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Love God with all your heart, mind, soul, and strength – Gen 3
Love God with all your heart, mind, soul, and strength – Gen 3
We will begin our reading of the Old Testament on Monday (Jan. 5th). We will read the story of Eve and temptation. The test: will she love God with all of heart – OR will he be thrust out and replaced. In writing about this, Ravi Zacharius wrote:
“Why did we walk away from the love of God? We made a free choice. We divorced Him. It is the question that demands explanation. The tempter played his game masterfully.
“Did God really say that?” Doubt. That was the starting point of the break between God and humanity. Has God really made such a prohibition? Hearing Eve’s response (either embellished or stated more fully) that if the prohibition were violated death would result, the tempter presented his challenge: “You will not certainly die.” And finally came the bait: “For God knows that when you eat from it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.” (See Genesis 3:1–5.)
Once it was acknowledged that God did say something, then came the counter perspective. This was in fact a challenge to take on God. “Surely you will not die if you disobey what He said. In fact, you will have the same power as God.” The same three temptations were used in the wilderness with Jesus, except that fully understanding with whom he was dealing, the tempter camouflaged the temptations (see Matthew 4:1–11). But the progression from doubting God’s promise to autonomy and, finally, to the offer of one’s own kingdom apart from God’s purposes is the same pattern of seduction. The tempter’s formula never changes, just the entry point.
If the Genesis account of the first temptation is studied, there are three panels to it. The first is to doubt that God has spoken. The second is to challenge God with impunity. The third is to indict God’s reasoning: Has God threatened dire consequences of your disobedience to keep you from having the same power that He has?”
Read again (and again) this story of how evil entered into our world. Understand that this same story is played out IN YOU. It has been already, but it will be again, countless times again. Each time YOU will give an answer Each time, YOU will display your true loyalty, fidelity, and love for God. How deep is your love for God?
Hugh DeLong
From Zacharias, Ravi. Why Suffering? (pp. 39-40). FaithWords. Kindle Edition.
Zacharias, Ravi. Why Suffering? (p. 40). FaithWords. Kindle Edition
