"When the woman saw that the fruit of the tree was good for food and pleasing to the eye, and also desirable for gaining wisdom, she took some and ate it. She also gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate it." Genesis 3:6
In the Qbible "pleasing" can also be translated as "longing" as if it makes the eyes long for it. This verse makes you wonder what the man was doing in the last verse. If he was there with his wife the entire time why didn't he speak up and correct her and the serpent. Was he just willing to go along with his wife whether or not it was doing something God had told them not to? Or was he there listening to the snake and wanting that knowledge the tree would give?
Tuesday, July 15, 2014
Monday, July 14, 2014
Genesis 3:5
"'For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.'" Genesis 3:5
Here the serpent is tempting the woman with the promise of power and knowledge. Just think, to be like God, in all his splendor and glory. Who wouldn't want that? And the knowledge of everything...The first temptation was a big one. One bite had a lot of power. The fall makes so much more sense now.
Here the serpent is tempting the woman with the promise of power and knowledge. Just think, to be like God, in all his splendor and glory. Who wouldn't want that? And the knowledge of everything...The first temptation was a big one. One bite had a lot of power. The fall makes so much more sense now.
Tuesday, July 8, 2014
Genesis 3:4
"'You will not surely die,' the serpent said to the woman." Genesis 3:4
And thus the first lie. It's the perfect lie because it's also true. The snake was right, they didn't drop dead from eating the fruit, but it's also a lie, because from that point on death entered creation.
And thus the first lie. It's the perfect lie because it's also true. The snake was right, they didn't drop dead from eating the fruit, but it's also a lie, because from that point on death entered creation.
Tuesday, July 1, 2014
Genesis 3:3
"'but God did say, "You must not eat fruit from the tree that is in the middle of the garden, and you must not touch it, or you will die."'" Genesis 3:3
The woman then goes on to not only repeat God's actual command to the serpent, but she makes it even more strict by adding "don't even touch it." We still do that today. We take the way to God and make the path even more narrow with impossible rules and standards. If she had been in the garden any longer, she probably would have added, "don't even think about it." (Which, of course, would have made it that much harder to not think about.) She does have a point, however. Touching it maybe the first step to picking it and once it's in your hand it's so much harder to resist. In Gill's Exposition of the Bible he argues that the woman wasn't actually adding to God's law-that the not touching was implied.
It's also interesting to note that the woman followed the serpent's example and only said "God" not "the Lord God." She may not have even realized she did it. If we bring God down to our level to be equal with us, it's not difficult to reason with ourselves that he doesn't have that much authority and it's okay for us not to listen all the time. Quite often, it's not even on a conscious level that we do that.
What can we learn from the first woman? First, don't entertain the tempter with conversation, and second, guard your thoughts and words to keep God as the holy divine king that he is. What other lessons can be learned from the woman?
The woman then goes on to not only repeat God's actual command to the serpent, but she makes it even more strict by adding "don't even touch it." We still do that today. We take the way to God and make the path even more narrow with impossible rules and standards. If she had been in the garden any longer, she probably would have added, "don't even think about it." (Which, of course, would have made it that much harder to not think about.) She does have a point, however. Touching it maybe the first step to picking it and once it's in your hand it's so much harder to resist. In Gill's Exposition of the Bible he argues that the woman wasn't actually adding to God's law-that the not touching was implied.
It's also interesting to note that the woman followed the serpent's example and only said "God" not "the Lord God." She may not have even realized she did it. If we bring God down to our level to be equal with us, it's not difficult to reason with ourselves that he doesn't have that much authority and it's okay for us not to listen all the time. Quite often, it's not even on a conscious level that we do that.
What can we learn from the first woman? First, don't entertain the tempter with conversation, and second, guard your thoughts and words to keep God as the holy divine king that he is. What other lessons can be learned from the woman?
Genesis 3:2
"The woman said to the serpent, 'We may eat fruit from the trees in the garden,'" Genesis 3:2
The first thing the woman does is try to correct the serpent, "Oh no, we can eat fruit from the garden's trees!" But as it is pointed out in the Pulpit Commentary, that's her first mistake - entering into conversation with the serpent. If you talk to the devil long enough, he'll convince you to see it his way, and for most of us, that doesn't take very long.
The first thing the woman does is try to correct the serpent, "Oh no, we can eat fruit from the garden's trees!" But as it is pointed out in the Pulpit Commentary, that's her first mistake - entering into conversation with the serpent. If you talk to the devil long enough, he'll convince you to see it his way, and for most of us, that doesn't take very long.
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