egypt
Gihon – Cush, Southern Egypt, the upper Nile, Ethiopia
Tigris – Assyria
Euphrates – Babylon
Each of these areas, which are being sourced by the river flowing out of Eden, will play a significant role in the ongoing story of the Bible. With all these story pieces in place, let’s make some interesting connections with Jesus.
What we have seen so far in the first two chapters of Genesis is that we have a cosmic temple (tabernacle). It is on a mountain. There is a tree of life in the middle of the garden. There is a river flowing out of the garden that spreads life.
The apostle John is so amazing in picking up these threads of the story:
Jesus is a tabernacle.
John 1:14 (NIV)
14 The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.
Jesus is a river of life.
John 7:37–39 (NIV)
37 On the last and greatest day of the festival, Jesus stood and said in a loud voice, “Let anyone who is thirsty come to me and drink. 38Whoever believes in me, as Scripture has said, rivers of living water will flow from within them.” 39By this he meant the Spirit, whom those who believed in him were later to receive. Up to that time the Spirit had not been given, since Jesus had not yet been glorified.
The festival mentioned in John 7 was the feast of Tabernacles. There are some more amazing connections but we will save them for the weekend, so plan to join us at Keys Vineyard Church this weekend either in person or online.
Steve Lawes is a Church Consultant and also provides coaching for pastors, churches, ministries and church planters.
