Man has been made, the garden has been planted, along with the two distinct trees, and now God places the man in the garden to care for it, cultivate it, and to be provided for. God tells him that he is free to eat from any tree in the garden except one. The fruit from any tree in the garden will provide for his needs, but he is not to eat the fruit from the tree of knowledge of good and evil. God is clear with his instructions, don't eat from this one specific tree. And he doesn't simply say don't do it, he tells them what will happen, the day you eat of it you will surely die.
God is not vague or silent, He is direct and honest. Eat from any tree you want, just not this one. If you eat from any other tree you'll be fine, you will live in perfect harmony with Me, with each other, and with creation as you live forever. If you choose to eat from this one tree, the only way I have commanded you not to, then you will die, relationships will be broken, and creation will be cursed.
God put that tree there so that man was free to choose to love Him and enjoy relationship with Him. That tree had to be there, but God didn't put it there for them to wonder about. He didn't establish a rule and not inform them about it, He didn't leave them to figure out what would happen if they did eat from it, He was direct with what would happen. God is not vague, waiting for us to fail, He doesn't leave them to wonder what will take place if they disobey. He lays out everything that He has given, every good thing that He has provided, and then clearly shows them the opposite; man knows he has a choice, and he knows what the result of that choice will be.
As men, made in the image of God, let us speak as He does. Let us be direct and honest. Let us focus on the good, the incredible blessings that we have been given and how we have been provided for. Let us be clear about the other option, and even clearer about the outcome of that option. Let us not try and sugar coat it, glossing over the reality or severity of what will take place if we choose to reject the blessing in favor of what we see as being withheld.
God is good, He has provided for all of the needs we have, including the need to be able to choose something different. Let us realize what we have been given, and realize the cost we will pay if we choose what is opposite.
Fight the lion, 1 Peter 5.1-11
TO GOD ALONE BE THE GLORY!
No comments:
Post a Comment