Bible Study - Voice of GOD -Does It Agree with the Bible -Genesis 3:1-6 - January 22, 2023

 

Bible Study – Voice of GOD – Does It Agree with the Bible – January 22, 2023

This is lesson one (1) in our series entitled, “How to Discern the Voice of GOD.”

Our focus scripture is Genesis 3:1-6.

The voice of GOD never contradicts the Bible.

The title of our lesson is truth we can count on --- Does It Agree with the Bible and the voice of GOD never contradicts the Bible.

Our selected scripture takes us back to the Garden of Eden. Let’s go back to a very important question, “Who did GOD put in control of the Garden?” Let’s read Genesis 2:15-17:

¹⁵ The Lord God took the man (The First Adam) and placed him in the garden of Eden to work it and watch over it. ¹⁶ And the Lord God commanded the man, “You are free to eat from any tree of the garden, ¹⁷ but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for on the day you eat from it, you will certainly die.”

GOD placed Adam in charge over the Garden. Adam was responsible for what went on in the Garden. Adam was accountable to GOD. But what happened?

Satan enters the Garden, as we read Genesis 3:1-7:

GOD allowed Satan to enter into the Garden? Why? GOD often tests us as humans. We never know how we will act or react until we are tested.

Now the serpent (Satan) was the most cunning of all the wild animals that the Lord God had made. (YES, GOD made Satan.) He (Satan) said to the woman, “Did God really say, ‘You can’t eat from any tree in the garden’?”

Satan can take on many forms. In this case, he took on the form of a serpent. A talking serpent at that. Satan is a liar and the father of lies and is cunning. He goes after the most vulnerable and those with the greatest potential. He said to the woman, “Did God really say, you can’t eat from any tree in the garden?” I know some women will want to have my head but keep reading.

Why did Satan go after the first woman, Eve? The answer is clear as we read, Genesis 3: ²⁰ The man named his wife Eve^[g] because she was the mother of all the living.  When Satan influenced Eve to sin, it influenced the entire human race.

GOD made man from the dust of the earth and in Genesis 2: ⁷ Then the Lord God formed the man out of the dust from the ground and breathed the breath of life into his nostrils, and the man became a living being. When GOD breathed life into Adam, he became body, soul and spirit. Adam’s spirit was eternal but before Adam would become eternal, he had to be tested.

What do we read in Genesis 2: ¹⁶ And the Lord God commanded the man, “You are free to eat from any tree of the garden, ¹⁷ but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for on the day you eat from it, you will certainly die.” ¹⁸ Then the Lord God said, “It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper corresponding to him.” ¹⁹ The Lord God formed out of the ground every wild animal and every bird of the sky, and brought each to the man to see what he would call it. And whatever the man called a living creature, that was its name. ²⁰ The man gave names to all the livestock, to the birds of the sky, and to every wild animal; but for the man^[k] no helper was found corresponding to him. ²¹ So the Lord God caused a deep sleep to come over the man, and he slept. God took one of his ribs (side or curved part of Adams body) and closed the flesh at that place. ²² Then the Lord God made the rib he had taken from the man into a woman and brought her to the man. ²³ And the man said:

This one, at last, is bone of my bone
and flesh of my flesh;
this one will be called “woman,”
for she was taken from man.

²⁴ This is why a man leaves his father and mother and bonds with his wife, and they become one flesh. ²⁵ Both the man and his wife were naked, yet felt no shame.

GOD took a body part from Adam’s side and “made” Eve to be able to reproduce. The two became one. We see that Adam was overwhelmed with the person GOD had made for him. In essence, when Adam saw Eve, He went WOW!!! Eve was taken from Adam’s side, not his head or near his foot. Eve was made to be Adam’s helpmate, equal to come along his side.

So, Satan is crafty and went after the woman, Eve, the mother of all living. If he could get her to eat the forbidden fruit, then he would get all humanity to fall from GOD’S grace and sin. Plus, in essence, seemingly Satan would win the battle over GOD’S plan for the offspring of Adam and Eve to live eternally with HIM but GOD is greater than all. GOD already knew the outcome and had a redemptive plan for mankind through HIS only SON, JESUS, the second Adam.

How often do we hear the whisper of doubt in our ears? Why does GOD allow it? What do you think? Keep in mind, GOD tests and teaches. GOD’S desire is for HIS Children to stand and fight as HE gives us strength. Why? In 1 John 4:4 - ⁴ You are from God, little children, and you have conquered them, because the one who is in you (JESUS) is greater than the one (Satan) who is in the world. 

JESUS encountered Satan at the beginning of HIS earthly ministry as we read in Matthew 4:1-11:

4 Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. ² After he had fasted forty days and forty nights, he was hungry. ³ Then the tempter approached him and said, “If you are the Son of God, tell these stones to become bread.”

⁴ He answered, “It is written: Man must not live on bread alone but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.”^[a]

⁵ Then the devil took him to the holy city, had him stand on the pinnacle of the temple, ⁶ and said to him, “If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down. For it is written:

He will give his angels orders concerning you,
and they will support you with their hands
so that you will not strike
your foot against a stone.”^[b]

⁷ Jesus told him, “It is also written: Do not test the Lord your God.”^[c]

⁸ Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their splendor. ⁹ And he said to him, “I will give you all these things if you will fall down and worship me.”^[d]

¹⁰ Then Jesus told him, “Go away,^[e] Satan! For it is written: Worship the Lord your God, and serve only him.”^[f]

¹¹ Then the devil left him, and angels came and began to serve him (JESUS).

Notice, how JESUS respond to Satan/devil? JESUS quoted scripture to him and the devil left --

This goes back to how we began our study, “Does It Agree with the Bible or the fact that the voice of GOD never contradicts the Bible.” This is why, GOD desires for all of HIS Children to know the scriptures, not just know about the scriptures but to really know the truth of scripture. Why? The Bible reveals to us in Hebrews 4:12:

¹² For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.

Let’s read Genesis 3:1:

3 Now the serpent (Satan) was the most cunning of all the wild animals that the Lord God had made. He said to the woman, “Did God really say, ‘You can’t eat from any tree in the garden’?”

Where had Eve’s information come from? It came from Adam. Satan twists truth. “Did GOD really say, ‘You can’t eat from any tree in the garden’?”

NO! GOD did not say that but HE did say you cannot eat from the “tree of the knowledge of good and evil,” What did GOD tell Adam in Genesis 2:16: Lord God commanded the man, “You are free to eat from any tree of the garden, ¹⁷ but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for on the day you eat from it, you will certainly die.”

GOD does not mince words or show favorites. Man had eternal life but he would lose it the instant he ate the fruit from the “Tree of the Knowledge of good and evil.”

Let’s read Genesis 3:2-3:

² The woman said to the serpent, “We may eat the fruit from the trees in the garden. ³ But about the fruit of the tree in the middle of the garden, God said, ‘You must not eat it or touch it, or you will die.’”

Oh, my when we add something to GOD’S Word, we are in trouble. Notice Eve left out the absolute “certainly” before die. GOD never said anything about not touching it. Could it be that Adam added “the do not touch it” to keep Eve safe? We only speculate. But for whatever reason it played into Satan enticing Eve.

But notice that GOD had placed the forbidden tree in the middle of the Garden. It was surrounded by many other suitable trees for Adam and Eve to eat their fruit. Often, GOD places stumbling blocks/hinderances which we have to cross over in an effort to keep us from sinning.

Now, I move into speculation about the dialogue between Eve and Satan. GOD said not to touch it? Oh, Eve, look how beautiful its fruit looks. Beauty often entices us until reality hits us. Reach out and touch it. Satan may have even touched it and said, look I touched it and nothing happened. Eve had to touch it before she took a bite. Satan, likely said, see I told you that you would not “certainly” die. So, take a bite. GOD lied to you; can you trust HIM?

The serpent, Satan, continued in his authoritative voice, giving the impression he was the greater authority over GOD. Satan is a liar and deceiver. But we need to keep in mind that GOD created the angel who turned out to become Satan.

Let’s read Genesis 3:4-7:

⁴ “No! You will certainly not die,” the serpent said to the woman. ⁵ “In fact, God knows that when^[a] you eat it your eyes will be opened and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.” ⁶ The woman saw that the tree was good for food and delightful to look at, and that it was desirable for obtaining wisdom. So, she took some of its fruit and ate it; she also gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate it. ⁷ Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they knew they were naked; so, they sewed fig leaves together and made coverings for themselves.

Satan is crafty and deceives today. Notice that Satan added back what GOD had told Adam, “you will certainly die.” Satan lures GOD’S Children and non-children into sin. Satan says “Oh, try this once and see it will solve all your problems.” OH! NO! It will be just the beginning of your problems. Sin blocks our relationship and fellowship with GOD.

I know of people who have been enticed to try a certain drug, just once that lasted a lifetime and eventually destroyed them, their loved ones and took their lives.

Notice, the first thing Eve did after she took a bite was to give Adam a bite. Adam was standing there next to her while all of this was going on. Was he afraid to open his mouth? Why, didn’t Adam speak up? We will likely never know. Was he letting Eve be the test case to test the honesty of GOD? All we do know is that Adam took a bite. They were bonded in love and instantly both of their eyes were opened and they noticed they were naked. Sin reveals our nakedness. We have nothing to hide behind.

Adam took a bite. He knew better. That is why GOD had to send the second Adam, JESUS to earth to offer redemption to all mankind by placing their faith in JESUS. There is no other way to get to Heaven.

When we sin, most often, immediately we want to cover it up or justify it.

GOD in HIS wisdom knew that Adam and Eve would sin and HE had a backup plan to redeem mankind. It would require GOD’S only SON, JESUS, to come to earth and live a 100 percent sinless human life and shed HIS sinless blood to pay, in full, for all sin. JESUS would die physically and GOD would raise JESUS from the physically dead to show that the penalty for sin had been paid, in full, and all who place their faith in JESUS are redeemed from eternal death. All who are redeemed are given the Holy Spirit as a security deposit or seal to assure them that they are fully redeemed. All who are redeemed will not be found naked when they die physically but are covered by a special Heavenly body which GOD is fashioning for every Spirit-born person.

As a Spirit-born person the Bible reveals in 2 Corinthians 5:1-5:

5 For we know that if our earthly tent (earthly body) we live in is destroyed, we have a building from God, an eternal dwelling in the heavens, not made with hands. ² Indeed, we groan in this tent, desiring to put on our heavenly dwelling, ³ since, when we are clothed,^[a] we will not be found naked. ⁴ Indeed, we groan while we are in this tent, burdened as we are, because we do not want to be unclothed but clothed, so that mortality may be swallowed up by life. ⁵ Now the one who prepared us for this very purpose is God, who gave us the Spirit as a down payment.

For Spirit-born people, GOD is fashioning a suitable body for them

 when they exit earth in death. This special heavenly body will be suitable for the time we are in HEAVEN while we are waiting to follow JESUS to earth at the rapture of the church and all Spirit-born people to be clothed in their eternal Glorified bodies.  

WOW!!! GOD is wonderful! And that is Good News we have as Spirit-born people to share with those who are struggling in sin and need to be rescued from the mirey clay of sin and given hope in JESUS. To GOD be the Glory, Great things HE has done. HIS redemptive plan is awesome and HIS redeeming love is eternal! Blessings!!!