Well here we are again, at the beginning. Starting fresh in a new year. Please join us this year as we walk through Gods Story in Chronological Order. By reading the Bible this way, it is like zooming out with a wide angle lens and seeing the big picture. So many verses, accounts and concepts are easily misinterpreted because they are not put in their proper context. This year we aim to look at Bible as a whole story and to learn new things that the Lord wants to teach us. So lets begin...In the beginning..... In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. The earth was formless and empty, and darkness covered the deep waters. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the surface of the waters. Genesis 1:1-2 In our current culture, it seems very difficult for people to believe that God spoke the world, and everything in it into existence. Im not going to get into complicated scientific theories on this, because if I did that wed be using all our valuable time this year just debating that. Instead we are going to take God at His Word that what He says is absolutely true. If you are one of those people who have trouble believing God created everything in one moment, let me ask this question....If you believe in an all powerful God, who can raise His Son from the dead, and give you new life, then isnt He capable of creating the world with a simple spoken Word? I believe that God is capable of doing anything in anyway He chooses, and that science is our attempt at answering how He does these things. Using that argument, if there is something that doesnt scientifically make sense to me, Im going to assume that its my lack of understanding, and not God being incapable, that wins the argument. That doesnt mean we believe blindly. That is why we are taking the time to read what He says. Before we move on to the creation of man, I wanted to point out that with each new creation God saw that it was good. Everything God created was good. There was no sin, no disease, no environmental compromise. Everything was good. It wasnt until sin entered the world that things became: not good. So when people say God made me this way, that is only partially true. God made man good, perfect. Sin came in and corrupted everything, so if there is anything in us that is not good, it is a result of sin, not God. Let us make human beings in our image, to be like us Genesis 1:26 Often times when people read that verse they dont pick up on the word us. Obviously God is speaking to someone. He is saying let us. The other person he is speaking to in that scene is Jesus himself before he was incarnated as a human. Jesus aalways existed with God because Jesus is God. He is part of the Trinity. This explains when John writes in John 1:3 God created everything through him, and nothing was created except through him. Once man was created and set in the Garden, we see an encounter that will forever change the destiny of the world... The serpent was the shrewdest of all the wild animals the Lord God had made. One day he asked the woman, “Did God really say you must not eat the fruit from any of the trees in the garden?” “Of course we may eat fruit from the trees in the garden,” the woman replied. “It’s only the fruit from the tree in the middle of the garden that we are not allowed to eat. God said, ‘You must not eat it or even touch it; if you do, you will die. “You won’t die!” the serpent replied to the woman. “God knows that your eyes will be opened as soon as you eat it, and you will be like God, knowing both good and evil.” Genesis 3:1-5 Satan is still using the same old tactics! First he tries to twist what God said, (“Did God really say you must not eat the fruit from any of the trees in the garden?”), and then he down right lies, (“You won’t die!”) Satan was basically telling Eve that she shouldnt trust God. He said the reason God told her not to eat the fruit from the tree was because He didnt want Adam and Eve to become like Him. Satan wanted them to believe that God didnt have their best interest at heart. That feeling has permeated throughout history, and I think it is the main reason, that even today people walk away from God. That one misrepresentation that Adam and Eve believed has been carried through out the ages. People think that God is mean, or a tyrant, or worse yet unjust. A logical person has to ask themselves: How could God be mean and unjust if he was willing to suffer (as a human) one of the most gruesome deaths possible (the word excruciating was derived from crucify)? That is why I am such a big proponent of reading the bible in its entirety from beginning to end. So that we can really get to know the One we call Lord. So that we can let others know that our God is kind, loving, and awesome!! But before we leave this nefarious encounter between Adam, Eve and the Snake, lets back track a bit, and re-read the conversation with Eve and the Snake (Satan). Satan asks Eve: “Did God really say you must not eat the fruit from any of the trees in the garden?” Here is our first bit of deception; Satan injects the word any. God never said they couldnt eat the fruit from any of the trees; just that one. Satan uses deception like this with us all the time, and unless we know the Word of God, it is very easy to get fooled. Next, we look at Eves answer. Here Eve is also not being true to the Word of God. She answers Satan: Of course we may eat fruit from the trees in the garden,” It’s only the fruit from the tree in the middle of the garden that we are not allowed to eat. God said, ‘You must not eat it or even touch it; if you do, you will die.’” Here is another twisting of Gods Word. God never says not to touch the tree, simply not to eat it. By Eve adding the restriction of touch into Gods instruction, she is in fact practicing legalism. She is making a rule that God never gave. Both Deception and Legalism are dangerous tools that can really through us off track in life. That is why when we read Gods Word, it is very important to read each word very carefully. Once Adam and Eve ate from the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil, they realized that they were naked. When they heard God walking in the Garden, they quickly sewed together fig leaves to cover themselves. This is mans first attempt at religion. Trying to do something to cover their nakedness, or shortcomings, and by doing so, in reality hiding from God. Lets remember here that God knows everything. He knew this was going to happen before He created anything. But why would God allow this to happen then? and Why would God place a tree in the Garden from which Adam and Eve were not allowed to eat? Because God desires a loving relationship with man, and true love is built on choice. Therefore, in placing this Tree in the Garden, God was saying If you want to kill our relationship, if you want to turn your back on Me, I must provide this opportunity. All you have to do to end our relationship is eat from that tree. But God included His plan of restoration and redemption right in that scene. He knew we would sin, so it is right there, where He promises us a Savior... Then the LORD God said to the serpent, “Because you have done this, you are cursed more than all animals, domestic and wild.You will crawl on your belly, groveling in the dust as long as you live. And I will cause hostility between you and the woman, and between your offspring and her offspring. He will strike* your head, and you will strike his heel.” Here God is saying that although the snake (Satan) would strike mans heel, which would cause him great suffering and death, God would raise up one of Eves offspring to crush his head, and defeat him. God did this when Jesus was incarnated as a Man to take all of the sins of humanity upon Himself, and have those sins, along with death itself, crucified with Him. This may seem like a very odd concept to you if you dont understand some of Gods eternal principles dealing with life itself. Right after God promised a future redeemer (Eves offspring), He killed animals and used their skin to clothe Adam and Eve. This was the first time we see death in the world. We see that the price of sin is death, and that these innocent animals now needed to die to cover Adam and Eves sin. It is also here, where animal sacrifice is introduced as a way to make oneself right with God. This practice will continue all through mans history so that when the true Lamb of God (Jesus) is sacrificed, we would all understand what that meant. https://youtube/watch?v=ytLxuDB_rtg
Posted on: Thu, 01 Jan 2015 05:09:40 +0000
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