Devotional #5                 

Communication Issues

     Moses recorded the events of Adam and Eve’s life in the book of Genesis. Through this account, among many lessons, we understand how sin came into the world, what tempts us, and why we desperately needed Jesus. Just as when God killed the animal(s) to provide a covering for Adam and Eve’s sin (Genesis 3:21), this was a type/symbol of Christ who would be sacrificed to save us from our sin and restore our relationship with God, the Father. It is also a lesson in what can go wrong in human relationships.

     Adam, I believe, miscommunicated an important fact with his new mate. You see, God had made a beautiful garden, called Eden, and put Adam in it to ‘tend and keep it (Genesis 2:15).’ “And the Lord God commanded the man, saying, “of every tree of the garden you may freely eat; but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die.” That is what He had said to Adam. We see that Eve had not yet been created, as the next verse states that God saw Adam’s need for a helper (Eve). So, we are led to understand that Eve perhaps got this very important information from Adam, second hand. Eve, when being tempted, “said to the serpent, “We may eat the fruit of the garden: but of the fruit which is in the midst of the garden, God has said, ‘You shall not eat it, nor shall you touch it, lest you die.’ Genesis 3:2, 3 

I wonder… had Adam ever told her the name of the tree? Did he add that part about ‘not touching it?’ Scripture does not record God saying that! That could have been the place where Satan had tripped her up. Once in her hand, she noticed no change (in other words, she did NOT ‘die’ immediately) she may have more readily believed the snake’s lie and had gone on to partake of the forbidden fruit.

Similarly, sin is not sin when the thought is first introduced within your mind. That first thought is called temptation. It becomes sin once we dwell or act on that thought in some way. I once heard a pastor say that ‘sin is like a bird. You are not responsible for it flying over your head. You become responsible if you let it make a nest in your brains.’ I don’t believe that Eve sinned by just touching the prohibited snack. However, perhaps her poor understanding of God’s command, concerning that touch tripped her up, leading to her downfall.

     The lesson for us here is that we must communicate better. We often major on the minors. Our conversations may be wide, but they often lack depth. In other words, we don’t talk about the most important things with each other, like God’s Word and what He’s spoken to our hearts. We spend too much time talking about things that really don’t matter. Let’s allow the Lord to help us change that!  Are you ready to have that conversation?

See It for Yourself: Genesis 2 & 3, I Corinthians 15:22

Prayer Focus:         

Dear Lord,

Help us to seek You for ourselves, so that: we may have the joy of relationship with You, understand Your Word and will, and may be protected from hidden dangers. Cause us to build healthy relationships with those we love, in which we communicate more dearly and deeply.

In Jesus’ name we pray.  

Amen. 

Working It Out:  Don’t just listen, Hear!