Read: Genesis Chapter 2
I think one of the things I like when I dig into a study is slowing down and really paying attention to things that I read in the Bible. It makes me ask questions, like lots of them, and Chapter 2 is no exception. I feel like there are questions hidden in the Bible for us to find, it's better than "Where's Waldo's" because I've learned when you find the "aha, that's it!" moment, it forever changes your life. Sincerely, I'm telling you, I can't get enough.
So we start Genesis Chapter 2 discussing God's "rest" from creation. As I mentioned in yesterdays blog, you will find one of those "hidden treasures" in the number 7. Many times, as you read through the Bible...you will note references to other things you read. Like it will click in your spirit, like the last puzzle piece that fits perfectly in it's spot. The number seven, many times will signify that "God is finished" with something, or something is complete, lacking nothing, nothing missing, nothing forgotten, finished. Keep watch, it's fun. The Bible is full of things like this, put in place for the living.
Living. Bible. Living. Word. Living....like when God formed man from dust and God breathed LIFE into his body and he became a Living Creature. You will see death many times in the Bible too, and it always signifies separation from God. But LIFE, that's the thing you want to pay attention to.
I love that God gives us choice. God always allows us to have options. To choose between and to have freedom over our lives without restriction. As the story of Adam unfolds, God places him in the garden, full of food, (at this time vegan only) and the warning is issued. "You can freely eat of anything in the garden except the tree of the knowledge of good and evil" God says. "If you eat of this tree you will die". ( Remember I said death usually refers to separation from God.) God didn't remove the tree, He didn't guard the tree, He instead placed the tree in the middle of the perfect garden and said choose you this day, whom you will serve. Since this tree is called knowledge of good and evil, both good and evil must have already existed.
Now remember in Chapter one, when God created and said it was good, or very good? Well, in Chapter 2 you all of a sudden come to a place God says something is not good. Do you remember what that was? It was that the man God made was alone. God said, it is not good for a man to be alone. In our church, we have corporate prayer on Monday's at 5:15 p.m. We pray for many things from local to worldwide. One of our National prayers this week, was to pray for the lonely. It is not good for people to be alone and there are many alone...hurting, and without hope. Stop. Talk. Take. Time.
Ok, let's go down that uncomfortable rabbit trail. The one we love to avoid by answering like this..."well God loves everyone, so I won't say that something is sin, because people I love are engaging in a certain behavior and well I love them, so I'm not going to say they are sinning. " It was in the headlines in the Christian news today...a young lady who just soared to the top of the charts was asked a tough question, one she knows the answer to, but tried to elude it, because the right answer to the wrong crowd can plummet your ratings faster than it took you to get to the top.
Ladies and Gentlemen, can I have your attention please....
The Bible is clear on a marriage union, between a man and a woman. It's God's plan. Anything other, is yes, sin. But let's not get hung up on that sin, and start pointing at that sliver in your brothers eye because I can guarantee you there are plenty more sins that we are ignoring that can fling us into hell much quicker...like that huge plank of lying. So, let's go ahead and agree that God's word is Truth and anything else is our own flesh. Is it uncomfortable against the fleshly flash mobs? Yes, of course, will we plummet down to the debts of no mans land if we stand for truth? Probably. Do it anyway. We aren't getting any where by misconceptions, and opinions.
Which now brings me to my question for Chapter 2. Adam and Eve did not have any parents that we are aware of correct? I mean other than God, right? Well, why then does the Bible reference the marriage union of man and woman as leaving their father and mother and clinging to each other directly after the creation of Adam and Eve, if neither would know what that meant?
Don't forget to Tweet #WFILGen2Rev with input, discussion, thoughts, answers, edits, and wise council!