Read: Genesis 3:8-24
At the east of the garden of Eden he placed the cherubim. (v. 24)
Around the world, millions of people have been forced to leave their home countries because of war, persecution, and famine. It’s devastating to be cut off from the comfort and familiarity of your homeland, not knowing when or if you will be able to return.
I wonder if Adam and Eve felt a similar sense of grief and fear when forced to leave their home in the garden of Eden. They knew what it was like to enjoy unhindered communion with their Creator—yet in a moment of deception, all was lost. Our Bible reading tells us that having eaten fruit from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, God knew that Adam and Eve would likely eat the fruit of another tree in the garden: the tree of life. This tree would enable them to become like God and live forever, so God banished them from the garden. He placed angels called cherubim at the eastern entrance of Eden to guard the tree of life with flaming, spinning swords—a far cry from sweet fat-cheeked cherubs!
At first glance, this may seem like a cruel and unjust punishment. Couldn’t God just forgive them and let them stay in Eden? Yet the presence of cherubim as guardians tells us that God cares immensely about how humans encounter his holiness, even suggesting that exile was for humanity’s own protection. Although humanity was forced to leave their home, God himself became their home, faithfully guarding and guiding them in a foreign land.
As you pray, thank our holy God for being our eternal home.
Katelyn J. Dixon is a contemplative writer, speaker, and poet living in the Seattle area. In her free time, Katelyn enjoys cooking, photography, and exploring the enchanting Pacific Northwest with her husband, Drew, while partnering with him in life and ministry.
