The Christian Home as the Garden of Eden

The home is the principal place of worship in Christian marriage. When a husband and wife live according to God’s standards their work is worship that reflects the Garden of Eden. 

The origin of the Garden of Eden is found in Gen. 2. It was planted by God and given to Adam as a home and filled with fruit-bearing trees he could freely eat from (except for the Tree of Wisdom that he could not). The garden also contained its own water source, a river that flowed and divided into four branches. Adam’s worship—what he did out of adoration, humility, submission and obedience to God, was taking care of the garden.  

Scripture does not tell us how long Adam was in the garden before God determined he needed a helper. However, God saw that it was not good for him to be alone (vs. 18) and created wild animals, birds, and livestock, but they were not sufficient for what Adam needed. Therefore God created Eve from Adam’s side. Adam rejoiced when God presented her to him, identified himself with her, and gave her a name, which confirmed his authority over her in their union (Gen. 2:23; 1 Cor. 7:3-4; 11:7-10).  

The Garden of Eden is paradise on earth. God’s placement of man within it instituted an earthly place of worship that served as the model for future worship in marriage. The garden was God’s created habitat for Adam and Eve, and His assigned place of provision for them. Adam was the appointed leader and Eve was his assistant. The command to reign and multiply (and to also not partake of the tree of wisdom) was the law. Their worship was the work they did to maintain the habitat God had given them—the garden and each other. God gave Adam a house (a dwelling place and a family). His responsibility was to take care of it in unity with Eve in order to glorify God. Sadly, that did not happen, but the design of marriage remains the same. The work of a husband and wife—leadership, assistance, and mutual submission, was commanded by God in the very beginning, and is the worship He seeks from those united into one by Him. When done according to His design and will, the union is an illustration of Christ’s union with the Church, which was also created to glorify God.