Messages from Above

I did another bible study with Catie today. She had an orthodontist appointment and rather than find something to do for 45 minutes between dropping off the little ones and her appointment at 9am, we took her bible and did the bible study in the van right outside the doctors office. We read Gen 3 today. It was about Adam and Eve and the downfall of humanity. I read it once through and we talked about it for a moment. Catie was not sure exactly what God was trying to get to her, so I read it one more time. After I read it again, she said that God only banished Adam. What? She said it again, God only banished Adam out of the Garden of Eden. We talked it out and this is what we came up with. I read it again starting at verse 21. God made them, Adam and his wife, clothes. God then spoke to someone, not Adam and not Eve because He refers to them as "man" and whoever he is speaking to as "us". He tells someone or something, maybe he is talking to himself, He says," The man has now become like one of us, knowing good and evil. He must not be allowed to reach out his hand and take also from the tree of life and eat, and live forever." Let me break it down some more. God says, "He must not be able to reach out his hand to take also from the tree of life and eat, and live forever." Adam must not be able to reach out his hand (Like Eve already did) to also take from the tree of life and eat and live forever. Here is what I know, Eve reached out first because of the serpent. Here is what I imagine might have happened. She called Adam over and said, "Hey try this, it's really good!" and handed it to him. He said, "Ok" and ate of the fruit of the tree of life. He, however, did not reach for it himself and take the first bite. She did. Verse 23 - So the Lord God banished HIM from the Garden of Eden to work the ground from which he had been taken. After He drove THEM out, he placed on the east side of the Garden of Eden cherubim and a flaming sword flashing back and forth to guard the way to the tree of life. So maybe, just maybe, God's plan for man being the leader of the family had already started way back then. Adam and Ever were one in marriage, therefore, where he went, she went. God banished Adam and Eve went too. I think maybe he showed mercy on Adam and Eve. He was probably very disappointed. I was talking to Catie some more about how Satan tries to decieve us and went back to where God was talking to them after the fruit was eaten and how God had to call them out from the bushes. He was talking to them like a parent talks to their child. Child does something wrong, parent calls them out and they come out from hiding looking at the ground kicking the dirt saying they were sorry. I began reading again and had my own message come through loud and clear. This may be something that you all know, but I have read this several times and never heard this before. Verse 14 - So the Lord God said to the serpent..." What! I kept reading and this is what I imagine happened. God call Adam and Eve out. They stand up behind the bushes and Adam says, "She gave me the fruit!" and points and Eve. Eve then says, " He told me to!" and points at the Serpent. I imagine that the serpent smiled a slimy grin, pleased with what he had caused. Slowly God is looking at them then turns his attention and fury to the serpent and tells him how he is now cursed because of what he did to Gods creations. Then he turns to Eve and tells her her consequences. Lastly, he turns to Adam, leader of the family and tells him his punishment. God then leaves and goes back to his home and makes clothes for his people. Still wanting to take care of them in spite of his disappointment. While doing this, I imagine him saying to himself or maybe to an Angel by his side, verse 22 and on. He comes back to Adam and Eve and banishes them out of Eden and locks the door with a cherubim and a flaming sword forever.
One other thing that stood out to me that I had heard before, but did not make much sense till this happened, was that when God is cursing Satan, in verse 15 - I will make you and the woman enemies to each other. Your descendants and hers will be enemies. One of her descendants will crush your head and you will bite his heel.(NCV) Praise God, it hit me! Right there in verse 15 God was already planning on sending Jesus! From the very beginning He was putting his plan in motion. God doesn't talk about Adam in this, he is talking about woman. God sent Jesus through the woman to save us from Satan. Jesus will crush Satan's head in the end and the only thing Satan will do to Jesus and us is bite our heels! How totally awesome is that? When I got all excited about this, Catie was looking at me like I was crazy. I told her that it might be over her head right now but I was proud of her for hearing what God said to her.
Her lesson for today is to watch for people making choices, good and bad. I told her to think about Eve standing next to the tree of life and the choice she made. I told her that it is not easy sometimes to make good choices, but good things come to us when we do.

Until we read again ~