Genes 3:23 So the Lord God banished him from the Garden of Eden to work the ground from which he had been taken. 24 After he drove the man out, he placed on the east side of the Garden of Eden cherubim and a flaming sword flashing back and forth to guard the way to the tree of life.
It is difficult to imagine the loss felt by Adam and Eve the day they left the garden. The weight of guilt and shame must have been overwhelming. Moving into a world of unknown dangers, having to struggle to survive for the first time in their lives, looking around and seeing a harsh landscape rather than a lush garden must have all been overwhelming for them.
Yet of all the things that were lost that day, none would have been so hard to bear as losing the daily presence of God.
Imagine what that must have been like for them! Could you fathom spending all of your life dwelling with God, basking in His glory, surrounded by the perfection of His creation only to be sent away from Him?
It is unbearable to even comprehend.
God would have been justified in ending the Bible there. He would have had every right to simply walk away and be done. But the introduction of sin did not end God’s plan for us. In fact, what was intended for evil, God would use to bring about good.
As they stepped out into a world of uncertainty, doubt and fear, Adam and Eve stepped towards God’s redemption. Each step away from Eden brought them one step closer to Advent.