Scripture

Genesis 3:23-24
[23] therefore the LORD God sent him out from the garden of Eden, to cultivate the ground from which he was taken.
[24] So He drove the man out; and at the east of the garden of Eden He stationed the cherubim and the flaming sword which turned every direction to guard the way to the tree of life.


This is 82nd Lecture on Genesis.
Previously, I said, God the Father made a decision, in Genesis 3:22, to send Adam out from the Garden of Eden.
It was because Adam became a man of flesh by committing sin.
He couldn't live an eternal life in the Garden. He had to leave the Garden and go to the fleshly world and live there.
As God the Father came to this conclusion, He discussed it with God the Son and the Holy Spirit.
Now, Genesis 3:23 says, "therefore the LORD God sent him out from the garden of Eden, to cultivate the ground from which he was taken."
What is 'the ground from which he was taken"?
In a fleshly sense, it refers to the ground of this Earth.
When God the Father created Adam, He used the ground of the Earth as the basic material.
After Adam committed sin, he came down to this earth, cultivated the fields of the earth, grew plants, and ate them.
He could eat bread in toil and by his sweat.
He lived a life of 'cultivating the ground from which he was taken.'
At the same time, in a spiritual sense, he also had to cultivate the ground from which he was taken.
It was the work of 'cultivating his heart field."
When farmers cultivate a wasteland and convert it into a good field, what do they do?
First off, they must remove the scrub growth and weeds.
Then, they pull out stones, both big and small.
And then they have to deeply plow the ground.
The same applies to your spiritual cultivation.
You first have to remove the thorns and thistles that are planted in your heart field, and get rid the hard stones.
To pull out the evil nature that has deeply rooted in your heart, you should basically 'plow up' your heart as well.
Concerning the different kinds of people's hearts and about how to cultivate them, I delivered a series of messages under the title of "Cultivating the Heart-Field" in 2010.
You may refer to the messages for more information.
When Adam was in the Garden of Eden, only goodness and truth were planted in his heart.
They were planted by God the Father.
From the moment he ate from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil however, both the untruth and evil began to be planted.
As Adam obeyed the voice of Satan in his free will, the attributes of darkness were planted in his heart field.
'Spirit' is the state where there is not even 0.1% of fleshly attributes remaining.
The moment fleshly attributes are mixed in the spiritual heart, even a little, it cannot be called 'spirit' any longer.
It is already a fleshly being.
It was the same with Adam who was a living being.
From the moment he ate the fruit of the tree of knowledge of good and evil that Eve had given to him, he became a fleshly being.
His spirit died, and his soul became the master.
After he became a man of flesh like this, he came down to this earth, and he had to cultivate the ground he was taken from.
In other words, he had to cultivate his heart-field.
He had to the work of casting off the untruth and evil from his heart.
He had to recover the state of 'spirit.'
Without this work, he would have had to remain in the state of being a 'dead spirit.'
The ground that is not cultivated has no use.
It is the same with the heart-field.
Regarding this, Hebrews 6:7-8 says, "For ground that drinks the rain which often falls on it and brings forth vegetation useful to those for whose sake it is also tilled, receives a blessing from God; but if it yields thorns and thistles, it is worthless and close to being cursed, and it ends up being burned."
When God the Father sent Adam out to this earth, He told them to cultivate the ground from which he had been taken.
This applied not only to Adam, but also to Eve, and every descendant that Adam and Eve gave birth to on Earth.
Actually, this cultivation was a precious procedure.
There is great difference between the spiritual heart that Adam possessed when he was a living being, and the spiritual heart that we have after we cultivate our heart-field.
For example, let's say that there are two 'good' men; however, one of them is born 'good'.
One didn't see or hear any evil; he doesn't know about evil, and so he is 'good'.
On the other hand, the other knows well about the evil of the world, but he's kept his heart well.
In other words, he 'cast off' every form of evil from his heart to possess a good heart.
The good man who doesn't know about evil is quite different from the one who knows about evil, but is of goodness.
Which one can understand the deeper level of God the Father's heart? The first one? Or, the second?
It is the latter one who knows about evil, but is still a man of goodness.
God the Father wanted Adam to know and have a deeper understanding of the heart of God the Father.
Only then, can a man mutually share an even deeper and more intimate love with God.
1 John 2:14 talks about the faith of "fathers who know Him who has been from the beginning."
God the Father has wished and hoped that, among the descendants of Adam and Eve, true children would come forth who would know the deep love of God the Father and share it together with Him.
With this hope, He sent out Adam to this earth.
Dear brothers and sisters.
Genesis 3:23 says, "the LORD God sent him out from the garden of Eden."
You should pay attention to the expression, "sent him out."
But then, Genesis 3:24 says, "So He drove the man out."
Why are expressions regarding the incident of Adam's coming down to this earth so different like this?
It is because the subject of each expression's perspective is different.
First off, the expression 'send him out' was from God the Father's perspective.
When God the Father sent Adam to the earth, His heart was sorrowed.
He didn't treat Adam coldly or with disregard because he committed sin.
And so, when He sent Adam out, He showed him the consideration of love till the end.
He allowed Adam to use his own UFO that he used to ride on.
He also let Adam be with cherubim that formerly escorted Adam all the time till the last moment.
God treated Adam, who used to be the head of the 1st and 2nd Heavens with the greatest respect.
It shows that God the Father didn't send Adam out to punish him for the sin committed.
It was a necessary procedure. It was for human cultivation.
In His aching heart, God the Father sent Adam out to this earth.
He made garments of skin and clothed Adam and Eve, didn't He?
God the Father showed His consideration of love to Adam and Eve so that they could always remember that He didn't forsake them.
The fact is, God the Father didn't just drive Adam and Eve out, but He sent them out for cultivation.
In the past, it was correct that dinosaurs were driven out of the Garden of Eden to the Earth.
God the Father wrapped the dinosaurs in something like a net and drove them out to this earth all at once. They were banned from Eden.
Then, why does Genesis 3:24 say, "So He drove the man out"?
This expression describes Adam's situation objectively.
Adam fell down from a living being to a man of flesh.
He lost the power and authority to rule over the 1st and 2nd Heavens.
He couldn't use the UFO any longer, and nobody would be escorting him any longer.
The food was plentiful in the Garden of Eden, but on the Earth, Adam had to toil and sweat to eat bread from the ground.
In addition, the living environment and the standard of living in the Garden of Eden is greatly different from those in the Earth.
Adam's fall from his position was terrible. His living conditions became comparatively very difficult.
It was like a king of a country becoming an ordinary man over night.
Based on these external standards we can see how Adam was 'driven out' from the Garden of Eden to the Earth.
However, God the Father foreknew all these situations that Adam would go through.
Despite all this, God sent Adam to the earth, and this fact shows God the Father's deep love for Adam and His providence of human cultivation.
Dear brothers and sisters in Christ.
After Adam came down to this earth, he spent countless days in tears thinking about many things.
Adam missed the Garden of Eden.
At the same, he realized to his bones how foolish he was.
He also recalled the betrayal of the dinosaurs.
He realized he was as foolish as those dinosaurs, and he didn't spend a day without repenting.
Let me tell you about the confession that contains Adam's heart in those days.
"I am too far far away.
When I was in the 2nd Heaven, this 1st Heaven was so close to the 2nd, and the 2nd Heaven, so close to the 1st.
Now that I am here in this condition however, I look to where the 2nd Heaven is and find that it is too far far away.
I cannot reach it, I cannot go there, and I cannot even see it.
My foolishness cast shadows over the heart of God the Father; how foolish I was, how foolish I was.
There is nothing here.
I get only from what I do all by myself.
The love of God the Father and the power that I enjoyed in the 2nd Heaven are all gone.
I stand on this earth as low and humble as I am; how foolish it is, how foolish it is.
How many days do I have to live here, and how many days must I count?
I look into myself, and I am so miserable, so miserable.
I came down to this 1st heaven when I lived in the 2nd heaven, but it is completely different from then.
As I am now here, it is not the same Earth I saw then, not the same surrounding or animals I saw then.
I fear so much in my heart, but I'm destined to this for I committed sin, and I have to do my best to live here.
I clear up my mind, but how long should I live this life that Father God gave me longing for the heaven?
Until my life is over, I will count my days again and again to stay on alert against what I did back then.
With a repenting heart for the things done to this heart because of me, I will live every day with such a heart of sorry.
All things I see are so quiet and so silent.
It is as if I could reach heaven, but I can't; it is too far far away.
Alas, it is so lamentable
But I should take it fortunate to get a new life from Father God.
Though I fear this new life, I cannot help managing this given life.
In the future when my day is over, I may see the Father.
I may see Him again.
Until these days are all over, I live my life on the alert over and over again."
Dear brothers and sisters in Christ.
The glory and dignity that Adam enjoyed in the 2nd Heaven were so tremendous.
Such Adam came down to this earth that is completely different from the past.
It was never easy to manage all things all by himself only with his own effort.
Suppose, how desolate would it be if you were left on a deserted island?
Adam's situation back then was similar to this.
He had to start all over again from nothing; he was in such a desolate situation.
It took quite a time for him to escape from the shock.
He repented and regretted what he did for many long years.
He thought to himself, "Why did I do that then? I shouldn't have been deceived at the temptation."
But milk was spilt already.
Though it was so lamentable for him, he couldn't just reget it forever and ever, again and again.
He recalled the love of God the Father who gave him another chance, and he consoled himself.
He was thankful for the given new life, and he made a resolution to himself.
He repented his deed that hurt God's heart, and he decided to live a new life as staying alert against his deed.
Dear brothers and sisters in Christ.
I explained how God the Father sent Adam from the Garden of Eden out to the earth and why He did it in Genesis 3:23.
Genesis 3:24 explains what God did after that.
It says, "So He drove the man out; and at the east of the garden of Eden He stationed the cherubim and the flaming sword which turned every direction to guard the way to the tree of life."
Until now, it was Adam that was in charge of guarding the way to the tree of life.
Replacing Adam, God the Father stationed the cherubim and the flaming sword to do the job.
Cherubim are spiritual beings that God controls.
Unlike angels that have the look of human, they usually have the look of animals.
I explained to you about these cherubim in great detail in Genesis Lectures 15, 16, & 17.
Now, what is this turning and flaming sword?
The flaming sword is the sword combined with flame.
When seen with spiritual eyes, it looks like a pinwheel.
On the outside, it is surrounded by the fire of the Holy Spirit, and inside the sword is rapidly spinning.
The sound of burning flame of the Holy Spirit, and that of the spinning sword are mixed together to make a very dignifying sound.
Evil spirits tremble in fear even at this sound.
This flaming sword has the power of the Holy Spirit; when the evil spirits touch this sword, they lose their strength instantly.
The flaming sword moves as if it were alive, and watches all the moves of the evil spirits.
So it can block any attempt to approach to the way to tree of life by the evil spirits.
Dear brothers and sisters.
Why did God the Father make them guard the way to the tree of life so strictly?
It is because the domain of the evil spirits touches the east side of the Garden of Eden.
The evil spirits were on the alert for an opportunity to invade the Garden of Eden.
First off, it was to tempt Adam to make him fall down.
There was another reason besides this.
It was to get the fruit from the tree of life in the Garden of Eden.
Lucifer, the head of the evil spirits, knows very well what kind of power the fruit of the tree of life has.
That is, one can gain an eternal life by eating from the tree of life.
Lucifer and evil spirits had a plan that they could stand against God forever if they could live an eternal life.
And thus, they had an eye on the Garden of Eden for long years.
Over time, the enemy devil and Satan succeeded in deceiving Adam.
The original plan of Satan was to deceive Adam and get the fruit of the tree of life through him.
God the Father, however, knew more than enough about this Satan's plan.
God the Father took the immediate measures right after Adam committed sin.
First, He sent Adam out to this earth.
At the same time, He drove all the serpents in the Garden of Eden out to this earth.
He didn't leave any room for Satan to take a step into the Garden of Eden.
In addition to these measures, God set the beings that have such dignity and authority to guard the way to the tree of life.
They are the cherubim and the flaming sword that I mentioned.
As taking the immediate measures like this, God completely blocked evil spirits from approaching the Garden of Eden.
As its result, the evil spirits no longer had any vision for the Garden of Eden at all.
No matter how strong the signal wave Satan sends toward the Garden of Eden, there is not a single being that will receive it any more.
And thus, the evil spirits had to give up on the fruit of the tree of life.
Actually, Satan didn't expect that Adam would be driven out from the Garden of Eden so quickly.
In order to make Satan's plan to become successful, Adam should have stayed in the Garden of Eden longer.
Only then, could Satan have taken the fruit of the tree of life by inciting Adam.
However, all the possibility disappeared.
Satan couldn't even plan for the future any more.
Here, Lucifer and the evil spirits got angry, and turned their eyes on this earth.
Instead of eating the fruit of the tree of life, they tried to build the world of darkness on this earth where the human beings were cultivated.
By doing this, they tried to stand against God and interfere with the kingdom of God.
They wanted to incite people to build idols and to worship them.
They will try to the very last soul to keep any from believing in God.
They were confused that, if they stained this world by evil, they could stand against God.
Besides, the enemy devil and Satan also knew that Messiah would come to bruise them on their head.
And so, whenever a man of God appeared, they tried to persecute him and kill him.
Eventually, they incited evil people to crucify Jesus who came down as the Messiah, and killed Him.
They wanted to show God how evil human beings are to hurt God's heart.
At the same time, they tried to show off how great the world they built.
However, this evil plot of the enemy devil and Satan couldn't work before God.
God prepared a secret plan for this before the ages.
According to the plan, Jesus died on the cross and He resurrected.
Through this, a way to salvation opened to the whole mankind.
In addition, God sent the Holy Spirit.
He let the dying souls of sinners revive, and opened a way for them to live new lives.
Regarding this, 1 Corinthians 15:22 says, "For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ all will be made alive."
And, 1 Corinthians 15:45 says, "So also it is written, 'The first man, Adam, became a living soul.' The last Adam became a life-giving spirit."
The enemy devil and Satan thought that their world would last only if they killed Jesus, but the result was the opposite.
Finally, the enemy devil and Satan couldn't but kneel down before the wisdom of God.
But the enemy devil and Satan haven't given up and will not till the end.
During the process of human cultivation they can exercise the authority of darkness.
With this authority, they try to drag just one more soul to Hell.
That's why, as the human cultivation comes close to an end, this world may seem under the control of the enemy devil and Satan, and the evil and sin seem to prevail.
It is just as Isaiah 60:2 says, "For behold, darkness will cover the earth and deep darkness the peoples."
Will God just sit still in theses end times, and finish His human cultivation at this end time?
No, He will not!
Continuing Isaiah 60:2-4 says, "But the LORD will rise upon you and His glory will appear upon you. Nations will come to your light, and kings to the brightness of your rising. Lift up your eyes round about and see; they all gather together, they come to you. Your sons will come from afar, and your daughters will be carried in the arms."
God has prepared the time when this word will be fulfilled.
Habakkuk 2:14 also says, "For the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the LORD, as the waters cover the sea."
By the word of God's amazing power, it will be proclaimed all over the world that God is alive and that Jesus Christ is the Savior.
The day when the door of salvation opens wide for countless souls will come.
For this, the plans of God the Father are being accomplished without the slightest error.
I'm finishing Lectures on Genesis Chapter 3 here.
In Genesis Chapter 3, you saw Adam and Eve were deceived at the temptation of Satan, that they committed sin, and that they received the wage of sin.
This process doesn't apply only to Adam and Eve.
Most of Adam and Eve's descendants on this earth took the same track.
And so, the whole of mankind became sinners.
However, through the ministry of Jesus Christ and of the Holy Spirit, countless children of God have come forth.
True children of God who resembled the heart of the Lord also came out.
'The true children' of God prove that God the Father won the victory in the human cultivation.
May many of you become such true children of God, in the name of our Lord, Jesus Christ, I pray!