Chapter 3: The part of the story where we show how foolish and fallible we are and God shows just how full of love, mercy and compassion He is and that He always has a plan.
I’ve always hated this chapter, its the one I always try to avoid and skirt around. I’d rather not think about how many times I’ve chosen not to read Genesis because I knew I’d be faced with this chapter. To be honest, I think a lot of people probably feel this way, being faced with the fall of all humanity is pretty uncomfortable. Really, its just down right embarrassing that humans are so fallible that we cannot even obey a simple command like, “Don’t eat the fruit of one tree out of an entire park!”
I guess the thing is, deception starts out small, it always does. No one wakes up one morning and just decides they are going to rob a bank. There is always a root, maybe they enjoy the thrill of shop lifting or maybe they pirate movies or maybe they have spent years being hurt by the system and all that pent up anger boils over into action. Very rarely, if ever, does a person go straight to “big sins”. It always starts with deception in the heart. It starts by making God’s word seem small and unimportant or over the top and ridiculous. Either way, we begin to stop valuing and start doubting God’s instructions, in favour of more favourable ideas. Once a hostile idea takes hold, that’s often when the battle is lost. Once we lose our defense in the word, truth and gospel of God, we have willingly surrendered not only our sword, but also taken off our armour. That’s why in Matthew 5 & 6, in the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus addresses the thoughts and sins of the heart so harshly. Because it is out of the overflow the heart speaks and we then act.
Imagine how different it would have been if Eve treasured and knew God’s word, instead of twisting it and over dramatising it. In doing so, she lost the value and power of God’s word by changing them, making them appear ridiculous ~ why would you die by touch a piece of fruit? ~ that’s crazy!
While it is highly uncomfortable to see our own human nature played out so familiarly, we must accept, if we honestly evaluate our own lives, how easy it is and how prone our hearts are to seek temptation. But chapter three doesn’t end here, thankfully our God is so much bigger than us and our failings, and that’s tomorrow’s story!
♡
Musings by Tee 