As I approached the car I noticed that Lydia had a very sour look on her face. In 14 years I've seen nervous. I've seen happy. I've seen nervous covered up by happy but this was something quite different, definitely a sour look.
Lydia who is 18 passes the Basic Skills and so we go out on the driving portion of the test. Eventually I learn that she had attended a Christian school in town and because I was not familiar with it I asked her what denomination the students came from. That too was new to me but given the name I could guess that it was to the far far conservative side of the Reformed tradition. Around here we have from left to right; Reformed, Christian Reformed, Protestant Reformed and then these guys. I casually remark to Lydia that I suppose when she is looking to get married she is expected to choose someone from her denomination. She tells me that is true and it might be a little difficult because there are only two local congregations and one of them is a little suspect in their theology.
I was able to get Lydia to almost smile a couple of times and being the curious type I did some research on her church when I got home. Although I'm not going to go into any of the particulars just let me say that if I was a woman who attended that church I might look a little sour myself from time to time.
Twice this past week I have been humbled by the example of women who heard from God and were obedient to His lead. God moved through them into the lives and situations of others. They had support from their husbands but the courage was theirs to step out in faith and then trust that God would do His part. My response when hearing their reports is one of logic - Yes, this is the way the Holy Spirit moves, I am pleased and encouraged by the testimonies. On the contrary their response to the move of God included logic plus emotion - We have heard from One who loves them and us, He has blessed the situation, He is so good!
It was to man that God gave the original prime directive. God planted a garden, put man into it to cultivate it and keep it and then caused to grow out of the ground all sorts of trees that were pleasing to the sight and good for food. In the midst of the garden were the tree of life and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. Before the first woman entered the scene God charged mankind with this command; From the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat from it you shall surely die.
Later on a woman (taken out of man) was placed in the garden to be a helper suitable for man. She was with him when the serpent questioned the prime directive. "Has God said you shall not eat from any tree in the garden? The woman replies that God said they may eat from any of the trees in the garden except for the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, adding that they were not even allowed to touch it or they would die. (My guess is that the man said to the woman one day on a walk; "Honey, see that tree. The fruit'll kill you. Don't even touch it!) The serpent responds; You surely shall not die! For in the day you eat from it your eyes will be open, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.
It was the woman who saw that the tree was good for food and was a delight to the eyes and that it was desirable to make one wise. It was the man standing next to her that did nothing. He let the serpent talk. He watched her pluck the fruit from the forbidden tree and then eat from it. Then when she didn't keel over but instead offered him some he took the fruit from her and ate as well.
For the first time the eyes of both of them were opened and they knew they were naked. In response they sew fig leaves together and make themselves loin coverings. They then hear the sound of the Lord God walking in the garden in the cool of the day and attempt to hide among the trees. God finds them and the man does the manly thing, he tries to blame it on the woman.
Later God says to the woman; I will greatly multiply your pain in childbirth, in pain you shall bring forth your children; Yet your desire shall be for your husband, and he shall rule over you.
To the man God says; Because you have listened to the voice of your wife and have eaten from the tree about which I commanded you, saying "You shall not eat of it"; Cursed is the ground because of you; In toil you shall eat of it . . . By the sweat of your face you shall eat bread, till you return to the ground because from it you were taken. For you are dust and to dust you shall return.
Now the Lord God makes garments of skin for the man and the woman and clothes them. Then the Lord God said, "Behold, the man has become like one of Us, knowing good and evil . . . God banishes them from the garden less they also eat from the tree of life and live forever. Man loses his position as caretaker of the garden with all the benefits that provided. He must now fight the rocks and thorns and thistles to cultivate the ground from which he was taken. The woman would be his partner.
This is the story of all of us. It is where we came from and speaks of who we are and shows us where we are going. Time and space does not permit me to explain to you the love that is in the blood, implied from the skin coverings, which is the story of our redemption. I cannot here show you how many themes are carried throughout scripture that begin with this simple story. Many times I have started here to help explain and understand how God designed us - body, soul and spirit - and what went wrong there by the eating of the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. But not today.
Instead I want to focus now in the most simple way upon the condition of the heart of man, a condition began those thousands of years ago and just as evident today as ever. For the unbeliever it leads to eternal death. For the believer it leads to temporary separation from fellowship with the Father. For both it leads to legalism, with or without religion, that substitutes for the leading of the Holy Spirit.
The Lord God was walking in the garden in the cool of the day. It would seem reasonable to assume that prior to the tree incident man had walked and talked with the Lord God many times. Sometimes they might discuss the needs of the garden. Sometimes God might ask how things are going with the woman. Sometimes God might tell man the story about how he made everything, saw that it was good and rested from His labors. Sometimes God might explain the rebellion of the evil one, the most beautiful creature who was a murderer and liar from the beginning. By walking with God man and woman had all the wisdom they would ever need.
And you will be like God, knowing good and evil. Why did the Lord God place in the midst of the garden the tree of the knowledge of good and evil and then command man and woman not to eat from it? This I do not know. I do know that throughout scripture God tests man to see where his heart is. Will we trust Him even if we don't understand? Do we want Him alone to be our Lord God? Can we admire the beauty of what He has created and still not touch?
I am going to tell you a secret. A lot of people in modern society believe that they are like God, knowing good and evil. As long as they try to live a good life as they themselves define it or are mostly obedient to their particular religion they will be OK. Obey the rules and you will get your golden ticket.
Some think that there is no hope for them, realizing that they have fallen far short of what their religion demands or what they have designed themselves. They believe the hill of redemption is not climbable.
Friends, all of these avenues are nothing but fig leaves.
I will not blame the woman of the story for the state of this world. I will not deny her the chance to walk with the Lord God in the cool of the day by eating from the forbidden fruit and becoming her Lord. I will cherish her and protect her and encourage her to listen to the voice of the Holy Spirit. And then we will sit down and admire the beauty of creation and plan how together we can follow this awesome Lord of ours. And when I fall short, as I often do, she will show me what love and compassion and generosity are and tell me what she is hearing the Spirit say.
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