Week of 12/2-12/8: Foundation - Paradise Lost

Day One: Gen. 3:1-7 Now the serpent 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’?” The woman said to the serpent, “We may eat the fruit from the trees in the garden. 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.’ ” “No! You will not die,” the serpent said to the woman. “In fact, God knows that when you eat it your eyes will be opened and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.” Then 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. Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they knew they were naked; so they sewed fig leaves together and made loincloths for themselves.

I REMEMBER THE PLOT of the first horror movie I ever saw. The story centered upon a boy who was picked on by everyone in his life, including his mother, neighborhood friends and school mates. One day these “friends” pushed him down a well, nearly killing the boy in the process. The next 20 years of this young man’s life were spent in a coma. When he finally awoke, he went on a “revenge spree.” Having never recovered full body functions, he had a distinctive walk and a forever deformed face. You knew this was a bad dude when he was chasing after you. To this day I still look over my shoulder when the lights are off in a room.

Rewind to the Garden of Eden. There’s an enemy that appears in the garden as well, but he isn’t nearly as recognizable as the bad guy in the movie. This enemy is much more subtle. But don’t let subtleness fool you. He is the most dangerous enemy there is. He doesn’t limp around like a zombie or carry a big knife. Rather, his weapon of choice is a question. This may not sound very frightening, but trust me, it is!

The enemy approached Eve and posed a deadly question: “Did God really say...?” With this simple question he was able to get Adam and Eve to doubt God. This question pierced so deeply that for the first time; man rebelled and sinned against God.

Today that same enemy comes after us, not dressed in masks or carrying weapons, but just as dangerous. He always whispers the same question, “Did God really say…?” Don’t let the enemy get you to question what God clearly says in His Word!

PAUSE AND REFLECT

▷▷How did the enemy tempt Adam and Eve?

▷▷How does the enemy tempt us?

▷▷What can we do to overcome the temptations of the enemy?