God of the Garden 园中的上帝
Dexu Xia
Then the man and his wife heard the sound of the Lord God as he was walking in the garden in the cool of the day. Genesis 3:8
Many years ago, Joni Mitchell wrote a song called “Woodstock” in which she saw the human race trapped in a “bargain” with the devil. Urging her listeners to seek a simpler, more peaceful existence, she sang of a return to “the garden.” Mitchell spoke for a generation longing for purpose and meaning.
Mitchell’s poetical “garden” is Eden, of course. Eden was the paradise God created for us back in the beginning. In this garden, Adam and Eve met with God on a regular basis—until the day they made their bargain with the devil (see Genesis 3:6–7). That day was different. “Then the man and his wife heard the sound of the Lord God as he was walking in the cool of the day, and they hid from the Lord God among the trees of the garden” (v. 8).
When God asked what they’d done, Adam and Eve engaged in a lot of blame-shifting. Despite their denial, God didn’t leave them there. He “made garments of skin for Adam and his wife and clothed them” (v. 21), a sacrifice that hinted at the death Jesus would endure to cover our sins.
God didn’t give us a way back to Eden. He gave us a way forward into restored relationship with Him. We can’t return to the garden. But we can return to the God of the garden.
What stands between you and God today? What might you confess to Him in order to walk in “the cool of the day” with Him?
Father, help me not to blame others for my own faults and failures. Thank You that honesty with You means relationship with You
天起了凉风，耶和华上帝在园中行走。那人和他妻子听见上帝的声音。—创世记3章8节
多年前，加拿大歌手琼妮 · 密契尔（Joni Mitchell）写了一首英文歌（Woodstock），歌词讲述人类已经陷入与魔鬼交易的陷阱。密契尔在副歌写了“回到园中”这句话，鼓励听众追求一种更简单、更有平安的生活。密契尔的这首歌唱出那一代人的心声，他们渴望生活有目标、有意义。
没错，歌词中充满诗意的“回到园中”指的就是伊甸园，也就是上帝最初为人类创造的乐园。亚当和夏娃经常在这园中与上帝相见，直到他们与魔鬼完成交易的那一天为止（参阅创世记3章6-7节）。那一天与平时不同，“天起了凉风，耶和华上帝在园中行走。那人和他妻子听见上帝的声音，就藏在园里的树木中，躲避耶和华上帝的面”（8节）。
当上帝问他们做了什么事的时候，亚当和夏娃互相推卸责任。虽然他们不承认自己的罪，但上帝没有对他们置之不理。祂“为亚当和他妻子用皮子做衣服，给他们穿”（21节）。宰杀牲畜取其毛皮，暗指耶稣将要牺牲受死，遮盖我们的罪。
上帝并没有给我们一条回到伊甸园中的路，而是给了我们一条通往与祂恢复关系的道路。虽然我们不能返回伊甸园，但却能重新回到园中这位上帝的怀抱。
今天有什么影响你和上帝之间的关系？
你有什么罪要求祂饶恕，以便在“天起了凉风”时能与祂同行？
天父，求祢帮助我，不将自己的过错及失败归咎于他人。谢谢祢应许我们，向祢认罪就能恢复与祢的关系。