The Tree of the knowledge of good and evil

“The tree of life was also in the midst of the garden, and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil” (Genesis 2:9b). It was forbidden of course, to eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil (verse 17).  So was it wrong? If so why on earth would it be wrong to know good and evil (3:5)? Would it not help us to do the good,  and avoid the bad? The world has many such questions, and if we don't wrestle with them ourselves,  how on earth will we be able to give an answer of the hope that is within us (1 Peter 3:15).  

Let's look at the good first. If you think about it, it makes sense that “to him who knows to do good and does not do it, to him it is sin” (James 4:17). You could have pulled a child away from oncoming traffic, but you did not want to get involved! It places a huge  responsibility on us.  And let's face it in many things we all fail (James 3:2)! As civilization progresses we learn things we never thought of as wrong. I hope a 100 years from now I wont be judged by the sensibilities that will have been revealed by that time. We can get overwhelmed with what we aught to do, I know I can!

But surely it would be good to know what's evil,  so we can avoid it!  But it's eating that's wrong, symbolically partaking of evil! You see knowing in the Biblical sense, is much more than intellectual knowledge, it's experiential knowledge (see Genesis 4:1 NKJV). They knew intellectually it was wrong wrong (3:3), but when they ate they knew wrong, they experienced evil.  Think for a moment about how you become an addict. You would never have gotten addicted,  if you had not taken your first fix.  It's a parable of sin. Jesus puts it this way “he (or she) who sins is the slave of sin” (John 8:34). It's like an aggressive cancer, a cancer that's chosen! They were warned there were consequences, but they chose not to believe God (2:17; 3:4, 6).

Jesus told us “every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit (Matthew 7:17). In fact the Bible chronicles the bad fruit from the eating of this tree. Just for a start we see the rapid spread of evil.  It started with disobedience, went to murder, and onto the genocidal attitude of Lamech (36; 4:8, 24). But it didn't stop there. The Lord laments “My people are ....  wise to do evil, but to do good they have no knowledge” (Jeremiah 4:22). What's more, in rebelling against God,  we seem to want to decide for ourselves what is right and what is wrong. The Lord warns through Isaiah “Woe to those who call evil good, and good evil; Who put darkness for light, and light for darkness” (Isaiah 5:20).

Father, concerning our knowledge of good and evil Paul, like many of us,  could declare “the good that I want to do, I don't do; but the evil I don't to do, that I practice” (Romans 8:19).  And that's talking about the things we ourselves know are either good or bad, it's not even thinking about the things we rationalize away (Romans 1:18). We needed (I did) to be rescued (John 3:16), and we need Your help to live Your way. I for one am asking for it this morning Lord in Jesus Name Amen

Work: The Lord put the man in the garden of Eden to tend

... and keep it (Genesis 2:15).  In this second account of God's creation of Adam,  we see (among other things) that he is created with purpose. Work gives life meaning and dignity.  Research has shown, among other things, a link between unemployment and anxiety, depression and loss of life satisfaction. This morning's verse of course is in paradise, so the picture of us sitting around with harps on clouds in heaven is not Biblical. The joy and satisfaction from work however was affected by the fall (3:17-19) and, as with everything else, often needs to be redeemed.

Two of the ways to get work wrong, is either too little,  or too much. Proverbs 6:6 admonishes us “Go to the ant, lazy one. Observe its ways and be wise.” Paul teaches “If anyone will not work, neither shall he eat” (2 Thessalonians 3:10).  Note it's “will not,” not “cannot.” On the other hand,  human beings, are not human doings. Since we are made in the image of God we need to take our identity first and foremost from Him. If our primary identity is in what we do, we can too easily become workaholics, in other words, work can become an idol.

There are two contentious issues in our culture related to work. Firstly, is the notion of equality, secondly women in the workplace.  The Proverbs 31 woman (verses  10-31) paints an interesting picture,  verse 16 says “She considers a field and buys it; From her profits she plants a vineyard.”  That sounds like a business woman to me. But she also “watches over the ways of her household” (verse 27). Any woman would be hard pressed to do all of what is written in the idealistic picture from Proverbs. What's important thought, is that it leaves room for both the business woman and the homemaker. The tendency to disparage the homemaker is not Biblical.  Indeed there is great dignity,  destiny and fulfillment in being a homemaker, and no more important task then bringing up the children in the the nurture and instruction of the Lord (Ephesians 6:2-4). Children are our heritage from the Lord!

Coming to equality it's important to note,  that the Western sense of fairness and justice is part of our Judaeo-Christain heritage. Outside of this heritage these qualities are rare. I recommend “The book that made your world” by Vishal Mangalwadi. It is these very Judaeo-Christain virtues that gave much to the impetus for communism and our current social justice warriors. But make any single virtue your entire focus, and it becomes out of balance and  toxic, even turning victims into oppressors.  Equal opportunity is certainly worth fighting for.  However, if we are to learn anything from history fighting for and legislating equal outcome,  can be devastating. The workers who exceeded their quota in Communist Russia, for example, were persecuted and imprisoned. Forcing equal outcome (as opposed to equal opportunity) sabotages initiate. Who would want to spend seven years training to be a doctor to be given the same wage as an entry worker at MacDonald's?

Father, I like what Churchill said, that democracy is the worst form of government, apart from everything else.  Please open the eyes of our culture Lord,  and show us clearly that when we tear down what has been built on Judea-Christian values,  we throw out the baby wth the bath water. Wake up Your church Lord, and send us out of isolation to be salt and light in every area of our culture,  in Jesus Name Amen

The tree of life

“And out of the ground the LORD God made every tree grow that is pleasant to the sight and good for food. The tree of life was also in the midst of the garden” (Genesis 2:9).  Ultimately God is our provider, and we are not to worry, but seek first His Kingdom and His righteousness and all necessary thing will be provided (Matthew 6:31-33).  But it's not just about provision, it's about beauty (pleasant to the sight). There's a book “The Evidential Power of beauty” by Thomas Dubay. My take on it, is that nature is more beautiful than evolution requires.  Coming to the tree of life, it was in paradise (in Eden),  and will be there in the New Heavens and the New earth (Revelation 22:2).

There are two aspects to the tree of life. The first is about eternal life. Here in Genesis we read that God sent mankind out of the Garden, lest in their sinful state “he put out his hand and take also of the tree of life, and eat, and live forever” (Genesis 3:22). In the New Testament we hear Jesus saying “Whoever lives and has faith in me shall never die” (John 11:26).  Life in eternity, by the way,  will be like it was intended to be in Eden with no death, no sorrow, no crying, and no pain (Revelation 21:4). And this brings us to the second aspect of the tree of life, which Jesus spoke of as life in all its fullness in the here and now (John 10:10b).

Life in all its fullness is part of what we are praying for when we pray “Kingdom of God come on earth, as it is in heaven” (Matthew 6:10).  But we need to do more than pray, we also have a part to play. To the one who diligently seeks wisdom and understanding, to this one, it will be a tree of life (Proverbs 3:18). In fact righteousness is in and of itself a tree of life, as is a wholesome tongue (Proverbs 11:30; 15:4). And there is good news for those who have been holding on to God for a promise. Delay of course it difficult, for “Hope deferred makes the heart sick,” but on the other hand “when the desire comes, it is a tree of life (Prov. 13:12).    

There's another tree that this side of the fall made it all possible. It looks at first like a tree of death, but it is in fact the ultimate tree of life. I am speaking of the cross of Jesus Christ. In fact Jesus died on that tree that we might have life (1 Peter 3:18). John writes “ He who has the Son has life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have life (1 John 1:12). Indeed she who hears the Word of God (in particular hears the gospel and repents – Mark 1:15) and believes (and receives the free gift – John 1:12; Romans 5:18) has passed from death to life (John 5:24). Indeed all theses things are written that we might know that we do indeed have life (1 John 5:13).

Father,  thank You for the tender mercy You demonstrated  in sending Jesus to die for us.  In view of this Lord, the only reasonable response is for us to present our bodies as living sacrifices. This is true worship (Romans 12:1, 2). So I fully surrender to You again this morning Lord,  and I give You the praise and the glory in Jesus Name Amen

Trinity in Genesis and beyond

The first thing to say, is that if we understood the God who spoke and stars were flung into space, then we would be God! The other thing is that in other areas of our life we accept things we don't understand without (as many people do with God) believing they don't exist. I'm thinking of such things as black holes,  or  electricity or light! As I was saying last day, mystery is something beyond logic, but not contrary to it,  but nevertheless true. Trinity is One God in three persons, unity in diversity, three  interconnected and interrelated entities. And Trinity certainly is mystery, for on the one hand God is One, but God is also three Father, Son and Holy Spirit on the other.  That they are not the same is seen in the Son praying to the Father, and (at least in His time on earth) His not knowing the time of the end (John 17:1;  Mark 13:32).

The word 'Trinity' of course,  is not a Biblical word, it was invented by theologians to remind us that we need to hold together the truths that the Father is God (John 6:27),  Jesus is God (John 20:28), Holy Spirit is God (Acts 5:3, 4), but also that God is One (Deuteronomy 6:4).   Interestingly the clearest statement of this is found in the Old Testament “For unto us a Child is born, a Son is given; And His name will be called Wonderful,  Counsellor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace” (Isaiah 9:6). The Son given is widely accepted to be the then coming Messiah, and Jesus claims to be He (John 4:25, 26). Note then, that one of His Names is “Mighty God,” another is “Everlasting Father,” yet another “Counsellor,” one of the Names of Holy Spirit.  Having seen this in clearly in Isaiah,  helps us to see echos of it from the very first.  The Name of God in Genesis 1:1 is “Elohim,” the  plural form of El, or Eloah.  So then we see plurality from the very beginning. We also see it in “Let us make mankind in our image” (1:26). The Old Testament of course is thoroughly monotheistic, strictly One God.

It stuck me one day that if God is Trinity,  we might expect to see expressions of three in one, unity and diversity,  in nature.  The examples would not be God of course, but faint echos,  pale reflections of Him. Look at an egg, it consists of shell, white and  yolk, and the whole thing is a unity, a single egg. God is not an egg of course, not even a good egg! The triple point of water, is another “trinity,” it is the place of temperature and pressure,  where water is solid (ice), liquid and vapour all at the same time.  Perhaps not surprisingly mankind, being made in the image of God, is the “trinity” that most closely reflects Him. Mankind,  as we were saying last time, consists of body,  soul and spirit. Of course mankind,  being made of dust,  is also merely an echo of our uncreated God.  Indeed, we are not God!  

Lord,  it seems the elders never tire of falling down before You  and worshiping You saying “You are worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honour and power; For You created all things, and by Your will they exist and were created” (Revelation 4:10, 11). You indeed are wonderful my Lord, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, and I too worship You this morning in Jesus Name Amen

Man became a living soul (Genesis 2:7)

  Man became a living soul (Genesis 2:7)

“And the LORD God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul” (Genesis 2:7). Continuing in what the Biblical says about mankind, we see he is a 'living soul (nefesh).'  In fact both mankind and the higher animals are nefesh (1:20).  I subscribe to the opinion that nefesh consists of the mind, will, and the  emotions, the place where we think, feel and make decisions.  Since the higher animals are nefesh this gives us the ability to form and experience, often significant,  relationships with them.

To the world, saying that man has a soul is meaningless. But M. Scott Peck, in his book “Denial of the soul,” chronicles how, at an early stage of his life,  he found himself at war within himself.  And who has not been at war within herself? The  secular explanation of Peck's puzzlement,  was that his ego was at war with his true self. Peck asks could the 'true self' be the soul (pp. 128, 129)?  The Bible asserts that we do in indeed have a soul, and adds a third ingredient the spirit (1 Thessalonians 5:23).

Scripture seems to be quite loose about these concepts, often using soul and spirit interchangeably,  and/or to refer to the whole person.  But soul and spirit are not the same as we see in Hebrews 4:12 where we read “the word of God is living and powerful .....  piercing even to the division of soul and spirit” The unbeliever is “dead in trespasses and sins” (Ephesians 2:1),  and I see the spirit as the part that relates to God. The spirit then is dead in the unbeliever, but subject to resurrection as the Lord,  by His Spirit,  woes us to Himself.  We are intended to experience this connection. Indeed, “the (Holy) Spirit witnesses to our spirit that we are children of God” (Romans 8:16). Tt is hardly surprising, since this witness is not present in the unbeliever, that the message  of the cross is foolishness to them (1 Corinthians 1:18).

I see body, soul and spirit as similar to the way I see Trinity. Trinity is  three not independent parts intricately interconnected,  and relating to each other. So then mankind,  being in the image of Trinity, also has three aspects in relationship with each other. We speak of psychosomatic illness for example,  those illnesses where the psyche (soul) affects the soma (body). Worry,  for example, can produce ulcers.

The nature of both God and man is something of a mystery. Mystery is something beyond logic, but not contrary to it and,  nevertheless true. The secular world wants to throw out mystery, but mystery is not so easily dismissed, as we discover such things at black holes, quirks, quarks and the like. Interestingly, there seems to be a disproportionate number of Christians among astronomers, but then “the heavens declare the glory of God” (Psalm 19:1).

 Father,  I do not fully understand the mystery of who I am, but “I will praise You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made; Marvellous are Your works, And that my soul knows very well” (Psalm 139:14). The message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing Lord (1 Corinthians  1:18), but Lord please help me to live a life before them that will provoke them to want to know You as I know You.  And I will give you the honour and the glory and the praise in Jesus Name Amen

Dust in the image of God

The Hebrew phrase “Elleh Toledot,” that occurs in Genesis 2:4; 5:1; 6:9; 11:10 etc,  is a literary device that divides Genesis into “books” (see Genesis 5:1). It's translated consistently in some versions (i.e.. KJV, ESV) as “the generations of,” and the phrase acts as bookends to these divisions. In Genesis 1:1-2:3,  mankind is the pinnacle of creation,  in 2:4-4:26 mankind is the focus. This second “book” starts with a more detailed description of the creation of “adam” (mankind),  a plural word including both male and female. We also see the movement from the “very good” of 1:31,  to our present state. Starting with disobedience, the seeds of the aggressive cancer of sin (3:6),  it progresses quickly to the first murder (4:8), then onto the boastful genocidal attitude of the seventy–sevenfold vengeance of Lamech (4:24).  Today we are looking at “the LORD God formed man of the dust of the ground” (2:7), it brings balance to  our being made in the image of God (1:26).

There are many things in Biblical teachings,  that need to be held together in tension, not 'either or,' but 'both and.'  Truth out of balance is error! Here we are made in the image of God (1:26), but we are not God, we are dust. At the  start of what is considered to be the most profound teaching ever given, Jesus tells us “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the Kingdom of heaven” (Matthew 5:3). It's about humility.  Humility is about thinking neither more, nor less, of ourselves than reality. There is a lot of false humility,    and there is a lot of pride both inside,  and outside,  the church.  When we become as little children,  knowing we are flawed (James 3:2), yet loved and fully accepted (Ephesians 1:6; John 3:16) then, as Jesus said,  the Kingdom is ours.  

Do you ever beat yourself up for what you think you are, or for what have done (I'm a worm, I'm a looser, I'm a piece of s...)?  You are forgetting that you are made in the image of God, forgetting that Jesus died for your sins. “He knows our frame; He remembers that we are dust” (Psalm 103:14), and He invites us to return to Him for He will abundantly pardon and restore us to fellowship with Him (Isaiah 55:7).

Have you ever been tempted to think “nobody is going to tell me what to do, not even God?”  We have forgotten we are but dust, creatures before our creator. We are dependent on God for our very breath.  But we do have to do our part. The famous quote “I am the master of my fate, I am the captain of my soul” from the  poem ‘Invictus’ sought,  I think, to address the imbalance of our avoiding responsibility. Taken to the other extreme however, it can lead to the wrong sort of pride,  Paul describes this as being puffed up. We have forgotten that “there is no creature hidden from His sight, but all things are naked and open to the eyes of Him to whom we must give account” (Hebrews 4:13).  

Father,  I like the prayer that asks please don't give me too much so that I may disown You and forget You. Nor let me become poor and steal, and so dishonour Your Name (Proverbs 30:9). Let me think neither to highly of myself,  nor too lowly (Romans 12:3). I am Your valued, beloved,  precious creature Lord, I am nevertheless a creature! I love You Lord in Jesus Name Amen  

A good God and the problem of suffering

“God saw everything that He had made, and indeed it was very good” (Genesis 1:31). Since God and what God made was good (Luke 18:19), then why all the suffering? Well firstly we reap what we sow, bad choices have bad consequences (Galatians 6:7). But not all suffering is for our sin.  The book of Job wrestles with this.  Job is righteous, and the book makes it clear his suffering is not for wrongdoing, as his friends would have it (Job 42:7). When we suffer, we might think God is punishing us, we might give up on God, or think He's unjust, or not even there. Many people who say they don't believe in God, nevertheless seem to be mad at Him.  In addition to suffering the consequences of our own sin, we can also suffer because of other people's sin, and because of seemingly random happenstances.

I'm not always sure what people mean when they say “there's a reason for everything!” It seems to imply God sends the bad, but that He has a reason for sending it. He gives a child cancer to teach him or her something?  That would be child abuse, and that's not the God I believe in, nor the God of the Bible! It's too close to the errors Job's friends made. The Bibles says that “God works all things together for good for those who love Him and are called according to His purpose” (Romans 8:28). It's not that evil is good,  rather that God is at work for good in the evil that He's allowed.  Under the New covenant, rewards and punishments are reserved until the day of Judgement (1 Corinthians 3:11-15; 2 Peter 2:9).  Related to this is the New Covenant good news, that whosoever will may come to Christ and,  by the obedience of faith,  escape everlasting condemnation (John 3:16; Romans 16:26; 8:1). His goodness and forbearance are designed to lead us to repentance (Romans 2:4).

Concerning earthquakes, tsunamis and the like, the Bible is largely silent on the why of them all. As with Job,  concerning  our own pain and the injustices in the world,  we are left to wrestle with our own answers to the 'why' of it. Life is not fair, nobody said it was. The greatest injustice in my mind,  is the perfect Son of God crucified. To me, the bigger question is about how we deal with suffering?  On the day that I knew was going to be the most difficult in my life, the day I knew my wife was going to take the four children and leave,  the Lord brought this verse to mind “Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame” (Hebrews 12:2). I felt I was being told suffering is a barrier the other side of which is joy, and if like Jesus we endure it,  there will be “joy in the morning” (Psalm 30:5).

Lord Jesus, You told us in the world we will have tribulation, but we are to be of good cheer, because You have overcome the World (John 16:33). Thank You Lord that with every trial or temptation, You provide a way to stand up under it (1 Corinthians 10:13). Thank You Lord that when we come to You,  we receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need  (Hebrews 4:16).  Thank You Lord You not only suffered for us, You suffer with us,  in Your precious Name Amen