Page 14 - Breaking the Curse of Poverty David Owusu
P. 14

In the Garden of Eden, man was in a state of prosperity. The rivers
               and the garden provided much more than he needed-the very needs
               for survival and abundance.

                  “And God said, See, I have given you every plant yielding seed
                  that is on the face of all the land and every tree with seed in its
                  fruit; you shall have them for food…and to all the animals on
                  earth and to every bird of air and to everything that creeps 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 [AMPC]

               The garden was the hub of immeasurable bliss. Man was at the
               apex of creation and exerting “dominion”, all his needs met: divine
               providence. The immense riches and God’s provision in its totality
               was exceptionally marvelous.

                  “And  the  Lord  God  planted  a  garden  toward  the  east,  in
                  Eden[delight]; and there He put the man whom He had formed

                  [framed, constituted]…and out of the ground the Lord made to
                  grow every tree that is pleasant to the sight –or to be desired-good
                  (suitable, pleasant) for food; the tree of life also in the center of the
                  garden, and the tree of the knowledge of [the difference between]
                  good and evil and blessing and calamity…now a river went out
                  of the garden; and from there it divided and became four [river]
                  heads…the first one is called Havilah, where there is Gold; the

                  gold of that land is of high quality; bdellium (pearl?) and onyx
                  stone was there…” Genesis 2:8-12 [AMPC]

               The state of perfection was however the subject of envy to the devil.


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