Why Live in the Wilderness and not the Garden?

The global economy has become one large wilderness comprising vast wastelands of a poor majority and oases of a wealthy few. God wants you to live in a garden of financial prosperity, well-watered by a river. For this reason, He started the world by creating the garden called Eden. Where do you live today – the wilderness or the garden? (January 2022)

Texts – please read the Bible passages (below the post) as you read the post.

Key Points

• The Oxford dictionary defines the wilderness as a large area of land that has never been developed or used for growing crops because it is difficult to live there. It also defines it as a place that people do not take care of or control. The Bible largely agrees with this dictionary definition. A review of the scriptures reveal some additional details about the wilderness. It is a place where there is very little water, food is hard to come by, and there are no roads. It also contains pits, serpents, and scorpions (Deuteronomy 8:15). There are however a few areas that have water and vegetation (1 Samuel 23:15). A wilderness therefore consists of vast areas of arid land and few pockets of forests.
• On the other hand, a garden can be defined as a planned space, usually outdoors, set aside for cultivation, display and enjoyment of plants and other forms of nature. A review of the Bible reveal that gardens are used as places of recreation, relaxation, and enjoyment (Song of Solomon 4:12-16). The best gardens tend to have an abundant supply of water (e.g., from a river), and a gardener as the governing authority.
• There are two major determinant factors between a garden and a wilderness. They are: (i) availability of abundant water; and (ii) an accurate governing authority. Whenever the source of water is cut off from a land area, it will degenerate into a wilderness (arid land). Also, if the gardener responsible for a garden neglects his/her responsibility, it will become an unplanned jungle (forest). Consequently, God ensured these two factors were in place prior to planting the first garden (Eden). He created Adam and Eve to be the governing authority over the garden, and He caused a river to flow right by the garden to water it (Genesis 2:4-5).
• In the garden at Eden, the governing authority (Adam and Eve) neglected their responsibility when they chose the wisdom of men (human ideas/philosophy) over the wisdom of God (Genesis 3:6). They opted to do things their own way, thus abandoning God’s perspective on how the garden should be managed. God chased them out of the garden. They began a life of making ends meet in the wilderness.
• A garden or wilderness can be used as figures of speech to depict the quality of existence of a country, city, business, family or individual. The Bible has several references in which this was done. For the global economy in particular, the scriptures reveal that the world’s economy has been reduced to a wilderness. It is indeed a wilderness when you consider statistics such as: (i) 10% of the world’s population controls 82% of global wealth (Credit Suisse, 2019). This is the forest section of the wilderness. And (ii) almost half of the world live on less than $5.50 per day (World Bank, 2018). This is the wasteland (arid) section of the wilderness.
• The political leadership over countries are the governing authorities for the global economy. Through laws and market regulations, they determine how the economies are governed. Like Adam and Eve, the political leaderships of the world have preferred to manage the economies by human ideas/philosophies. Our economies today are products of economic theories and systems proposed by human beings. Philosophies of the likes of Adam Smith (capitalism) and Karl Max (communism and socialism), etc. form the foundations of our economic systems. We have not bothered to find out from God how our economies should be managed. This action is infidelity (fornication) against God who owns the global economy and created it for His pleasure. The consequence of this choice has been the degeneration of the global economy into a wilderness of vast wastelands of poor people and few forests of wealthy individuals.
• The passage of scripture in Revelation 17:1-6 is an allegory that reveals the picture of our global economy today. The passage says:
• Revelation 17:1-6 – Then one of the seven angels who had the seven bowls came and talked with me, “come, I will show you the judgment of the great harlot who sits on many waters, with whom the kings of the earth committed fornication, and the inhabitants of the earth were made drunk with the wine of her fornication.” So he carried me away in the Spirit into the wilderness. And I saw a woman sitting on a scarlet beast which was full of names of blasphemy, having seven heads and ten horns. The woman was arrayed in purple and scarlet, and adorned with gold and precious stones and pearls, having in her hand a golden cup full of abominations and the filthiness of her fornication. And on her forehead a name was written: MYSTERY, BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS AND OF THE ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH. I saw the woman, drunk with the blood of the saints and with the blood of the martyrs of Jesus. And when I saw her, I marveled with great amazement.
• Within the context of this write up, the great harlot represents the culture (civilization) that currently drives the global economy – Humanistic Philosophy (wisdom of men). This culture is the root of all human ideas, desires and pleasures outside the will of God (James 4:4, 1 John 2:15-16). As we speak, this culture drives our behaviours and practices in the global markets. It is an advocate of living by human desires and ideas, without the need to consult God. We explain for your understanding the key characteristics of this civilization, with a focus on the highlighted words as follows:
  • (i) Sits on Many Waters – the waters represent the countries and nations of the world (Revelation 17:15). It implies this civilization is a dominant culture in the world.
  • (ii) The Kings of the Earth Committed Fornication – the kings of the earth represent the political leadership in the countries of the world. They committed fornication against God when they abandoned His ideas/standards for the economy in favour of humanistic philosophies. It is infidelity against the One who created and owns the world (Psalm 24:1)
  • (iii) The Inhabitants of the World are Drunk with the Wine of Fornication – virtually all of us in the world have been taught to follow our dreams. We pursue the financial goals we set for ourselves, through business ideas and ambitions we articulate for ourselves. We are drunk on our self-inspired desires, visions, and ambitions. We have not been taught to consult God who created us and put together an elaborate plan for each of us prior to our entry to the world (Psalm 139:13-16). We disobey the instruction of Ephesians 5:17-21 to be filled with the Holy Spirit, so that we can comprehend by revelation what God’s will for our lives is at a given period.
  • (iv) In the Spirit into the Wilderness – here we are shown the dwelling place of the great harlot. She lives and reigns in the wilderness. When humanistic philosophy is the bedrock of any economy (as it is globally today), the economy becomes a wilderness and not a garden.
  • (v) Sitting on a Scarlet Beast – the scarlet colour is symbolic of wealth and royalty. The beast is symbolic of the political systems of the world. This representation tells us that humanistic philosophies are driven and backed by the fearsome power and authority of the political systems. These philosophies have been encoded into laws and regulations that govern the markets, and indeed every facet of human existence – politics, economy, education, arts and entertainment, family, religion, media, etc. It is very difficult to challenge them, just as you will have to be insane to challenge a beast that has 7 heads!
  • (vi) Arrayed in Purple and Scarlet, Gold, Precious Stones and Pearls – this speaks to the wealth and power that humanistic philosophies can generate. This culture makes the businesses of the world rich (Revelation 18:19). It is the financial engine and bedrock of a global economy that lives in a wilderness.
  • (vii) A Golden Cup Full of Abominations – this is the wine of fornication. Within the context of this post, it represents our self-generated business achievements in which we take pride, and for which the world appreciates us. Luke 16:15 makes this clear to us. The cup is made of gold because human based business ideas can make you wealthy (gold). This is the allure by which the great harlot has made the whole world drunk.
  • (viii) Drunk with the Blood of Saints and Martyrs – God has an economic system for the world. It is a system that is watered by the Holy Spirit (the river) and governed by the saints of God (Matthew 5:13-16). Satan works very hard to compromise the saints. He also tries to keep them in ignorance about their role as servants of the global economy. When the saints (the Christians) abandon their God-given role and influence in the global economy, the world does not see the works of God in manifestation, neither is it reminded to glorify and fear Him. Consequently, the political leaderships of the world yield to humanistic philosophies to fill this vacuum. The economies thus become the playground of the great harlot. Where there are uncompromising saints, they are attacked by Satan and sometimes killed in situations permitted by God. They become the martyrs of Jesus. Abel, the brother of Cain was the first of such martyrs.

• However, although the global economy in which you and I operate today is practically a wilderness, you can trust God to create a localized garden around your job, business, investments, and finances. To do this, you will need to have in place the two determinant factors: (i) abundant water supply, and (ii) an accurate governing authority. The passage of scripture in Isaiah 41:18 tells us that God will make the wilderness a pool of water. Isaiah 43:19 further says He will make a way in the wilderness, and rivers in the desert. If you are a believer in Jesus Christ, the Holy Spirit resides in you. He is the river you need to turn your dry wilderness into a garden of financial prosperity (John 7:38-39). If you will focus on developing intimacy with Him, the Holy Spirit will give you the wisdom of God in place of humanistic business ideas. He will show you what to do in the market to become wealthy over time.
• Having put in place abundant water supply (the Holy Spirit), your next step is to accept responsibility to be an accurate and faithful governing authority over the garden. You must understand God’s dos and don’ts as regards His economic system. You may refer to the courses available under the ‘Training’ tab of this website (adullamsolutions.com) developed to help you along this way.
• This post has been written to let you know that you can live in God’s garden of financial prosperity – Eden. Why live and suffer under the tyrannical rule of Babylon the mother of harlots? You should obey the instruction of Revelation 18:4-5 that enjoins God’s people to emigrate from Babylon because she is about to be judged.

The mercy and grace of God be with us all. Amen.

Texts – please read the Bible passages (below the post) as you read the post.

Deuteronomy 8:15 – …who led you through that great and terrible wilderness, in which were fiery serpents and scorpions and thirsty land where there was no water; who brought water for you out of the flinty rock…(NKJV)

1 Samuel 23:15 – So David saw that Saul had come out to seek his life. And David was in the Wilderness of Ziph in a forest. (NKJV)

Song of Solomon 4:12-16 – A garden enclosed is my sister, my spouse, a spring shut up, a fountain sealed. Your plants are an orchard of pomegranates with pleasant fruits, fragrant henna with spikenard; spikenard and saffron, calamus and cinnamon, with all trees of frankincense, myrrh and aloes, with all the chief spices – A fountain of gardens, a well of living waters, and streams from Lebanon. Awake, O north wind, and come, O south! Blow upon my garden, that its spices may flow out. Let my beloved come to his garden and eat its pleasant fruits. (NKJV)

Genesis 2:4-5 – This is the history of the heavens and the earth when they were created, in the day that the Lord God made the earth and the heavens, before any plant of the field was in the earth and before any herb of the field had grown. For the Lord God had not caused it to rain on the earth, and there was no man to till the ground (NKJV)

Genesis 3:6 – So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree desirable to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate. She also gave to her husband with her, and he ate. (NKJV)

Psalm 24:1 – The earth is the Lord’s, and all its fullness, the world and those who dwell therein (NKJV)

Psalm 139:13-16 – For You formed my inward parts; You covered me in my mother’s womb. I will praise You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made; marvelous are Your works, and that my soul knows very well. My frame was not hidden from You, when I was made in secret, and skillfully wrought in the lowest parts of the earth. Your eyes saw my substance, being yet unformed. And in Your book they all were written, the days fashioned for me, when as yet there were none of them. (NKJV)

Ephesians 5:17-21 – Therefore do not be unwise, but understand what the will of the Lord is. And do not be drunk with wine, in which is dissipation; but be filled with the Spirit, speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord, giving thanks always for all things to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, submitting to one another in the fear of God. (NKJV)

Revelation 18:19 – “They threw dust on their heads and cried out, weeping and wailing, and saying, ‘Alas, alas, that great city, in which all who had ships on the sea became rich by her wealth! For in one hour she is made desolate.’ (NKJV)

Luke 16:15 – And He said to them, “You are those who justify yourselves before men, but God knows your hearts. For what is highly esteemed among men is an abomination in the sight of God. (NKJV)

Matthew 5:13-16 – “You are the salt of the earth; but if the salt loses its flavor, how shall it be seasoned? It is then good for nothing but to be thrown out and trampled underfoot by men. “You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do they light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven. (NKJV)

Isaiah 41:18 – I will open rivers in desolate heights, and fountains in the midst of the valleys; I will make the wilderness a pool of water, and the dry land springs of water. (NKJV)

Isaiah 43:19 – Behold, I will do a new thing, now it shall spring forth; shall you not know it? I will even make a road in the wilderness and rivers in the desert. (NKJV)

John 7:38-39 – He who believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.” But this He spoke concerning the Spirit, whom those believing in Him would receive; for the Holy Spirit was not yet given, because Jesus was not yet glorified. (NKJV)

Revelation 18:4-5 – And I heard another voice from heaven saying, “Come out of her, my people, lest you share in her sins, and lest you receive of her plagues. For her sins have reached to heaven, and God has remembered her iniquities. (NKJV)