“God blessed them [granting them certain authority] and said to them, ‘Be fruitful, multiply, and fill the earth, and subjugate it [putting it under your power]; and rule over [dominate] the fish of the sea, the birds of the air, and every living thing that moves upon the earth.’”
— Genesis 1:28 (AMP)
When the creation story reaches its climax, it does not end with the stars, or with the oceans, or even with the animals that filled the earth. The high point of God’s creative work is humanity. Adam and Eve were not accidents, nor were they merely creatures with higher intelligence than others. They were uniquely formed in the image and likeness of God. All of creation that came before them was designed as a stage, a setting, a theatre for them to walk with God and to live as His representatives. Humanity was made for a relationship with God, for fellowship with one another, and for stewardship over creation.
Adam’s life was meant to be lived face to face with his Creator. He was given Eve, not only as a companion but as a partner in a divine purpose. Together, they were commanded to be fruitful and multiply, filling the earth with those who would also bear the image of God. But beyond relationship and fruitfulness, there was something even more profound at the heart of creation: humanity was made to be the recipient of blessing.
The text says simply, “God blessed them.” The Hebrew word “barak” (בָּרַךְ) used here does not mean a ceremonial prayer or a religious declaration. It means to bestow favour, to prosper, to kneel to lift another. God Himself stooped to pour His goodness into humanity.
God’s Intention for Human Joy #
“Who richly and ceaselessly provides us with everything for our enjoyment.”
— 1 Timothy 6:17 (AMP)
It is easy to think of God only as a lawgiver or judge, but from the beginning, He revealed Himself as the giver of joy. Adam was not placed in a bare environment, surviving only on what was necessary. He was placed in a garden—a place of beauty, variety, and delight. The Hebrew word “tov” (טוֹב), translated as “good,” appears again and again in Genesis 1.
It does not simply mean pleasant. It speaks of wholeness, harmony, and benefit according to God’s purpose. God looked upon creation and declared it “tov.” This included the sky that stretched above, the rivers that flowed, the trees heavy with fruit, and the animals roaming in peace. Everything around Adam spoke of the overflowing generosity of God.
The writer of Ecclesiastes affirms this same principle centuries later. He says that to eat, to drink, and to enjoy one’s work is not a vain pursuit but a gift from God. It is part of His design for human life. Enjoyment is not separate from holiness but an expression of it when rightly received. God made the senses—taste, sight, smell, sound, touch—so that we could delight in His gifts. He could have made a colourless world, without fragrance, without sweetness, without music. Instead, He filled it with beauty, variety, and abundance. This reveals His nature. He is not a God of bare survival but of overflowing blessing.
Food and Provision in Eden #
“See, I have given you every plant yielding seed that is on the surface of the entire earth, and every tree which has fruit yielding seed; it shall be food for you; and to all the animals on the earth and to every bird of the air and to everything that moves on the ground—to everything in which there is the breath of life—I have given every green plant for food”; and it was so.”
— Genesis 1:29–30 (AMP)
In Eden, neither man nor beast consumed flesh. Death had not entered, and so every creature lived on what grew abundantly around them. The Greek word “zōē” (ζωή) used in later Scripture to describe life is not mere existence but the quality of life, sustained by God. Even lions grazed as cattle, and wolves rested beside lambs. The ground yielded food freely. Adam did not need to toil for survival; food literally hung within reach. This was no accident. It was the reflection of God’s character, whose heart delights to give in abundance.
Imagine a world without colour, taste, or smell. Imagine if food were reduced to bland, tasteless fuel. Instead, God filled the earth with fruits of countless shapes, colours, and flavours. The sweetness of honey, the fragrance of herbs, the tanginess of an Orange—all these were not required for survival but given for delight. God not only gave provision but gave pleasure in provision. Eden was not survival; it was celebration.
The One Exception #
“And the Lord God commanded the man, saying, ‘You may freely (unconditionally) eat the fruit from every tree of the garden; but only from the tree of the knowledge (recognition) of good and evil you shall not eat, otherwise on the day that you eat from it, you shall most certainly die [because of your disobedience].’”
— Genesis 2:16–17 (AMP)
Amidst abundance, one tree was forbidden. This was not because its fruit was dangerous but because it symbolised independence from God. The Hebrew word for knowledge here is “da‘ath” (דַּעַת), which means experiential knowing. To eat of this tree was to claim the right to define good and evil apart from God. This was the temptation of autonomy, of self-rule, of seeking moral authority outside the Creator.
The presence of this tree gave Adam and Eve the dignity of choice. They were not robots programmed to obey but free beings capable of trust or distrust. Obedience would mean life, fellowship, and growth. Disobedience would mean separation and death. God’s command was not a harsh restriction but a clear boundary of love.
The Fall and Its Consequences #
In Genesis 3, the story turns. The serpent, subtle and deceitful, invited Adam and Eve to distrust God’s word. They reached for the forbidden fruit, and in doing so, they chose independence over fellowship. Sin entered, and with sin came death. Paul would later write that through one man, sin entered the world, and through sin, death. The Hebrew word for curse, “’arar” (אָרַר), means to hem in, to bind, to strip of power. The ground was cursed, producing thorns. Labour became toil. Childbirth became painful. Relationships fractured. Creation groaned.
“For the creation was subjected to frustration, not willingly, but because of the One who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself will also be freed from its bondage to decay and brought into the glorious freedom of the children of God.”
— Romans 8:20–21 (AMP)
The paradise designed for joy became a world of struggle. Yet even in this fallen state, traces of God’s blessing remain. Beauty, laughter, love, and delight can still be found. Every taste of joy, every glimpse of beauty, is a reminder of Eden and a pointer toward restoration.
Christ the Restorer of Blessing #
The story of creation cannot end with Adam’s failure. From the beginning, God purposed that another Man would come, the last Adam, who would undo the curse and restore the blessing.
“Christ purchased our freedom and redeemed us from the curse of the Law and its condemnation by becoming a curse for us—for it is written, ‘Cursed is everyone who hangs [crucified] on a tree (cross).’”
— Galatians 3:13 (AMP)
At the cross, Christ bore the curse that Adam unleashed. Death, decay, toil, and separation were nailed to Him. Through His resurrection, life overflowed again. The blessing first spoken in Genesis 1 is restored in Him. No longer do we eat in fear of death but in thanksgiving for life. No longer are we bound by frustration but are filled with hope of glory.
In Christ, we taste the first fruits of the new creation. Paul says that the Spirit within us is the guarantee of what is to come. The joy Adam lost is being restored in Christ, not only outwardly but inwardly. God’s blessing is no longer just external provision but His very life within.
The Fulfilment in the New Creation #
“He will wipe away every tear from their eyes; and there will no longer be death; there will no longer be sorrow and anguish, or crying, or pain; for the former order of things has passed away.”
— Revelation 21:4 (AMP)
The story of blessing does not end in Eden but in the New Jerusalem. There, the tree of life stands again, its leaves for the healing of nations. Death is gone, pain is gone, sin is gone. God’s people live in His presence without barrier. What Adam lost in a garden, Christ restores in a city.
Until that day, we live in hope. We receive creation with thanksgiving. We enjoy God’s gifts rightly. We live as children of blessing, even in a world of curse. When we eat, when we rest, when we share fellowship, we do so as those who know the Giver. Our joy is not only in the gift but in the One who gives.
From Adam to Christ #
God’s purpose in creation was never mere survival. It was a blessing, joy, and fellowship. Adam and Eve were given abundance, freedom, and life. They were tested with one tree, and they fell. Sin entered, and the curse spread. Yet God’s purpose did not fail. In Christ, the curse is broken, the blessing given, and a new creation promised. In and through Him, we become a new creation.
When we look at the world with eyes of faith, we see beyond its brokenness to its original design and its final destiny. We were made to be blessed, to live in joy, and to know God. In Christ, this purpose is being fulfilled.
In Christ,
Godwin.
