It seems odd that we have to wait until almost the end of the Bible to find out what God’s greatest wish is, but there it is in Revelation 21:3, that he wants his home to be here with us humans forever.
It shouldn’t seem odd, though, because at the very beginning of the Bible God expressed the same wish back then too – because having “completed the heavens and the earth in all their vast array,” Genesis 2:1, he then “planted a garden” (8) for the sole purpose of having a human take care of it (15).
So God’s great interest following the creation of this planet and the vast universe beyond was a garden that would concentrate his attention here, and create endless opportunity for direct contact with humans in explaining and revealing what the creation contained and how to make it work. It was all very ‘homey’ stuff, God and humans very much at home together happily going about the business of making the world and its treasures – both beautiful and functional (9, 12) – come to light.
And so would begin the building of God’s home on this planet, based on God always being on hand revealing and guiding, and humans happily cooperating and enjoying endless discovery.
There was, however, a ‘home wrecker’ offering an alternative to this happy scene that would put a rift between humans and God. So for humans and God to happily dwell and work together forever the home wrecker had be faced head on and dealt with. First by a warning from God that such an “evil” existed (2:9, 17), and then by allowing this home wrecking evil to come out of hiding and show itself.
And for good reason, because the deceptive power of this evil soon became apparent, as Eve first and then Adam, quickly warmed to the idea of running this planet on their own without God. The sad moment came, then, when God had to banish them from the garden (3:23). And with that it looks like God’s great wish to build a home here among and with humans had come to a dismal end.
The story of Joseph, however, tells us that God set up home with the Israelites next, and dwelt with them. But they too fell victim to the home wrecker. So “Where is God’s home now?”….(next blog)
Buck To Basics 