According to Genesis 2:8, this placement was "eastward." As we read Genesis 2, we must realize that this record is written in figurative language and that these figures need to be allegorized. In message ten I said that it is not wrong to allegorize the Bible, for even the apostle Paul allegorized Sarah and Hagar (Gal. 4:22-26). Thus, we need to allegorize Genesis 2. In the Bible "eastward" signifies the direction of shining glory because the rising of the glorious sunshine occurs in the east (Ezek. 43:2). This is very meaningful. Whenever we come together and have the presence of the Lord, we immediately sense deep within that this meeting is glorious. After such a meeting, you will go home and tell your wife about the glory you experienced.
God put man in Eden. The word Eden in Hebrew means pleasure. Thus, Eden is a place of pleasure, enjoyment, and amusement. Do not think that having amusements is wrong. Today's sinful, worldly entertainments are certainly wrong, but amusement in God is undoubtedly right.
God set man in a garden, not in a factory, school, or cathedral. He put him in a garden, a place that is not only lovely and pleasant, but also a place for growing things. A garden is not a playground where people play, a factory where they work, a school where they study, a hospital where they are cured, or a cathedral where they worship: a garden is a place for growing things, a place to produce life. Life is the central thought of Genesis 1 and 2. God does not care very much for learning or even for worship. He cares for growth. Therefore, He put man in a garden. The church life should not be like a school or a cathedral; the church life must be a garden. In 1 Corinthians 3:9 Paul says, "You are God's farm." Paul's thought in 1 Corinthians 3 is the same as God's thought in Genesis 2, for a farm is a place for growth. Because it produces life, a garden displays many beautiful things. On the contrary, it is difficult to find beauty in a factory. The most lovely, pleasant, and beautiful place is a garden with colorful plants growing there. Praise the Lord that man was put into a garden!
The most important item in the garden is the trees. In the Scriptures the concept concerning the tree is crucial. When the Scripture mentions man, both in the beginning and at the end, it also mentions the tree. Whether man shall have life or shall die, shall live everlastingly or shall perish, all depends on how man deals with the tree (cf. Gen. 2:16-17; 3:1-3, 22, 24; Ezek. 47:12; Rev. 22:2, 14, 19). The concept of the tree is absolutely vital to man's destiny.