God's Provision for His People's Pleasure

Genesis 1
Address—B. Bauman
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We've been occupied with the loving kindness of God.
This morning came out in Ephesians, It came out in Titus. It came out in our hymn.
The loving kindness. And you know Jonah knew all about it.
Said, Thou art.
Forgiving and loving and thy great kindness. And Joel knew about it, and Job knew about it, and we know about it.
So I was thinking it demonstrates it very nicely in the book of beginnings, which I love. Everything's there that we need and I'm going to just read a few verses part of them and then that'll give me the basis of what's on my heart.
Genesis 1 verse one. In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth.
Three, God said, let there be light, there was light.
And God said, let there be firm in the midst of the waters, and let it divide the waters from the waters. At the end of verse seven, it was so.
11 God said, Let the earth bring forth.
And it was so.
And verse 21, Well, no. We'll go over to the GURPS.
24 God said, let the earth bring forth the living creature after his kind, et cetera, And it was so verse 26 And God said, Let us make man in our image and likeness.
Verse 27 So God created man in his own image, and in the image of God created him. Male and female created he them and God bless them.
31 God saw that everything he had made, and behold, it was very good.
And the evening and the morning were the 6th day. Now you know, this is beautiful and it's very simple. It's creation.
Creation, you know.
For through faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that things that are seen were not made from things that do appear. That's creation. Only God creates, man invents, He designs, he devises from what God has made. But God creates. And so this is a simple statement of creation.
In its marvelous simplicity, I like that it's direct and it's positive.
And it doesn't leave any room for a thought from man at all, or any reason or objection. That's the way God does it. Very simple.
Very forthright, very positive, and.
Thank you. All must simply be believed by faith. That's the only way by faith.
All of his thoughts and his purposes that we read about this far, we're in the distance past eternity.
Were included in those thoughts and purposes. That's a marvelous thing, isn't it? In.
Proverbs 8 just turned quickly for one place. Proverbs 8 and I won't read many, but we could read many there. It's very beautiful. I'll read just verse.
27.
And maybe one more. Proverbs 827. When he prepared the heavens, I was there. When he set a compass upon the face of the depth. When he established the clouds above, When he strengthened the fountains of the deep. When he gave to the sea his decree that the water should not pass his commandment, When he appointed the foundation of the earth.
Then I was by him as one brought up with him, and I was daily his delight, rejoicing always before him.
Rejoicing in the have a little part of his earth and my delight.
With the sons of men.
That's before anything was made. That's lovely, isn't it? His delight was in you and I really, individually and collectively, because the Church was in the purposes of God before anything was. And that's very beautiful. Now, all we enjoy by this Marvelous Universe and the planet Earth and its variety of grasses and shrubs and flowers.
And trees and streams and rivers and lakes, oceans and seas and all the living creatures in the land, in the air. We enjoy those things, don't we?
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All by the word of his mouth.
33 He spake, and it was he commanded.
It stood forth. Now that shuts man's mouth that if he wants to argue with that, there's no basis because it's absolute truth. This is it, and it's very beautiful. All he had to do was to speak, that's all.
Now we turn to chapter 2, chapter 2 of Genesis. Thus the heavens and the earth were finished, and all the hosts of them. Verse 4.
There are these are the generations of the heaven and the earth, which they, when they were created in the day of Jehovah, the Lord God really made the earth and the heavens, and every plant of the field before it was in the earth, and every herb of the field before it grew. For the Lord God had caused it to rain upon the earth. The Lord God had not caused it to rain upon the earth, and there was not a man to till the ground.
But there went up amidst from the earth, and watered the whole face of the ground.
And the Lord God formed man of the dust of the earth, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life. Man became a living soul, and the Lord God planted a garden eastward in Eden.
Eden meaning delight. And there he put the man whom he formed.
And out of the ground made the Lord God to grow every tree that is pleasant to the sight, good for food, the tree of life also in the midst of the garden, and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. And the river went out of Eden to water the garden.
I'll just in verse 15, the Lord God took the man and put him into the garden of the lights. It's really paradise to dress it and to keep it. Verse 18 And the Lord God said it's not good that man should be alone. I will make him help me for him. Verse 21 And the Lord God caused the deep sleep to fall upon Adam. Then he slept and he took one of his ribs and closed up the flesh instead.
And the rib which the Lord God had taken from man, made he a woman, and brought her unto the man.
You know, this is just all loving kindness. It's just coming pouring out. Now there's one thing different in the second chapter really than the 1St. The 1St is God said. That's all God said.
But now we get to the second and man.
You know what it said? God planted a garden.
You know, that's different. God planted a garden. You know, all gardens are planted. There's a lot of gardens in this world, aren't there? I've enjoyed many of them. Bouchard, which you probably have seen in Victoria, the island, beautiful garden. I think it's 50 acres. I'm not sure in a can, in a cavern or a Canyon or something. And it's magnificent. You know, I remember the garden in Singapore.
It's all orchids.
All orchids, all the different kinds, not just an orchid and another different orchid, fields of the same type of orchid and then another field of the same type of orchid in that beautiful, but that was planned, purposed and planted. God planted a garden for man. You know, I saw a garden in Ottawa and in Pella tulips.
Tulips. Beautiful one, but they were planned.
And purposed and planted by man. They just didn't happen, you know, that way purposely well.
There was a man in in Lake Park, was it? No Oak Park, IL He had a garden. He had a garden. He was a banker and he had this little garden in the backyard fenced in all wildflowers. He planted them. He got them, he planted. He planted those wildflowers. The neighbors said he has a garden of weeds.
Made fun of him. They were beautiful, though when they came into blue they were weeds, but they were flowers on those weeds. So this is it. Now the Lord had all this made and it was good, very good.
But he wanted something special for man Loving kindness, That's all it is.
You know, I look around today as I travel.
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And after 6000 years of sin ravaging God's creation and man polluting it the best he can, I can still see many places I would have been satisfied if God put me there.
Because they can't ruin it all. You know, man can't ruin all the creation. He's done good in polluting, he's done good in defiling it and and sin has touched everything.
I remember when I used to collect leaves, the teacher would say bring the leaves in and so on different trees. I couldn't find one that didn't have a spot on it, didn't have a sign of sin on it wasn't eaten by an insect someplace. That's that's what sin did to God's creation. But I found many places I felt God could have put man. Think about 6000 years ago before sin came in that didn't satisfy God.
That didn't satisfy the Lord. He wanted something very special.
For man.
You know he planted a garden in Eden.
Place of delights. And then He provided a river out of Eden to water that garden. In other words, God provided everything that was needed. Everything an ample provision and supply for that garden He planted for man.
This is marvelous when you think about it, isn't it? It's marvelous to me, all right?
Now we read Genesis 2 where he said it's not good that man enjoy all this alone. I'll give him help me and he provided him a help me and he gave her to him, you know, as loving kindness.
You got to help me, brothers. She loved the Lord, and she's one of Christ. That's loving kindness.
Well, this is what we're talking about when we're talking about loving kindness. God wasn't satisfied with just paradise.
Down here he wanted something very special.
How long did this last?
We're not told, are we? We're not told.
But it didn't last past Genesis three. We know that it didn't last past Genesis 3.
Now in Genesis 3 verse 22 to 24, we see what happened.
The Therefore the Lord God sent Adam forth from the Garden of Eden to till the ground from whence he was taken. So he drove out the man, and he placed at the east of the Garden of Eden cherubims and a flaming sword, which turned every way to keep the way of life.
The way of the tree of life. I don't know, I sort of think the garden is gone now.
That place of delight he prepared purposely for Adam, and gave him a helpmeet in it.
Which tree of life is it? The tree of life isn't well, I was thinking how beautiful this is, the loving kindness of God to provide something like that now.
When the Lord his Son came here.
This wasn't paradise, you know?
Wasn't a place of delight.
When he came here.
It was a valley of the shadow of death.
It was a groaning creation.
It was sin rampant. It was hatred from his creatures. This is what he found.
Is what the Son of God found.
There was defilement, disease, corruption, deformity of his creation. All this was there.
Strife and violence, that's what he found.
But you know, there's a bright note. I like these bright notes.
So we'll turn to John John's gospel for a little bright note here.
And I like it.
John, chapter 18. John, chapter 18. Yeah.
Let's see here.
John 18 verse one.
Well, first of all, 26 and 17 And I have declared unto them thy name, and well declare it, that the love wherewith thou hath loved me may be in them, and I in them. And when Jesus has spoken these words, he went forth with his disciples over the Brooke Kedron. Where was the garden?
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Into the which he entered, and his disciples, and Judas also.
Which betrayed him, knew of the place, for Jesus OFT times resorted thither with his disciples.
I love those words.
Where was a garden into which the Son of God could enter? How wonderful. That is beautiful.
You know, it's not a garden like he planted for man in paradise, not like that, no, no. But it was a garden where Jesus could resort and could be apart from the din of this world and the sin of this world and could pray.
Isn't that nice? You know, God makes sure that the Father made sure that there was a garden. I like that language. Where was a garden?
You know, turn to Luke 21, Luke 21 and, uh.
Verse 37, I think it's the last verses. Verse 37 in the daytime Jesus was teaching in the temple and at night he went out and abode, abode in the mount that is called the Mount of Olives.
Where was the garden? That's it, That's where the garden and all the people came early in the morning to him in the temple for to hear him.
That's where he lived at night, that's where he abode, that's where he dwelt.
Why you didn't have any home?
We didn't have any home here.
But there was a garden.
That nice there was a garden turned to a Luke 9. Luke 9. I just mentioned this. It's good to get it in focus in Luke 9.
Verse.
58 Luke 958.
Seven And it came to pass that as they went in the way, a certain man.
Said unto Jesus, Lord, I will follow thee whithersoever thou goest. And Jesus said unto him, Foxes have holes, birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man hath not where to lay his head, so he abode in the Mount of Olives at night, where there was a garden.
So nice, isn't it? There was a garden. Now back to our portion in John 18.
You know, in Matthew 26 verse 36, it's called Gethsemane.
Gethsemane. That means the oil press place. The oil press place.
Spirit functioned there where Jesus abode at night. Isn't that beautiful?
Contact directly with the Father. That's that's Gethsemane.
It's very beautiful to see that. And and not only that, it was at the Brook Kidron right there. Kidron. Kidron means a dark and gloomy place.
You know that that place was where the Lord could receive his direction and the Father's will.
That place turned into a dark and gloomy place for him. That's right, it is very simple to see that so you know, but it was there, right there.
In that garden place that the Lord prayed in agony.
Prayed in agony and he said, Father, if it be possible.
Let this cup pass for me nevertheless. Not my will, but I will be done. That's the oil press place. Isn't that lovely? That's the spirit, I think it's so beautiful to see that.
Well.
Our Lord, during his lifetime, and I think it's wonderful, did have a garden. Not like Adams, not like that beautiful place and the lights, but it was a garden, I think made available by his Father. I don't see any other reason for it. He could find peace and quietness and rest apart from this world.
You know but our Father.
Had ready a garden for his son in his death too.
And I think that's very beautiful. Turn to chapter 19 of John, Chapter 19.
And let's see 38.
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And after this, Joseph of Arimathea being a disciple of Jesus, but secretly.
For fear of the Jews besought Pilate that he might take away the body of Jesus, and Pilate gave him leave. And he came therefore and took the body of Jesus. And there came also Nicodemus, which at first came to Jesus by night, and brought a mixture of Vern elos about 100 LB weight, then took day the body of Jesus.
And wounded in linen clothes, with the spices, as the manner of the Jews is to bury now in the place where he was crucified.
There was a garden, and in the garden a new sepulchre where was never man yet laid.
There laid they Jesus. Therefore, because of the Jew, preparation day for the sepulchre was nigh.
At hand.
Here's 2 disciples.
Joseph Nicodemus, Two of them.
You know there's three kinds of disciples.
In John 666, notice the number. Those are disciples in Word only, professing believers.
They follow Jesus till a time, and then they leave him and follow him no more.
You know, there's a lot of those. There's a lot of those in Christendom.
But the next would be disciples indeed, and that's John 831.
I better read it. I could say it maybe John 831. These are real and and 8:31.
See if I find it quick here, I know that's about where it is.
Then said Jesus to those Jews who believed on him, If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed? And he shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free. So there's, there's professing disciples word only, there's those disciples indeed, and then there's a third group.
As Joseph of Aravathi and many others.
Secret disciples. They're real, but they're secret disciples. Sort of sad though, isn't it? But the Lord honors everything, and he brings these two secret disciples out in the open after the death of Jesus.
They didn't have the privilege of walking with the Jesus down here. You and I have it. They didn't have the privilege of suffering for Christ down here. You and I have that. I hope you're taking advantage of it. Come out. Don't be so secret about this thing. This is wonderful, but the Lord allowed them.
Do his mission for Jesus after his death and you know many secret disciples will be able to do that up there after his death, but their secret disciples here that's not so nice. Well he's the Lord is faith. Both were used Joseph and he used Nicodemus Isn't that wonderful You know Joseph means add thou Jehovah.
He did after his death.
He added him after his death. He had him before, but it wasn't known. That's sad. You know, the Jews said anybody that that.
I should quote this right? Will be?
Excommunicated, kicked out of the synagogue like the blind man. And so they didn't. They fear the Jews. They didn't come out now for Jesus. Well, Nicodemus means he is risen, victorious. Here's these two men coming out now. Isn't it beautiful? I think it's lovely what the Lord allows.
I won't get into it. They had frankincense and they had aloes and they had Murray aloes, I think. But you know, at the beginning the worship for Jesus was myrrh, was frankincense, gold frankincense and myrrh.
Now it's Myrrh and Alice here.
Gold was Jesus Disney Gold now it was Jesus. Isn't that nice? Same thing. Well.
Joseph had a garden in Calvary turned to Luke 23. Luke 23. It's beautiful to see this. God had it already, you know, for his Son. No problem with that. Luke 23.
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And verse 52.
All right.
No verse. I think that'll do it 52.
This man went unto Pilate and begged the body of Jesus, and he took it down and wrapped it in litter, and laid it in a sepulchre.
Was union stone were never man before was laid.
That's our Father's work, That's our Father's work. Isn't that beautiful? And you know, you can see in Mark 15, we won't turn to it. It takes too long. It says Joseph of Arimathea came and went in boldly of the pilot, craving the body of Jesus, and he laid him in a sepulchre which was yoon out of rock.
In Matthew 27, maybe you better look at that 57. I didn't quote the last one all the way.
Matthew 27 and verse 57.
When the even was come there came a rich man of Arimathea named Joseph, who also himself was Jesus disciple. He went to Pilate and begged the body of Jesus and then Pilate commanded the body to be delivered. And when Joseph had taken the body, he wrapped it in a clean linen cloth and laid it in his own new tomb which he had used out in the rock.
That's beautiful.
Well, I'm just showing you how God had everything already for His Son at this time.
Now.
There was a garden.
Joseph had a garden right near Calvary in that lovely in which he had a new tomb, you not a stone and this God had ready for his son in the fulfillment really of Isaiah 53 luster into it. Isaiah 53 verse nine, I think Isaiah 53 verse nine. This had to be fulfilled and that's how it was.
Isaiah 53, verse nine. I'm going to read it from another translation I believe.
And men appointed his grave with the wicked, but he was with the rich in his death. There it is. Man appointed his grave with the wicked, but he was with the rich in his death. Joseph of Arimathea, that rich counselor. Isn't it lovely? And so God had this all planned. I want to do one more thing.
Don't take it all here.
Chapter 20. Chapter 20. There's something else that we should bring out here.
Verse 10 Then the disciples went away again in their own home, But Mary stood without at the sepulchre, weeping. As she wept, she stooped down and looked into the sepulchre. And she seeth, 2 Angels in White City. The one on the head, and the other at the feet were the body of Jesus Hadley. And they say unto her, Woman, Why weepest now? She says unto them, Because they have taken away my Lord, I know not where they played Him. And when she had thus said.
Turned herself back and saw Jesus standing and knew not that it was Jesus.
And Jesus said unto her, Woman, Why weepest thou? Whom seekest thou? And she's supposing him to be the gardener, saith unto him, Sir, if thou have borne him hence, tell me where thou hast laid him, and I will take him away. And Jesus said unto her, Mary. And she turned herself, and said unto him, Rabbi, and I. Which is to say, Master.
And Jesus set under her Touch me not, for I am not yet ascended to my Father.
But go to my brethren, and say unto them, I ascend unto my father, and your father unto my God, and your God. And Mary Magdalene came and told the disciples she had seen the Lord, and that he had spoken these things to her.
Now we read that Joseph had this sepulchre and there was a garden, and the garden was this new sepulchre where never man was laid. God our Father had it already for his Son in his death, and included in all his plans was this garden by a rich man and a simple curse so he could have.
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He could have his.
So, so he was with the rich in his death. That's the way I think it was. You know, all prophecy has to be fulfilled. All of it is in Jesus. To think in his death there was this garden.
And a garden, a new sepulchre, and a rich man's tomb Whenever man had laid. We're not beautiful to think about that.
Well, we rejoice and we praise God for this. Now I want to mention something. This was not a garden like the Lord prepared for Adam.
In paradise wasn't like that.
There there was no weeds, no thistles, no forts. It was watered just purposely and beautifully from the ground by a river coming out of the place of delights. Everything was perfect in that garden.
There was a garden for the Lord, but it wasn't like that. And I want to just mention, do you notice in verse 15 she's supposing Him to be the gardener?
Well, I'll tell you something. This is the only time in the Word of God Gardner is found. Now, I know you're going to get your computers going and all these other things. Concordance. And if you find Gardner, let me know. Other than here, Why is it here?
Because God wanted us to know He couldn't give a garden to His Son like his Son did to man.
He couldn't. It's a cursed earth. The gardener is a caretaker of that gardener.
This is the only time you'll find it. God wanted us to realize that it wasn't the garden.
Like his loving kindness provided for man. But I want to say something else.
The Lord Jesus is now at the right hand of God on high.
And he has gardens now. He has gardens and that, lovely to think about it, He has gardens right here.
And you know.
In those gardens he finds all his delights, all of his delights in those gardens.
I better go return the Song of Solemn. I better just mention it here, Song of Songs, which is Solomon's Song of Songs and Chapter 4. I'm not going to take too much on this.
A garden enclosed, A spring shut up. A fountain sealed.
Separation for himself.
Exclusiveness for himself. That's all that verse tells us, and the next two verses tell us about how each Lily has a different fragrance for him. And now 15 A fountain of gardens, a well of living waters, streams from Lebanon.
He doesn't just have a garden, he has many gardens around the world. A fountain of gardens, a continuous flow.
For his delight from these gardens, it's the Assembly's brethren, those gathered to his precious name.
You know, Sister Chris used to sit alone in San Antonio with a loaf and cup, as many others do, and she broke bread when the when a brother came.
But she said, I sat here last Lord's Day. Now that was a year, two years ago, last Lord's Day, and I thought, how wonderful. There's a continuous flow of fruit for the Lord and our Father all the time on Lord's Day because of the change of time and all she was thinking about that. It never stops.
There's breaking bread continuously. I never thought of that either. That's from his gardens here, his gardens now and they're perfect. And you know, it says here.
Awake north wind, and come, thou S blow upon my garden. Why, that the spices thereof may flow out. Five one, I am come into my garden. I'm come. And He doesn't neglect any of us. If you read the rest of that verse 105, you'll see it. He takes something from all of us. That's what He wants to do.
Now let's see at the end of the song.
13 the last chapter 8 thou that dwelleth in that beautiful.
You know.
At night he abode, he dwelt in the mana valleys. Where was the garden, But now that thou that dwellest in the gardens?
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Companions hearken to thy voice. Caused me to hear it. Caused me to hear it. Oh, you know, it's beautiful to see this. The gardens are filled with lilies.
That's your new name. When you are saved, you are a Lily.
But each one gives off a little different fragrance, different fruit. Isn't that nice? Because he said Solomon in all his glory was, wasn't, wasn't clothed like one of these lilies?
You're much more, I don't know how it says it now, valued in Solomon. I don't know. I'd have to go back. I'm not going to take time. But we're lilies. That's what he calls the bride in the Song of Solomon. You're a Lily. You're a Lily among Fords. That's right, among Fords. But that's the nice thing. And then the Lord is intimately concerned about each Lily in his garden. And you know he finds his delight there.
They're exclusively for him and now I would say sometimes he just gathers a Lily for himself.
I like that. Don't you just take the Lily hole? I don't mind. We miss them.
But he wants to take a Lily home, just for himself. That's all right, too. He comes down and he gathers lilies.
I think that's beautiful too. Now everything committed to man.
There's failure and these beautiful gardens and by the way they're planted.
They are planted by his father for him. That is true.
I think I'd have to use a verse for that. Matthew 1515. No, Matthew 1513. I think I can quote it. Every plant which my heavenly Father has not planted shall be rooted out.
And that's something rooted up.
Them which thou has given me, I'll have. I think it's lovely. Every plant which my father has not planted, Just as the Lord God planted this garden for Adam and man, God plants this garden for his Son. I think it's so beautiful. Don't you? You were planted, you were set in it as it pleased the Lord. Well, OK, I say, everything committed to man goes to failure. So I'm going to read.
Isaiah show you and it's sad to see this, but we got to read truth and it's not all beautiful. You know we we are not much. I have to say that Isaiah 65 Isaiah 65 and let me see.
Verse 3. Verse 2.
I have spread out my hands all day unto a rebellious people which walketh in a way that was not good.
After their own thoughts, a people that provoked me to anger continually to my face and that sacrifices in gardens and burneth incense upon altars of brick.
That's man's design. That's man's way. They should be stolen.
Which remain among the graves, and lodge in the mountains. Which each swine's flesh and broth of abominable things in their vessels. Now turn to 66 Isaiah 66 and verse.
Three, at the end, yeah, they have chosen their own ways, and their soul delighteth in their abominations. I also will choose their delusions, and will bring their fears upon them. Because when I called, none did answer. When I speak they did not hear, but they did evil before mine eyes, and chose that in which I delighted not.
Verse 17.
That they, that they that sanctify themselves and purify themselves in the gardens behind one tree, in the midst eating swines, flesh, and the abomination, and the mouth shall be consumed together, says the Lord. For I know their works and their thoughts.
That's sad, that's sad, but it's true, brethren. But he will have.
His gardens doesn't matter about the number, he will have his gardens where he finds his delights.
I have to remind you it isn't like the Garden of Eden that the Lord had when he was here, but the one we are is much better. I just want to read at Revelation.
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Revelation.
20.
Two verse one. And he showed me a pure river of water of life, clear and crystal breeding, proceeding out of the throne of God and of the Lamb, and in the midst of the street of it, on either side of the river, the tree of life, which bear 12 manner of fruits, and yielded her fruit every month. And the leaves of the tree were for the healing of nations, and there shall be no more curse.
But the throne of God and the Lamb shall be in it, and his servants shall serve him.
And they shall see his face, and his name shall be in their foreheads, and there shall be no knight there, And they need no candle, neither light of the sun. For the Lord God giveth them light, and they shall reign forever and ever. Now I could have read in 21 as well as.
But their brethren, there's no mention of a garden. There's no garden. Why? It's all paradise. It's all delight. You can improve upon where we're going by a garden. I think that's so beautiful. Garden here, that's right. But not where we're going. You can't improve that.
Where sin will never come.