Tag: Temptation

Digging in Deeper: Genesis 3:1b

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“He said to the woman, ‘Did God really say, “You can’t eat from any tree in the garden”?’”‬‬ (CSB – Read the chapter) 

When was the last time you were tempted to do something you shouldn’t have wanted to do? Unless you happen to be reading this just after waking up, I suspect it wasn’t all that long ago. Temptation is everywhere. “Being tempted” is part of our cultural lingo. We talk about being tempted to do this or that freely and easily. Not with things we really think are bad, mind you, but the language is common all the same. It’s like temptation is just a joke. If it is, though, it isn’t a good joke. 

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Morning Musing: Genesis 3:1a

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“Now the serpent was the most cunning of all the wild animals that the Lord God had made. He said to the woman…” (CSB – Read the chapter)

So far in the creation story things have been at least believable. I mean, depending on where you stand on the existence of the supernatural it may sound pretty far-fetched, but if there is a God powerful enough to create the world and everything in it, it’s conceivable at least that He spoke it into existence. We can even get our minds around the more intimate picture of the creation of the man and the woman in chapter 2. This, however, is where things run off the rails.

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Digging in Deeper: Genesis 2:16-17

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“And the Lord God commanded the man, ‘You are free to eat from any tree of the garden, but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for on the day you eat from it, you will certainly die.’”‬‬ (CSB – Read the chapter)

This morning we wrestled a bit with the question of why God would have put a tree in the garden of Eden and then immediately told us not to eat from it. I let you in then on a secret about that question: The most honest answer is, “I don’t know.” But, I don’t know isn’t very satisfying and I did promise you two answers.

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Morning Musing: Genesis 2:16-17

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“And the Lord God commanded the man, ‘You are free to eat from any tree of the garden, but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for on the day you eat from it, you will certainly die.’”‬‬ (CSB – Read the chapter) 

Did you ever have one of those experiences where someone told you not to do something and immediately it was the only thing in the world you wanted to do? Maybe your parent told you not to touch something and it was like your hand was suddenly magnetized to it. Maybe a boss told you something was entirely off limits and you immediately started looking for ways to figure out how to do it. This seems like it’s a natural reaction. So, why on earth did God put a tree in the garden and tell us not to eat from it?

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Digging in Deeper: Proverbs 18:1

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“Whoever isolates himself seeks his own desire; he breaks out against all sound judgment.”‬‬ (ESV) 

“I just need some time to myself.” Have you ever heard something like that before? If you’ve been through the preteen and teenage years the better question might be how many times do you hear that per day. Have you ever said it yourself (other than when you were a teenager)? What prompts such a declaration? Often it comes because we’ve had a bad day and want to be alone so we can lick our wounds in private. And, that’s okay. Being by ourselves isn’t a bad thing. Being isolated, on the other hand, is a problem. 

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