Serving and Guarding

Genesis 2:15 (NASB95) 

15Then the Lord God took the man and put him into the garden of Eden to cultivate it and keep it. 

The narrative of Eden takes a purposeful turn as God places the man in the garden, not merely for leisure, but with a holy commission: to “work” and “guard” it. These words are deeply significant. They echo the language later used for the duties of priests in the tabernacle and temple, where the Levites were called to serve (ʿābad) and to guard (šāmar) God’s dwelling place. Eden, then, emerges not just as a garden, but as the first temple—a sacred space where God’s presence dwells with humanity, and where humanity is entrusted to worship, serve, and protect. 

Notice how we now have answers to two of our main questions: 

Who did it? Yahweh, the Sovereign Lord of everything. 

What did He make? A temple. A place where the Creator dwells with the created. 

But we are also beginning to see part of WHY He did it. What is our purpose? To worship, serve, and protect while dwelling in the presence of our Creator. 

Adam’s roles—cultivator and guardian—reflect both privilege and responsibility. His service is not toiling for survival, as in the ancient myths where humans labor for the gods, but a joyful stewardship in a place already overflowing with God’s provision. Yet, guarding implies more than tending plants; it hints at the need to protect this holy space from anything that would threaten its peace and purity, including sin and evil. Tragically, Adam failed in this charge. Instead of guarding Eden, he allowed disobedience to enter, and as a result, angels had to take up the task of guarding the way back to the Tree of Life. The story’s irony is sharp: what Adam was commissioned to do, angels now must do because of his failure. 

This theme reverberates throughout Scripture. The tabernacle and later the temple echo Eden’s imagery—sanctuaries guarded by priests, filled with life and beauty, where God’s presence is manifest among His people. In Revelation’s vision of the new creation, rivers, trees of life, and unending fellowship with God return, showing that what was lost in Eden is being restored. Angels, cherubs, adorn the walls and insides of the tabernacle and the temple. Eden, the tabernacle, the temple, and the New Jerusalem are all sacred spaces where God dwells with humanity, and where His people are called to serve and protect what He has entrusted to them. This was God’s original intent – this is what He created. As we will see, His plan has not changed. 

Among God’s original purposes for humanity was to cultivate and guard His dwelling place. Today, believers are called to the same task: to nurture and protect the spaces where God has chosen to dwell—our hearts, our homes, our families, and our churches. Just as Adam’s failure to guard Eden led to loss, so neglect in our spiritual lives will cause harm and division. Faithfulness means not only working diligently in what God has given us, but also standing watch against anything that would defile or disrupt His presence among us. As God’s royal priests in Christ, let us honor our calling to be custodians of His presence, cultivating communities of worship and guarding them with vigilance and love until all is restored in the greater Eden to come.