In the Beginning, A River

By Denise Trio

“By the seventh day God had finished the work he had been doing; so on the seventh day he rested from all his work. Then God blessed the seventh day and made it holy, because on it he rested from all the work of creating that he had done. This is the account of the heavens and the earth when they were created, when the Lord God made the earth and the heavens. Now no shrub had yet appeared on the earth[a] and no plant had yet sprung up, for the Lord God had not sent rain on the earth and there was no one to work the ground, 6 but streams came up from the earth and watered the whole surface of the ground. 7 Then the Lord God formed a man from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living being. Now the Lord God had planted a garden in the east, in Eden; and there he put the man he had formed. The Lord God made all kinds of trees grow out of the ground—trees that were pleasing to the eye and good for food. In the middle of the garden were the tree of life and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. A river watering the garden flowed from Eden; from there it was separated into four headwaters.”—Genesis 2:2-10

I have a fairly strong track record of killing plants. In the past, I’ve tried many times to grow things, and they always end up dying. During the pandemic and being the good Italian that I am, I decided I would try to grow basil. For months I cared for this plant I had cultivated from seed and eventually was able to enjoy the fruit of its leaves and my labor with a delicious Caprese salad. I was so proud of myself until I left for vacation and did not create a plan to water this plant. When I arrived back, my beautiful blooming plant had died because it had no water. Water is essential for life.

In Genesis 2, we see God as Creator, the same story as in Genesis 1, but told from a different perspective. The chapter starts with the completion of the creation account in Genesis 1 by God resting. This should not be overlooked. This pausing in time doesn’t mean God needed to rest (He’s all-powerful after all), but He’s demonstrating to His people a rhythm of work and rest right from the beginning.

Then the narrative shifts to an agrarian emphasis, as the author notes that no plants or shrubs had grown because God had not sent rain. These streams - or “mist” - came from the earth to provide moisture to the ground. The ground itself does not create life, but it holds water, nutrients, and the essentials for life to grow. And from that watered ground, man was created. God picked up the dust, the worthless nothing, and breathed life into it to create the most valuable thing in all creation.

What is the most suitable place for God’s most prized creation to live? A garden, of course. A garden planted and cultivated by the Master Gardener, God Himself. This perfect garden contained everything that people needed to live, trees for beauty and trees for nourishment. And those trees were watered by a river flowing from Eden's land. The river flowed. It was not stagnant. It brought life.

That river split into four streams, which saturated the entire region. I can’t help but picture the river coming from God Himself as a foreshadowing of how His Gospel would saturate the nations, as we can read through the rest of the Bible and through history to today.

This is the earth’s beginning, man’s beginning, and this river’s beginning. It’s significant because it’s the first time water is mentioned and used, and God sets a precedent here. Water will continue to be used as a metaphor throughout Scripture - from the first chapter to the last chapter. In this series, we’ll explore more of those mentions of water in the Bible. Notice how they bring life, healing, peace, and cleansing in each instance. Jesus even calls Himself the Living Water. Join us and be refreshed!

PAUSE: Have you ever seen something die without water? Maybe it was your lawn, a house plant, or a garden. Consider our designed dependence on water. Are you dependent on Jesus this way? Why or why not?

PRACTICE: Go to your local hardware store and pick out a small plant, a bag of soil, and a pot. For the next few weeks, during this reading plan, cultivate your plant. Water it. Watch it grow. Thank God for the miracle of life and growth, and ask Him to reveal more about His character through it.

PRAY: Thank You, God, for this account of creation and what we can learn from it about You. Thank You for the water that brings life and refreshment to me. May I have a thirst for learning more about You and sharing this refreshment with others who need it. Saturate my city with Your presence through Your church, Lord.