1 – The first garden (Genesis 2:8-10 & 3:17-19)

God planted the first garden and provided complete irrigation. God Himself loved walking in the garden in the cool of the day. This garden was lost when Adam & Eve disobeyed the Lord and sinned. They would now have to toil the ground to produce plants for food and also contend with troublesome weeds. Life was not going to be easy.

2 – The untidy garden (Proverbs 24:27-34)

Sleeping in a time of labour is out of place in a world where man has been commanded to eat his bread by the sweat of his face. The sluggard is ready upon any excuse, to abandon his work. He neglects the cultivation of his field when others are at work. The sluggard’s field is portrayed to us as by an eyewitness who stands sadly gazing upon it and pondering its desolation. Thorns and nettles are flourishing, but fruit is absent. The walls are broken down. So thieves, wild beasts and enemies may enter. Everything speaks of lack of care and slothful indifference. May we too gaze upon it and consider it well!

3 – A flower in the garden (Song of Solomon 2:2)

See the contrast between the beautiful, fragile, lovely lily and the rough, unpleasant, disagreeable thorn. We can see the uniqueness of Solomon’s love for the Shummanite woman. We see the uniqueness of Christ’s love for the Church. We see the uniqueness of the Christian’s love for the world. See also Matthew 5:13-16; 1 Peter 2:9; Ephesians 5:8; 2 Corinthians 6:14 and Acts 26:18. We are salt & light to the world.

The “thorns” speak of those who are still under the curse, walking in the ways of the world, and the “lily” sets forth His sanctified, devoted people, those who have turned from the world to Himself. This is His estimate of His saints.

4 – Working in the garden (Ephesians 4:28)

If you have a garden you will have weeds – thistles, buttercups, etc. It was part of the curse upon man given in Genesis 3:17-19. To kill the weeds you need to use weed killer.
If you concentrate all your efforts on the weeds and forget the grass what will happen? They will either grow very slowly (stunted growth) or die from neglect. If you concentrate all your efforts on the grass and forget the weeds what will happen? The weeds will choke the grass and plants as they grow more quickly.

You need to weed and grow. This is the balanced solution that gives sustained improvement to the garden. It kills the weeds and fertilises the grass. The stubborn weeds that refuse to be shifted need to be pulled or dug out as they are deeply rooted. To get our plants going strong we need miracle-gro.

This has a spiritual application in our own Christian lives. The Holy Spirit’s works in our lives to root out the weeds, to water and fertilise the plants, so that fruit is produced.

5 – Establishing good plants (Proverbs 12:3 & 1 Corinthians 3:6)

We are planted “in Christ”. This term “in Christ” is used 164 times in Paul’s letter. A tree that bears good fruit is useful. A tree that bears bad fruit (or barren) is useless. Fruit does not suddenly come on a tree; it takes time – bud to flower to fruit. Your old nature does not have the power to produce the good fruit. The fruit and the gifts both come from the Holy Spirit. Can you recognise the difference between weeds and good grass? God’s people are sheep who need to feed on green pastures.

Categories: Ephesians