Pt4 KNOWING AND USING WHAT GOD HAS SAID/YOUR BIBLE
"Ave Christus, morituri te salutamus! "
"Now the serpent was more crafty than any beast of the field which the LORD God had made. And he said to the woman, 'Indeed, has God said, "You shall not eat from any tree of the garden"?' The woman said to the serpent, 'From the fruit of the trees of the garden we may eat; but from the fruit of the tree which is in the middle of the garden, God has said, "You shall not eat from it or touch it, or you will die." ' " Genesis 3:1-3/NASB
If Eve was simply repeating what was given to her second hand then her source (Adam) is just as responsible for her misquotation as is she. As stated before this reflects on Adams relationship with God and his relationship with God effects his ability to be the head of the home/spiritual leader* and his ability to cover and protect* Eve. This is seen in Genesis 3 immediately after Adam and Eve have disobeyed God ;
"Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together and made themselves loin coverings." (Genesis 3:7/NASB)
Juxtapose this with what was stated earlier in Genesis;
"And the man and his wife were both naked and were not ashamed." (Genesis 2:25/NASB)
It is obvious from Genesis 2 that both Adam and Eve were able to see they were naked, but there is a difference between the first account (Genesis 2:25) and the second (Genesis 3:7) in how they see. The difference was/is Adam and Eve's relationship with God had been severed (not entirely). Adam, and consequently Eve, chose to remove himself/themselves from God's authority. When they removed themselves from God's authority/spiritual covering their relationship with each other was affected. The natural is simply reflecting the spiritual, i.e. once Adam and Eve disobeyed God, they realized they had no covering, no one over them to protect them and keep them safe. John Wesley says it best;
"...they saw that they were naked, that is, that they were stripped, deprived of all the honors and joys of their paradise state, and exposed to all the miseries that might justly be expected from an angry God; laid open to the contempt and reproach of heaven and earth, and their own consciences."
http://www.christnotes.org/commentary.php?com=wes&b=1&c=3
The questions arise, "Wasn't Eve the first to partake of the forbidden fruit and therefore she made her own decision and was not following Adam? And couldn't Adam have simply chosen not to partake even after Eve had done so?" The answer to the first is yes and no - the answer to the second is yes - which shows how the natural order, the order that God had set for the family and home was not followed. If we honestly look at what happened we see that Eve was simply following Adam's lead. While it is true that Eve was the first to partake and is ultimately responsible for her own actions (we are all ultimately responsible for our own actions);
" 'But I tell you that every careless word that people speak, they shall give an accounting for it in the day of judgment. For by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned.' "
(Matthew 12:36,37/NASB)
"For the Son of Man is going to come in the glory of His Father with His angels, and WILL THEN REPAY EVERY MAN ACCORDING TO HIS DEEDS." (Matthew 16:27/NASB)
"So then each one of us will give an account of himself to God." (Romans 14:12/NASB)
it is also true that by answering the second question - "And couldn't Adam have simply chosen not to partake even after Eve had done so?" - in the affirmative we see that Adam was not following Gods order. Instead of following Gods directive and standing on Gods word Adam chooses to follow his wife into sin. In essence by "not following" God Adam shows lack of leadership which opens the door for Eve to "do her own thing".
Furthermore, where was Adam in the first place and why didn't Eve call out to Adam when the serpent began to question God's word?
"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 desirable to make one wise, she took from its fruit and ate; and she gave also to her husband with her, and he ate." (Genesis 3:6/NASB)
Apparently at some point Adam joined Eve whether it was during or after her conversation with the serpent will be discussed in a later post. At this point what is important is Adam failed to follow God's instructions which lead to him failing in his role as the leader and protector and consequently Eve became the leader and Adam the follower. This is/was not what God had intended then or today.
In order for someone to be a great leader, they must learn to follow, but it is not necessary for a great follower to learn to lead.
If Eve was simply repeating what was given to her second hand then her source (Adam) is just as responsible for her misquotation as is she. As stated before this reflects on Adams relationship with God and his relationship with God effects his ability to be the head of the home/spiritual leader* and his ability to cover and protect* Eve. This is seen in Genesis 3 immediately after Adam and Eve have disobeyed God ;
"Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together and made themselves loin coverings." (Genesis 3:7/NASB)
Juxtapose this with what was stated earlier in Genesis;
"And the man and his wife were both naked and were not ashamed." (Genesis 2:25/NASB)
It is obvious from Genesis 2 that both Adam and Eve were able to see they were naked, but there is a difference between the first account (Genesis 2:25) and the second (Genesis 3:7) in how they see. The difference was/is Adam and Eve's relationship with God had been severed (not entirely). Adam, and consequently Eve, chose to remove himself/themselves from God's authority. When they removed themselves from God's authority/spiritual covering their relationship with each other was affected. The natural is simply reflecting the spiritual, i.e. once Adam and Eve disobeyed God, they realized they had no covering, no one over them to protect them and keep them safe. John Wesley says it best;
"...they saw that they were naked, that is, that they were stripped, deprived of all the honors and joys of their paradise state, and exposed to all the miseries that might justly be expected from an angry God; laid open to the contempt and reproach of heaven and earth, and their own consciences."
http://www.christnotes.org/commentary.php?com=wes&b=1&c=3
The questions arise, "Wasn't Eve the first to partake of the forbidden fruit and therefore she made her own decision and was not following Adam? And couldn't Adam have simply chosen not to partake even after Eve had done so?" The answer to the first is yes and no - the answer to the second is yes - which shows how the natural order, the order that God had set for the family and home was not followed. If we honestly look at what happened we see that Eve was simply following Adam's lead. While it is true that Eve was the first to partake and is ultimately responsible for her own actions (we are all ultimately responsible for our own actions);
" 'But I tell you that every careless word that people speak, they shall give an accounting for it in the day of judgment. For by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned.' "
(Matthew 12:36,37/NASB)
"For the Son of Man is going to come in the glory of His Father with His angels, and WILL THEN REPAY EVERY MAN ACCORDING TO HIS DEEDS." (Matthew 16:27/NASB)
"So then each one of us will give an account of himself to God." (Romans 14:12/NASB)
it is also true that by answering the second question - "And couldn't Adam have simply chosen not to partake even after Eve had done so?" - in the affirmative we see that Adam was not following Gods order. Instead of following Gods directive and standing on Gods word Adam chooses to follow his wife into sin. In essence by "not following" God Adam shows lack of leadership which opens the door for Eve to "do her own thing".
Furthermore, where was Adam in the first place and why didn't Eve call out to Adam when the serpent began to question God's word?
"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 desirable to make one wise, she took from its fruit and ate; and she gave also to her husband with her, and he ate." (Genesis 3:6/NASB)
Apparently at some point Adam joined Eve whether it was during or after her conversation with the serpent will be discussed in a later post. At this point what is important is Adam failed to follow God's instructions which lead to him failing in his role as the leader and protector and consequently Eve became the leader and Adam the follower. This is/was not what God had intended then or today.
In order for someone to be a great leader, they must learn to follow, but it is not necessary for a great follower to learn to lead.
"Simul iustus et peccator"*
*Martin Luther
*Martin Luther
image source;
http://enchantedgal.livejournal.com/1450.html
original art by Kimberly Crick
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