The SONshine Garden Spreading SONshine Through Words Of Life |
Who Told You That? |
The dilly dancing in the tropical breeze enticed me with its enchanting aroma. It was a warm, summer day; and a ripe, round, sapodilla almost thesize of a large grapefruit dangled above me. Obtaining it was the challenge of a lifetime. Donning a pair of pnk pedal pushers, I went to the tree, brushed the caterpillars on its trunk aside, and began my ascent to seduction. My father was firm about the dilly tree. No 'gown tail' was allowed to climb it. With the freedom of knee high pants, I felt no guilt. The dilly was on the edge of the limb. Did I dare to get it? Why not? Daddy was not at home; and I was not wearing a dress! Cr aa ack! The dilly was mere inches grom my gaping, eager fingers. Suddenly the limb on which I was standing broke; and the limb I was grasping transformed itself to a trapeze! The clatter of the broken limb accelerated my heartbeat. Standing in the doorway of the kitchen were my stunned parents! Could I ever face them again? What would they do? The Edenic pair, Adam and Eve, resided in a perfect haven. Pure rivers, the Tigris and Euphrates, flowed freely through the paradise. Among the benefits they enjoyed were: No clothes to wash or iron. No dirty dishes to clean, No pots could be seen. Fresh, sunkist fruit instead of the canned or frozen variety. No road rage. Their food was certain and their water was sure. What else could they want? The crafty serpent made Eve feel deprived and insecure. He posed a question and she knew the answer. They could not eat from every tree because the one in the middle of the garden had been forbidden as food. Adam and Eve were instructed not to touch or eat it. Certain death would be the consequence for disobeying the words of God. When the serpent declared that Eve would not surely die, the manipulation of inserting not surely added a new perspective. Besides contradicting the words of God, it opened the gateway to ghosts,vampires, the undead monsters, uncanny, hairraising experiences and seducing spirits. Not only did Lucifer in the guise of a serpent, spawn doubts and deception, he preached a doctrine contrary to the established word of God. besides citing benefits, he inferred that God was withholding some essentials from Eve. He said: The eyes of her understanding would be opened. . This wisdom fruit would make Eve like a god (as God). Eve would be able to differentiate between good and evil. God had pronounced Adam and all of His creation as very good. Eve was formed from Adam; and she was unique and very good too. Nevertheless, the fruit from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil had irresistible characteristics. It was good for food (edible). It was pleasant too the eyes (aesthetic and pleasurable). The fruit was desired to make one wise (power). What Eve did violated some principles. Covetousness is to desire strongly what belongs to another. Eve wanted the power to be like God. Somehow, she disregarded the fact that she had been made in the image of God. Stealing is taking something without the permission of the owner. Creator God had forbidden her to touch or eat the fruit. God is supreme and worthy of worship and honour. When Eve listened to and allowed the words of the serpent to supercede the command of God, she chose to worship the creature and not the Creator. The Word of God is immutable. It is established forever in heaven. God honours His word high above His name. Thus, God had to mete out the penaly for sin, which is death. In spite of blame, Adam and Eve received a just punishment. Sin comes from within an individual. Man has an inclination for it, is accountable and will be judged for every deed. Sin is contagious;and it affects others. Eve encouraged Adam to share in her aberration and damnation. Since he was not deceived (1 Timothy 2: 14), he was accountable for his deliberate action. Additionally, all mankind have inherited the curses placed on the Edenic pair. Sin separates man from God and excludes him from many benefits. Adam and Eve had to be evicted from the Garden of Eden; and they entered into a new lifestyle with curses. How did Adam and Eve respond to their new condition? Disrobed of innocence, they stood naked, guilty and disconnected. Eve had been enticed by the temporal, the fruit with its sensory appeal. Now the carnal nature was on display. Sin had severed the umbilical cord of righteousness; and the disconnected, disillusioned and disgruntled pair felt the need to provide their own garments. God knew what they had done, but what can separate man from everlasting love. Where can man hide from an omnipresent, omniscient God? before their eviction, God clothed them in garments that provided a foreshadow of the robe of righteousness He would provide as the Lamb of God. Even with fig leaves to cover their naked bodies, Adam and Eve hid in the garden. Why? Fig leaves were an inadequate substitute for the spiritual nature of God. Bereft of purity, their fig leaves were like filthy rags. Man is insufficient without God and His robe of righteousness. When Adam heard the voice of God, his response was fear. There is no fear in love. (1 John4:18). The manifested fruit of love is joy, peace, genleness, goodness... fear involves torment; but perfect love casts out fear. Adam and Eve reverenced God; but they had to face the consequences for their actions. Their fearful anticipation was real. What was it like to die? Adam decided to provide a reason for being unable to face God. He and Eve were naked; and He did not want his creator to see him in that condition! Since God, who had formed Adam knew how he and Eve looked when they were naked, this nakedness was not simply being bare. Virtue had left them. "Who told you that you were naked?" God asked Adam. Where had he obtained such information? It was time for a confession. How could Adam explain his vile deed? God asked him what he had done. Well, Adam inferred, God had given him a woman. He had not asked for her; and before she existed, he had not touched the fruit. Surely it was the fault of the woman. Eve rejected the blame. God had made the serpent; and it was the smartest creature. The serpent had outsmarted Eve, tricking her into eating the fruit. How could the Edenic pair tell God that they had allowed the words of the creature to supercede those of the Creator? How could they explain that they had bowed to the idol of aesthetic pleasure, instant gratification and coveted power? They had exchanged peace,plenty and power for the transient. After the fruit had been consumed and ingested, it was not visible; but its effects had begun an inward work.. Sin had entered entered their sanctuary; and now the sanctuary would have to be cleansed by their High priest and Kinsman- Redeemer. God pronounced judgment on Adam and Eve and the serpent. The eyeopening awareness that Eve sought had cost her and all mankind paradise. God was firm; He had to honour His words. Yet, amid the gloom of doom and death, God offered a ray of hope...SONshine to illumine the darkness and call people out to walk in His marvelous light. Those who respond to the call receive an inward gift...regeneration of heart, mind and soul. God writes His principles on the inward parts. Anyone who dwells in the love manifested and given freely by Jesus Christ are new individuals. They are led by the Spirit of God; and the engrafted Word of God are the principles on which they stand daily. Each day, man lives on proving ground. Temptations abound; and jesus provides the escape route as well as the answers that are sound. Before Jesus left, He assured His disciples that they had power to meet all the challenges and circumstances of life. Greater is He who is in the believer than he who is in the world. God has armed man with authority, a miracle mouth; and he is to pray with power as well as sing and shout. Sin is a virus that must be exposed to SONshine daily. Who told Adam and Eve that? They heard the voice that resulted from the wrong choice. The image of God in you and me wants us to be free. (c)Copyright 2002 F. Faye Brooks All Rights Reserved Worldwide |
