WHAT NOW? Part 2 – Do I Believe I am who God says I am?

– March 29, 2016

what now slide

Yesterday, we learned that God is both a loving Creator and a righetous Judge and how a God like this is worthy of our respect, trust, and worship.  Today, we will examine God’s relationship with His creation, man.

In Genesis 1:26-27, we see that God did something very unique when creating man.
“So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them.”
First, God made man (and woman) unlike anything ever created before.  He made them in His image.  We, men and women, are to be like God.  We are able to enjoy a relationship with Him that no dog, zebra, or horse ever can.
Second, we were created for a purpose.  In Genesis 1:28, we see God give mankind a job.

“And God blessed them.  And God said to them, ‘Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth and subdue it and have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over every living thing that moves on the earth.'”

Man was given the authority, by God, to rule over the rest of creation.  This work wasn’t to be seen as a burden.  Verse 28 tells us that God blessed man by giving him this work. With man kindly ruling over the rest of creation, God’s glory would be reflected on the earth.
Since God created man, He not only has the right to give him purpose and blessing, but also to command obedience from him.  In the beginning, God gave man only 1 command.
“The Lord God took the man and put him in the garden of Eden to work it and keep it.  And the Lord God commanded the man, saying,

‘You may surely eat of every treee of the garden, but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day tha tyou eat of it you shall surely die.'”  Genesis 2:15-17

Again, this obedience was not to be a burden.  Man was to enjoy God’s creation; rule over it, benefit from it, and enjoy it all while submitting to God’s authority.  This obedience was to create the most unique and beautiful relationship ever.  However, this ideallic world, didn’t last long.

In Genesis 3:1-7, we see God’s beautiful and unique creation come undone.

“Now the serpent was more crafty than any other beast of the field that the Lord God had made.  He said to the woman, ‘Did God actually say, ‘You shall not eat of any tree in the garden?’  And the woman said to the serpent, ‘We may eat of the fruit of the trees in the garden, but God said, ‘You shall not eat of the fruit of the tree that is in the midst of the garden, neither shall you touch it, lest you die.’  But the serpent said to the woman, “You will not surely die.  For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.’ So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was desired to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate, and she also gave some to her husband who was with her, and he ate.  Then the eyes of both were opened, and they knew that they were naked.”

The serpent caused Adam and Eve to question God’s goodness.  In questioning God’s one command, the serpent was saying, “God is keeping something from you.”  “God really doesn’t love you.  If He did, He wouldn’t tell you no.”  Eve just couldn’t stand it.  She took the bait.  How dare God keep this from her!  The sad thing is, God wasn’t withholding anything.  He had already made man & woman in His image.  They were, we are, like God.  They enjoyed a relationship with God that no one and no thing, including the serpent, ever could.  Even God’s one command was designed to bring about blessing and yet, Adam & Eve doubted God’s goodness and ate from the tree.

Disobeying God always has consequences.  Adam & Eve were no different from you & I.  They felt the consequences of their sin.  Immdediately, after the eating the fruit, they knew that they were naked and tried to make clothes to cover themselves.  When they heard God in the garden, they hid from him.  Adam and Eve knew.  They knew that everything had changed and there was nothing that they could do to fix it.  So they hid.  Didn’t work.  God would no longer just be loving Creator to them.  He would now be righteous Judge.  God would not be loving if He allowed His creation to live in rebellion, or sin, against Him and His just commands.  Therefore, He banished Adam & Eve from the garden.  Adam and Eve’s work would now become difficult and miserable, at times.  Adam and Eve’s relationship with one another would be difficult.  But worst of all, Adam and Eve’s relationship with God was destroyed.  This is the pattern that every man, woman, and child has experienced since Adam and Eve first sinned against God.  Before we say, “That’s not fair,” let’s remember that even when executing judgment, God remains the same gracious, loving, and merciful God as when He is creator (Exodus 34:6-7 from Day 1).  God would not be loving if He allowed His creation to live in isolation (remember, destroyed relationship) from Him.  Therefore, He gave Adam and Eve a promise (Genesis 3:15).  A promise of One who would come to undo all of this sin and suffering.  Even while executing judgement, God remained merciful.

You and I experience a broken world and a broken relationship with God because of the same sin that Adam and Eve committed. Thankfully, we can also experience the same merciful, loving, and gracious God, through His promise, as well.  As we end our time today, consider the following questions:

Do you see yourself in the story of Adam and Eve?

Do you find yourself doubting God’s goodness towards you?  If so, how does that doubt affect your actions?

Do you think that God is being unfair when He executes judgment against man?  Why or why not?

What are the consequences of living in rebellion, or sin, against God?

How would you describe your relationship with God?