Genesis 2:10-11, 13-14 (NRSV)
Read Genesis 2:10-11, 13-14 on biblegateway.com
Verse 10A river flows out of Eden to water the garden, and from there it divides and becomes four branches. Verse 11The name of the first is Pishon; it is the one that flows around the whole land of Havilah, where there is gold; Verse 13The name of the second river is Gihon; it is the one that flows around the whole land of Cush. Verse 14The name of the third river is Tigris, which flows east of Assyria. And the fourth river is the Euphrates.
Devotion
We often skip the part of Genesis 2 that lists the four rivers in Eden. They may seem a less significant part of the story. But let's look at where these verses take us.
A river flows out of Eden, watering the garden and dividing into four great rivers. While we know the location of the Tigris and Euphrates rivers still today, the identities of the Gihon and Pishon are less clear. What is clear is that these rivers are real. We take heart in the observation that these rivers water the whole world, making possible life beyond the garden. That four crucial rivers come from the first river God creates establishes the whole earth as the Lord's.
This river feeds our hope for the promised future. Ezekiel envisions such a life-giving stream flowing from the temple (Ezekiel 47:1-12). This river that flows out of Eden also flows from the throne of God. The picture of Eden is not only about a distant, mythic past, but also a divinely promised future.
Prayer
Source of life, we thank you for the gift of the great rivers of our world. May they inspire in us joy in your creation and hope for the future. Amen.