In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. I could easily get sidetracked on discussing how this simple statement, referring to 6 days and the first two chapters of Genesis, is a good subject for my title. However, I want to focus on the most complex creature in the known universe, man. We know how amazing people over the years have stretched the limits of possibility, whether it be manned flight, space travel, moonwalking, the 4- minute mile (and then some!), increasing life expectancy, organ transplants, the internet, bionics,....
Think about this for a minute. In the beginning, things were a bit different. God had just created the entire universe with just a few words. Even now, with our mind-boggling technology, we truly have little idea about even what most of it consists of, not to mention an understanding of how it all works. But consider this. He used a few words to create the universe, but his own hands and the breath of his mouth to create man. He went even further, taking from the man's own flesh, to make the woman. These two were perfect. They felt no shame, suffered no pain, could live forever. Adam was given the wisdom to name every living thing; something modern science is still trying to replicate. He and Eve had dominion over the world, everything they could ever ask for, and perfect freedom. They were even blessed to have only ONE temptation looming before them, along with no need to ever partake of it. There was no temptation to commit adultery; no other women or men around. No need to steal; they were in charge and owned it all. They walked with God himself. No weakness, no aging, no flaws whatsoever. Yet they were not puppets, either. God allowed them the choice to do as they pleased, and the opportunity to choose or reject that famous forbidden fruit. He didn't lock it away. But think about this-though they had perfectly functioning minds without confusion or forgetfulness or failed logic or perception, there is one thing they didn't know. They didn't know what evil was. Can you imagine? To not even know what evil is, much less have it never threaten you. The story of Adam and Eve falling into temptation seems so utterly simplistic as to insult the intelligence.
Now, back to my title. It is easy for us to say various things about the fruit, like why did God put it there, we would have been smart enough to avoid it, it is unfair that we should suffer for what Eve did, or that the story is not even true-it's just a fable. So are the 6 days, the flood, Jonah's whale tale, etc.
The simple isn't always easy. Remember when you had babies? You wanted to shield them from this bad world. Dangerous car seats, unsafe cars, bad people, bad news on tv, bad words, poisons, disease. How is that working for you? The answer is, you are failing. They have gotten gashes and illnesses, been picked on or beat up at school, seen the junk you watch on tv or listen to on the radio, and seen you at your very worst behavior. That is, unless you have done a much better job than I have.
Now, if God, being perfect, made a perfect creation and perfect creatures and two people ruined it all with one stupid decision, [and yes, it really is that simple], it is really easy for us to blow it.
I figure that life is a minefield. Only by the grace of God do we make it through alive. The hazards are overwhelming, and we really, really need help.
Unfortunately, our egotistical human nature fights against the right way, just as Adam and Eve rejected all the truth for the opportunity to do the one thing they shouldn't have.
The purpose of my blog, Revelationblog 18, is to come face to face with the simple truth of God's judgment and wrath, and the consequences of our actions. Looking back at the beginnings of history, I hope you can picture that God knows what is best for us and it is best that we obey him. Simple, but not easy.
