Freedom is Good News Part 169

I just noticed that our previous article ended with the words, “Think about these things”.  And of course I was considering the beautiful and wonderful reward that our God has.  But I wonder how many of us truly think about, or meditate on the “things of God”?

One comment I made previously was that God desires for us to have an intimate relationship with Him.  Are we human beings hard wired in our make up so as to have that same desire?  In one sense the answer is yes, we are!  But as I take a look around me and at our society and yes, even at the entirety of the world, I have to wonder where we have gone wrong.  The things of God seem to be far from us.

The bible teaches us that “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever” (Hebrews 13:8).  In the last book of the Old Testament, the book of Malachi, we read, “I, the LORD do not change” (Malachi 3:6).  God set out, in His creation of the universe and the earth and the people there-in, to bring forth beauty and wonder and awesomeness; and to share His love and goodness, His being and His beauty with those He has created.  His purpose has never changed!!

The failures in our society and civilization lay squarely upon our shoulders.  Remember at the end of the sixth day of creation, God looked around, saw all that He had made and “it was very good”.  But somehow we are not satisfied with all God has given us and it started with our original ancestors, Adam and Eve.

 “Now the LORD God planted a garden in Eden, in the east, and there he put the man whom he had formed.  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.  A river flowed out of Eden to water the garden.” …. “The LORD God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and keep it.  And the LORD God commanded the man, saying, “You may surely eat of every tree of the garden, 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.” (Genesis 2:8-9 & 15-17)

I believe we all know how this story unfolds.  “The serpent was more crafty than any of the creatures the LORD God had made.” (Gen. 3:1)  This serpent, who we know as Satan, deceived our first father and mother.  Satan lies to the woman by questioning what God had said, “You will not surely die, for God knows that when you eat thereof, your eyes will be opened and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.”  In other words, Satan tells her that God is keeping something from her and her husband.

So the woman considers this and sees that the fruit on this tree is “good for food and pleasing to the eye”.  In this she was correct for God had said these very words above in verse 9.  But she added that it was, “also desirable for gaining wisdom”.  Eve bought Satan’s lie – God never said anything about wisdom.  Oh yes, there is much more here; but we’ll save that for next time.  Think about these things.