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Writer's picturewaterwindwine

I went to a garden party

There is, throughout the Bible, actually throughout most ancient literature a literary structure called a “Chiastic structure.” This is a literary style of writing that introduces a subject matter at the beginning of a work and concludes that same work with the same subject matter. In terms of Scripture, all Biblical chiastic structures upon their introduction present the subject along with the downfalls of the situation surrounding that subject. Then all Biblical chiastic structures conclude with the perfect will of God manifesting on that same subject matter. 

    I know this sounds very high toned and esoteric so let me break it down. Take for instance marriage. The first time the subject of marriage is introduced in the Bible is with Adam and Eve in Genesis. The last time it is mentioned is in Revelation 19 with the marriage supper of the Lamb. In Genesis, we see that God wanted Adam and Eve to multiply and to tend the garden , but because Eve failed to submit to the authority of her husband by simply honoring exactly what he had instructed her from God’s instruction, Adam fell along with her- and then we all fell. Then in Revelation 19 we see the marriage supper of the Lamb wherein His bride- the church- has submitted to Him perfectly and has been cleared and cleaned by His words and so their marriage is blessed and not cursed. 

    Now that we have the concept, I would like to point out another Biblical chiastic structure- the two gardens.

When we are first introduced to a garden, it is the Garden of Eden. The Lord gave Adam dominion over the garden and he failed. Just prior to God evicting Adam and Eve, God made “tunics of skin” for them to wear. To construct these tunics, animals had to die and therefore blood had to be spilled. This is the opening of the chiastic structure - the garden is introduced but is tainted by the death of innocence and therefore is sealed until the time of the end. 

     Then in John 18 & 19 we see that Jesus too is in a Garden. In John 18, He is tempted by the wicked one not to go to the cross. In essence to “eat of the tree of knowledge” and decide that what God told Him to do was not in His best interest. Nevertheless Jesus kept the flesh under by submitting to God and resisting the devil. He was under such duress that great drops of blood sank to the ground from His forehead. Blood of the innocent was again spilled. 

    In John 19, the sin ridden, bloody, and marred body of Jesus was placed in a garden. Then Jesus resurrected and was evicted from that garden! Here we see the close of the chiastic structure- the subject matter settled, in perfect execution by the intended will of God. 

   No action of God is arbitrary and thus chiastic structures in the Bible are an allusion to the fact that God wishes to create chiastic structures out of our life experiences. He wants to take the introduction of a subject in our lives and clean up the imperfections, the pain, the failure and complete the structure with an altered ending. So many times we find ourselves in similar situations over and over, the natural reaction is to think that nothing ever changes, and that this situation will play out exactly as its predecessors did. However, God wants us to realize, ask for and believe Him for the closure of these chiastic structures by changing them for our good and His glory. 



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