Genesis 3:6-7

 6 So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was to be desired to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate, and she also gave some to her husband  who was with her, and he ate. 7 Then the eyes of both were opened, and they knew that they were naked. And they sewed fig leaves together and made themselves loincloths.

A delight to the eyes – desirous to make one wise… The fruit appears to be so good, worth even defying God for. But what was the real result.

Fear.

Shame.

Kind’ve the opposite of what both the serpent said would happen, and what Adam and Eve thought would too. Commentators disagree on why their eyes were opened – some say its because they actually were given knowledge of good and evil – found that what they did was evil and had shame about it. Others think that the very act of disobeying God made them realize they were naked – bare – before their creator. They disobeyed and felt shame.

Have you disobeyed and felt shame?

Have you ever been tempted by something that appeared to be so, so good?

What happened after the good part passed?

Shame, fear, hurt, pain, anger, frustration.

Sometimes, for me, it opens up a feeling of nakedness, like everyone can tell that I’ve done something wrong.

Romans 7:24-25

[24] Wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death? [25] Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, I myself serve the law of God with my mind, but with my flesh I serve the law of sin.

Without Jesus, I have no hope. Without Jesus I have a life of shame for my past mistakes. Without Jesus, I have pain, anger frustration…

But thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord, who has delivered me from this body of death – forgiven my sins and loved me even in my sin.

Amen.

Genesis 3:2-5

[2] And the woman said to the serpent, “We may eat of the fruit of the trees in the garden, [3] but God said, ‘You shall not eat of the fruit of the tree that is in the midst of the garden, neither shall you touch it, lest you die.’” [4] But the serpent said to the woman, “You will not surely die. [5] For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.”

Eve corrects the serpent – but like many of us, adds to God’s commandments. God merely said that they could not eat of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. She adds, “neither shall you touch it.”

How many times have you added to what God has actually commanded for us?

How many times have you added to what you or someone else was actually supposed to do – according to God, not man?

I don’t know about you, but I do struggle with that. I add on things for myself – get upset when I don’t do them. Or I start to judge those who do other things that actually aren’t against God’s commands.

Anyway, back to the text – in verse 4 we see the serpent respond, and we find that he’s not just curious, he didn’t just mishear God the first time. Here he deliberately deceives Eve.

Yet what he says is half-true…

Adam and Eve don’t die right away, although that’s not what God meant.

Their eyes are opened, but only to see that they are naked – to open them up to shame.

They already are like God, for they were made in His image, but now they’ve experienced sin – evil.

That is the way of sin, though. Half-truths wrapped in a lie.

Glorious chocolate, wrapped in laxative.

An apple that looks so good, so appealing, but once you bite into it, it rots all the way into your stomach.

Sin is half-truths.

Quit listening to half-truths!

Quit listening to the serpent, to those around you that say its just fine, when God says it isn’t.

Quit speaking half-truths! Quit saying that God commands something, that He doesn’t!

If you’re half-right, you’re still all wrong.

Stop listening to the serpent.

Start listening to that smaller, stronger voice – the Voice of Truth.

Genesis 2:21-25

[21] So the LORD God caused a deep sleep to fall upon the man, and while he slept took one of his ribs and closed up its place with flesh. [22] And the rib that the LORD God had taken from the man he made into a woman and brought her to the man. [23] Then the man said,

“This at last is bone of my bones

and flesh of my flesh;

she shall be called Woman,

because she was taken out of Man.”

[24] Therefore a man shall leave his father and his mother and hold fast to his wife, and they shall become one flesh. [25] And the man and his wife were both naked and were not ashamed.

Two shall become one.

God has stated that it wasn’t good for man to be alone. That man wasn’t destined to be alone. There was to be man and WOman. Eve was taken out of Adam. Made to be a fit for him, a helper, a complement.

Two become one. And I’m not just talking about sex.

I know you were thinking about it… haha.

There’s a change that occurs, a hole that is filled, a feeling of completeness.

Two become one, literally. I’m now 1/2 of a whole, and I can tell that when Sara is gone for a long period of time, or when I’m gone. Life isn’t the same, its not meant to be.

It isn’t good for man to be alone.

But – just man and woman together do not make a whole – we see that in what happens next – the Fall of Man into sin. Without God, we’re a mess. We’re in a mess together, yes, but we’re still a mess.

Two become one, held together by One far stronger, far wiser. If man and woman try to be completely fulfilled only by each other, they will find that they each fail the others expectations.

Without God, without a relationship with Jesus, none of it really matters…

I’m selfish, when I’m not focusing on God first, then my wife.

She’s selfish, when she’s not focusing on God first, then me.

When we both focus on God first, then the other – it is amazing. It is what was meant to be. Marriage reflecting Christ and the Bride (the Church) in love and devotion, in selflessness.

It’s kind’ve been a marriage week, but I feel like some of this has just been rambling, so, let me know what you think down in the comments.

Genesis 2:18

[18] Then the LORD God said, “It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him a helper fit for him.”

Helper.

I don’t think I really understood this passage until I married my wife. It’s not really the idea of “help” as we see it every day. It’s more like she complements me, as I complement her. We, together, are stronger.

What I am good at, she is not. What she is good at, I am not.

This is how it was meant to be since the beginning.

This is where I’d like to take the time to thank my wife. For all she’s done, for all she is, and how well we complement each other.

This past weekend, we watched as a new couple started their marriage. Alex and Alyssa Ferrero became married – became helpers for each other. What a glorious thing God has made.

Let no man separate.

Amen.

Genesis 2:16-17

[16] And the LORD God commanded the man, saying, “You may surely eat of every tree of the garden, [17] but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die.”

Options.

Sometimes they’re really good. Like when shopping for car insurance, or a large number of clothes that could actually fit you.

Sometimes they’re really bad, like when you’re trying to figure out where to eat out. Or, you know, when the option is between every tree in the garden and 1 that you can’t eat.

We talked earlier this week about option #life.

Here we find the actual commandment. You can have every tree around you, but one.

You can have everything that is beautiful and looks good to eat, but don’t eat this one – for you will surely die.

Options.

What options are you going to have today?

Which, of all your choices, is the best one?

Which option are you going to choose?

Choose option #life.

Genesis 2:10-15

[10] A river flowed out of Eden to water the garden, and there it divided and became four rivers. [11] The name of the first is the Pishon. It is the one that flowed around the whole land of Havilah, where there is gold. [12] And the gold of that land is good; bdellium and onyx stone are there. [13] The name of the second river is the Gihon. It is the one that flowed around the whole land of Cush. [14] And the name of the third river is the Tigris, which flows east of Assyria. And the fourth river is the Euphrates.

[15] The LORD God took the man and put him in the garden of Eden to work it and keep it.

We get a brief description of the area surrounding the garden of Eden – note there is gold, bdellium and onyx stone there. The description is beautiful, an area rich in natural resources, water and a garden created by God.

Paradisio.

At least that’s how it starts…

Mainly I want to focus on 15 – that God took man and put him into the garden to work it and keep it.

There’s that four letter word – work.

I have a new perspective on work – I’ve been out of a job for about a month now. I’ve been able to be home, play videogames, finish projects around the house. Normally that all sounds like a great time – and it was for a while. Now, though, I’m ready to get back to work.

Work isn’t meant to be a bad thing. In fact, it gives our lives purpose. Notice that Adam is given a job, immediately after being created. God gives him a job to do.

He isn’t alone in that either. In 1 Kings 19, Elijah comes to God, depressed, broken and feeling alone. He has just defeated the prophets of Baal in an awesome way – “Yeah, my God sent fire down from heaven. That’s right!” Yet he’s afraid of a woman who wants to kill him, and feels like he’s all alone.

God tells Elijah to travel to Mt. Horeb, and then he encounters God. He finds that God isn’t in the fire, the wind or the earthquake, but in the still small voice. Elijah comes out of the cave and God tells Elijah that he still has work to do. Immediately God tells Elijah to do 3 things. “Get back to work, Elijah – I’m not done with you yet.” And then He comforts Elijah, saying, “You are not alone.”

There is power in purpose. Work is purpose. Therefore, there is power in work.

Now I’m not condoning those who become workaholics – those who become so obsessed in their work that they lose sight of the bigger picture of life. That’s not a way to live.

What I am saying is that work shouldn’t be a four-letter word. We all have work to do on this earth. Each of us has a purpose that God has given us.

Yesterday I said to choose option #life.

That requires work.

That requires commitment.

God has work for you to do. Ask Him what it is and get to work!

Genesis 2:8-9

[8] And the LORD God planted a garden in Eden, in the east, and there he put the man whom he had formed. [9] And out of the ground the LORD God made to spring up every tree that is pleasant to the sight and good for food. The tree of life was in the midst of the garden, and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.

I wasn’t sure how to start back up again, after nearly a full month has passed since the last post about Genesis. So, I chose the simplest option: start where we left off.

Eden – the very word brings about different thoughts in me. I think of the most beautiful garden I’ve ever seen, then try in my mind to multiple it by 1,000. And the trees! Oh how I love autumn – the leaves changing color and a beautiful palette of vivid colors – oranges, reds – all mixing together. I still can’t fathom Eden.

So, God created man, then places him in Eden, surrounds him with a beautiful garden. Notice that every tree that is pleasing to the sight and good for food was there, its not like Adam and Eve had the choice of whether to eat just from the tree of life or the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.

It isn’t like they grew sick of just eating just one type of fruit, and were tempted to eat the other.

No, much like me, they messed up when they had many other options – they chose option #sin.

We’re surrounded with the opportunity to do the right thing.
We’re surrounded with the opportunity to do good, to love people, to clean up our lives.
We’re given the option to eat healthily, to spend only as much as we make, and to tell other people about Jesus.

But what do we choose?

We choose option #sin.
We hurt people, do wrong, mess up our lives.
We eat junk food, go into vast amounts of debt and not tell other people about what Jesus has done for us, because – well, they’d think I’m weird…

Let’s stop.

Let’s strive to choose not to sin.

Let’s strive to see the open way out of temptation – there always is one.

Let’s choose option #life.

Will you stand with me?

Genesis 2:7

[7] then the LORD God formed the man of dust from the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living creature.

I love this passage.

The LORD God took dust in His hands, and formed a person. With the eye of a master artist, He forms the feet, eyes, hands – the whole body of  man. God is literally hands-on, and that’s why I love this passage.

Yet, without the breath of life, it was nothing but a body. Just skin and bones, hair and nails – no life was in it. So God breathed into man and made him live.

There’s been many more people who’ve talked about this concept, far smarter than I. If you want, you could find out everything there ever was to know about the idea of breath in the Old and New Testament, the Hebrew culture, and even break it all down to word studies.

All I want you to focus on is the fact that God breathed life into man. There’s this feeling, like this is so much more important than all the other creation. God just speaking to create doesn’t suffice… He has to lovingly form man, taking His time, and literally breathe life into him.

We are different, made in His image – and He has breathed life into us.

How is God breathing life into you today?

Are you letting Him?

Genesis 2:4-6

[4] These are the generations

of the heavens and the earth when they were created,

in the day that the LORD God made the earth and the heavens.

[5] When no bush of the field was yet in the land and no small plant of the field had yet sprung up—for the LORD God had not caused it to rain on the land, and there was no man to work the ground, [6] and a mist was going up from the land and was watering the whole face of the ground

No rain.

I can’t really imagine that. I mean, I can, but I don’t want to. Rain is such a beautiful thing to me. There’s something cathartic about standing in the rain, feeling the cold drops of precipitation shock your body with each splash. Then there’s the smell after a rainstorm, and the feeling as if everything is new, everything has been washed clean.

At this time there was no rain, just a mist going up from the ground. That’s something I can’t really imagine. I’ve seen geysers before, but I can’t imagine just a mist coming up from the ground. Was it refreshing? Did it smell? Was it hot or cold?

All these dumb questions, yet none of them focuses around what’s really going on here. This is a quick summary of the time before plants, before mankind came into being. That feeling of anticipation returns, the ground yearns for someone to work it, for man to sow and reap.

There was no man to work the ground. What have I left untended in my life?

There was no man to work the ground. Where have I been planting seeds?

It becomes quite easy to read and not apply, to water yourself, and not others. To let Scripture change you, but only within.

What is God wanting to create in you today?

What seeds does He want you to sow?

What harvest does He want you to reap?