March 13, 2017
Please use the comment section on this page to share insights from today’s reading OR your own personal Bible reading.
Reading along with us in Genesis? Here’s today’s reading:
Genesis 2 (ESV)
“Thus the heavens and the earth were finished, and all the host of them. 2 And on the seventh day God finished his work that he had done, and he rested on the seventh day from all his work that he had done. 3 So God blessed the seventh day and made it holy, because on it God rested from all his work that he had done in creation. 4 These are the generations of the heavens and the earth when they were created, in the day that the Lord God made the earth and the heavens. 5 When no bush of the field was yet in the land and no small plant of the field had yet sprung up—for the Lord God had not caused it to rain on the land, and there was no man to work the ground, 6 and a mist was going up from the land and was watering the whole face of the ground— 7 then the Lord God formed the man of dust from the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living creature. 8 And the Lord God planted a garden in Eden, in the east, and there he put the man whom he had formed. 9 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.”… Continue Reading
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In Chapter 1 of Genesis, the word “living” or ‘life” appears 5 times. Only living/life is mentioned, not death. In Genesis 2, we have the first mention of “death” and the first warning recorded in creation (Genesis 2:17). This warning is in direct connection to the previous verse (Genesis 2:16) which includes the first command:
And the Lord God commanded the man, saying, “You may surely eat of every tree of the garden, 17 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 2:16-17)
When I think back to being a kid, when I was told I couldn’t do something, it made whatever “that” was a temptation. I might not have even been interested in whatever it was I was being “commanded” to stay away from but because I was (am) a rebel in my heart and don’t like being told what to do, I would often do it anyway just to spite whatever authority tried to control me.
“Eat your veggies!” Where’s the Twinkies?
I think it’s important to remember that a command is not a suggestion. Even for us “in Christ” and “under grace”, the transfer from our old life to new birth does not change commands into suggestions. It actually enables us (because of the Holy Spirit) to desire God’s commands and not be left to follow our rebel tendencies that keep us separated from God. “But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh.” (Galatians 5:16)
And I love Genesis 2:18 where God said, “It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him a helper fit for him.” When I think of all the ways Michelle has helped me over the years, it would not have been good for me to be alone.
Now that I say that, I’d also have no one to blame but myself! (Spoiler alert for Genesis 3:12)
Read Job 33-36 today. Elihu is counseling Job and claims to have great understanding but as I was reading what he says it does not even appear that he listened very closely to what Job was saying and took many things Job said out of context. I think he just wanted to hear himself talk and didn’t even fully understand Jobs situation. Made me think of the verse in proverbs chapter 10:19 “When there are many words transgression is unavoidable, but he who restrains his lips is wise.” Makes me very conscious to be a better listener and slow to speak.
Today I am in 2 Corinthians Chapter 11, writing question for the Women’s Bible Study. I am listening to J. Vernon McGee preach for more insight.
🙂Amy, love being on the Bible Bus for 21 years now
We weren’t always like sheep.