Genesis 3:6
"When the woman saw that the fruit of the tree was good for food and pleasing to the eye, and also desirable for gaining wisdom, she took some and ate it. She also gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate it."
When Eve looks at the forbidden fruit, she notices that it is pleasing to the eyes. But this isn't the only fruit in the garden that is pleasing to the eyes: In Genesis chapter 2 it says that "the LORD God made all kinds of trees grow out of the ground--trees that were pleasing to the eye and good for food."
But when our view of the forbidden fruit is coupled with a strong and inordinate desire for it, then it becomes singularly and dangerously fascinating to us. We have probably heard the following phrase, or a hybrid of it, hundreds of times during our lives: "Yeah, she is definitely beautiful, but so are a million other girls in the world. I really don't understand what he sees in her."
Monday, May 10, 2010
Wednesday, May 5, 2010
The forbidden fruit was "good for food" in one sense, but very bad in another
Genesis 3:6
"When the woman saw that the fruit of the tree was good for food and pleasing to the eye, and also desirable for gaining wisdom, she took some and ate it. She also gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate it."
The first thing that Eve sees when she looks at the fruit of the tree is that it is good for food. Now, she hasn't tasted it yet so she can only guess that the fruit must be good for food based on its outward appearance. When she compares it to the fruit of other trees that she has eaten from, the forbidden fruit looks delicious.
We, however, come to this passage from a different perspective. We have sinned already and we know that the forbidden fruit tastes delicious, because we have bitten into it and have tasted it and we have found it to be so. We know that the fruit of the tree is good for food in the sense that it does gratify our senses, and it is that fact that keeps us coming back for more.
However, though it tastes good, the forbidden fruit is not healthy for us spiritually. In that sense it is not good for food, but the exact opposite. Far from being beneficial to us, the fruit of the tree destroys us and kills us. What God says about it is true: "when you eat of it you will surely die."
The Word of God and Jesus Christ himself, on the other hand, are good for food, always and in every way. When Jesus was tempted by the devil to turn stones into bread, "Jesus answered, 'It is written: "Man does not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God."'" (Matthew 4:4) Also in John 6:54 Jesus says, "Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day."
"When the woman saw that the fruit of the tree was good for food and pleasing to the eye, and also desirable for gaining wisdom, she took some and ate it. She also gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate it."
The first thing that Eve sees when she looks at the fruit of the tree is that it is good for food. Now, she hasn't tasted it yet so she can only guess that the fruit must be good for food based on its outward appearance. When she compares it to the fruit of other trees that she has eaten from, the forbidden fruit looks delicious.
We, however, come to this passage from a different perspective. We have sinned already and we know that the forbidden fruit tastes delicious, because we have bitten into it and have tasted it and we have found it to be so. We know that the fruit of the tree is good for food in the sense that it does gratify our senses, and it is that fact that keeps us coming back for more.
However, though it tastes good, the forbidden fruit is not healthy for us spiritually. In that sense it is not good for food, but the exact opposite. Far from being beneficial to us, the fruit of the tree destroys us and kills us. What God says about it is true: "when you eat of it you will surely die."
The Word of God and Jesus Christ himself, on the other hand, are good for food, always and in every way. When Jesus was tempted by the devil to turn stones into bread, "Jesus answered, 'It is written: "Man does not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God."'" (Matthew 4:4) Also in John 6:54 Jesus says, "Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day."
Tuesday, May 4, 2010
Nitimur in vetitum. In our sinful natures we desire what is forbidden
Genesis 3:6
"When the woman saw that the fruit of the tree was good for food and pleasing to the eye, and also desirable for gaining wisdom, she took some and ate it. She also gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate it."
I don't know if Eve in her perfect and innocent state felt this way in the garden, but one thing is certain: in our sinful natures, we human beings desire that which we know has been forbidden us. Edgar Allan Poe speaks of this sinful human tendency that exists in us in his famous short story The Black Cat:
How then can we overcome this fatal and destructive tendency in us? By coming to God earnestly and praying the Lord's prayer sincerely from our hearts, especially where it says, "And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil, Amen."
"When the woman saw that the fruit of the tree was good for food and pleasing to the eye, and also desirable for gaining wisdom, she took some and ate it. She also gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate it."
I don't know if Eve in her perfect and innocent state felt this way in the garden, but one thing is certain: in our sinful natures, we human beings desire that which we know has been forbidden us. Edgar Allan Poe speaks of this sinful human tendency that exists in us in his famous short story The Black Cat:
"....And then came, as if to my final and irrevocable overthrow, the spirit of PERVERSENESS. Of this spirit philosophy takes no account. Yet I am not more sure that my soul lives, than I am that perverseness is one of the primitive impulses of the human heart -- one of the indivisible primary faculties, or sentiments, which give direction to the character of man. Who has not, a hundred times, found himself committing a vile or a silly action, for no other reason than because he knows he should not? Have we not a perpetual inclination, in the teeth of our best judgment, to violate that which is Law, merely because we understand it to be such? This spirit of perverseness, I say, came to my final overthrow. It was this unfathomable longing of the soul to vex itself -- to offer violence to its own nature -- to do wrong for the wrong's sake only -- that urged me to continue and finally...."
How then can we overcome this fatal and destructive tendency in us? By coming to God earnestly and praying the Lord's prayer sincerely from our hearts, especially where it says, "And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil, Amen."
Monday, May 3, 2010
When Eve looked at the forbidden fruit, she saw only what she wanted to see
Genesis 3:6
"When the woman saw that the fruit of the tree was good for food and pleasing to the eye, and also desirable for gaining wisdom, she took some and ate it. She also gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate it."
Here the keyword is "saw." What we see when our eyes are blinded by a sinful desire is very different from what we see when our actions are guided by sober judgment. When Eve looked at the forbidden fruit, she saw without fully seeing, she considered without fully considering. She saw the fruit, but she did not see the "No trespassing for you will surely die" sign in front of the fruit.
When we desire what is forbidden, our perception of the thing that we desire becomes distorted. Also James warns us that "after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death." (James 1:15)
So, at all costs, we must avoid falling under the spell of the forbidden fruit. How do we do that? The Bible says "Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good." (Romans 12:21) It also says that we should "Flee the evil desires of youth, and pursue righteousness, faith, love and peace, along with those who call on the Lord out of a pure heart." (2 Timothy 2:22)
"When the woman saw that the fruit of the tree was good for food and pleasing to the eye, and also desirable for gaining wisdom, she took some and ate it. She also gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate it."
Here the keyword is "saw." What we see when our eyes are blinded by a sinful desire is very different from what we see when our actions are guided by sober judgment. When Eve looked at the forbidden fruit, she saw without fully seeing, she considered without fully considering. She saw the fruit, but she did not see the "No trespassing for you will surely die" sign in front of the fruit.
When we desire what is forbidden, our perception of the thing that we desire becomes distorted. Also James warns us that "after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death." (James 1:15)
So, at all costs, we must avoid falling under the spell of the forbidden fruit. How do we do that? The Bible says "Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good." (Romans 12:21) It also says that we should "Flee the evil desires of youth, and pursue righteousness, faith, love and peace, along with those who call on the Lord out of a pure heart." (2 Timothy 2:22)
Thursday, April 29, 2010
A lie cloaked in a truth: "Eat the forbidden fruit and you will know good and evil"
Genesis 3:5
"For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil."
The truth is after eating the forbidden fruit, Adam and Eve do know good and evil. The lie is that this is something desirable, for after disobeying God, they begin to experience firsthand the devastating consequences of sin.
The question for us today then is this: Are we willing to take God at his word? Are we willing to believe that when God warns us not to do something, he does it for our own good? Or do we need to cut and wound ourselves first like Adam and Eve did, before we begin to say to ourselves, "God was right all along, I should not have disobeyed him."
"For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil."
The truth is after eating the forbidden fruit, Adam and Eve do know good and evil. The lie is that this is something desirable, for after disobeying God, they begin to experience firsthand the devastating consequences of sin.
The question for us today then is this: Are we willing to take God at his word? Are we willing to believe that when God warns us not to do something, he does it for our own good? Or do we need to cut and wound ourselves first like Adam and Eve did, before we begin to say to ourselves, "God was right all along, I should not have disobeyed him."
Wednesday, April 28, 2010
"When you eat the forbidden fruit you will be like God," says the devil
Genesis 3:5
"For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil."
The devil, that ten-headed hydra who is more unlike God than any creature we can imagine, says to Eve, "When you eat the forbidden fruit, you will be like God." Of all the devil's lies this is surely the most preposterous one. How can he who is a murderer and a liar in whom there is no truth tell us that we will be like God?
The whole thing would be laughable, were it not for the fact that that lie appeals to us in a strange and powerful and undeniable way. But we must remember who it is that prompts us thus. It is the serpent.
The devil was the first to fall because of his desire to be like God. He who was once the most beautiful and glorious of all God's creatures, is today the most miserable, angry and lost of them all and he wants to rob us of the peace and joy that are ours in Christ Jesus.
"For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil."
The devil, that ten-headed hydra who is more unlike God than any creature we can imagine, says to Eve, "When you eat the forbidden fruit, you will be like God." Of all the devil's lies this is surely the most preposterous one. How can he who is a murderer and a liar in whom there is no truth tell us that we will be like God?
The whole thing would be laughable, were it not for the fact that that lie appeals to us in a strange and powerful and undeniable way. But we must remember who it is that prompts us thus. It is the serpent.
The devil was the first to fall because of his desire to be like God. He who was once the most beautiful and glorious of all God's creatures, is today the most miserable, angry and lost of them all and he wants to rob us of the peace and joy that are ours in Christ Jesus.
Tuesday, April 27, 2010
The devil lies by telling us "sin will open your eyes"
Genesis 3:5
"For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil."
Satan says to the woman "when you eat of it your eyes will be opened." This implies that, at the time the devil came to her with this lie, Eve was living in ignorance. According to the devil, this was an ignorance that God himself was imposing on Eve, since he was the one who had commanded Adam and Eve not to eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.
Today, Satan still tells us the same lie. He wants us to believe that sin will make us wiser, that it will open our eyes. This is a lie that we find echoed everywhere we look: in our movies, in the music we listen to, on ads everywhere. Everywhere we look or turn we find this idea--this deadly fallacy--being promoted and upheld by people all over the world. "Sin makes you wiser," they tell us, "it makes you smarter. You are not really living until you sin."
But, in his word, God tells us the exact opposite: Ephesians 4:18 reveals what sin really does to us. It says, "They are darkened in their understanding and separated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them due to the hardening of their hearts." Far from opening our eyes, sin makes us blind and ignorant.
Only Jesus, the light of men, makes us wiser. The Bible tells us that in Jesus Christ "are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge." (Colossians 2:3)
"For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil."
Satan says to the woman "when you eat of it your eyes will be opened." This implies that, at the time the devil came to her with this lie, Eve was living in ignorance. According to the devil, this was an ignorance that God himself was imposing on Eve, since he was the one who had commanded Adam and Eve not to eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.
Today, Satan still tells us the same lie. He wants us to believe that sin will make us wiser, that it will open our eyes. This is a lie that we find echoed everywhere we look: in our movies, in the music we listen to, on ads everywhere. Everywhere we look or turn we find this idea--this deadly fallacy--being promoted and upheld by people all over the world. "Sin makes you wiser," they tell us, "it makes you smarter. You are not really living until you sin."
But, in his word, God tells us the exact opposite: Ephesians 4:18 reveals what sin really does to us. It says, "They are darkened in their understanding and separated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them due to the hardening of their hearts." Far from opening our eyes, sin makes us blind and ignorant.
Only Jesus, the light of men, makes us wiser. The Bible tells us that in Jesus Christ "are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge." (Colossians 2:3)
Sunday, April 25, 2010
"For God knows that when you eat of it..." The devil wants us to doubt that God loves us
Genesis 3:5
"For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil."
"You will not surely die," Satan says to Eve. "For God knows that when you eat of it..." This is a direct attack by the devil on the character of God. Satan tries to make Eve believe that God is withholding some vital piece of information from her--that for some reason God isn't telling her the whole story and he's hiding something from her. Satan still attacks us like this today.
When this strategy works, it has the effect of planting doubt in our hearts regarding God's love for us. At the core of it, our faith is a belief in the goodness and in the love of God for us. However, when this belief is shaken, then our whole world starts to crumble, and we become vulnerable to sin.
We must not allow the devil to corrupt our understanding of who God is. We must not allow him to steal from our minds the things that we know to be true about God. In regards to God's love the Apostle John says, "How great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God!" (1 John 3:1) Of this we can be certain: God loves us. He loves us because the Bible tells us he does, and because each of us has experienced his love in our lives in a very personal way.
"For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil."
"You will not surely die," Satan says to Eve. "For God knows that when you eat of it..." This is a direct attack by the devil on the character of God. Satan tries to make Eve believe that God is withholding some vital piece of information from her--that for some reason God isn't telling her the whole story and he's hiding something from her. Satan still attacks us like this today.
When this strategy works, it has the effect of planting doubt in our hearts regarding God's love for us. At the core of it, our faith is a belief in the goodness and in the love of God for us. However, when this belief is shaken, then our whole world starts to crumble, and we become vulnerable to sin.
We must not allow the devil to corrupt our understanding of who God is. We must not allow him to steal from our minds the things that we know to be true about God. In regards to God's love the Apostle John says, "How great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God!" (1 John 3:1) Of this we can be certain: God loves us. He loves us because the Bible tells us he does, and because each of us has experienced his love in our lives in a very personal way.
Saturday, April 24, 2010
The devil's biggest lie: "You will not surely die"
Genesis 3:4
"You will not surely die," the serpent said to the woman.
Here the devil tells the woman, his biggest and boldest lie. He directly contradicts God who said, "...you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat of it you will surely die. There is nothing equivocal in God's command. There is no room for compromise there and it is not open to interpretation. God's tells us clearly, "If you sin by disobeying me, you will surely die."
And yet here comes the devil and he tells the woman that what God said is not true. "You will not surely die," he says. And ever since that tragic, fatal day in the garden, the devil has been echoing that lie to all mankind. Down through the ages it's lethal effect has been clearly seen: nations have collapsed because of it, families have been devastated by it, and countless souls have been seduced and destroyed by it.
We cannot--must not--underestimate the power that this lie has over the human heart. In our sinful nature we are strongly drawn to it. We want to believe that we can commit this sin or that other without suffering the consequences of it. And with the devil's help we come up with a million reasons why in this particular instance and due to this unique set of circumstances it is okay for us to sin. But that lie is like a bridge that leads from innocence to corruption. We must not cross it. Eve crossed it and it became a source of endless woe to herself, her husband and to all the people that came afterward.
On the other side of the bridge Satan is beckoning us to come. Except he doesn't look like Satan but like the shape of the sinful things we like. "Cross that bridge!" he says to us, "Cmon, cross that bridge! You will not surely die!" But on this side of the bridge Jesus stands next to us and he says to us, "Keep your eyes on me. And on the things that are of God and things will go well with you."
"You will not surely die," the serpent said to the woman.
Here the devil tells the woman, his biggest and boldest lie. He directly contradicts God who said, "...you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat of it you will surely die. There is nothing equivocal in God's command. There is no room for compromise there and it is not open to interpretation. God's tells us clearly, "If you sin by disobeying me, you will surely die."
And yet here comes the devil and he tells the woman that what God said is not true. "You will not surely die," he says. And ever since that tragic, fatal day in the garden, the devil has been echoing that lie to all mankind. Down through the ages it's lethal effect has been clearly seen: nations have collapsed because of it, families have been devastated by it, and countless souls have been seduced and destroyed by it.
We cannot--must not--underestimate the power that this lie has over the human heart. In our sinful nature we are strongly drawn to it. We want to believe that we can commit this sin or that other without suffering the consequences of it. And with the devil's help we come up with a million reasons why in this particular instance and due to this unique set of circumstances it is okay for us to sin. But that lie is like a bridge that leads from innocence to corruption. We must not cross it. Eve crossed it and it became a source of endless woe to herself, her husband and to all the people that came afterward.
On the other side of the bridge Satan is beckoning us to come. Except he doesn't look like Satan but like the shape of the sinful things we like. "Cross that bridge!" he says to us, "Cmon, cross that bridge! You will not surely die!" But on this side of the bridge Jesus stands next to us and he says to us, "Keep your eyes on me. And on the things that are of God and things will go well with you."
Friday, April 23, 2010
Why is Eve so vulnerable to the devil's attack?
Genesis 3:3
"...but God did say, 'You must not eat fruit from the tree that is in the middle of the garden, and you must not touch it, or you will die.'"
In the garden, Satan comes to Eve with a probing question: "Did God really say, 'You must not eat from any tree in the garden'?" In her reply to him, Eve reveals how susceptible she is to the devil's attack:
The woman said to the serpent, "We may eat fruit from the trees in the garden, but God did say, 'You must not eat fruit from the tree that is in the middle of the garden, and you must not touch it, or you will die.' "
Eve does two things that we should never do: she adds to the word of God and she subtracts from it. Eve adds to the word of God when she says God told them that they must not touch the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. God did say that they must not eat from that tree, but he never said that they cannot touch it. Secondly, Eve subtracts from the word of God when she says, "you will die." God said, "you will surely die," but Eve takes the absolute out of God's word when she says, "you will die."
The word of God is an essential component of the Christian armor (Ephesians 6:17). It is the sword of the Spirit, which we can use to ward off the devil when he attacks us with his lies. But the word is no longer a sword when we add or subtract to it.
"...but God did say, 'You must not eat fruit from the tree that is in the middle of the garden, and you must not touch it, or you will die.'"
In the garden, Satan comes to Eve with a probing question: "Did God really say, 'You must not eat from any tree in the garden'?" In her reply to him, Eve reveals how susceptible she is to the devil's attack:
The woman said to the serpent, "We may eat fruit from the trees in the garden, but God did say, 'You must not eat fruit from the tree that is in the middle of the garden, and you must not touch it, or you will die.' "
Eve does two things that we should never do: she adds to the word of God and she subtracts from it. Eve adds to the word of God when she says God told them that they must not touch the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. God did say that they must not eat from that tree, but he never said that they cannot touch it. Secondly, Eve subtracts from the word of God when she says, "you will die." God said, "you will surely die," but Eve takes the absolute out of God's word when she says, "you will die."
The word of God is an essential component of the Christian armor (Ephesians 6:17). It is the sword of the Spirit, which we can use to ward off the devil when he attacks us with his lies. But the word is no longer a sword when we add or subtract to it.
Thursday, April 22, 2010
On the importance of reading the Bible carefully and knowing exactly what it says
Genesis 3:1
Now the serpent was more crafty than any of the wild animals the LORD God had made. He said to the woman, "Did God really say, 'You must not eat from any tree in the garden?'"
In the garden, the devil comes to Eve in the form of a serpent and asks, "Did God really say, 'You must not eat from any tree in the garden?'" Here, the devil tries to deliberately change the word of God. In Genesis 2:16 God says the exact opposite of what Satan says. The Lord God said, "You are free to eat from any tree of the garden..."
God proclaims to us in his word that we are free (John 8:36 "So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed."), but Satan tries to shackle us by planting in our minds a view of God that is a lie. This is his strategy to get us to fall into sin. And as we read on in this tragic passage (Genesis 3), we find that one of the reasons why Eve is not prepared for this attack is because she does not know exactly what the Bible says.
Now the serpent was more crafty than any of the wild animals the LORD God had made. He said to the woman, "Did God really say, 'You must not eat from any tree in the garden?'"
In the garden, the devil comes to Eve in the form of a serpent and asks, "Did God really say, 'You must not eat from any tree in the garden?'" Here, the devil tries to deliberately change the word of God. In Genesis 2:16 God says the exact opposite of what Satan says. The Lord God said, "You are free to eat from any tree of the garden..."
God proclaims to us in his word that we are free (John 8:36 "So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed."), but Satan tries to shackle us by planting in our minds a view of God that is a lie. This is his strategy to get us to fall into sin. And as we read on in this tragic passage (Genesis 3), we find that one of the reasons why Eve is not prepared for this attack is because she does not know exactly what the Bible says.
Wednesday, April 21, 2010
In the beginning, in the garden, Adam and Eve felt no shame
Genesis 2:25
"The man and his wife were both naked, and they felt no shame."
Moses, the author of Genesis, may have been looking back in time wistfully when he wrote this. This verse is a glimpse into the perfect peace and innocence that belonged to Adam and Eve in the garden of Eden. It is a state of being that we as fallen human beings cannot fully comprehend now.
However, God promises us in the Bible that by trusting in and following Jesus, we too can begin to experience, here on earth, the joy and peace that belonged to Adam and Eve in the garden before the fall. Luke 1:74-75 says that Jesus came "to rescue us from the hand of our enemies, and to enable us to serve him without fear in holiness and righteousness before him all our days." Also, God promises us that one day we will experience fully in heaven what Adam and Eve experienced in the garden before the fall. 1 Corinthians 15:49 says, "And just as we have borne the likeness of the earthly man, so shall we bear the likeness of the man from heaven."
"The man and his wife were both naked, and they felt no shame."
Moses, the author of Genesis, may have been looking back in time wistfully when he wrote this. This verse is a glimpse into the perfect peace and innocence that belonged to Adam and Eve in the garden of Eden. It is a state of being that we as fallen human beings cannot fully comprehend now.
However, God promises us in the Bible that by trusting in and following Jesus, we too can begin to experience, here on earth, the joy and peace that belonged to Adam and Eve in the garden before the fall. Luke 1:74-75 says that Jesus came "to rescue us from the hand of our enemies, and to enable us to serve him without fear in holiness and righteousness before him all our days." Also, God promises us that one day we will experience fully in heaven what Adam and Eve experienced in the garden before the fall. 1 Corinthians 15:49 says, "And just as we have borne the likeness of the earthly man, so shall we bear the likeness of the man from heaven."
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