Thirdmill Institute

Discipleship Badge
And he said to all, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his
cross daily and follow me. For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life
for my sake will save it.
Luke 9:23-24

Christian discipleship is following Jesus and growing in him in your Christian life. It can
be about a lot of things. It can be about character formation. It can be about growing in our
knowledge of the Scriptures. It can be about developing the skills necessary to spread Christ’s
love and message to others. But one thing it will always be about is walking with Jesus in awe
and humility as a learner and follower of him. And this we do together. Discipleship can look
different depending on what is needed and where you live. In this badge, you will discuss what
elements need to be included in discipleship and where and how to do it for others.

Badge Components – Discussion topics will come from these three areas:

Culture – Discipleship where you live

Church – Discipleship where God has called you
Personal – Discipleship where you become what God has called you to be

Discussion Topics:

1. What does discipleship look like in your country?

2. What are the key pieces that go into the discipleship of someone else?

3. How do people change as they grow in their walk with Christ?

4. What models from scripture can we use to think through what discipleship should look
like?

5. What does discipleship currently look like in your church? Draw a picture/diagram that
shows the discipleship process.

6. Make a list of five Scripture passages that center on discipleship.

7. What areas of life should be considered in developing a discipleship program?

8. What were the commandments that was Jesus talking about in John 15?
 9. How is discipleship about character formation or cultivating the Fruit of the Spirit?

10. How many people can/should you disciple at a time?

11. What place should the Bible have in discipleship (read, study, memorize, etc.)?

12. What place should prayer have in discipleship?

13. What is the connection between discipleship and leadership development in your
church?

14. What qualifies someone to start discipling someone else? How do you know when you
have discipled someone as long as you should?

15. How do you both “tell” and “show” in the discipleship process?

16. How will you equip your disciple to disciple others and not just be discipled?

17. What stirs your affections and devotion to Jesus, and how can you incorporate that into
your discipleship of others?

18. What strengthens/lessens the hold of sin on your life?

19. What practices or disciplines have been most helpful in your pursuit of Christ?

Call to Action:

1. Give a report on all that the Lord has done in your life to shape you over the past year.
And, give a report on all that you hope He does in you over the next year.

2. Give a report on all your church is doing to disciple its people. In the final discussion
group time, present a discipleship plan for your church or ministry area based on your
group discussions.

3. Begin discipling another believer.

Badge Criteria:

This badge shall be awarded by the trainer upon successful completion of the call to
action by the student in a manner that is faithfully consistent with the badge components and
in light of the topics discussed throughout the course.
OLD TESTAMENT FOUNDATIONS Course Guide
The Pentateuch
The Primeval History
Father Abraham

COURSE DESCRIPTION

The first five books of the Old Testament are commonly called the Pentateuch. They tell the
story of the nation of Israel from creation to preparation for the conquest of the Promised
Land. But is the Pentateuch simply the historical account of God’s chosen people, or is it
something more? This course explores the books of Genesis and Exodus, examining why they
were written, what they meant to their original audience, and how we should respond to them
today. This course is based on the lecture series, The Pentateuch, The Primeval
History and Father Abraham, produced by Third Millennium Ministries and hosted by Dr. Scott
Redd and Dr. Richard L. Pratt, Jr., with contributions from a variety of professors.

COURSE GOALS, OBJECTIVES AND LIST OF MODULES

Goals

In this course, we would like to accomplish the following:

1. We hope that you will make use of all the instructional elements of the course to learn
why the books of the Pentateuch were written, what they meant to their original audience,
and how we should respond to them today.

2. We hope you will grow in your faith, trusting in the grace of God and in His loving,
sovereign guidance.

3. We hope that you will apply the teachings of the Pentateuch to your own life, living more
consistently by faith.

Objectives

When you have done the following, it will show that the goals are met:

1. Obtain satisfactory grades on the tests, demonstrating that you can identify the key
information regarding the structure, content, original meaning and modern application of
the books of the Pentateuch.
 2. Answer the application questions in the study guides, showing how you have applied the
teachings of the course to your own life, especially that you are living by faith, trusting in
the grace of God and in His loving, sovereign guidance.

List of Modules for Old Testament Foundations Course

1. Introduction to the Pentateuch

2. A Perfect World
3. Paradise Lost and Found
4. A World of Violence
5. The Right Direction
6. Life of Abraham: Structure, Content, and Original Meaning
7. Life of Abraham: Modern Application
8. The Patriarch Jacob
9. Joseph and His Brothers
10. An Overview of Exodus

EXPLANATION OF COURSE ELEMENTS

Badge

1. Each week, part of your group discussion time should be devoted to working through
the Badge document. This two-page guide will provide a general direction for your
Trainer as you seek to develop this vital ministry skill.
2. In the first few weeks, part of your discussion time will be spent walking through the
Discussion Topics given in the Badge Instructions.
3. Once a solid foundation has been laid through the group discussion times, spend the
remaining weeks working through the badge Call to Action.
4. You will be awarded the badge once your Trainer has determined the completion of the
action steps in light of the Badge Instructions.

Modules

1. Study the lessons; watching the video, listening to the audio, or reading the manuscript.
2. Complete the Study Guide for each module. These study guides will prepare you for the
online quiz.
3. Take the online Quiz for each module. The quizzes may be taken as many times as you
want, but you must wait one hour between each attempt. Your highest grade will be the
official grade. We suggest achieving at least an 80% before participating in the weekly
discussion to ensure you understand the concepts correctly.
 4. Participate in the weekly discussions with your group and Trainer, utilizing the
Discussion Guide. These discussions are vital to your full understanding of the course
material and your ability to correctly apply the concepts to your life and ministry. We
recommend the discussion for each module last at least one hour.

Final Exam

You may take the test as many times as you want for review, but you must wait one hour
between each attempt. The official grade will be your highest grade, and in order to
complete the course, you must achieve at least an 80% on the Final Exam.

GRADES

The final grade will be calculated as follows:

1. The quizzes on the lectures are each worth 30 points.

2. The final exam on the lectures is worth 100 points.
3. The Badge won’t affect your grade but must be completed to the satisfaction of the
Trainer and marked as complete on the Foundations Certificate Checklist.

A total course score above 80% is considered passing.

------------------------------------

List of Contributors to this course (institutions listed relative to the time of recording)

Dr. Steve Blakemore is Assistant Professor of Philosophy at Wesley Biblical Seminary.

Dr. Stephen J. Bramer is Department Chair and Professor of Bible Exposition at Dallas Theological
Seminary.
Dr. Robert B. Chisholm, Jr. is Department Chair and Professor of Old Testament at Dallas Theological
Seminary.
Dr. Don Collett is Assistant Professor of Old Testament at Trinity School for Ministry.
Dr. Dorian Coover-Cox is Associate Professor of Old Testament Studies at Dallas Theological Seminary.
Dr. Brandon D. Crowe is Assistant Professor of New Testament at Westminster Theological Seminary.
Prof. Thomas Egger is Assistant Professor of Exegetical Theology at Concordia Theological Seminary.
[Link] J. Glodo is Associate Professor of Biblical Studies at Reformed Theological Seminary’s
Orlando Campus.
Dr. Douglas Gropp is Professor of Old Testament at Redeemer Seminary in Dallas, Texas.
Rev. Dr. Cyprian K. Guchienda is Pastor to the Nations at Highlands Park Presbyterian Church in Dallas,
Texas.
Dr. Jim Hamilton is Associate Professor of Biblical Theology at The Southern Baptist Theological
Seminary and Preaching Pastor of Kenwood Baptist Church.
Dr. Gordon H. Johnston is Professor of Old Testament Studies at Dallas Theological Seminary.
Dr. Carol Kaminski is Professor of Old Testament at Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary.
Dr. Riad Kassis is Regional Director for Overseas Council, an international training ministry for Christian
leaders.
Dr. Craig Keener is the F.M. and Ada Thompson Chair of Biblical Studies at Asbury Theological Seminary.
Dr. David Lamb is Associate Professor of Old Testament at Biblical Theological Seminary.
Dr. Erika Moore is Professor of Old Testament and Hebrew at Trinity School for Ministry.
Dr. John Oswalt is the Visiting Distinguished Professor of Old Testament at Asbury Theological Seminary.
Dr. Thomas Petter is Associate Professor of Old Testament at Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary.
Dr. Richard L. Pratt, Jr. is President of Third Millennium Ministries and Adjunct Professor of Old
Testament at Reformed Theological Seminary’s Orlando Campus.
Rev. Dr. Paul R. Raabe is Professor of Exegetical Theology at Concordia Seminary.
Dr. J. Scott Redd is Campus President of Reformed Theological Seminary in Washington D.C. and
Assistant Professor of Old Testament.
Dr. Brian D. Russell is Professor of Biblical Studies and Dean of the School of Urban Ministry at Asbury
Theological Seminary’s Orlando Campus.
Dr. Timothy E. Saleska is Dean of Ministerial Formation and Associate Professor of Exegetical Theology
at Concordia Seminary.
Dr. Douglas Stuart is Professor of Old Testament and Chair of Biblical Studies at Gordon-Conwell
Theological Seminary.
Dr. David Talley is Professor of Biblical and Theological Studies at Talbot School of Theology.
Rev. Dr. Michael Walker is Theologian-in-residence at Highland Park Presbyterian Church in Dallas,
Texas.
Dr. Larry J. Waters is Professor of Bible Exposition at Dallas Theological Seminary.
Dr. Michael D. Williams is Professor of Systematic Theology at Covenant Theological Seminary.
Study Guide
Old Testament Foundations
Module Three – Paradise Lost and Found
Instructions: Each study guide is divided into sections with time codes that correspond to the main categories
covered in each module. Sections contain two main components: an Outline for Taking Notes and Review
Questions. You should utilize the Outline for Taking Notes while you watch the video lectures, and then answer
the Review Questions in preparation for the module quiz. For more information about best ways to utilize the
study guides, refer back to the Student Orientation Manual. Also, be sure to save the study guides as they will be
an excellent resource to prepare for this course’s final exam.

**********************************

OUTLINE FOR TAKING NOTES on minute 0:00 – 13:46

Introduction

I. Literary Structure

A. Overview

1. In Garden

2. Condition Enhanced

3. Condition Cursed

4. Out of Garden

B. Symmetry

1. Beginning and Ending

2. Middle Portions

REVIEW QUESTIONS

1. Indicate the way Dr. Pratt divides Genesis 2:4–3:24 and give the titles. Explain the main content of each section.

2. Explain the contrasts between the first and last of the four sections (Genesis 2.4-17 / Genesis 3.22-24).

3. Explain the contrasts between the two middle portions of this passage (Genesis 2.18-25 / Genesis 3.1-21).
OUTLINE FOR TAKING NOTES on minute 13:47 – 43:56

II. Original Meaning

A. Garden

1. Identity

2. Holiness

B. Loyalty

1. In Eden

2. In Canaan

C. Consequences

1. Death

2. Pain

3. Exclusion

REVIEW QUESTIONS

1. According to Dr. Pratt, where was Eden? Explain why he comes to that conclusion, and explain other common
views.

2. What does “Edin” mean in the Babylonian language?

3. What does “Eden” mean in Hebrew?

4. Explain the parallels between Eden and the Tabernacle.

5. Explain the parallels between what God expected of Adam and Eve in Eden and what God expected of Israel in
Canaan.

6. What were the consequences of disloyalty to God, both in Eden and in Israel?
OUTLINE FOR TAKING NOTES on minute 43:57 – 1:01:56

III. Modern Application

A. Inauguration

1. Paul

2. Matthew

B. Continuation

1. Paul

2. James

C. Consummation

1. Romans

2. Revelation

Conclusion

REVIEW QUESTIONS

1. Explain the parallel that Paul makes between Adam and Christ in Romans 5.

2. Explain the parallels between the temptation of Christ in the wilderness and the temptation of Israel in the
wilderness.

3. How does Paul use the example of Eve to exhort Christians in 2 Corinthians 11:3?

4. Explain the parallels between James 1:12-15 and the story of Eden.

5. Explain the parallels between Romans 16:20 and Genesis 3:15.

6. Explain the parallels between the Garden of Eden and the eternal paradise, according to Revelation 2:7 and
22:1-2.

7. How does Dr. Pratt express Moses’ intention in relating the story of the disobedience of Adam in the Garden of
Eden?
 The Primeval
History

LESSON
TWO PARADISE LOST & FOUND

For videos, study guides and other resources, visit Third Millennium Ministries at [Link].
For videos, study guides and other resources, visit Third Millennium Ministries at [Link].
© 2012 by Third Millennium Ministries
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced in any form or by any
means for profit, except in brief quotations for the purposes of review, comment, or
scholarship, without written permission from the publisher, Third Millennium Ministries,
Inc., 316 Live Oaks Blvd., Casselberry, Florida 32707.

Unless otherwise indicated all Scripture quotations are from the HOLY BIBLE, NEW
INTERNATIONAL VERSION. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 International Bible
Society. Used by Permission of Zondervan Bible Publishers.

ABOUT THIRD MILLENNIUM MINISTRIES

Founded in 1997, Third Millennium Ministries is a nonprofit Christian
organization dedicated to providing Biblical Education. For the World. For Free.
In response to the growing global need for sound, biblically-based Christian
leadership training, we are building a user-friendly, donor-supported, multimedia
seminary curriculum in five major languages (English, Spanish, Russian, Mandarin
Chinese, and Arabic) and distributing it freely to those who need it most, primarily
Christian leaders who have no access to, or cannot afford, traditional education. All
lessons are written, designed, and produced in-house, and are similar in style and
quality to those on the History Channel©. This unparalleled, cost-effective method
for training Christian leaders has proven to be very effective throughout the world.
We have won Telly Awards for outstanding video production in Education and Use
of Animation, and our curriculum is currently used in more than 192 countries.
Third Millennium materials take the form of DVD, print, Internet streaming,
satellite television transmission, and radio and television broadcasts.
For more information about our ministry and to learn how you can get involved,
please visit [Link]

ii.
For videos, study guides and other resources, visit Third Millennium Ministries at [Link].
Contents
I. Introduction .....................................................................................................1
II. Literary Structure ...........................................................................................1
A. Overview 2
1. In Garden 2
2. Condition Enhanced 2
3. Condition Cursed 2
4. Out of Garden 3
B. Symmetry 3
1. Beginning and Ending 3
2. Middle Portions 4
III. Original Meaning ............................................................................................5
A. Garden 5
1. Identity 5
2. Holiness 7
B. Loyalty 9
1. In Eden 9
2. In Canaan 10
C. Consequences 11
1. Death 11
2. Pain 12
3. Exclusion 13
IV. Modern Application ........................................................................................14
A. Inauguration 14
1. Paul 15
2. Matthew 16
B. Continuation 17
1. Paul 17
2. James 18
C. Consummation 18
1. Romans 18
2. Revelation 18
V. Conclusion ......................................................................................................19

iii.
For videos, study guides and other resources, visit Third Millennium Ministries at [Link].
 The Primeval History
Lesson Two
Paradise Lost & Found

INTRODUCTION
I suppose that at one time or another everybody loses something. Maybe it’s a
book. Maybe it’s the key to your home. I don’t know about you, but when I lose
something like that the first thing I do is retrace my steps. At least in my mind, I go
backwards in time step-by-step to remember where I put the thing I lost. Then, once I
retrace my steps, I carefully reverse what I did wrong. I put the keys on the table where
they are supposed to be, and the book goes back on the shelf. Retracing and reversing
what I did is one of the best ways I know to find something I’ve lost.
Now, we have entitled this lesson, “Paradise Lost and Found,” and we will focus
our attention on Genesis 2:4–3:24, the story of Adam and Eve’s sin in the Garden of
Eden. We will see that Moses wrote about Adam and Eve losing paradise to encourage
Israel to retrace and reverse the steps Adam and Eve took in that Garden of Eden. Only as
Israel learned from this story could they hope to find paradise again, and we will see that
the encouragement Moses gave to Israel is also God’s message for us today. By going
back to the steps of Adam and Eve, Christians today can find paradise too.
Our examination of Genesis 2 and 3 will divide into three parts: First, we will
examine the literary structure of this passage. Second, we will focus on the original
meaning of these chapters to discern why Moses wrote them as he did for the children of
Israel. And third, we will draw attention to modern application by asking how the New
Testament guides us toward the proper use of this passage in our lives. Let’s begin with
the literary structure of our passage.

LITERARY STRUCTURE
Although Genesis 2–3 is a rather long passage and touches many topics, it
actually forms a unified narrative. To understand this passage properly, we need to focus
on these two chapters as one literary unit. Our examination of the literary structure in
Genesis 2–3 will have two main concerns: first, we will gain an overview of the major
sections of the passage; and second, we will comment on some of the significant
symmetries among these various sections so that we may grasp the heart of what Moses
was saying to Israel. Let’s begin with an overview of the literary structure of Genesis 2–
3.

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The Primeval History Lesson Two: Paradise Lost & Found

OVERVIEW
Apart from the brief title that appears in the first half of 2:4, these two chapters
divide into four major sections, and these four major sections are indicated primarily by
changes in topics and characters. We should walk through these four steps and
summarize their basic content.

In Garden
The first dramatic step of our story appears in 2:4-17, where we read that God put
Adam in the Garden of Eden. These verses begin with a panoramic view of the Garden of
Eden, and as the passage tells us, the whole garden was Adam’s splendid place to dwell
and to work. Then the concerns of this section narrow down to the creation of Adam and
his commission to work within the garden. Adam was given a great privilege by God’s
grace. He was to keep the garden on God’s behalf.

Condition Enhanced
The second step of our narrative consists of 2:18-25, which we will designate
humanity’s “condition enhanced.” In this material God added even greater blessings to
Adam’s life. This section begins by introducing a new problem which is noted in 2:18.
There, God looked at Adam and said these words:

It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper suitable for
him (Genesis 2:18).

The rest of 2:18-25 reports how God dealt with this problem. Adam searched for a
partner among the animals, but in the end, God formed a woman and brought her to
Adam. In this way, God greatly enhanced the wonderful creation that he had made
already for Adam and Eve.

Condition Cursed
The third step of our narrative is 3:1-21, which we will call humanity’s “condition
cursed.” This material begins in 3:1 with the introduction of a new topic and character,
the tempting serpent. From this point forward, 3:1-21 deals with the serpent’s temptation
and the results of his temptation. Eve falls prey to the serpent’s temptation so that she and
Adam eat from the forbidden fruit and fall under divine curses.

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The Primeval History Lesson Two: Paradise Lost & Found

Out of Garden
The fourth element in the overarching structure of this passage is 3:22-24 which
we have entitled humanity “out of the garden.” This section is marked by another
significant shift in topic. We find God speaking about the problem of the Tree of Life. In
3:22 we read these words:

The man … must not be allowed to reach out his hand and take also
from the tree of life and eat, and live forever (Genesis 3:22).

To deal with the potential problem of Adam eating from this tree, God drove Adam from
the garden and placed cherubim and a flaming sword to guard the entrance to Eden. From
that point on, human beings would no longer have access to the Garden of Eden apart
from a direct intervention by God.

SYMMETRY
With the four major divisions of this passage in mind, we may now look more
closely at Genesis 2–3 to see the dramatic symmetry that this passage displays. By
juxtaposing different elements in these sections, Moses revealed the central concerns of
his narrative. To explore the symmetries of this narrative, we will look first at the balance
which exists between the beginning and ending of our narrative, and then we will look at
the symmetry of the two middle portions of the story. Let’s look first at the beginning and
ending of this passage.

Beginning and Ending

As we will see, Genesis 2:4-17 and 3:22-24 stand in sharp contrast with each
other in at least three important ways.
The first contrast is in location. The account begins in 2:7 with God placing Adam
within the paradise garden. Adam lived and worked in a place full of divine blessings;
wonderful vegetation, life-giving water, precious metals and stones surrounded him on
every side. By contrast, the narrative ends in 3:24 with God expelling Adam and Eve
from the garden. This geographical contrast makes it clear that the most desirable place
for human beings to be on earth was in the Garden of Eden.
A second difference in the focus in each section is on the special trees of the
garden. Although 2:4-17 mentions two trees, the Tree of Life and the Tree of the
Knowledge of Good and Evil, by the time we come to 2:17 attention moves just to the
one tree, the Tree of Knowledge. This tree held the power to give human beings the
experiential knowledge of goodness and sin. It could open their eyes to see things they
had not seen before.
By contrast, at the end of the narrative in 3:22-24, God was no longer concerned
with the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil, but exclusively with the Tree of Life.

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The Primeval History Lesson Two: Paradise Lost & Found

This tree had the power to give human beings eternal life. But God banished Adam and
denied access to this tree. This contrast made it clear that free access humanity once had
to the garden, and all of the blessings that were there, had been lost until God decreed
otherwise.
A third difference between the beginning and ending of our narrative is in
humanity’s commission. In 2:15 the first step reports that God commissioned Adam to
blessed work in the garden with no pain and no difficulty. In 3:23, however, God
banished Adam and Eve from the garden and condemned them to difficult toil outside of
the garden. This contrast also provides an essential perspective on the story. Not only did
humanity lose the wonder of life in Eden, we were also condemned to difficulty so long
as we remained away from the garden.
These three contrasts between the opening and closing sections of Genesis 2–3
draw our attention to some of the most vital aspects of this narrative. Moses wrote about
a major shift in the human condition that took place in primeval times. God originally
ordained that human beings should dwell in his garden, but Adam and Eve’s sin bound
them to difficulty and trouble, and separated them from the tree that gives eternal life.
Now, as we will see, this set of contrasts spoke directly to the situation in which the
Israelites found themselves as Moses led them toward the Promised Land. The Israelites
had been far from Eden as they suffered under the cruelty of slavery in Egypt. They
needed to regain the blessings which God provided in Eden.

Middle Portions
With the contrasting symmetries of the outer portions of the story in mind, we
should turn our attention to the middle portions of the story, 2:18-25 and 3:1-21. These
two inner steps fill in the gap between the beginning and ending and they form their own
set of contrasting symmetries in at least three ways.
One contrast focuses on humanity’s relationship with God. In the second step we
see a harmonious relationship between Adam and God. In 2:18 God expressed concern
for Adam and brought Adam a perfect partner in Eve. The picture here is that of God and
the human race in intimacy and at peace. Yet, in the third portion of the narrative,
disharmony replaces the initial harmony between God and the human race. Adam and
Eve disobeyed God’s command, and in 3:8 they hid from God’s approach, and God
spoke angrily against Adam and Eve.
A second contrast exists in human relationships. In the second step of 2:18-25,
Adam and Eve were in perfect bliss. In 2:23 Adam broke forth with the first love poem in
the Bible, saying that Eve was “bone of my bones, and flesh of my flesh,” and they lived
together naked and without shame. By contrast, however, in 3:16 God pronounced a
curse on this relationship, declaring that strife would persist between the man and
woman. The woman would desire her husband, and he would rule over her. These words
revealed that the sin of Adam and Eve not only disrupted their relationship with God, but
with each other as well. And from that point forward, human relationships have been
characterized by difficulty and struggle.
A third contrast appears in humanity’s relationship with evil. In the second step,
evil is absent from the story. Adam and Eve were entirely innocent and separated from

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The Primeval History Lesson Two: Paradise Lost & Found

the power of evil. But by the third section, humanity had fallen prey to the serpent and
was locked into a long-term struggle with evil. In 3:15 God promised that Eve’s seed
would one day overcome the serpent, but no immediate victory was offered to Adam and
Eve.
These contrasts between the second and third portions of the narrative help us see
a number of concerns which Moses had as he wrote this narrative. Moses wrote about
Adam and Eve in ways that connected to Israel’s experience. Sin continued to wreak
havoc in Israel’s life. It damaged the peoples’ relationship with God and with each other,
and more than this, every day of hardship they endured reminded Moses and Israel that,
just like Adam and Eve, they had to wait for the time when God would finally give
victory over evil to his people.
With the literary structure of this material in mind, we are able to delve into the
original meaning of this passage. Why did Moses write this account of humanity’s
expulsion from God’s garden? What message was he conveying to the nation of Israel as
he led them toward the Promised Land?

ORIGINAL MEANING
Now, to be sure, on a very basic level, Moses wrote this narrative to teach some
general theological themes to the Israelites whom he led. He told them a lot about the
origin, and the nature, and the results of sin in the world. And these were very important
themes. Yet, as we saw in the previous lesson, Moses did not write his primeval history
simply to inform Israel about such general historical and theological issues. Instead, like
many other ancient writers, Moses wrote his primeval history to give his people practical
instruction about current religious and social programs, mainly, in this case, leaving
Egypt and going to Canaan.
To see how Moses connected the primeval Garden of Eden and Israel’s conquest
of Canaan, we will look at three elements of his story: first, Moses’ portrait of the Garden
of Eden; second, his focus on the requirement of loyalty from Adam and Eve; and third,
his depiction of the curses placed on Adam and Eve. Let’s look first at Moses’
description of the Garden of Eden.

GARDEN
Moses’ description of the garden is so complex that many of our modern
questions about Eden will always remain unanswered. Yet, it is possible for us to grasp
the central concerns in Moses’ presentation. As we will see, Moses described the Garden
of Eden in ways that identified Eden with the Promised Land. From Moses’ perspective,
the land to which he was leading Israel in his day was actually the location of the
primeval land called Eden.
Many aspects of Genesis 2–3 make it clear that Moses wanted Israel to connect
Canaan with the land of Eden, but two features of his account are particularly important:

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The Primeval History Lesson Two: Paradise Lost & Found

first, the identity of Eden; and second, the holiness of Eden. Let’s look first at the identity
of Eden.

Identity
In Genesis 2:10-14 we read these words:

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
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 Asshur. And the fourth river is the Euphrates (Genesis
2:10-14).

Moses wrote that a single river flowed from Eden and divided into four headwaters.
These headwaters were the Pishon, the Gihon, the Tigris, and Euphrates Rivers. One
central river in Eden fed into these four rivers. It was their central source.
Now, as we explore Moses’ description here, we must always remember that
many geographical changes have taken place throughout our planet’s history since the
beginning of the world. Even in Moses’ day there was no longer a single river which fed
these four headwaters. The Scriptures teach that this central source of water will appear
only in the end of time. Yet, Moses’ reference to the four rivers which were fed by this
central source gives us an approximate picture of where he believed Eden had been
located.
We can identify the Tigris and Euphrates mentioned in 2:14 with the region of the
modern day Tigris and Euphrates Rivers. The fact that Genesis refers to these rivers has
suggested to most modern interpreters that Genesis agrees with Babylonian mythology,
that Eden was in the region of Mesopotamia. In the Babylonian language, edin means “a
plain,” or “open flatland,” a term well suited for the lower Tigris-Euphrates region. In
Hebrew, however, eden does not mean “a plain”. It means “a pleasant or delightful
place.” So, Moses was not using the Babylonian word at all. He used a Hebrew word that
sounded like the Babylonian word for Eden, but his concept of this place was not the
same. In fact, the account of Genesis explicitly states that Eden was not limited to
Mesopotamia. As we saw in Genesis 2:10, the Tigris and Euphrates flowed from a greater
river which was located in Eden. We read in verse 10:

A river watering the garden flowed from Eden; from there it was
separated into four headwaters (Genesis 2:10).

This passage teaches that the river of Eden fed the Tigris and Euphrates, not that Eden
was limited to the Tigris-Euphrates region. Moses mentioned the Tigris and Euphrates to
provide a general orientation toward the eastern most extent of Eden. The great rivers in
the east marked the eastern boundary region of Eden.

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The Primeval History Lesson Two: Paradise Lost & Found

This outlook is confirmed by the locations of the other rivers mentioned in

Genesis 2. In 2:11, 13 Moses mentioned another pair of rivers. He wrote that the river of
Eden fed the Pishon, which winds through the Havilah, and it also fed the Gihon, which
winds through the entire land of Cush. In the Old Testament, the lands of Havilah and
Cush are often associated with the region of Egypt. We cannot be sure precisely how
Moses understood these rivers in relation to the great river Nile, but it is safe to say that
he pointed to the region of northern Egypt as the western border of Eden.
So we can see, in Moses’ outlook, Eden was no small place. It was a large area
extending from the Tigris-Euphrates to the border of Egypt — nearly all of the region
that we now call the Fertile Crescent. Within this pleasant place was a special garden, the
Garden of Eden, the centerpiece of the large territory of Eden.
At first, Moses’ identification of Eden with the Fertile Crescent may not seem
very important. But in reality, it is critical to understanding the significance of Eden for
Israel as Moses wrote the book of Genesis. Elsewhere in the book of Genesis, Moses
referred back to Genesis 2 to teach Israel that the land of Eden, the Fertile Crescent, was
the land God promised to Israel, the land to which he was taking them. This perspective
became especially clear when God spoke to Abraham in Genesis 15:18. Listen to the way
God described the borders of the Promised Land in this passage:

On that day the Lord made a covenant with Abram and said, “To
your descendants I give this land, from the river of Egypt to the great
river, the Euphrates” (Genesis 15:18).

We see here on the one hand that God promised Abraham that his land would extend to
the Tigris-Euphrates region, and it would also reach to “the river of Egypt.” Many
interpreters have suggested that “the river of Egypt” may refer not to the Nile itself, but
to a smaller river in the Sinai border region of Egypt. In all events, it is evident that this
verse alludes to the geographical boundaries of Eden as they appear in Genesis 2. This
allusion to Genesis 2 makes it clear that Moses believed God had promised Abraham and
his descendants the land that was once known as the land of Eden. From Moses’ point of
view, as Israel moved toward Canaan, they actually moved toward the location of the
primeval land of Eden.
In order to highlight the importance of Israel going to Eden, Moses stressed the
holy character of that place. He pointed to the holiness of Eden to teach Israel that the
Promised Land to which he was leading them was the place where they could receive the
blessing of entering into the special presence of God.

Holiness
The primary way in which Moses conveyed the holiness of Eden was to describe
it in terms that he also used to describe the tabernacle. Although God is omnipresent, and
lives in every place in a general sense, Moses built a tabernacle where God came in a
special way to meet with his people, and at this tabernacle God would display his
presence, give his law, receive the worship of his people and bless them with his favor.
So, when Moses depicted the Garden of Eden in terms which he also used to describe the

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The Primeval History Lesson Two: Paradise Lost & Found

tabernacle, he revealed that Eden, and thus Canaan, was the place of God’s special
presence on earth. There, Israel could receive the great blessings of God.
At least seven aspects of Eden indicate that it was a holy place of God’s special
presence, much like the tabernacle. First, in 3:8 Moses used a special expression when he
said that God “was walking in the garden.” The Hebrew expression translated “walking”
is mit halek (‫)מִתְ הַלְֵּ֥ך‬. This terminology is significant because it is one of the special ways
in which Moses described God’s presence at the tabernacle in Leviticus 26:12 and other
passages.
Second, in 2:9 we read about the Tree of Life as a central feature of the Garden of
Eden. This sacramental tree held the power to give eternal life to those who ate from it.
And although the Bible does not say this explicitly, recent archaeological research has
noted that many sites in the ancient world had stylized images of the Tree of Life in
sacred places. This evidence strongly suggests that the menorah, the seven-pronged
lampstand of Moses’ tabernacle, was most likely a stylized representation of the Tree of
Life. In this way, the Garden of Eden is shown to be the original holy place on earth.
A third way in which Moses noted the holiness of Eden was his focus on gold and
onyx in the region. In 2:12 we learn that gold and onyx were bountiful in the region of
Eden. As we might expect, Exodus 25–40 mention gold and onyx as important parts of
the tabernacle construction.
A fourth connection between the Garden of Eden and the tabernacle is the
presence of cherubim or angels. According to 3:24, God placed cherubim in the Garden
of Eden to guard against access to the Tree of Life. In a similar way, cherubim appear
throughout the decorations of the tabernacle in passages such as Exodus 25:18 and 37:9.
These cherubim reminded Israel not only of the angels in heaven, but also the angels
guarding the holy place in Eden.
Fifth, we read in 3:24 that the entrance of Eden was “in the east,” that is, on the
eastern side. This fact may seem insignificant until we realize that according to Exodus
27:13 and a number of other passages, the main entrance for the tabernacle was also on
the eastern side. This was the case with most temples in the Ancient Near East. Once
again, Eden is shown to be a holy dwelling of God.
Sixth, Moses spoke of Adam’s service in Eden with language that he used
elsewhere for Levitical service in the tabernacle. In 2:15 Moses described Adam’s
responsibility in the garden in this way:

[God] put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and take care of it
(Genesis 2:15).

These terms also appear together in Numbers 3:7-8 and 8:26. There, Moses described the
work of the Levites in the tabernacle using the same expressions. Adam and Eve served
as priests in the Garden of Eden.
Seventh, it is significant that the formation of the Garden of Eden took place after
the six days of creation. As we saw in the preceding lesson, the six days of creation
climaxed in God’s Sabbath observance in Genesis 2:1-3. Interestingly enough, according
to Exodus 24:16 and following, Moses spent six days on the mountain with God, and
God gave him the instructions to build the tabernacle on the seventh day.

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The Primeval History Lesson Two: Paradise Lost & Found

These seven features of Eden show that Moses considered the Garden of Eden to
be a holy place much like the tabernacle. It was the location of God’s special presence in
the world. And to be near that place was to near the blessings of God.
As we have already seen, Moses believed that Canaan was the location of Eden.
As a result, in focusing on the holy character of Eden, Moses was also drawing attention
to the holy character of Canaan. To be near Canaan was to be near the place God
ordained from the beginning as his holy dwelling. One of the best passages for seeing
Moses’ teaching about this future holy place is Deuteronomy 12:10-11. There he wrote
these words:

You will cross the Jordan and settle in the land the Lord your God is
giving you as an inheritance, and he will give you rest from all your
enemies around you so that you will live in safety. Then to the place
the Lord your God will choose as a dwelling for his Name — there you
are to bring everything I command you: your burnt offerings and
sacrifices, your tithes and special gifts, and all the choice possessions
you have vowed to the Lord (Deuteronomy 12:10-11).

This passage reveals one of the central features of Moses’ vision of the land of Canaan.
He emphasized that one day Canaan would be the location of the permanent dwelling for
the presence of God — the temple for Yahweh.
To be sure, the land of Canaan in Moses’ day was a mere shadow of what Eden
had originally been. Even when Solomon built the temple in Jerusalem, the Promised
Land was still not entirely redeemed from sin nor restored to its original perfection. Yet,
as Moses wrote about the holiness of Eden, he held before the Israelites the vision of
what their land could be one day. To reach the Promised Land was to move into the
vicinity of Eden, the place of God’s holy presence on earth. Just as God placed Adam and
Eve in the wonderful temple garden in the beginning, God was now bringing Israel to
Canaan, and once they dwelled in that land, the nation would begin to experience the
blessings of living in the special presence of God.
Now that we have seen how Moses set forth Adam and Eve’s blessings in Eden as
a prototype of the grace that awaited Israel in the Promised Land, we are in a position to
look at a second topic in Genesis 2–3: God’s test of Adam and Eve’s loyalty. This motif
plays a crucial role in Moses’ presentation.

LOYALTY
The theme of loyalty was crucial to Moses’ story about Eden. Although Eden
was a place of tremendous blessing, it was also the location which required moral
responsibility. Moses emphasized this fact because he wanted the Israelites to remember
that the Promised Land to which they were going also required Israel to be loyal to God’s
commands.
To understand why Moses emphasized this theme, we need to explore two issues:
the requirement of loyalty in the Garden of Eden, and the requirement of loyalty in

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The Primeval History Lesson Two: Paradise Lost & Found

Canaan. Let’s look first at the loyalty God expected of Adam and Eve in the Garden of
Eden.

In Eden
The motif of loyalty in the garden appears very early in Genesis 2 and it reappears
time and again throughout chapters 2 and 3. And in many respects, it is the central theme
of these chapters. Listen to the way God challenged Adam to fidelity in Genesis 2:16-17:

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 of it
you will surely die (Genesis 2:16-17).

Now, it is not altogether clear why God restricted our first parents from this particular
tree; after all, knowing good and evil is prized in other parts of Scripture. Yet, despite this
uncertainty, it is clear that God was testing Adam and Eve to see if they would be loyal to
him. If Adam and Eve were obedient, they would receive even greater blessings from
God. But if they proved defiant, they would suffer God’s judgment. Eden was a holy
place, and the people living there had to be holy as well.

In Canaan
By focusing on the test of loyalty in the Garden of Eden, Moses stressed a parallel
requirement of loyalty for the Israelites whom he led toward the Promised Land. As
Moses led Israel toward the Promised Land, he frequently warned them that God required
them to be faithful to him. Moses succinctly summarized his teaching on this matter in
the eighth chapter of Deuteronomy. We read these words in Deuteronomy 8:1:

Be careful to follow every command I am giving you today, so that

you may live and increase and may enter and possess the land that the
Lord promised on oath to your forefathers (Deuteronomy 8:1).

From this passage it is clear that God required Israel to be loyal to him in order that they
might enter and possess the land of Canaan. In fact, all through the wilderness
wanderings of the nation, God tested the Israelites to teach them how to be holy. In
Deuteronomy 8:2 we read these words:

Remember how the Lord your God led you all the way in the desert
these forty years, to humble you and to test you in order to know what
was in your heart, whether or not you would keep his commands
(Deuteronomy 8:2).

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The Primeval History Lesson Two: Paradise Lost & Found

Beyond this, Moses also made it clear that once the nation of Israel came to the holy land,
they had to remain loyal to God or they would lose this privilege. Listen to the way he
put it in Deuteronomy 8:10-20:

When you have eaten and are satisfied, praise the Lord your God for
the good land he has given you. Be careful that you do not forget the
Lord your God, failing to observe his commands, his laws and his
decrees that I am giving you this day… If you ever forget the Lord
your God and follow other gods and worship and bow down to them, I
testify against you today that you will surely be destroyed. Like the
nations the Lord destroyed before you, so you will be destroyed for
not obeying the Lord your God (Deuteronomy 8:10-20).

Moses knew that the Israelites were prone to rebel against God’s commands, just like
Adam and Eve. And because of these tendencies, Moses focused on Adam and Eve’s test
in the garden to warn that God required loyalty of everyone who wished to dwell in
Canaan. Of course, God did not require perfection from Israel, and it was only by God’s
grace that anyone was able to remain faithful. Yet, if Israel flagrantly violated the laws of
God and turned away from him, like Adam and Eve did in the garden, they would not be
able to enjoy the blessings of the Promised Land. As Moses encouraged Israel to move
forward toward the Land of Promise, he was concerned that they remember this feature
of life in the land.
With the teaching of Deuteronomy 8 in mind, we can see Moses’ main reason for
focusing on the loyalty required of Adam and Eve. He stressed this matter to inspire the
Israelites to reverse what Adam and Eve had done by remaining faithful to the commands
of God. Adam and Eve were tested in the garden and were driven out because they
sinned. In Moses’ day, Israel was still outside the Garden of Eden, but God tested them to
prepare the nation to re-enter Eden and to dwell there in God’s blessing.
So we see that Moses wrote about the test of loyalty in the Garden of Eden, he not
only explained to Israel what had happened long ago in the primeval days of Adam and
Eve. He also explained what was happening in his own day. God was offering to Israel
the wonderful blessing of life in the Garden of Eden. Yet, just like with Adam and Eve,
they could not enjoy these blessings unless they were loyal to God. Moses was calling
Israel to live by faith as a holy people, fully devoted to the commands of God. Only then
could they hope to enter the land and stay there in peace.
So far we have seen how Moses portrayed the land of Eden and the land of
Canaan as the place of God’s blessing on earth, and we have also seen how he conveyed
the idea that both lands required loyal service from those who dwelled within them. Now
we are going to focus on a third dimension of the original meaning of Genesis 2 and 3 for
Israel: the consequences of Adam and Eve’s disloyalty.

CONSEQUENCES
To see the consequences of infidelity in the garden, we will look at three results of
Adam and Eve’s sin: death, pain, and exclusion.

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The Primeval History Lesson Two: Paradise Lost & Found

Death
In the first place, Moses explained that God threatened Adam and Eve with death
as a consequence of sin. This motif first appears in God’s warning to Adam in Genesis
2:17. There, God said:

“You must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for
when you eat of it you will surely die” (Genesis 2:17).

The words “you will surely die” comprise a phrase that indicates the certainty of the
death to come. This grammatical construction is very similar to the way Moses’ law
threatened capital punishment. When Mosaic Law threatened capital punishment against
perpetrators of serious crimes, Moses declared, “he will surely die,” or “they will surely
die.” The legal context of these passages strongly suggests that these expressions were
formulaic ways of declaring a death sentence. God was not saying that Adam and Eve
would die immediately, but that death would certainly follow sin.
In this light we may understand God’s threat to Adam in Genesis 2:17 as stating
that Adam would come under a sentence of death. He would be condemned to die. Moses
certainly wrote of this consequence of Adam’s sin to explain how death came into the
world, but his purpose was also more directly related to the experience of the Israelites to
whom he wrote. They were well acquainted with death. Moses’ readers had seen most of
the first generation leaving Egypt die in the wilderness, because they rebelled against
God. As Moses wrote in Numbers 26:65:

The Lord had told those Israelites they would surely die in the desert,
and not one of them was left except Caleb the son of Jephunneh and
Joshua the son of Nun (Numbers 26:65).

Once again, we see the language “they would surely die” which alludes to the law of
Moses, and the account of Adam and Eve in the garden.
In this respect, the Israelites, hearing the story of Adam and Eve, could connect
their experience of death in the wilderness with Adam and Eve’s violation of God’s
command. The consequences of infidelity to the command of God in the garden had been
a sentence of death on humanity’s first parents. And the same sentence still stood over the
Israelites who proved to be severely unfaithful to the commands of God in Moses’ day.

Pain
When we read the account of Genesis, it is clear that death did not come
immediately to Adam and Eve. God first confined Adam and Eve to an existence
characterized by pain. On the one hand, we read these words in Genesis 3:16:

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The Primeval History Lesson Two: Paradise Lost & Found

To the woman he said, “I will greatly increase your pains in

childbearing; with pain you will give birth to children” (Genesis 3:16).

On the other hand, God also afflicted Adam with painful living. We read these words to
Adam in Genesis 3:17:

Cursed is the ground because of you; through painful toil you will eat
of it all the days of your life (Genesis 3:17).

Of all the things that Moses could have said about the consequences of sin in the garden,
this twofold focus on human pain fit well with his purpose in writing this account to
Israel. They had experienced the kinds of pain mentioned here as they remained outside
the land of Canaan. But listen to the way Moses described life in the Promised Land. In
Deuteronomy 11:10-12 we read these words:

The land you are entering to take over is not like the land of Egypt,
from which you have come, where you planted your seed and
irrigated it by foot as in a vegetable garden. But the land you are
crossing the Jordan to take possession of is a land of mountains and
valleys that drinks rain from heaven. It is a land the Lord your God
cares for; the eyes of the Lord your God are continually on it from the
beginning of the year to its end (Deuteronomy 11:10-12).

In short, Moses was taking Israel to a place where the pain they had experienced outside
of Canaan would be relieved. Consequently, when Moses wrote of the pain that came to
Adam and Eve, he called his Israelite readers to avoid infidelity, which resulted in pain,
and to be faithful to the Lord, so they could return to Canaan and could experience the
joy of life in the blessings of God.

Exclusion
A third effect of Adam and Eve’s disloyalty appears in 3:22. Consider the words
of Genesis 3:22:

And the Lord God said, “The man has now become like one of us,
knowing good and evil. He must not be allowed to reach out his hand
and take also from the tree of life and eat, and live forever” (Genesis
3:22).

This passage makes it clear that the Tree of Life was able to make humanity “live
forever.” It was the final answer to the problem of pain and death. Yet, God did not want
Adam and Eve to eat at this time. They were excluded from the garden and its Tree of
Life.
It is important for us to remember that access to the Tree of Life was not
forbidden to humanity forever. The rest of Scripture makes it clear that those who are

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The Primeval History Lesson Two: Paradise Lost & Found

faithful to God will eventually be able to eat from this tree. Listen to what the apostle
John said about the Tree of Life in Revelation 2:7:

To him who overcomes, I will give the right to eat from the tree of life,
which is in the paradise of God (Revelation 2:7).

Now John spoke of the end of time when Christ returns to earth. Yet, his words explain
why Moses wrote about this tree to Israel. When Adam and Eve had sinned, God had
blocked the way to the Tree of Life, but in Moses’ day, God was opening the way for
Israel to receive at least a foretaste of the blessing of life as they returned to the land of
Canaan. Listen to the way Moses put it in Deuteronomy 30:19-20:

This day I call heaven and earth as witnesses against you that I have
set before you life and death, blessings and curses. Now choose life, so
that you and your children may live and that you may love the Lord
your God, listen to his voice, and hold fast to him. For the Lord is
your life, and he will give you many years in the land he swore to give
to your fathers, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob (Deuteronomy 30:19-20).

If the Israelites would be faithful to God they would have the opportunity to receive long
life and happiness in the land of Canaan.
Just as Adam and Eve lost access to the Tree of Life, in Moses’ day, God was
offering Israel a partial taste of the blessing of the life found there. This experience of life
was not the full measure of the eternal life that we know when Christ returns. Yet, it
would have been a partial foretaste of what was to come in Christ. Moses offered Israel
the opportunity to enjoy the blessing of long life in the Land of Promise.
So we have seen that the story of Adam and Eve’s rebellion in the Garden of Eden
was much more than an account of the origin of sin in the world. By drawing connections
between Eden and Canaan, Moses taught his Israelite readers about their own lives as
well. They learned how wonderful the Land of Promise could be for them.
Now that we have seen the literary structure and the original meaning of Genesis
2–3, we are ready to ask a third question. How does the New Testament teach us to apply
this passage today?

MODERN APPLICATION
It is clear to us that Moses wrote this passage to encourage his Israelite readers to
avoid the mistakes of Adam and Eve, and to move back into paradise by entering Canaan.
But what do these instructions to Israel have to do with us today? Put simply, just as
Moses used the story of sin in the garden to encourage Israel to retrace and reverse the
steps of Adam so that they could find the salvation of living in paradise once again, the
writers of the New Testament taught that salvation in Christ is also a return to paradise.

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We will explore the New Testament’s use of Genesis 2–3 in relation to Christ in
our usual fashion by focusing on the three phases of Christ’s kingdom. We will begin by
looking at how this passage is applied to the inauguration of the kingdom in the first
coming of Christ, and then we will see how it speaks to our lives in the continuation of
the kingdom of God today. And finally, we will see that the New Testament draws upon
this passage as it teaches about the consummation of Christ’s kingdom in his second
coming. Let’s look first at the inauguration of the kingdom.

INAUGURATION
One way in which the New Testament speaks of the salvation Christ brings to the
world is in his earthly ministry. In the inauguration of the kingdom Christ retraced and
reversed what Adam and Eve had done in the Garden of Eden. In his earthly ministry,
Christ fulfilled God’s commands where Adam and Eve failed. We will investigate this
aspect of New Testament teaching by looking first at how this theme appears in Paul’s
letters, and second, how it appears in the gospel of Matthew. Let’s begin with Paul’s
outlook.

Paul
Paul summarized his viewpoint succinctly in Romans 5:14. There he wrote:

Death reigned from the time of Adam to the time of Moses, even over
those who did not sin by breaking a command, as did Adam, who was
a pattern of the one to come (Romans 5:14).

Notice that Paul said Adam was a type of one to come. The rest of Romans 5 makes it
clear that “the one to come” was Christ. Listen to the way Paul summarized the matter in
Romans 5:18-19:

Just as the result of one trespass was condemnation for all men, so
also the result of one act of righteousness was justification that brings
life for all men. For just as through the disobedience of the one man
the many were made sinners, so also through the obedience of the one
man the many will be made righteous (Romans 5:18-19).

Notice how Paul put it here. Adam’s one trespass resulted in condemnation for all people,
but Christ’s one act of righteousness resulted in justification for all men. Why was this
so? Because the disobedience of the one man, Adam, made us sinners. But the obedience
of the one man, Christ, made us righteous.
This teaching is familiar to most Christians. As Moses taught in Genesis 2–3,
Adam was just one man, but his actions had consequences for all who are identified with
him. Adam’s sin brought death to the entire human race because he was our federal or

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The Primeval History Lesson Two: Paradise Lost & Found

covenant representative before God. As a result of Adam’s sin, we are all born outside
the paradise of God’s blessing and under the curse of death. But at the same time, the
New Testament teaches Christ is the federal or covenant representative of everyone who
has faith in him. In contrast with Adam’s disobedience, however, Christ’s obedience to
God brings righteousness and life to all who are counted in him.
From this teaching we learn something very important about applying the story of
Adam’s sin to our lives. The only way for paradise lost to be found again is through the
righteous obedience of Christ. We cannot enter the paradise of salvation as individuals
standing on our own merits before God. We need an absolutely perfect representative to
enter paradise before us, and Christ is that representative. We find the salvation of eternal
life in God’s presence only because Christ was fully obedient to the Father. In his earthly
ministry, Jesus earned the right to enter into paradise, and only those who place their faith
in him may enter along with him.
Paul’s correlation between Adam and Christ was shared by other New Testament
writers as well. Let’s consider how this theme appears in the gospel of Matthew.

Matthew
Matthew in particular drew attention to the way Christ retraced and reversed
Adam’s sin in his account of Christ’s temptation in Matthew 4:1-11 (the parallel passage
of which is found in Luke 4:1-13).
In a number of different ways, the story of Christ’s temptation parallels both the
experience of Adam and Eve in the garden, and the challenge Moses brought to the
Israelites as he wrote about Adam and Eve. In the first place, the location of Christ’s
temptation connects it with Israel as the Israelites followed Moses. According to Matthew
4:1, Jesus was led by the Spirit into the desert, just as God had led Israel into the desert. It
was in the wilderness that God tested Israel to see if she would be obedient, and Christ
was tested in the wilderness also.
Second, the length of time Jesus spent in the wilderness paralleled the experience
of Israel. Just as Israel was in the wilderness for forty years, according to Matthew 4:2,
Christ was in the wilderness for forty days.
Third, hunger was an important feature in Christ’s temptation. In Matthew 4:3
Satan tempted Christ to turn the stones into bread. This dimension of Christ’s temptation
paralleled the testing of Israel over water and food in the wilderness.
Fourth, Jesus himself connected his experience with Israel’s testing in the
wilderness in the ways that he used the Scriptures. In Matthew 4:4 Jesus quoted
Deuteronomy 8:3. In Matthew 4:7 he quoted Deuteronomy 6:16, and in Matthew 4:10 he
referred to Deuteronomy 6:13. These Old Testament passages come from portions of
Deuteronomy where Moses described Israel’s test in the wilderness. By quoting these
passages, Jesus directly connected his experience of temptation with that of the testing of
the nation of Israel.
So we see that Matthew’s account of the temptation of Jesus connects to the
message which Moses originally gave to Israel through Genesis 2–3. Through his active
obedience, Jesus succeeded where Adam and Israel both failed. Christ was faithful to the
commands of God. This is why Jesus said those well-known words found in Luke 23:43.

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Just as Israel faced her trials in the wilderness to prepare her for entry into the paradise of
Canaan, Luke 23:43 records that on the cross Jesus told the repentant thief these words:

I tell you the truth, today you will be with me in paradise (Luke
23:43).

Christ’s reward for his righteousness was eternal life in paradise.

So we see that the New Testament relates the temptation of Adam and Eve, as
well as the testing of Israel in the wilderness to the inauguration of the kingdom in
Christ’s earthly ministry. Christ was the last Adam who succeeded where the first Adam
failed. Moreover, Christ overcame temptation in the wilderness, reversing Israel’s failure.
And for this reason, he entered eternal paradise.
Now that we have seen how the New Testament relates Moses’ account of Adam
and Eve in the garden to the first coming of Christ, we should move to our second
concern: How does the New Testament apply these principles to the continuation of the
kingdom, the time in which we now live?

CONTINUATION
Several passages in the New Testament stand out in this regard. But we will look at only
two: first, Paul’s focus on these chapters of Genesis, and second, the way James wrote
about these issues.

Paul
Let’s look first at Paul’s words in 2 Corinthians 11:3:

But I am afraid that just as Eve was deceived by the serpent’s

cunning, your minds may somehow be led astray from your sincere
and pure devotion to Christ (2 Corinthians 11:3).

As Paul continued in this chapter, he explained that he was deeply concerned that the
Corinthians would turn to another gospel. We see here that Paul appealed to Eve’s
negative example to warn against the worst kind of disloyalty — turning from the true
gospel of Christ. Just as Moses used the story of Eve’s temptation to warn Israel to move
faithfully toward the Promised Land, Paul used the same story to warn believers in his
day about the basic loyalty required of all who follow Christ. During the continuation of
the kingdom, many people in the visible church face the danger of turning away from
essential truths of the gospel. The church must guard against this rank apostasy because
the consequences are as horrible as they were for Adam and Eve.

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The Primeval History Lesson Two: Paradise Lost & Found

James
James took a posture similar to Paul’s as he explained the role of testing and trials
in the Christian life. In James 1:12-15 we read these words:

Blessed is the man who perseveres under trial, because when he has
stood the test, he will receive the crown of life that God has promised
to those who love him… each one is tempted when, by his own evil
desire, he is dragged away and enticed. Then, after desire has
conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives
birth to death (James 1:12-15).

It is clear that James alluded to Genesis 2–3. In 1:14 he focused on human “desire” as the
power behind enticement to sin, and it was Eve’s desire for the Tree of the Knowledge of
Good and Evil that caused her to sin.
Second, James explained that those who pass the test will “receive the crown of
life.” By contrast the result of sin is that it “gives birth to death.” The contrast here
between life and death parallels the contrast between life and death in the story of Adam
and Eve.
Just as Moses encouraged faithfulness in Israel during the trials in the wilderness
by appealing to the temptation of Adam and Eve, Paul and James encouraged us to
fidelity during the trials of the continuation of the kingdom. Tests during the Christian
life reveal our true character and prepare us for eternal life. By God’s grace, we must do
all we can to remain faithful to Christ so that we may be honored with the gift of eternal
life in paradise.
Having seen how the New Testament applies the story of Adam and Eve in the
Garden to the inauguration and continuation of the kingdom, we should turn our attention
to the final stage, the consummation of salvation in Christ at his second coming.

CONSUMMATION
This theme also appears many places in the New Testament, but we will touch on
only two passages: one in Romans and another in the book of Revelation.

Romans
In the first place, listen to the way Paul gave hope to the believers in Rome as he
closed his epistle to them. In Romans 16:20 he wrote these words:

The God of peace will soon crush Satan under your feet. The grace of
our Lord Jesus be with you (Romans 16:20).

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The Primeval History Lesson Two: Paradise Lost & Found

In these words, Paul reminded the Roman Christians of their great hope in the second
coming of Christ. But he did so by referring back to the promise of salvation in Genesis
3.
As we have seen earlier in this lesson, in Genesis 3:15 God told the serpent that
one day Eve’s seed, the human race, would crush the head of the seed of the serpent. In
this passage Paul said that Satan will be crushed under the feet of Christians when Christ
returns. Christ himself will destroy Satan and our powerful enemy, death. Then we will
reign with Christ in victory and glory.

Revelation
Another place in the New Testament where the themes of Genesis 2–3 are related
to the consummation of the kingdom is the book of Revelation. John referred to the Tree
of Life on a number of occasions in this book. Listen to the way John put the matter in
Revelation 2:7:

He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.
To him who overcomes, I will give the right to eat from the tree of life,
which is in the paradise of God (Revelation 2:7).

The allusion to Genesis 3 here is obvious. We know that Adam and Eve were expelled
from the Garden of Eden precisely to keep them from eating of the Tree of Life. Yet,
when Christ returns, God will give his people the right to eat from the Tree of Life.
Notice also where this tree is located. John explicitly said that it is “in the paradise of
God.” Just as Moses called Israel to enter Canaan because long life could be found there,
Christians have as their hope entering an even greater, more fully restored paradise.
In the third place, we see another connection with Genesis in the identification of
those who will eat from the tree. John said that the right will be given “to him who
overcomes.” Just as Moses spoke of the Tree of Life to encourage Israel to be faithful to
God, John explained that only the one who overcomes sin by remaining loyal will be able
to eat from the Tree of Life.
Finally, we should look at Revelation 22:1-2. As John looked ahead to the new
world, this is what he saw:

Then the angel showed me the river of the water of life, as clear as
crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb down the
middle of the great street of the city. On each side of the river stood
the tree of life, bearing twelve crops of fruit, yielding its fruit every
month. And the leaves of the tree are for the healing of the nations
(Revelation 22:1-2).

The perspective of the New Testament is plain. When Christ returns to

consummate his kingdom, those who trust Christ will enter the paradise of Eden. Satan
will be crushed under our feet and we will eat from the Tree of Life and live forever in
God’s new creation.

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The Primeval History Lesson Two: Paradise Lost & Found

CONCLUSION
We have seen in this lesson that Moses wrote about Adam and Eve in the garden
to help the Israelites as they moved toward the Promised Land. He called the nation to
retrace and to reverse the events in the Garden of Eden. In many respects, the message of
this passage is very similar for us today. By hearing Moses’ call to Israel to move
forward toward the Promised Land, we can see how we too must retrace and reverse the
steps of Adam and Eve. By trusting and remaining faithful to Christ, we will discover the
salvation of paradise, lost and found.

Dr. Richard L. Pratt, Jr. (Host) is Co-Founder and President of Third Millennium
Ministries. He served as Professor of Old Testament at Reformed Theological Seminary
for more than 20 years and was chair of the Old Testament department. An ordained
minister, Dr. Pratt travels extensively to evangelize and teach. He studied at Westminster
Theological Seminary, received his [Link]. from Union Theological Seminary, and
earned his Th.D. in Old Testament Studies from Harvard University. Dr. Pratt is the
general editor of the NIV Spirit of the Reformation Study Bible and a translator for the
New Living Translation. He has also authored numerous articles and books, including
Pray with Your Eyes Open, Every Thought Captive, Designed for Dignity, He Gave Us
Stories, Commentary on 1 & 2 Chronicles and Commentary on 1 & 2 Corinthians.

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The Primeval History Lesson Two: Paradise Lost & Found

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Old Testament Foundations – Module Three – Paradise Lost and Found
Discussion Questions

1. What was the most significant thing you learned in the lesson or something in the lesson
you didn’t quite understand?

2. Give an overview of the major sections of Genesis 2:4–3:24.

3. How did Moses identify the Garden of Eden, and why did he explain the holiness of the
Garden?

4. Explain how Moses described the motif of loyalty in both Eden and Canaan.

5. Explain the consequences of Adam and Eve’s disloyalty.

6. Explain how the primeval events of Genesis 2–3 connected with the lives of the
Israelites in Moses’ day.

7. What can we learn about temptation from Genesis 2:4–3:24?

8. How do you see yourself struggling with the same temptations that Adam and Eve
faced? What can you learn from the Genesis account to help resist temptation?

9. What hope can modern believers draw from the fact that Christ has begun to reverse the
damage caused by Adam and Eve’s disobedience?

10. Read James 1:12-15. How does James give perspective regarding trials during the
continuation of the kingdom? How should this encourage believers to be faithful to
God?

11. Read Revelation 22:12. John looked ahead and saw the new world as a return to the
paradise that was lost. How does God’s redemptive plan for history give your life
purpose and meaning?
REVIEW STATEMENT on MODERN APPLICATION – INAUGURATION &
CONTINUATION: Just as Moses encouraged faithfulness in Israel during the trials in the
wilderness by reminding them of the temptation of Adam and Eve, so Paul and James
encouraged us to fidelity during the trials that face us between the inauguration of the kingdom
and its consummation. By God’s grace we must, in faith, do all we can to remain faithful to
Christ so that we may be honored with the gift of eternal life in paradise.

CASE STUDY: In April of 1521, Martin Luther was pressured by the Diet of Worms to recant
his writings. Luther knew that doing so could result in his execution. His response was this:
“Unless I am convinced by the testimony of the Scriptures or by clear reason (for I do not trust
either in the pope or in councils alone, since it is well known that they have often erred and
contradicted themselves), I am bound by the Scriptures I have quoted and my conscience is
captive to the Word of God. I cannot and will not recant anything, since it is neither safe nor
right to go against conscience. May God help me. Amen.” (Brecht, Martin. Martin Luther. tr.
James L. Schaaf, Philadelphia: Fortress Press, 1985-93, 1:460.) Knowing very well that
refusing to recant might mean his death, he nevertheless said that it was not “safe” to recant. He
knew he was safe in the arms of Jesus.

Reflection Questions
In what ways have you experienced trials that tempt you not to remain loyal?
1. What feelings accompany that temptation?
2. Specifically, what are you tempted to do or not to do?
3. How have you dealt with these temptations?
4. Are there ways you feel you could be dealing with them more biblically?
5. Discuss this with your learning community.

Action Assignments
Based on this lesson, how would you encourage those in your church to remain loyal?
 Write down a short message encouraging faithfulness.
 Try it out on some people in a small group or with individuals who need
encouragement. Have a friend observe.
 Afterward, together with your friend observer, write down their responses —
intellectual, emotional and behavioral.
 Modify your presentation if necessary based on their response in order to make it more
effective.