Eden As Symbol

FRI., FEB. 23, 1990, 6:59 AM
FARM, STUDY

The first story in My Holy Scriptures is that of creation, with these early humans being in the Garden of Eden. I have offered you interpretations of this story earlier in Our relationship, and these were somewhat at variance with more orthodox interpretation. Hear, o son, as I emphasize the symbolic nature of this story.

Eden was a place where two people could live without stress and without effort. They could be naked and yet comfortable. They presumably ate what was available, without any preparation. They were sinless, true, but there also was no challenge to their lives. They were fresh spirits in bodies, with freedom to be, in relationship with Me. Life was simple, with no challenges. It was too much like other gentle, spiritual realms.

So I introduced a prohibition. “You shall not eat of one fruit… that which flourishes on the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.” The humans were obedient. There were other fruits. Why eat of this one. God as Father and Friend has simply said, “Though shalt not.” Isn’t that reason enough? It was.

So I introduced a challenge, and with this, the earth became a quite special realm for spiritual growth. I also showed forth My sense of fun, for this “challenge” was a talking snake. There had been no other indication of a communicative relationship with animals, but here was a talking snake introducing the first temptation. You see, My prohibition should have been a temptation, but it wasn’t sufficient. I had to stir them up in a new way.

Here is the crux of the interpretation. The orthodox analysis is that this was the evil one, sneaking in to introduce sin into the earth, against My will. I wanted them to be obedient, but they succumbed to temptation and disobeyed Me. Thus, against My will evil came into the earth, humans sinned and were unfaithful, and therefore I, in justice, had to kick them out of Eden. I had threatened death, but, in mercy, I allowed them to live, but outside, where work was necessary.

My interpretation of the story to you is that the serpent was My creation, doing what I wanted it to do. This creation told them that they had a mind and a will, and that this fruit would make these functional. They would know good, and they would know evil, just as I did. They reacted as good mates, with both eating. Again, My sense of fun prevailed in having the woman see the advantage first, and then convince the man that he, too, should become knowledgeable.

I wanted them out of the Garden. Eden was insufficient. It was a comfortable womb. They had to be born into a life of challenge. I threatened death, but it obviously would have been silly to kill them for doing what I really wanted them to do, now wouldn’t it?

Eden is a symbol of human beginnings in a place and a climate where effort was unnecessary. Eden is a symbol of mindless faithfulness. Humans took up the challenge of moving to parts of the earth where there was a challenge to life. To do so, the marvelous but dangerous human mind had to be functioning. They had to know “what is good and what is evil.”

Eden is a symbol of the womb from which a baby is born. If labor is not normal, and the baby remains in the womb that child and the mother both die. I wanted human life on this earth, and therefore they had to leave the womb and begin to use the mind and the will, that I had provided. For spirit to grow as I desired there had to be opportunities for failure. I wanted relationship that came from choice, not just mindless obedience. I want you to be faithful to Me because you want this, not because you have no choice.

There is one more indication of My sense of fun in the after-story. The human family began with the sons of the original couple. It continued on with their having children by wives… from whence? Now shouldn’t I have indicated how these women came into the earth? Instead I introduce mystery and incompleteness into My Scriptures.