We need to understand the Scriptures "Christocentrically." For this purpose the original language is not only more accurate than the translation, but much more colorful. Below are three renderings of the "Havilah" passage; the first from the New International Version of the Scripture; the second, a very literal rendering from the Hebrew as found in Strong's Exhaustive Concordance and Dictionary of the Bible. And finally, what we would call a "Christocentric" paraphrase generated in the light of the New Testament revelation.

Bible - N.I.V

Gen 2:10-12:

A river watering the

garden flowed from

Eden;

from there it was

separated into four

headwaters.

The name of the first is the Pishon;

it winds through the

entire land of Havilah,

where there is gold.

The gold of

that land is good;

aromatic resin

and onyx are also

there.

Strong's

Hebrew:

A shimmering,

saturating the bower

broke forth out of pleasing;

from there it was broken

into (out of joint) four

headwaters.

The name of the

oneness is dispersion

it surrounds the entire

land of travail, where

there is shimmering.

The shimmering of that

solid ground is good.

There is a difference

and blanchness is also

there.

Christocentric

Paraphrase:

A Glory surrounding

Jerusalem

Broke forth from Christ.

From His brokenness

came a life giving Spirit.

Whose name is Blessed;

permeating the Gentiles,

all who travail in

lowliness, bringing the

things of Christ.

This, the gold of Christ

in a believer's heart is

good;

Purity and tenderness of

heart are the result.

Clearly the garden is lower than Eden, and Havilah lower than the garden, otherwise the river would not flow as it does. In like manner, the Holy Spirit brings the things that are Christ's, first for the Jew and then for the Gentile.

The Jews and the Garden had something in common: they both had the law. It is the Christ, however, that infiltrates both the Jew and the Gentile, that is the only good, for by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified or called good. Christ's life, even Christ's

life in believers, is the only life that is pleasant to God. His life is Eden, the pleasant or pleasing place.

We might also point out that the Scriptures tell us that "... God sent his son, born of a woman, born under the law, to redeem those under law, that we might receive the full rights of sons."1 Jesus came to the Jews still intact, but it is written of Him, "... and all my bones are out of joint:"2 Clearly this speaks of the cross. The original word in that passage, "parad," translated "out of joint," is the same word in the original of Genesis 2:10, translated "divided" or "parted." By that means the "one seed", became the many, by which Jesus would respond to the question of the Greeks or Gentiles, "Sir, we would see Jesus..."3 The river came to the garden, the Jews, intact. It was from there that it was parted. This is the parting of the cross that made Him available to the Gentiles, Havilah.

The Greek word for gold is "chrusos." Strong's suggests that it derives its meaning from the root word "chraomai," furnish what is needed. The Greek word for Christ is Christos. Strong's suggests that word also derives its meaning from "chraomai."

Jesus said, as recorded in John 14:13-15, "The Holy Spirit will take the things that are mine and make them known unto you." We are the Havilah, the Holy Spirit is the River, and Christ is the Gold. Gold deposited by the flow of water is called "alluvial gold." This is our inheritance in Christ. This is also Christ in us. Viewing the Scriptures "Christocentrically," is "spiritual gold mining."

Havilah's travail is birth pains. The pains of the new birth are the birth pains of Grace. These are the pains by which we come to "partake of the divine nature"4 in Christ. If Havilah is in travail, it is only until Christ is formed in her, like the desolate woman of Isaiah 54:1, who Paul tells us in Galatians 4:19-31 is our mother, the "desolate woman," the mother of those who are free, truly free. In us dwelleth no good thing; it is all Grace, the true gold of God, or it is no grace at all. Water is a major factor in the distribution and recovery of Gold. If we look at gold in its function, common to Christ, "furnish what is needed", then the Holy Spirit distributes "what is needed."

On the recovery side, water is used to wash away the base materials in sluice boxes, rockers, and pans. The gold is then left and found in the low places. In Ephesians Paul speaks of "the washing of water by the word". Jesus had said "... and you are clean by the

words I have spoken to you." The river may wash over, even penetrate or saturate the entire land, but it leaves its gold only in the low places. It is in the low places, and at the low points of our lives, that the greatest deposits of Christ are found. "Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the Kingdom...Blessed are those who hunger and thirst... for they will be filled... but many who are first will be last, and the last first...I am among you as one who serves..." It is also well worth noting, that the same water which deposits the gold is also used for the sluicing, panning, recovery, and washing, of the gold.

"Jesus answered, 'A person who has had a bath needs only to wash his feet; his whole body is clean..."5 "...just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her to make her holy, cleansing her by the washing with water through the word, and present her to himself as a radiant church, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless."6

1 Galatians 4:4,5

2 Psalms 22:14

3 John 12:21

4 2 Peter 1:4

5 John 13:8-10

6 Ephesians 5:25-27