Un-Life
What happened here? Something horrific to be sure! First of all, this is obviously a world in which we know nothing
about. Giant serpents talking to humans? There’s something much bigger going on though; for the first time since this man and
woman were created in the image of God Himself, they are presented with their very first rebellious thought against Him. For the
first time, it is suggested to them that possibly God, Whom they fully trusted to that point, had somehow lied to them, or that He
was holding something back from them. There is some truth to what he is saying as he repeats what was said about their eyes
being opened, but suddenly, he seduces them with a strong desire to want something that God has seriously warned would
ultimately bring death.
Die? He said you'd die? He’s lying to you. You won’t die. In fact, He made it up, because He’s afraid! Yeah, that’s right…He’s
afraid. He’s afraid if you eat it you’ll be like Him…and He doesn’t want that. Are you going to stand there and let Him tell you what
to do? He’s just holding you back. Go ahead, eat it, you won’t need Him, because you’ll be like Him.
The woman takes another look at something she probably hadn’t given much thought of before. And when the woman saw that the
tree was good (suitable & pleasant) for food and that it was delightful to look at, and a tree to be desired in order to make one wise,
she took of its fruit and ate;
It was a lie! The entire thing! Yes, they would know the difference of good and evil, but without the omniscience, omnipotence and
omnipresence of God. Without pure, un-shifting love, limited man would now take on the awesome burden of knowing and judging
good and evil. Why does that matter? He has now declared his independence and will believe from here on that he is the author
and center of his own life. It’s all a huge lie, you know, since a creature cannot declare independence…because a creature
needs the creator to give him the very breath and words to say he’s independent. Do you understand that? Not only has he not
become ‘as God” but he’s actually now crippled...less than he was before. He's now become handicapped, forever shooting for
something he will never attain. *(note below)
What about the death they were supposed to suffer? Remember? God told them if they ate of the fruit of that tree…they would
surely die. (Death, by the way is what happens when you walk away from life. It's becoming "un-lifed" actually. A break from the very
source of life has to bring with it some pretty grave consequences. For instance, you tell your little one "don't touch the burner on
the stove. It's hot, it will burn you" They do and it does) But, they didn’t die, did they? At least death as we understand it. Of course,
we've been taught that they did experience spiritual death. And that’s true. Spiritually, they were now caught in this horrible
delusion that now permeated their brain, deeply affecting their every thought, they have now "exchanged the truth of God for a lie".
(Romans 1:25) But, there’s more. Death, real physical death was the consequence of disobedience to LIFE. So, take a look
ahead just a few verses…death did happen, only it didn’t happen to the man and woman. Death came into Eden for the very first
time. God killed an innocent animal and made clothes for his man and woman. While I write this, there is a sense of the horror that
must have surrounded this scene as they saw for the very first time the death of a living creature! What were they thinking? They
were supposed to die, however the blood of an innocent creature took their place…and would do so from then on...at least,
temporarily.
God sends them out of the garden with their animal skins and this new “wise in their own eyes” deluded mind. He then discusses
the state of their minds with Someone, possibly JESUS, and/or the Holy Spirit, because God says ‘Behold, the man has become
like one of Us, knowing how to distinguish good and evil, blessing and calamity; and now, lest he put forth his hand and take also
from the tree of life and eat, and live forever’ In other words, in His mercy, the two won’t live forever in this state. What state? This
grand delusion and self-centered sense of self-sufficiency! This way of thinking will begin to produce anger, conflict, deception,
betrayal, pride, envy, jealousy, anxiety, depression and everything else that comes from man trusting in his own wisdom. In fact, it
will be only the next generation that sibling rivalry will result in murder when Cain would kill his own brother, Abel.
Of course, we now know that all was not lost – there was a plan...there was always a plan, even before the "foundation of the
earth." So along with the curse to forevermore crawl or slither on the ground, God announces to the talking serpent that one day,
“the OFFSPRING of the woman will bruise and tread your head underfoot” In other words a promise is given by God immediately in
the garden that One is coming who will make it all right again and turn it all around. One is coming Who will bring restoration. One
is coming Who will become a ransom (to redeem or purchase) to all who are born into this hideous thing called self-proclaimed
independence, or that state of “being” and way of thinking out of which comes every thing we know as "sin"! *note
*note - it is interesting to note that the Greek word Paul used for sin was harmatia, which actually means "missing the mark"
about. Giant serpents talking to humans? There’s something much bigger going on though; for the first time since this man and
woman were created in the image of God Himself, they are presented with their very first rebellious thought against Him. For the
first time, it is suggested to them that possibly God, Whom they fully trusted to that point, had somehow lied to them, or that He
was holding something back from them. There is some truth to what he is saying as he repeats what was said about their eyes
being opened, but suddenly, he seduces them with a strong desire to want something that God has seriously warned would
ultimately bring death.
Die? He said you'd die? He’s lying to you. You won’t die. In fact, He made it up, because He’s afraid! Yeah, that’s right…He’s
afraid. He’s afraid if you eat it you’ll be like Him…and He doesn’t want that. Are you going to stand there and let Him tell you what
to do? He’s just holding you back. Go ahead, eat it, you won’t need Him, because you’ll be like Him.
The woman takes another look at something she probably hadn’t given much thought of before. And when the woman saw that the
tree was good (suitable & pleasant) for food and that it was delightful to look at, and a tree to be desired in order to make one wise,
she took of its fruit and ate;
It was a lie! The entire thing! Yes, they would know the difference of good and evil, but without the omniscience, omnipotence and
omnipresence of God. Without pure, un-shifting love, limited man would now take on the awesome burden of knowing and judging
good and evil. Why does that matter? He has now declared his independence and will believe from here on that he is the author
and center of his own life. It’s all a huge lie, you know, since a creature cannot declare independence…because a creature
needs the creator to give him the very breath and words to say he’s independent. Do you understand that? Not only has he not
become ‘as God” but he’s actually now crippled...less than he was before. He's now become handicapped, forever shooting for
something he will never attain. *(note below)
What about the death they were supposed to suffer? Remember? God told them if they ate of the fruit of that tree…they would
surely die. (Death, by the way is what happens when you walk away from life. It's becoming "un-lifed" actually. A break from the very
source of life has to bring with it some pretty grave consequences. For instance, you tell your little one "don't touch the burner on
the stove. It's hot, it will burn you" They do and it does) But, they didn’t die, did they? At least death as we understand it. Of course,
we've been taught that they did experience spiritual death. And that’s true. Spiritually, they were now caught in this horrible
delusion that now permeated their brain, deeply affecting their every thought, they have now "exchanged the truth of God for a lie".
(Romans 1:25) But, there’s more. Death, real physical death was the consequence of disobedience to LIFE. So, take a look
ahead just a few verses…death did happen, only it didn’t happen to the man and woman. Death came into Eden for the very first
time. God killed an innocent animal and made clothes for his man and woman. While I write this, there is a sense of the horror that
must have surrounded this scene as they saw for the very first time the death of a living creature! What were they thinking? They
were supposed to die, however the blood of an innocent creature took their place…and would do so from then on...at least,
temporarily.
God sends them out of the garden with their animal skins and this new “wise in their own eyes” deluded mind. He then discusses
the state of their minds with Someone, possibly JESUS, and/or the Holy Spirit, because God says ‘Behold, the man has become
like one of Us, knowing how to distinguish good and evil, blessing and calamity; and now, lest he put forth his hand and take also
from the tree of life and eat, and live forever’ In other words, in His mercy, the two won’t live forever in this state. What state? This
grand delusion and self-centered sense of self-sufficiency! This way of thinking will begin to produce anger, conflict, deception,
betrayal, pride, envy, jealousy, anxiety, depression and everything else that comes from man trusting in his own wisdom. In fact, it
will be only the next generation that sibling rivalry will result in murder when Cain would kill his own brother, Abel.
Of course, we now know that all was not lost – there was a plan...there was always a plan, even before the "foundation of the
earth." So along with the curse to forevermore crawl or slither on the ground, God announces to the talking serpent that one day,
“the OFFSPRING of the woman will bruise and tread your head underfoot” In other words a promise is given by God immediately in
the garden that One is coming who will make it all right again and turn it all around. One is coming Who will bring restoration. One
is coming Who will become a ransom (to redeem or purchase) to all who are born into this hideous thing called self-proclaimed
independence, or that state of “being” and way of thinking out of which comes every thing we know as "sin"! *note
*note - it is interesting to note that the Greek word Paul used for sin was harmatia, which actually means "missing the mark"
| Naked & Unashamed! |
| How did we get here? |
Genesis 3:1-6
Now the serpent was more subtle and crafty than any living creature of the field which the Lord God had
made. And he(Satan) said to the woman, Can it really be that God has said, You shall not eat from every
tree of the garden?
And the woman said to the serpent, We may eat the fruit from trees of the garden except the fruit from the
tree which is in the middle of the garden. God has said, You shall not eat of it, neither shall you touch it, lest
you die.
But the serpent said to the woman, You shall not surely die. For God knows that in the day you eat of it your
eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing the difference between good and evil and blessing and
calamity. And when the woman saw that the tree was good (suitable & pleasant) for food and that it was
delightful to look at, and a tree to be desired in order to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate; and she
gave some also to her husband, and he ate.
Now the serpent was more subtle and crafty than any living creature of the field which the Lord God had
made. And he(Satan) said to the woman, Can it really be that God has said, You shall not eat from every
tree of the garden?
And the woman said to the serpent, We may eat the fruit from trees of the garden except the fruit from the
tree which is in the middle of the garden. God has said, You shall not eat of it, neither shall you touch it, lest
you die.
But the serpent said to the woman, You shall not surely die. For God knows that in the day you eat of it your
eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing the difference between good and evil and blessing and
calamity. And when the woman saw that the tree was good (suitable & pleasant) for food and that it was
delightful to look at, and a tree to be desired in order to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate; and she
gave some also to her husband, and he ate.
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