Did God Really Say?

Word Study, Part 2

 Alright, it's time for Genesis 3. Whohoo! ;)

The serpent says, "Did God really say...?" So the serpent is questioning not only God's sincerity, but also His power (as we saw clearly shown in the first chapter). Then, the serpent uses words (*hint hint*) to twist God's original meaning. Yes, he uses part of the truth, but surrounds it with lies to get what he wants. This is called deception.

The truths the serpent uses are:
     - They won't die on the spot
     - They will be like God in that they'll know good and evil
The lie:
     - This was something to be desired.

The moral of the story is, just because a statement we make has truth in it does not automatically mean it's true. And in any situation where we are tempted to deceive, we need to ask ourselves--who are we trying to build up in the process? Others, God, or ourselves?

A question that I asked myself, and hope to answer as the study continues is--when is it okay (if ever) to use deception, and how should it be used?

The second part of Genesis 3 I labeled, "The Blame Game":

God knows what happened, yet He asks, "Where are you?" This simply phrase may have a number of meanings, but one thing is clear--Adam and Eve's intimate fellowship with God has been broken.

So, Adam blames Eve, Eve blames the serpent, and God doesn't let any of them get away with it. Each had a very serious part in the sin.

A quick note--I think it's interesting that Eve realizes she was "deceived", as she probably didn't even know that word before! 

Now comes the hard part. After all His many great blessings, God must administer a curse. He starts from bottom to top on the blame chain--serpent, woman, Adam. Neither Adam nor Eve recognize their own sin or repent. Would things have been any different if they had, I wonder?

So here's how we can apply this account to our own lives in regards to using our words--when we're in a situation where there's opportunity for blame, we need to start by dealing with our own sin. If it's absolutely necessary to point out someone else's sin, that should come second--but in most cases, blaming is never needed. And on the flip side, if you are the "judge" over a blaming situation, you need to ascertain each man's own sin before making any judgement.

~~~~

Change the world!

In Christ,
Ellie

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