I’m back to reading Genesis, and am enthralled. I am in awe of the passionate, fiery zeal of God. His longing for us. Us! The love relationship between the infinite God and humanity eminates from the story of Adam and Eve. We should correct that termonology though. If you look close, Eve isn’t named “Eve” until after the fall. Before God pronounces the curse, she is simply “The woman”.

Look at this: God finishes pronouncing the portion of the curse that pertains to Adam and then “Adam called his wife’s name ‘Eve’ because she was the mother of all the living.” Gen. 3:20

That seems, at first glance, to be a little out of place. Why would he rename her then and there? Can you feel the reaction, the deep sorrow that came out of the fall? In pronouncing the curse, God also declares that their redemption would come from the Seed. The enemy would be triumped over by the Seed. (vs. 15) At this moment, everything shifts. Before, Adam had named Eve “woman” because of her relationship to him.  Man and Woman. Now, though, the effects of their sin are starting to dawn, and their attention is turned to the Seed. They LONG for everything to be right again in their relationship with God. The woman is now named Eve. The focus shifts to the LIFE that will come forth from her… a promise they imagined would be fulfilled in their child/children, but was not fulfilled until so many decades later in Jesus Christ.

They had made their own coverings out of leaves, but this was insufficent. God institutes the first blood sacrifice to create a covering for them. In light of Eve’s new name and focus, this is even more prophetic and profound.

But the point I really want to get to is that flaming sword.

Adam and Eve are expelled from the garden NOT BECAUSE GOD IS FED UP WITH THEM!  Yes, He is Holy and their sin seperated them, but He could have just left the garden and left them in it. He makes them leave the garden so that they will not eat of the tree of life. If they do, they would live forever in their sins and any hope of restoration would be lost.

But not only are they kicked out. “He placed cherubim at the east of the garden of Eden, and a flaming sword which turned every way to guard the way to the tree of life” (vs. 24)

Cherubim is plural, by the way. Doesn’t this seem a little extreme? I mean,  an angel with a firey sword. I’ve got it. I’ll stay away. Angels in Scripture can be pretty scarey. Hense why their first words are normally “Don’t be afraid!”  But a flaming sword that’s turning every which way speaks to me of a passionate, zealous warrior GOD who steps in and says I WILL NOT LOSE YOU!  He is not apathetic. Not complacent. Not grumpy. He’s zealous! He will not give up on the human race with out a fight.  The sword is swinging. He loves them too much to let this breech in fellowship go on forever. He LONGS to be with them.  He’s guarding their future communion with such fierce devotion. What a merciful God!