God had only one rule.
Genesis 2:15-17 (ESV) 15 The LORD God took the man and put him in the garden of Eden to work it and keep it. 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.”
Romans says
Romans 7:5 (ESV)
5 For while we were living in the flesh, our sinful passions, aroused by the law, were at work in our members to bear fruit for death.
Paul is telling us that while we are in the flesh (that part of us that responds to the temptations of the world) the law arouses our sinful passions. In other words, our flesh rebels against God and HIs standards.
Eve has been considering the one rule God has given. I don't know what she thought of it but she didn't understand why God would prohibit one of the trees. The tree of the knowledge of good and evil is on her mind. It may not have been all she was thinking of but she was thinking about that tree.
How do I know? Because that is the only one she mentions.
Satan comes to Eve:
Genesis 3:1 (ESV) 1 Now the serpent was more crafty than any other beast of the field that the LORD God had made. He said to the woman, “Did God actually say, ‘You shall not eat of any tree in the garden’?”
Adam is right there with her but Satan talks to Eve. He knows something. He has watched her and, though he can't read her mind, he can discern what she is thinking about.
Genesis 3:2-3 (ESV) 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.’”
Note that Eve speaks of the tree of knowledge of good and evil as if it is the only special tree in the midst of the Garden. Is that true? No.
Genesis 2:9 (ESV) 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.
There are two trees in the midst of the Garden but Eve speaks of the forbidden tree as if it is the only one. It is the only one she is thinking of.
He provides an answer to her question of why the tree is prohibited. Eve then follows the pattern of the flesh.
1 John 2:16 (ESV) 16 For all that is in the world—the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and pride of life—is not from the Father but is from the world.
The flesh responds to the temptations of the world.
It seeks the desires of the flesh (here flesh means our human bodies.) The desires of the flesh are for the flesh to have comfort beyond God's righteousness.
It seeks the desires of the eyes. This means want to possess things beyond God's righteousness.
It seeks the pride of life.
Let's see how Eve responded.
Genesis 3:6 (ESV) 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.
She saw that it was good for food. She had plenty of food. This food was beyond God's righteousness.
She saw that it was a delight to the eyes. She wanted to possess it outside of God's righteousness.
She saw that it was to be desired to make one wise. She wanted to be as wise as God.
Satan had observed, gave Eve a reason to disobey God and enticed her to do so. He wasn't omniscient but he was watching very closely.
So, the things we watch on tv, the things we look at in magazines and ads and the way our eyes look at other people and things are all observed by Satan. His temptations come to distance us from God.
So, watch what you watch because someone is watching you.
No comments:
Post a Comment