Sunday: Communication in Eden
Daily Lesson for Sunday 27th of September 2026
Genesis 1:1-31 and 2 tell the Creation story. God created a beautiful world, and in it He put Adam and Eve, the crowning act of Creation. Humans differed from every other creature on earth because they were made “in the image of God” (Genesis 1:27, NKJV), something said only about them and not, for example, about the birds or about other animals. As such, they were to live wholistically abundant lives, experience love in all its forms, and walk in communion with God Himself.
Image © Jim Howard at Goodsalt.com
Also, we read in Genesis 2:18-23 that God created Eve for Adam because, God said, it was “ ‘not good that man should be alone’ ” (Genesis 2:18, NKJV). Right from the beginning, then, humans were created as social beings. Sociologists today teach that human interaction provides numerous benefits to our physical and mental well-being, while loneliness is a killer.
It is no wonder, then, that after the creation of Eve, Adam exclaimed, “ ‘This is now bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh; she shall be called Woman, because she was taken out of Man’ ” (Genesis 2:23, NKJV). The familial structure established by one male and one female joined in matrimony is the first social institution God provided for humans, in order for them to experience wholistic relationship and communion. It is no wonder that one of Satan’s main goals always has been to destroy the fundamental dynamics of the original family.
Read Genesis 1:27-28; Genesis 2:15-17; and Genesis 3:9. What kind of communication existed between God and humans in the Garden of Eden?
Adam and Eve enjoyed face-to-face communion with God. As intelligent beings, they were able to meet with God and to listen to His instructions. As stewards of God’s wonderful garden, they grew in knowledge and skill as they cared for the living flora and fauna. Each day they also had special time with God “in the cool of the day” (Genesis 3:8). The Sabbath day in particular, an essential part of God’s creative act, was to be a specially dedicated time of communion between God and His children (Genesis 2:2-3; Exodus 20:8-11). On that day, our first parents experienced God’s love and care for them in a special way.
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It’s hard for us today, thousands of years from Eden, to imagine what it must have been like before sin. Yet, even now, how does the natural world point back to God’s original creation? |
Adam’s fall was not merely a story of disobedience; it was also a revelation of broken communication. Adam and Eve understood creation, but they failed to sustain communion with the Creator. Adam knew how to name the animals and even recognize Eve, but he failed to remain attentive to the voice of God. The Bible says, “And the Lord God took the man, and put him into the garden of Eden to dress it and to keep it” (Genesis 2:15). The secret of Eden was not simply the trees, rivers, or beauty of the garden—it was the presence and voice of God. The Creator had spoken, given instruction, and established relationship, but humanity chose another voice.
The serpent’s temptation was therefore more than an invitation to eat; it was an invitation to distrust the Creator’s word and live independently of His counsel. God had spoken clearly: “Of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat” (Genesis 2:16), but humanity allowed another voice to become more convincing than the voice of God. Every fall begins when we elevate our own will above God’s Word. Adam thought dominion could be sustained by authority, but in God’s kingdom, authority is sustained through obedience. We were created not merely to manage creation, but to walk with the Creator, hear His voice, and live in fellowship with Him.
The good news is that what was broken in Eden, Christ came to restore. Sin disrupted humanity’s communion with God, but through Christ, the way back into fellowship has been opened. “In his presence is fulness of joy; at thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore” (Psalm 16:11). The Creator still speaks, still calls, and still desires to walk with His creation. The true restoration of Eden is not merely returning to a place—it is returning to the presence of God, where His voice becomes our guide, His Word becomes our authority, and communion with Him becomes the centre of our lives.
In the beginning, in the Garden of Eden, God communicated directly, personally, verbally and relationally with the first humans.
Genesis 1:27–28 – God spoke directly to Adam and Eve, blessing them and giving them a purpose: to be fruitful, multiply, fill the earth, subdue it, and exercise dominion over creation.
Genesis 2:15–17 – God provided verbal instructions about what to eat and what was prohibited. “…for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die.” God provided the first moral communication to mankind – what is right and what is wrong.
Genesis 3:9 – God called Adam by name. “Then the LORD God called to Adam and said to him, ‘Where are you?’” Even after sin, God did not stop communicating with our first parents.
It is important to note the impact of sin on the relationship between God and mankind. Sin immediately disrupted communication between God and humanity. Before the fall, Adam and Eve responded to God’s call in fellowship. But after the fall, however:“Adam and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the LORD God…” ( Genesis 3:8). Sin always disrupts the level and quality of communication between God and humanity. All relationships are negatively impacted by sin. Sin is a destroyer of relationships. All around us, we have seen the havoc sin has wreaked upon relationships, particularly marriages.
“Behold, the LORD’s hand is not shortened, That it cannot save; Nor His ear heavy, That it cannot hear. But your iniquities have separated you from your God; And your sins have hidden His face from you, So that He will not hear.” (Isaiah 59:1–2).
In recent years communication has taken a big hit. We can communicate faster and more frequently than ever before. I did a lot of my romancing with Carmel by mail. It took time to read and write letters, and waiting between communications was frustrating. Nowadays we use our cell phones and communicate every few minutes by texting. I know one person who texts his wife to see if dinner is ready when they are just in the next room.
The issue we face is that while we think we are communicating a lot more and a lot faster, we are often missing the point of communication. We are not listening to one another. True communication is not measured by the amount of data sent, but has to include how much data is received and understood. When Carmel and I were courting in different countries, we read every letter, often several times. And I think it helped us to understand one another better.
Edenic communication was face-to-face, and involved not only transmission but reception. The creator and the created were not talking past one another.
In our busy modern world, it makes a lot of sense to take time out for two-way communication with God, talking and listening. And while the focus here is on communication with the Divine, we should also remind ourselves that we could probably benefit in our human relationships if we took time to listen to one another as well.
Communication becoming high tech as a sign of the end times can be extrapolated from what Christ prophesied some 2000 years ago. Men shall run to and fro, knowledge shall increase.
I agree it is not the high tech to fault, it is our neglect of prudent use.