Category: Genesis 02

Humility, Unity and Confidence

On By TimIn Genesis 02, HumilityLeave a comment

The Lord God planted a garden in the east, in Eden, and there He placed the man whom He had formed. Out of the ground the Lord God made to grow every tree that is pleasant to the sight and good for food. The tree of life was also in the midst of the garden, along with the tree of knowledge of good and evil.

Genesis 2:8–9 — Modern English Version (Thinline Edition.; Lake Mary, FL: Passio, 2014)

We start at the beginning from creation forward. We read that the earth was formed, domains made, and inhabitants created to occupy those domains.

Our attention focuses on God planting a garden that included the very thing that would provide a problem. One that would introduce an enemy opposed to God.

We tend to think of time linearly because we experience it that way. An event happens then the next one and so on. Yet, we cannot go back in time or look forward in time.

That movement of time doesn’t happen with God. He doesn’t move backward or forwards in time. He doesn’t look to the future, either. He is in every single moment in every conceivable place concurrently. I know that’s a big concept to grasp. But it helps to try to apprehend that. The psalmist sings of these wonders in Psalm 139.

The existence of that one tree would lead to the downfall of God’s imagers. One that we know He had confidently purposed to rectify.

“Men of Israel, hear these words: Jesus of Nazareth was a man attested to you by God with powerful works and wonders and signs, which God did through Him in your midst, as you yourselves know. You have taken Him, who was handed over to you by the ordained counsel and foreknowledge of God, and by lawless hands have crucified and killed Him, whom God raised up by loosening the pull of death, because it was not possible that He should be held by it.

Acts 2:22–24 — Modern English Version (Thinline Edition.; Lake Mary, FL: Passio, 2014)

It is in the confidence of that already conceived plan that Jesus was crucified. It was set in order long ago before time existed… God, Himself would die for sins. The apostle John drops another bombshell about the “timelessness” of this fact.

All who dwell on the earth will worship him, all whose names have not been written in the Book of Life of the Lamb who was slain from the foundation of the world.

Revelation 13:8 — Modern English Version (Thinline Edition.; Lake Mary, FL: Passio, 2014)

It was determined that Jesus would die for sins. It was also His Blood that atoned for the sin at the foundation of the world exactly when It was needed.

Consider this: It was Jesus Himself (John 1:3) Who planted that tree. He planted the tree of life, along with the tree of knowledge. The latter is that which brought death. Jesus then died on another tree. This is where death was defeated so that humans could have restored access to the tree of life and the garden of God.

In our experience, this is the entire swath of time from creation until the New Jerusalem and beyond. For God, these things don’t happen one after another as spread across time. There is unity in that. Just as there is a unity of purpose within God Himself.

Yet in the moment of the establishment of creation up to planting the garden, the humility of Jesus is a very present reality.

Let this mind be in you all, which was also in Christ Jesus, who, being in the form of God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped. But He emptied Himself, taking upon Himself the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men.
And being found in the form of a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to death, even death on a cross. Therefore God highly exalted Him and gave Him the name which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

Philippians 2:5–11 — Modern English Version (Thinline Edition.; Lake Mary, FL: Passio, 2014)

There is a lot of deep stuff to unpack there. I will leave that for another time.

There is humility built into the creation. There is also unity. One which exudes confidence. Confidence that the necessary tasks to be done would be carried out and have the desired outcome. (God is already there.)

That is part of what Paul is saying about each of us having that very mind. Humility, unity, and confidence.

If there is any encouragement in Christ, if any comfort of love, if any fellowship of the Spirit, if any compassion and mercy, then fulfill my joy and be like-minded, having the same love, being in unity with one mind. Let nothing be done out of strife or conceit, but in humility let each esteem the other better than himself. Let each of you look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others.

Philippians 2:1–4 — Modern English Version (Thinline Edition.; Lake Mary, FL: Passio, 2014)

Confidence that when we are called to lead, we lead. When called to teach, we teach. When called to love, we love. When called to have compassion, we are compassionate.

All of us are called to share Jesus Christ. We can be confident that we are able to do just that.

It Wasn’t Allowed

On By TimIn Genesis 02, The FallLeave a comment

The Lord God planted a garden in the east, in Eden, and there He placed the man whom He had formed. Out of the ground the Lord God made to grow every tree that is pleasant to the sight and good for food. The tree of life was also in the midst of the garden, along with the tree of knowledge of good and evil.

Genesis 2:8–9 — Modern English Version (Thinline Edition.; Lake Mary, FL: Passio, 2014)

The Lord God took the man and put him in the garden of Eden to till it and to keep it. And the Lord God commanded the man, saying, “Of every tree of the garden you may freely eat, but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat from it you will surely die.”

Genesis 2:15–17 — Modern English Version (Thinline Edition.; Lake Mary, FL: Passio, 2014)

This is a quick lesson in how to reason truth from the text. These two selections are closely related in context. They speak of the garden God planted. The reason for the things in the garden. What the man Adam was expected to do and what he was not allowed to do.

God planted the garden. These were His things for the man to tend. The trees in the garden were planted for food except two, the tree of life and the tree of knowledge.

The man was made to manage and oversee the things of God. In other words, He was made to tend them. (This would naturally include tending to the needs of other humans. That’s another lesson.) The man was to be a good steward of God’s things. That was his responsibility.

God told the man he could eat of every tree except one. He could eat of the trees for food including the tree of life.

We see the desire of the will of God for His creation.

What Adam was not allowed to do was to eat of the tree of knowledge of good and evil. We also know that this tree is not good for god by its exclusion.

I said not allowed for a reason.

You will hear it said that God allows or permits sin to be. When it is clear from the beginning, it wasn’t allowed.

The objections raised would be then there is sin because He put the tree there. We see He doesn’t stop people from doing sin, so He allows it.

Both of those ideas are based on a logical fallacy called post hoc ergo proctor hoc. Simply stated, it is using the conclusion to deduce the cause. Logic doesn’t work that way.

Saying sin exists because God didn’t stop it puts the conclusion before the underlying premise. How is the finite being encumbered by a physical property called time able to knowingly determine what the One Who inhabits eternity has done in eternity?

The simple explanation is, such cannot know. It would be gross speculation exponentially more farfetched than trying to determine who wins the World Series in 2030. It’s not likely to be true at all.

In the same way, the tree was put there knowing Adam would eat. It raises the same speculation about motive. A finite being cannot determine the motive of the Infinite Being without Him revealing it.

Clearly, from the beginning, God’s intent or motivation for creation was clear. Humans were to tend it and lead it. They could freely eat of all the trees for food, save one. It wasn’t allowed.

It wasn’t allowed because sin isn’t allowed.

Genesis 2:17: You Will Surely Die?

On By TimIn Creation, Death, Genesis 02, Romans 02, Romans 03, Titus 01Leave a comment

but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat from it you will surely die.”

Genesis 2:17 — Modern English Version (Thinline Edition.; Lake Mary, FL: Passio, 2014)

When you read that verse, what comes to mind?

I offer, most who read the verse won’t really take it at what is written. Instead, the truth might be obscured, understanding it as “you will eventually die.” God is not teaching that sin brings eventual death, but that just death for sin is immediate. Sin, Is a capital offense.

When the recompense for sin was stated to Adam, God did not say, “you will eventually die.” The penalty is clearly stated. It’s immediate death. Let us read this rationally, and not soften what God clearly says. A cursory examination of commentaries on this verse agrees. This is from the conservative Keil-Delitzsch’s Commentary on the Old Testament, “Why then did God prohibit man from eating of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, with the threat that, as soon as he ate thereof, he would surely die?” That clearly delineates what is meant, death is to be expected as soon as one ate. Another more progressive commentary Interpreter’s Bible Commentary says, “Death would follow immediately!” The intent of God’s word is clear. God’s command to not eat of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil included the assurance of immediate death. It stands in stark contrast to what most believe, and to what was allowed, to eat of any other tree… Including the tree of life.

Humans were created to be image-bearers of God. That means being like Him in all ways. There were things reserved for God, yet the implication of that one tree in the garden shows the will of God. Humans were not to know death.

There might still be an objection

But they did not immediately die when they ate the fruit. But they did eventually die.

Exactly!

The eventual death is evidence of the corruption the fruit did to the physical body. It changed Adam and Eve and not just in a spiritual sense. God gave all the other trees of the garden as good for food. The tree of the knowledge of good and evil was therefore not ‘good for food.’ It was the one tree God set aside as something not to eat for food. After the serpent entered and questioned what God had said, Eve had assented to the idea God was holding something from them. She looked at the fruit, and her desire led her away from the truth, believing that the fruit was ‘good for food.’

When the woman saw that the tree was good for food, that it was pleasing to the eyes and a tree desirable to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate;

Genesis 3:6 — Modern English Version (Thinline Edition.; Lake Mary, FL: Passio, 2014)

When she ate, things changed for her. She passed it to her man, and he also ate. He too was changed. Corruption entered humanity. The corruption also had a physical effect on the body. That corruption was passed down to progeny. That is the death from disease and aging we all will eventually die. (There are other ways to die, but all humans will die from the corruption in their own bodies regardless of other factors.)

Therefore as sin came into the world through one man and death through sin, so death has spread to all men, because all have sinned.

Romans 5:12 — Modern English Version (Thinline Edition.; Lake Mary, FL: Passio, 2014)

We also know that Adam did not die immediately. It’s not that God changed His mind or backpedaled on His words to them. There is something else in place.

Jesus is The Lamb slain from the foundation of the world.

He provides the respite from justice that was given to Adam. He was the One Who satisfied what was owed, immediate death.

But the free gift is not like the trespass. For if through the trespass of one man many died, then how much more has the grace of God and the free gift by the grace of the one Man, Jesus Christ, abounded to many. The gift is not like the result that came through the one who sinned. For the judgment from one sin led to condemnation, but the free gift, which came after many trespasses, leads to justification. For if by one man’s trespass death reigned through him, then how much more will those who receive abundance of grace and the gift of righteousness reign in life through the One, Jesus Christ.

Romans 5:15–17 — Modern English Version (Thinline Edition.; Lake Mary, FL: Passio, 2014)

The free gift came after many trespasses, meaning it came at a later time than that first trespass that introduced corruption to death. The seeming delay of death is not a delay, but a respite of justice. It’s been fulfilled. We know this applies backward in time to that very first trespass. The righteous act of One is applicable to all.

Therefore just as through the trespass of one man came condemnation for all men, so through the righteous act of One came justification of life for all men.

Romans 5:18 — Modern English Version (Thinline Edition.; Lake Mary, FL: Passio, 2014)

Therefore, that free gift leads to justification for all. It’s the goodness of God.

But we know that the judgment of God is according to truth against those who commit such things. Do you think, O man, who judges those who do such things, and who does the same thing, that you will escape the judgment of God? Do you despise the riches of His goodness, tolerance, and patience, not knowing that the goodness of God leads you to repentance?

Romans 2:2–4 — Modern English Version (Thinline Edition.; Lake Mary, FL: Passio, 2014)

Paul would further expound on the idea, that all who have sinned are being justified as they live after it.

being justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom God has set forth to be a propitiation through faith, in His blood, for a demonstration of His righteousness, because in His forbearance God had passed over the sins previously committed,

Romans 3:24–25 — Modern English Version (Thinline Edition.; Lake Mary, FL: Passio, 2014)

This is the reality. Jesus’ death provides. It’s a respite for humans from death. This respite leads to justification for all humans.

Enough about death.

Let’s talk about life. Though we all are foolish, the kindness of God is still there. Just like in the garden at the beginning, His desire has not changed.

We also were once foolish, disobedient, deceived, serving various desires and pleasures, living in evil and envy, filled with hatred and hating each other. But when the kindness and the love of God our Savior toward mankind appeared, not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us, through the washing of rebirth and the renewal of the Holy Spirit, whom He poured out on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Savior, so that, being justified by His grace, we might become heirs according to the hope of eternal life.

Titus 3:3–7 — Modern English Version (Thinline Edition.; Lake Mary, FL: Passio, 2014)

Back in that garden, amongst those trees, there is another implicit truth. Humans were created to live forever, and not to die. God is demonstrating that to fulfill what it is to image-bear for Him is living with Him as He lives. The ability to live the kind of life God has is not intrinsic to humans. We need that tree of life to give to us what we do not have. God wants us to live the kind of life He has. It’s HIs gift to us, we must take it inside of us for ourselves.

In the garden, God is establishing reality. A reality that He continually tells us.

I call heaven and earth to witnesses against you this day, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and curse. Therefore choose life, that both you and your descendants may live; that you may love the LORD your God, that you may obey His voice, and that you may cling to Him, for He is your life and the length of your days; and that you may dwell in the land that the LORD swore to your fathers, to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, to give them.

Deuteronomy 30:19–20 — Modern English Version (Thinline Edition.; Lake Mary, FL: Passio, 2014)

The apostle Paul affirmed that this gift is from the beginning, just as taught in Genesis.

in hope of eternal life which God, who cannot lie, promised before the world began,

Titus 1:2 — Modern English Version (Thinline Edition.; Lake Mary, FL: Passio, 2014)

We are not guaranteed to become heirs of the hope of eternal life. Just like it was presented to Adam and Eve in the garden, we must choose to live forever by partaking in the tree of life. The tree of life is not in our midst to us as we live today, in that we cannot eat of it now. We can have it (eternal life) now.

Jesus says we have it now. That, is because we are heirs to the things of God, including the hope of eternal life.

Truly, truly I say to you, whoever hears My word and believes in Him who sent Me has eternal life and shall not come into condemnation, but has passed from death into life.

John 5:24 — Modern English Version (Thinline Edition.; Lake Mary, FL: Passio, 2014)

He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To him who overcomes I will give permission to eat of the tree of life, which is in the midst of the Paradise of God.

Revelation 2:7 — Modern English Version (Thinline Edition.; Lake Mary, FL: Passio, 2014)

Justice no longer stands against us. Justice is satisfied to then provide respite from the immediate penalty due. We know looking back, it was done at the cross when Jesus stated, “Tetelestai!” Justice has been done. Justice is done by His grace and all are being justified. Justification is poured out abundantly in Jesus. He is Just and justifier.

to prove His righteousness at this present time so that He might be just and be the justifier of him who has faith in Jesus.

Romans 3:26 — Modern English Version (Thinline Edition.; Lake Mary, FL: Passio, 2014)

We are saved by His life.

How much more then, being now justified by His blood, shall we be saved from wrath through Him. For if while we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of His Son, how much more, being reconciled, shall we be saved by His life.

Romans 5:9–10 — Modern English Version (Thinline Edition.; Lake Mary, FL: Passio, 2014)

Naked Meets Crafty

On By TimIn Genesis 02, The Fall1 Comment

They were both naked, the man and his wife, and were not ashamed.

Genesis 2:25 — Modern English Version (Thinline Edition.; Lake Mary, FL: Passio, 2014)

Now the serpent was more subtle than any beast of the field which the LORD God had made. And he said to the woman, “Has God said, ‘You shall not eat of any tree of the garden’?”

Genesis 3:1 — Modern English Version (Thinline Edition.; Lake Mary, FL: Passio, 2014)

They were both nude. The serpent, though, was shrewd. The wordplay in that summation hints at the wordplay that exists in the Hebrew behind our Bible translations.

The word translated as naked is the Hebrew arummim. In the next sentence, the word translated to subtle is the Hebrew arum. Maybe it is an entertaining way to convey a recount of what had really happened. Maybe there is something more.

The enemy had no way to directly curse these first humans. Just as the crafty wordplay is presented. It helps us to be paying attention to the next sentence in which he subtly changes the Word God had said to Adam.

“Of every tree of the garden you may freely eat, but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat from it you will surely die.”

Genesis 2:16b–17 — Modern English Version (Thinline Edition.; Lake Mary, FL: Passio, 2014)

Instead of it being a generous offering as God intended, the serpent inserted his own wordplay. He wanted it perceived as perhaps God depriving them of something. He changed the command to highlight one thing set aside, “Has God said, ‘You shall not?'” The idea of deprivation comes in the context following. We can clearly see that for whatever reason, Eve gives into this crafty idea of deprivation. She even added to it.

And the woman said to the serpent, “We may eat of the fruit from the trees of the garden; but from the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God has said, ‘You will not eat of it, nor will you touch it, or else you will die.'”

Genesis 3:2-3 — Modern English Version (Thinline Edition.; Lake Mary, FL: Passio, 2014)

We can’t even touch it. God didn’t say that. Now that she had bought into the idea of deprivation, he pushes her even further. God really is keeping something from you. Don’t worry about dying. When you eat, you’ll be like gods knowing how to fix that.

Then the serpent said to the woman, “You surely will not die! For God knows that on the day you eat of it your eyes will be opened and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.”

Genesis 3:4-5 — Modern English Version (Thinline Edition.; Lake Mary, FL: Passio, 2014)

Death comes because of calamity.

These first – innocent humans weren’t acquainted with death; having never experienced it. God was protecting them from calamity and death.

It’s like that for us. The enemy wants us to think that God is keeping good things from us. It’s not true. We see from yesterday’s post on James 1:5, God gives lavishly to us, just as He did to Adam and Eve. He gave them every tree from which to eat. He gave them the tree of life that would keep them alive forever. All of that was good, but the enemy pointed out the one thing God said they couldn’t have. He made it sound as if what God was keeping them from was something good.

Considering our world and all the calamity that exists in it, would you rather not know calamity than experience it?

I would rather not have to experience it.

Did God really set us up to fall for something that was not good for us?

No.

But each man is tempted when he is drawn away by his own lust and enticed. Then, when lust has conceived, it brings forth sin; and when sin is finished, it brings forth death.

James 1:14-15 — Modern English Version (Thinline Edition.; Lake Mary, FL: Passio, 2014)

I don’t think it a coincidence that this subtle lie from the enemy that God may be depriving us of something has given way to the deprivation we humans demonstrate.

After all, it was just a subtle idea. One that would lead Eve to want to satisfy her own felt needs. It led the unashamed to desire something that wasn’t theirs. It drew her eyes away. She saw that what really wasn’t intended to be good for food as something to eat. She did and gave to the man and he ate.

When the woman saw that the tree was good for food, that it was pleasing to the eyes and a tree desirable to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate; and she gave to her husband with her, and he ate. Then the eyes of both were opened, and they knew that they were naked. So they sewed fig leaves together and made coverings for themselves.

Genesis 3:6-7 — Modern English Version (Thinline Edition.; Lake Mary, FL: Passio, 2014)

The rest of this we all know. The one thing God had said would happen did. Death came because we had set ourselves apart from the source of life. Our parents deprived us of the only life that matters.

The LORD God said, “The man has become like one of us, knowing good and evil. And now, he might reach out his hand, and take also from the tree of life, and eat, and live forever”—therefore the LORD God sent him out from the garden of Eden, to till the ground from which he was taken.

Genesis 3:22-23 — Modern English Version (Thinline Edition.; Lake Mary, FL: Passio, 2014)