I find it interesting that in Genesis 3:5 Satan tempts Eve with a higher position. He says: “and you will be like God.” It seems to me that it is part of our nature to be discontent with our position in relation to others. We want to be above others, or at least on an equal level. So this is part of the temptation we find in this passage. If you eat the fruit you could have an equal status with God. That was the promise of Satan anyway. Obviously it did not work out that way.
Being discontent with your social status, workplace position, or even with the fact that someone has more knowledge than you is a form of envy. In several places including Ephesians 6:5 we are commanded to obey our masters and serve wholeheartedly as if to the Lord. If we are in envy of the people above us, we would not be serving wholeheartedly; the two cannot co-exist. Jesus was clear that the work of His kingdom is most effectively done from the bottom of the social ladder. In John 13 He washes the disciple’s feet and commands them to do the same. We often times mask our envy for higher positions behind the excuse that we could better advance the kingdom. This is a lie and a temptation from the Devil. The kingdom is most effectively advanced from the bottom of the ladder.
Tuesday, May 3, 2011
Satan Questions the Accuracy of God’s Word
We must be prepared because one of Satan’s effective tactics is bringing into question the accuracy or the truthfulness of God’s Word. This is most apparent in Genesis 3:4 when he says “you will not surely die.” This statement is in direct opposition to the Word of God: “you shall surely die.” He is submitting that the Word of God is not true. Not being exposed to evil and lying previously, they probably had little cause to question the serpent. We do not read that God warned them of deception. It is clear that they were persuaded by the serpents questioning of God’s truthfulness.
Likewise, people are persuaded all the time in our world, by sources that seem trustworthy, to question and deny the accuracy of God’s Word. Matt 17:15 warns us to watch out for false profits that come in sheep’s clothing but are wolves. There are many people that sound like credible sources, and they look somewhat like Christians, but they eventually erode our confidence in the scriptures. For Adam and Eve this happened quickly, but we must be watchful because it can be a very slow process in our lives. We should surround ourselves with people that stand firm on the accuracy of the scriptures.
Likewise, people are persuaded all the time in our world, by sources that seem trustworthy, to question and deny the accuracy of God’s Word. Matt 17:15 warns us to watch out for false profits that come in sheep’s clothing but are wolves. There are many people that sound like credible sources, and they look somewhat like Christians, but they eventually erode our confidence in the scriptures. For Adam and Eve this happened quickly, but we must be watchful because it can be a very slow process in our lives. We should surround ourselves with people that stand firm on the accuracy of the scriptures.
Our Nature: Wanting what we do not have
We’re all guilty of it: envy; we were born to want what we do not have. Of course, the word envy connotes more than just a want. It is often synonymous with the word covet. It is the word we use to say that we want something because we are not content with our present circumstances, position, or possessions. It is not necessarily wrong to want something, but it is wrong to want it out of discontentment. In Philippians 4:11 Paul speaks of learning to be content in every situation, which is good because he lists envy as a fruit of our sinful nature in Galatians 5:21.
The evil one is very aware that discontentment, and thus envy, are part of our fleshly nature. In Genesis 3:1-7 Satan tempted Eve by telling her that there were things she did not already have. He said that if you eat of it “your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.” Satan effectively created envy in Eve by explaining that the forbidden fruit would make her like God, and it would give her a certain knowledge that she did not possess.
It is easy for us to look at this passage and say “how could she be envious? They had it all.” However, we can learn from this story that envy is most dangerous in times that we have plenty. King Solomon was possibly the richest man who ever lived. He had everything. Yet, we read his thoughts in Ecclesiastes 4:8: “There was a man all alone; he had neither son nor brother. There was no end to his toil, yet his eyes were not content with his wealth.” Meaningless, he said. So it is clear that having plenty does not prevent someone from being envious.
If we take a moment to consider everything that the Lord has provided for us, and trust that He will continue to provide, we may begin to see the foolishness of our envy. It is likely that Eve did not take time to consider everything that she had. If she had done this she would not have been tempted for more. She lived in a paradise where everything was provided by God.
The evil one is very aware that discontentment, and thus envy, are part of our fleshly nature. In Genesis 3:1-7 Satan tempted Eve by telling her that there were things she did not already have. He said that if you eat of it “your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.” Satan effectively created envy in Eve by explaining that the forbidden fruit would make her like God, and it would give her a certain knowledge that she did not possess.
It is easy for us to look at this passage and say “how could she be envious? They had it all.” However, we can learn from this story that envy is most dangerous in times that we have plenty. King Solomon was possibly the richest man who ever lived. He had everything. Yet, we read his thoughts in Ecclesiastes 4:8: “There was a man all alone; he had neither son nor brother. There was no end to his toil, yet his eyes were not content with his wealth.” Meaningless, he said. So it is clear that having plenty does not prevent someone from being envious.
If we take a moment to consider everything that the Lord has provided for us, and trust that He will continue to provide, we may begin to see the foolishness of our envy. It is likely that Eve did not take time to consider everything that she had. If she had done this she would not have been tempted for more. She lived in a paradise where everything was provided by God.
Trusting God for His Best
In the story of the Fall in Genesis 3:1-7 part of the serpent’s deception is getting Adam and Eve to doubt that God truly wanted what was best for them. Essentially, he has convinced them that God is holding out on them. Eating the fruit would make them like God. The thought here is that God did not actually have what was best for them in mind.
We know as a reader of Genesis and as one living in this world that the consequences of eating the fruit were dyer. Knowing good and evil meant that sin came into the world. We know that this was the source of sin because Romans 5:12 tells us: “Therefore, just as sin entered the world through one man.” Because of our knowledge of sin’s consequences, we know that God had the best for us in mind when He told them not to eat of the fruit.
This is something that God-fearing people have struggled with since that moment in the garden. We struggle with trusting God for His best. Most of the time we think that we have got it all figured out. We know what the best for us would look like. However, many times this does not line up with what God says the best would be. When this happens we have a discussion to make. Are we going to choose God’s ways trusting that it is best, or are we going to be prideful and attempt to maintain our ways?
As a positive example of this decision I look to the story of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego in Daniel chapter 3. Most of us know the story well from Sunday school, but we don’t often ponder the decision they had to make. From human logic it would be best for health and status that they worship the image that the king had set up. We see this as an amazing story because they decided to trust God and trust that His ways were better than their ways. As we know, God miraculously saves them from the furnace and their status improves more than if they had obeyed the king.
I am going to place myself in the group of people that are not the best at this. Sometimes we do not know God’s reasoning for telling us not to do something, much like Adam and Eve. It is these times that it can be most difficult to trust His wisdom. I can think of many times in my life when I failed to trust God in this way and then later found out why He told me not to do the very thing I did. His ways are always better than our ways.
We know as a reader of Genesis and as one living in this world that the consequences of eating the fruit were dyer. Knowing good and evil meant that sin came into the world. We know that this was the source of sin because Romans 5:12 tells us: “Therefore, just as sin entered the world through one man.” Because of our knowledge of sin’s consequences, we know that God had the best for us in mind when He told them not to eat of the fruit.
This is something that God-fearing people have struggled with since that moment in the garden. We struggle with trusting God for His best. Most of the time we think that we have got it all figured out. We know what the best for us would look like. However, many times this does not line up with what God says the best would be. When this happens we have a discussion to make. Are we going to choose God’s ways trusting that it is best, or are we going to be prideful and attempt to maintain our ways?
As a positive example of this decision I look to the story of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego in Daniel chapter 3. Most of us know the story well from Sunday school, but we don’t often ponder the decision they had to make. From human logic it would be best for health and status that they worship the image that the king had set up. We see this as an amazing story because they decided to trust God and trust that His ways were better than their ways. As we know, God miraculously saves them from the furnace and their status improves more than if they had obeyed the king.
I am going to place myself in the group of people that are not the best at this. Sometimes we do not know God’s reasoning for telling us not to do something, much like Adam and Eve. It is these times that it can be most difficult to trust His wisdom. I can think of many times in my life when I failed to trust God in this way and then later found out why He told me not to do the very thing I did. His ways are always better than our ways.
Doubt is Satan's Foothold
In the story of the Fall in Genesis 3:1-7 the serpent successfully got Adam and Eve to doubt the Word of God. By simple questions he got them to doubt both their understanding of the command and the fact that God desired what was best for them. This doubt grew into a desire for the fruit in question. “It was a delight to the eyes.”
First it was doubt, then it was desire, and shortly after followed disobedience. This is a story that took place many thousands of years ago, but Satan uses the same tactic today to get us to disobey. He will tell us things that make us doubt God. We will doubt God’s providence, His protection, His love for us, the accuracy of His Word, among other things. If we are not ready, this doubt will lead to taking our eyes off of Christ and disobeying.
We see this exemplified by Peter. Peter seems to be the disciple that exemplifies everything in the New Testament. In Matt 14:28-31 we find Peter walking out to Jesus on the water. The problem comes when he sees the waves and quickly begins to doubt Jesus’ protection. As a result, he takes his eyes off of Jesus and begins to sink. This is an awesome picture of what I am writing about.
Doubt is always a part of our lives. We will always doubt and be tempted. We need to be ready to fight it by focusing on Christ. I submit that there are two main ways to do this in reference to doubting. We must be rooted in scripture and striving to have a better understanding of it by reading it. Secondly, we must run to Christ when we are in doubt. Certainly Adam and Eve could have brought God into this conversation with the serpent. They should have asked God for clarity on this issue.
First it was doubt, then it was desire, and shortly after followed disobedience. This is a story that took place many thousands of years ago, but Satan uses the same tactic today to get us to disobey. He will tell us things that make us doubt God. We will doubt God’s providence, His protection, His love for us, the accuracy of His Word, among other things. If we are not ready, this doubt will lead to taking our eyes off of Christ and disobeying.
We see this exemplified by Peter. Peter seems to be the disciple that exemplifies everything in the New Testament. In Matt 14:28-31 we find Peter walking out to Jesus on the water. The problem comes when he sees the waves and quickly begins to doubt Jesus’ protection. As a result, he takes his eyes off of Jesus and begins to sink. This is an awesome picture of what I am writing about.
Doubt is always a part of our lives. We will always doubt and be tempted. We need to be ready to fight it by focusing on Christ. I submit that there are two main ways to do this in reference to doubting. We must be rooted in scripture and striving to have a better understanding of it by reading it. Secondly, we must run to Christ when we are in doubt. Certainly Adam and Eve could have brought God into this conversation with the serpent. They should have asked God for clarity on this issue.
Know the Word
Many of us are very familiar with the first three chapters of Genesis. We know the story well. We know that Adam and Eve ate the fruit that initiated the human sin nature. However, I do not think that we often ponder why the serpent’s words were tempting enough to cause Adam and Eve to fall. We should be careful not to overlook lessons on how the evil one deceives. These words of deception are found in Genesis 3:1-7.
The serpent indirectly asks Eve what the Word of God was. “Did God actually say, ‘you shall not eat of any tree in the garden’?” It becomes clear through this passage that the serpent is very familiar with the Word of God, yet right away he is twisting it. Now, Eve knew enough of God’s command to see the fallacy in this question. She points out that they can eat any fruit in the garden except from that tree. She gets the basic idea of the command, but she does not fully understand it. She even adds a stipulation saying that she cannot even touch it. I submit that this is where the serpent gains credibility to Adam and Eve. When the serpent questioned God’s command it was clear from his phrasing that he knew God’s Word better than the humans. He questions God’s use of the word “surely” in “you shall surely die.” This was a word that Eve failed to mention in her telling of the command. He also shows a better understanding of the command by identifying the end result. It is the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, something that Eve did not mention, but Satan did. It is possible that Adam and Eve began to doubt their understanding of God’s command when it became clear that the serpent understood it better.
Genesis 3 teaches us that the evil one knew the Word of God better than Adam and Eve, which was their downfall. He tried to do the same thing to Jesus in the desert and he’ll do the same thing to us. In Matt 4:6 Satan quotes scripture to Jesus in an attempt to persuade Him to go against God’s will. Jesus’ defense was being rooted in the Word and memorizing scripture. He fires back with a verse out of Deuteronomy. Friends, we must know the scriptures so well that the enemy cannot use it against us. He will try and take it out of context, misquote it, or question its accuracy. These tactics will not work if we know the Word.
The serpent indirectly asks Eve what the Word of God was. “Did God actually say, ‘you shall not eat of any tree in the garden’?” It becomes clear through this passage that the serpent is very familiar with the Word of God, yet right away he is twisting it. Now, Eve knew enough of God’s command to see the fallacy in this question. She points out that they can eat any fruit in the garden except from that tree. She gets the basic idea of the command, but she does not fully understand it. She even adds a stipulation saying that she cannot even touch it. I submit that this is where the serpent gains credibility to Adam and Eve. When the serpent questioned God’s command it was clear from his phrasing that he knew God’s Word better than the humans. He questions God’s use of the word “surely” in “you shall surely die.” This was a word that Eve failed to mention in her telling of the command. He also shows a better understanding of the command by identifying the end result. It is the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, something that Eve did not mention, but Satan did. It is possible that Adam and Eve began to doubt their understanding of God’s command when it became clear that the serpent understood it better.
Genesis 3 teaches us that the evil one knew the Word of God better than Adam and Eve, which was their downfall. He tried to do the same thing to Jesus in the desert and he’ll do the same thing to us. In Matt 4:6 Satan quotes scripture to Jesus in an attempt to persuade Him to go against God’s will. Jesus’ defense was being rooted in the Word and memorizing scripture. He fires back with a verse out of Deuteronomy. Friends, we must know the scriptures so well that the enemy cannot use it against us. He will try and take it out of context, misquote it, or question its accuracy. These tactics will not work if we know the Word.
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