"Then the Lord God called to the man, and said to him, 'where are you?'"
-Genesis 3:9
Genesis 3 is all about how man and woman first fall into temptation and sin against God. Satan (represented by a serpent) begins to tempt Eve by asking her about God's command. Eve tells the serpent that God told her that she could not eat or touch the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. What is interesting is that God never said that they could not touch this tree. Eve added that part in, perhaps because she thinks of God as being restrictive. However, this cannot be known for certain, it is just what we speculated in Bible study today.
What we can see is that the serpent uses God's command and twists it to tempt Eve. Eve knows what God has commanded her; "from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat (Genesis 2:17). Despite knowing this, she still eventually eats the forbidden fruit after believing the lies that the serpent has thrown at her. I believe that Eve listened to the serpent because she did not understand God's intentions in His command. Although she knew the command, she did not understand why God forbade the fruit from the knowledge of good and evil. Perhaps she thought that God was being selfish, because this fruit would unlock the knowledge of good and evil, which only God had at that time.
In this we can see that knowledge and understanding are not the same thing. It is possible to know something but not understand it. A child can know that 2 multiplied to 2 is 4, but not understand why. More relevant to this passage, a child can know that a parent disciplines them when they cross the street recklessly, but not understand why. Knowledge is a good thing to have, but understanding is an even greater thing. Eve knew the command that God gave her, but she did not understand why God would restrict her from eating it. It is unclear what she did believe God's reasons were, but we can assume that she didn't understand God.
Eve listens to the serpent and eats the forbidden fruit because she does not understand God's intentions. God's love was clearly seen in the previous passage, where God creates a perfect environment for Adam and Eve- a place with good food, nice scenery, and no shame. The serpent is able to make Eve question God's love, and because she does not understand the extent of God's love, she eats of the fruit. I do not understand why God (other than to offer choice) would restrict Adam and Eve from eating of this fruit, especially since God created the tree in the first place. However, I do know that God loved Adam and Eve very much, and His intentions could not have been bad. Perhaps God wanted to allow them to eat the fruit at a later time, but wanted to test their love for God. I do not know.
I hope I have made clear the difference between knowledge and understanding. We need both, and I encourage you to ask God for both, especially while reading the Bible. If you do not understand a command that God gives in the Bible, just remember that God loves you. He does everything for our good, even if it means disciplining us. I can guarantee that we will not understand everything, and that we will fail, just as Adam and Eve did. God didn't allow us to remain hopeless, He gave us redemption and grace.
Another thing we can learn from this passage is that we need to allow God to have His rightful place. God is greater than us, and we should never try to take the place of God. When Eve considers eating the fruit while being tempted by Satan, he tells her that God is not allowing them to eat the fruit because they will become like God. I believe this made Eve think that God was being unjust and selfish, and she wanted to become like Him. Pride is very dangerous if you allow it to make you think that you don't need God. Although God is not one who will forcefully control your life, He still deserves to be worshiped and honored above ourselves.
Even though Adam and Eve sinned against God, it did not stop Him from loving them. God promised them that He would send someone who would conquer Satan. Although God punished Adam and Eve, He still gave them grace. He did not simply kill them and forsake them, but He did discipline them. One interesting idea I heard today is that God did not let them live forever not just as a punishment, but as a gift of grace as well. Adam and Eve's sin caused them to have great guilt and shame, which they would have carried forever if God had allowed them to live forever. Even when we cannot understand things, God is always working for our good. We should always do our best to understand God and be humble, but know that God will always love you.
-Smart
(Sorry this was a long post. If you read until this point I encourage you to comment and let me know if you like this series so far.)
Adam and Eve (Genesis 2:4-25)
"Then the Lord God took the man and put him into the garden of Eden to cultivate it and keep it."
-Genesis 2:15
Today I went to the second lesson in the Genesis Bible academy and we learned about Genesis 2. This passage talks about the creation of Adam and Eve, the first two humans, in more detail. One thing that was stressed in this Bible study was that people were made from the dust, and the breath of life. What does this mean? People aren't just physical beings, but spiritual as well. The dust represents the physical, earthly nature of man, and the breath of life represents the spiritual, heavenly nature of man.
This wasn't what I wanted to focus on though. I want to talk about how we sometimes miss the things that God does for us. The Garden of Eden is a great example of this idea. Some things are quite obvious when you read the chapter; God gives Adam food, water, shelter, and a wife. However, God gives Adam everything that His physical self could desire. The trees of the garden not only gave Adam food, but also something pleasing to look at. God knew that Adam would enjoy having nice scenery to look at, so He creates trees that were beautiful.
So what things does God give Adam that we may not think of at first glance? God gives Adam two very important things, a choice and a mission. I've talked about choice before in this context, so I won't get into too much detail. What's interesting is that when we think of choice, we think of it as something we have to do for God. We think of Adam having the choice to disobey God as something that hurts Adam. Now Adam has to choose to obey God, which will show that Adam truly loves God.
God also gives Adam a mission to take care of the creatures of the earth. When we think of missions, we usually also think of it as something we have to do for God. We think of it as Adam having to take care of the creatures and name them to help God establish rule. This is not the case; God can do anything He wants and does not need our help for anything. God knows that without a mission, people begin to live boring and meaningless lives that feel hopeless. God doesn't give Adam a choice and a mission to benefit Himself, but to benefit Adam.
The point I'm trying to make is that God does everything for our good. It may seem that God does things to benefit Himself, but I don't think that is the case. When God tells us to pray, it is not so God benefits somehow from people praying to Him, but so that we can be blessed by God. God doesn't ask us to worship Him just so that He can be praised, but so that we can draw closer to Him. God doesn't give us choices to make life difficult, but to discipline us. God doesn't give us missions so that we can do His work for Him, but so that we can live a meaningful life. He does everything out of love for us.
-Smart
(P.S. Do you think this is a good series for me to keep up? Comment below and lemme know what you think.)
-Genesis 2:15
Today I went to the second lesson in the Genesis Bible academy and we learned about Genesis 2. This passage talks about the creation of Adam and Eve, the first two humans, in more detail. One thing that was stressed in this Bible study was that people were made from the dust, and the breath of life. What does this mean? People aren't just physical beings, but spiritual as well. The dust represents the physical, earthly nature of man, and the breath of life represents the spiritual, heavenly nature of man.
This wasn't what I wanted to focus on though. I want to talk about how we sometimes miss the things that God does for us. The Garden of Eden is a great example of this idea. Some things are quite obvious when you read the chapter; God gives Adam food, water, shelter, and a wife. However, God gives Adam everything that His physical self could desire. The trees of the garden not only gave Adam food, but also something pleasing to look at. God knew that Adam would enjoy having nice scenery to look at, so He creates trees that were beautiful.
So what things does God give Adam that we may not think of at first glance? God gives Adam two very important things, a choice and a mission. I've talked about choice before in this context, so I won't get into too much detail. What's interesting is that when we think of choice, we think of it as something we have to do for God. We think of Adam having the choice to disobey God as something that hurts Adam. Now Adam has to choose to obey God, which will show that Adam truly loves God.
God also gives Adam a mission to take care of the creatures of the earth. When we think of missions, we usually also think of it as something we have to do for God. We think of it as Adam having to take care of the creatures and name them to help God establish rule. This is not the case; God can do anything He wants and does not need our help for anything. God knows that without a mission, people begin to live boring and meaningless lives that feel hopeless. God doesn't give Adam a choice and a mission to benefit Himself, but to benefit Adam.
The point I'm trying to make is that God does everything for our good. It may seem that God does things to benefit Himself, but I don't think that is the case. When God tells us to pray, it is not so God benefits somehow from people praying to Him, but so that we can be blessed by God. God doesn't ask us to worship Him just so that He can be praised, but so that we can draw closer to Him. God doesn't give us choices to make life difficult, but to discipline us. God doesn't give us missions so that we can do His work for Him, but so that we can live a meaningful life. He does everything out of love for us.
-Smart
(P.S. Do you think this is a good series for me to keep up? Comment below and lemme know what you think.)
In The Beginning (Genesis 1:1-2:3)
"In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth."
-Genesis 1:1
Today my church started a program called the "Genesis Bible Academy". What this program entails is a series of lectures based on the book of Genesis in the Bible. The goal of this program is that the attendees learn more about God and are able to teach Genesis to some degree. I decided to join this program because I have some free time in the summer and I always want to increase my knowledge of the Bible. During the study today I decided I would post my thoughts of the passage for every day we have a lecture.
The story of creation is something I have heard many times. God creates the world in six days and He rests on the seventh day. Two things are immediately obvious when reading this passage; God is powerful and He is wise. In verse 3, God says "let there be light," and "there was light". God did not create light with His hands, or with materials. He simply said a command, and light was created. This is a clear example that God has authority and power over everything, even creation. No human could say "let there be light" and create light in that way; only God can.
God's wisdom is seen in creation as well. On the first four days God creates light, the sky, land and sea, vegetation, and the sun, moon and stars. Notice that all of these things are part of an environment and are self sustaining. On the fifth and sixth day God creates creatures of the sea and the land, including people. These things require an environment to live in, but God already created the environment. The order of creation is purposeful and intelligent, revealing God's wisdom.
This passage reveals more than just God creating the world. Creation shows how God is able to put something seemly lost and in disarray together in a beautiful display. Verse 2 states that "the earth was formless and void". The earth was completely in disarray and there was no order, and darkness covered it. God does not leave the earth in this fashion, He slowly pieces things together and creates order and life. God continually says that "it was good", claiming His satisfaction in His work. On the seventh day when the world is complete, God is able to rest and enjoy His creation.
In case you couldn't see the analogy earlier, this also refers to our lives. Before knowing Christ, our lives can seem lost, broken, and in disarray; we are spiritually dead. God didn't leave us like this, He sent His son in order to restore us. This process may seem slow at times, but God is very purposeful and wise. He knows the best way and timing to restore our lost souls. God continually wants to form our lives and create something that is good. When's God's work is done and we are made complete, we can rest and enjoy His presence.
-Smart
-Genesis 1:1
Today my church started a program called the "Genesis Bible Academy". What this program entails is a series of lectures based on the book of Genesis in the Bible. The goal of this program is that the attendees learn more about God and are able to teach Genesis to some degree. I decided to join this program because I have some free time in the summer and I always want to increase my knowledge of the Bible. During the study today I decided I would post my thoughts of the passage for every day we have a lecture.
The story of creation is something I have heard many times. God creates the world in six days and He rests on the seventh day. Two things are immediately obvious when reading this passage; God is powerful and He is wise. In verse 3, God says "let there be light," and "there was light". God did not create light with His hands, or with materials. He simply said a command, and light was created. This is a clear example that God has authority and power over everything, even creation. No human could say "let there be light" and create light in that way; only God can.
God's wisdom is seen in creation as well. On the first four days God creates light, the sky, land and sea, vegetation, and the sun, moon and stars. Notice that all of these things are part of an environment and are self sustaining. On the fifth and sixth day God creates creatures of the sea and the land, including people. These things require an environment to live in, but God already created the environment. The order of creation is purposeful and intelligent, revealing God's wisdom.
This passage reveals more than just God creating the world. Creation shows how God is able to put something seemly lost and in disarray together in a beautiful display. Verse 2 states that "the earth was formless and void". The earth was completely in disarray and there was no order, and darkness covered it. God does not leave the earth in this fashion, He slowly pieces things together and creates order and life. God continually says that "it was good", claiming His satisfaction in His work. On the seventh day when the world is complete, God is able to rest and enjoy His creation.
In case you couldn't see the analogy earlier, this also refers to our lives. Before knowing Christ, our lives can seem lost, broken, and in disarray; we are spiritually dead. God didn't leave us like this, He sent His son in order to restore us. This process may seem slow at times, but God is very purposeful and wise. He knows the best way and timing to restore our lost souls. God continually wants to form our lives and create something that is good. When's God's work is done and we are made complete, we can rest and enjoy His presence.
-Smart
Where are you Looking?
Today I want to write about three stories in the Bible and connect them all together. I was having trouble thinking of a new topic to write about, when I heard one of these stories on Sunday during church. Story number one comes from Numbers 21. The Israelites are traveling following Moses' lead, and they became impatient. The people then began to complain and blame Moses and God for their suffering. God heard these complaints and He sent snakes that bit the people and poisoned them.
Anyone who was bitten by one of these snakes would die. The Israelites realized their mistake and repented and asked God to forgive them. Interestingly, God did not simply remove or kill the snakes, but commanded Moses to make a bronze snake and place it on a staff. Anyone who looked at this bronze snake would not die of the snake bites, and anyone who did not look would die.
The second story comes from Matthew 14. Jesus is teaching people near a lake, and commands the disciples to leave by boat. The disciples are now far from Jesus, because the winds are strong and the waves carry them far out in the water. Then they see a man walking on the water towards them. They do not know who it is, and even think it is a ghost. Jesus assures them that He is the one coming towards them, to which Peter replies "if it is you, command me to come to You on the water". Jesus tells Peter to come, and Peter is able to walk on the water towards Jesus, but then Peter sinks. Jesus catches Peter and prevents him from drowning.
The final story is one I have told before, but will tell again. Jesus leaves Bethany and becomes hungry. He goes to a fig tree, but sees that it has no fruit. Jesus then curses the fig tree, and the next day it is dead and withered. The disciples see this miracle and are amazed at what Jesus has done. Jesus then proceeds to tell them that anyone who has faith and no doubt will be able to cast a mountain into the sea. He then tells them that anything they pray for with faith will be granted.
So what do these stories all have in common? One thing I noticed is that they all talk about looking at something. What does that mean? It means the people involved in the stories had a choice. The choice was whether to look at the snakes that are biting you or the bronze snake on the staff. The choice was whether to look at the wind and the crashing waves or to look at Jesus. The choice was whether to look at the mountain or to look at God's power.
These stories are very applicable to us even today. They challenge us to not look at the worries of this world, but to look at Jesus. In the first story, the people were being bitten by venomous snakes. Obviously their first worry were these snakes that were attacking them. However, all they had to do was stop looking at the snakes and look at the bronze snake on the staff, and they would not have to worry about the venomous snakes anymore. When Peter is walking on water, had he been focusing on Jesus rather than the raging sea, Peter would not have to worry about drowning. In the last story, Jesus is telling us that we cannot look at how big the mountain is, but how powerful our God is.
God does not want us to be concerned with the problems we have or to worry about our lives. He wants us to "fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God (Hebrews 12:2)".
-Smart
Anyone who was bitten by one of these snakes would die. The Israelites realized their mistake and repented and asked God to forgive them. Interestingly, God did not simply remove or kill the snakes, but commanded Moses to make a bronze snake and place it on a staff. Anyone who looked at this bronze snake would not die of the snake bites, and anyone who did not look would die.
The second story comes from Matthew 14. Jesus is teaching people near a lake, and commands the disciples to leave by boat. The disciples are now far from Jesus, because the winds are strong and the waves carry them far out in the water. Then they see a man walking on the water towards them. They do not know who it is, and even think it is a ghost. Jesus assures them that He is the one coming towards them, to which Peter replies "if it is you, command me to come to You on the water". Jesus tells Peter to come, and Peter is able to walk on the water towards Jesus, but then Peter sinks. Jesus catches Peter and prevents him from drowning.
The final story is one I have told before, but will tell again. Jesus leaves Bethany and becomes hungry. He goes to a fig tree, but sees that it has no fruit. Jesus then curses the fig tree, and the next day it is dead and withered. The disciples see this miracle and are amazed at what Jesus has done. Jesus then proceeds to tell them that anyone who has faith and no doubt will be able to cast a mountain into the sea. He then tells them that anything they pray for with faith will be granted.
So what do these stories all have in common? One thing I noticed is that they all talk about looking at something. What does that mean? It means the people involved in the stories had a choice. The choice was whether to look at the snakes that are biting you or the bronze snake on the staff. The choice was whether to look at the wind and the crashing waves or to look at Jesus. The choice was whether to look at the mountain or to look at God's power.
These stories are very applicable to us even today. They challenge us to not look at the worries of this world, but to look at Jesus. In the first story, the people were being bitten by venomous snakes. Obviously their first worry were these snakes that were attacking them. However, all they had to do was stop looking at the snakes and look at the bronze snake on the staff, and they would not have to worry about the venomous snakes anymore. When Peter is walking on water, had he been focusing on Jesus rather than the raging sea, Peter would not have to worry about drowning. In the last story, Jesus is telling us that we cannot look at how big the mountain is, but how powerful our God is.
God does not want us to be concerned with the problems we have or to worry about our lives. He wants us to "fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God (Hebrews 12:2)".
-Smart
Unchangeable
"Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever."
-Hebrews 13:8
Before the school year ended I was reading a comic called "The Walking Dead". The comic book is about a zombie apocalypse and a group of survivors. The main character's name is Rick Grimes, a cop who wakes up from a coma in the middle of the apocalypse. As the story progresses, Rick finds his family and joins a group of survivors, and they move from place to place to survive in the harsh world. Throughout the series people change drastically because they are haunted by the horrors of the apocalypse.
So what does this have to do with the title of this post? In the comic, as people in the group and changing and becoming more unstable, they all look for someone who will lead them with a steady hand. They all turn to Rick, probably because he was a cop and they expect that he will be a good leader. However, even Rick begins to change and go crazy a bit, to which his wife tells him that he needs to be strong for the group. I found this to be very interesting because it shows how people act in times of distress, and when things begin to change.
In any group, people generally will look for someone to become a leader. Whether they agree on a leader vocally or not, a person will usually step up and lead the group. Leaders usually have something that separate them from the rest of the group, whether it be age, gender, height, or charm. Today I want to talk about a characteristic that a leader (or anyone) should strive to have. This trait is consistency, or being unchangeable. I've written about this before, but today I want to focus on one example, Jesus.
In the Bible, Jesus was always the same no matter the situation. I believe this is part of why people were able to follow Him and believe in His words. People are drawn to others who are consistent and proven to be unchangeable. It's very hard to follow someone that changes from day to day and doesn't seem to be reliable. Jesus always spoke the truth, and He always loved others. Even when Satan tempted Him, others mocked Him and beat Him, and when people crucified Him, He did not waiver in His character. Even while hanging on the cross to His death, He said "Father, forgive them; for they do not know what they are doing" (Luke 23:34). He loved even those who tortured and killed Him, and He loves us as well.
People look for consistency in others all the time. A child looks to their parents, a worker to their boss or coworker, a church member to their pastor, or a player to their coach. People want to know that they can trust someone who will never fail. However, people always will fall short, because no one is perfect. Therefore we should look to Christ for comfort, security, and love. He is the only one who is truly unchangeable, never failing. "While we were yet sinners, Christ died for us (Romans 5:8)".
-Smart
-Hebrews 13:8
Before the school year ended I was reading a comic called "The Walking Dead". The comic book is about a zombie apocalypse and a group of survivors. The main character's name is Rick Grimes, a cop who wakes up from a coma in the middle of the apocalypse. As the story progresses, Rick finds his family and joins a group of survivors, and they move from place to place to survive in the harsh world. Throughout the series people change drastically because they are haunted by the horrors of the apocalypse.
So what does this have to do with the title of this post? In the comic, as people in the group and changing and becoming more unstable, they all look for someone who will lead them with a steady hand. They all turn to Rick, probably because he was a cop and they expect that he will be a good leader. However, even Rick begins to change and go crazy a bit, to which his wife tells him that he needs to be strong for the group. I found this to be very interesting because it shows how people act in times of distress, and when things begin to change.
In any group, people generally will look for someone to become a leader. Whether they agree on a leader vocally or not, a person will usually step up and lead the group. Leaders usually have something that separate them from the rest of the group, whether it be age, gender, height, or charm. Today I want to talk about a characteristic that a leader (or anyone) should strive to have. This trait is consistency, or being unchangeable. I've written about this before, but today I want to focus on one example, Jesus.
In the Bible, Jesus was always the same no matter the situation. I believe this is part of why people were able to follow Him and believe in His words. People are drawn to others who are consistent and proven to be unchangeable. It's very hard to follow someone that changes from day to day and doesn't seem to be reliable. Jesus always spoke the truth, and He always loved others. Even when Satan tempted Him, others mocked Him and beat Him, and when people crucified Him, He did not waiver in His character. Even while hanging on the cross to His death, He said "Father, forgive them; for they do not know what they are doing" (Luke 23:34). He loved even those who tortured and killed Him, and He loves us as well.
People look for consistency in others all the time. A child looks to their parents, a worker to their boss or coworker, a church member to their pastor, or a player to their coach. People want to know that they can trust someone who will never fail. However, people always will fall short, because no one is perfect. Therefore we should look to Christ for comfort, security, and love. He is the only one who is truly unchangeable, never failing. "While we were yet sinners, Christ died for us (Romans 5:8)".
-Smart
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