Tag: Eden

Where Are You?

 Carl Pollard

H.G. Wells, an English writer, was never particularly religious, but after he had studied the history of the human race and had observed human life, he came to an interesting conclusion. He said, “Religion is the first thing and the last thing, and until a man has found God and been found by God, he begins at no beginning, he works to no end. He may have his friendships, his partial loyalties, his scraps of honor. But all these things fall into place and life falls into place only with God.”

I am thankful there is a God. That He exists, that He is in control, and that He offers eternal life. My life would be nothing if it wasn’t for His grace and love. There are a million different ways one could go about describing God the Father. Kind, loving, merciful, jealous, powerful, etc. Knowing God requires revelation. All that we know about Him is revealed in scripture. He chose to tell us who He is and what He has done for us. 

To dwell on the revealed knowledge of God is one of life’s highest pursuits. There is no better way to spend your time than to learn of the God who created, restored, and saved us. In scripture we read of His perfect attributes, His unfathomable love, His gift of salvation. If we took every writer, philosopher, poet, Christian, and put them to work describing the nature of the Father, the book would be added to until the end of time. As finite humans, it is impossible for us to comprehend the infinite. Our limits will forever keep us from fully knowing God. 

To know God completely and totally we would have to be God. 

Of all the places in scripture we could look, there is one that stands out. It’s not John 3:16, Eph. 2:8, Rom. 1:16, 1 John 4:8, 2 Peter 3:9. This perfect description for God isn’t found in 10,000 words, it is found in one. 

One single, Hebrew word incapsulates all of scripture, the theme of the Bible, and the attributes of God. 

In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth, the sea and all that is in them. He created with His words, the very world we see today. However, the world we are in now isn’t exactly what it used to be. 

God made man in His image, His likeness is found in us. He created Adam first, then Eve. 

We ruled the earth, God’s prize possession. 

He created us to love, to tend to the garden, to be with Him in perfect harmony. That is exactly what we see in Genesis 1-2, but things fundamentally changed in chapter three. The God who lovingly created the world, the garden for Adam and Eve, gave one single command. Don’t eat from the tree of knowledge. 

This command gave His special creation a choice. A choice to love, or a choice to disobey. True love is a choice, it is never forced. Sadly as we are familiar with, Eve listened to the serpent and ate of tree. She then turned to her husband and He ate. It is at this moment they realize they are naked and made clothes for themselves. And then…nothing happens. No lighting bolt, no death, no thundering voice from God condemning them to hell forever. The Lord himself comes out to Adam, and notice how he comes. He comes walking. He wasn’t in a hurry to strike the offender. walking in the garden. “In the cool of the day”—not in the dead of night when things are all the more scary. 

God is longsuffering, slow to anger, and of great mercy; and so He came walking, in the cool of the evening, when the sun was setting on the last day of Eden. Adam runs and tries to avoid the very God he had once met with confidence, the One he had the sweetest fellowship, talking with him as a man talks with his friend.

Gen. 3:9 The Lord God called to the man, and said one word, “ayyekkah” which is translated, “where are you?” Imagine hearing the voice of God as He cries, “Adam, where are you? This question reveals more than we have time to discuss. It showed that Adam was lost, or God would not have needed to ask him where he was. 

Until we have lost something, we do not need to enquire about it. God’s first words after the fall, a question posed to His creation. In this one Hebrew word is compressed a whole theology. In this ONE word, we find the nature of God. Understand these are God’s first words to the FIRST sinner. In asking this question we learn that

God Pursues The Lost Sinner. 

What Adam and Eve did was wrong. 

They knew it, and so did God. God was very clear on what would happen if they ate of the fruit. “In that day you will surely die” are the exact words God used. When Adam and Eve heard God walking they chose to hide. 

Why? Man had sinned against God. Notice the alienation of the heart that sin causes in the sinner. Adam should have sought out his Maker. He should have been running through the garden crying out for God,

“My God, my God, I have sinned against you. Where are you?” Adam should have fallen in humility at the feet of the Father. 

He had a closer relationship with God than anyone in today. HE LIVED IN THE PRESENCE OF God. He should have called out to God, ran to His feet, and fallen on his face begging for mercy. But instead, Adam flees from God. The sinner does not come to God; God comes to him. It is not “My God, where are you?” but the first voice that broke the silence after the fall is the voice of grace, “Sinner where are you?” God comes to man; man does not seek his God.

Isn’t this how it has always been? From this one Hebrew Word, we read of a God who reaches out to us, even when we have done our best to hide ourselves from Him. “But God shows His love to us, in that while we were sinners, Christ died for the ungodly (Romans 5:8).” While we spit on the body of Christ, God is crying out, “where are you, sinner?” In this one word, a love like mankind has never experienced is displayed. When God asked, “where are you?” We learn of a God who pursues the sinner. 

Today He continues to call, hoping that we will come to Him.

Why Suffering?

Gary Pollard

This week’s is possibly one of the most-asked existential questions out there. “Why is suffering a part of the human experience?” Believer and non-believer alike struggle with this one. Believers and even many agnostics struggle to justify the existence of an all-powerful, all-loving God with “bone cancer in children” and other seemingly senseless evils. Non-believers may struggle with the existence of suffering, too, especially if their worldview involves progressivism. After thousands of years of lessons learned, shouldn’t we have found a way to eliminate suffering? 

The Bible answers this question: we brought suffering to the human experience by violating the relationship we had with God. The story of the Bible is one that ultimately repairs this condition, thanks to God becoming human and sacrificing himself to repair that breach. On top of that, he came back to life as proof-of-concept and as a promise — we will have immortality, too. The message of Christianity is one that looks forward to a time without evil’s consequences (especially suffering and death). For many people, accepting the hard truth of our (i.e. humanity’s) culpability in the existence of suffering is too much. It can’t be that simple! 

We could illustrate this with an adapted pagan myth. Pandora’s box is well-known to many — she opened a box that contained all of the evil in the world, but with hope attached to them. There was no returning those things to the box and it affected everyone. While the framework of the story is decidedly pagan, it is rooted in historical fact. The first woman on earth did actually open something like Pandora’s box, introducing entropy to the planet for the first time. The consequences were far-reaching, as Christians believe all of humanity came from her. We are living with the consequences of Pandora’s box having been opened. 

Even if we look at this from a totally naturalistic standpoint, the existence of suffering does not necessarily preclude an all-powerful, loving God. In fact, it offers a fairly reasonable explanation for why suffering affects good people! What it does lack is anything resembling meaningful hope for a brighter future — this explanation ends with physical death, the beginning of eternal non-existence. A naturalistic explanation is something like this: There is suffering in the world because we’re all born ignorant and have to learn from the mistakes we make. Mistakes often have a ripple effect, and can sometimes negatively affect others. For example, a new driver’s inexperience may cause an accident that takes the life of an innocent person. It’s seemingly random, chaotic, senseless. What did that other person do to deserve death? Nothing, they were just in the wrong place at the wrong time. Even the naturalistic worldview understands that bending nature’s laws to prevent all tragedies would have devastating consequences in our current framework. 

So why doesn’t God intervene in every situation? The short answer is “we don’t know.” He does often intervene (cf. Hb 1.14; I Kgs 17.8-16; Ruth; Dan 3.8-30, and many, many others), but we don’t always know why. His perspective is infinite, ours is not. It’s frustrating, painful, and confusing at times, but we all accept that it’s temporary. We know that he won’t allow us to deal with more than we’re capable of handling with character intact (I Cor 10.13), but not too much beyond this. Christianity views suffering as part of the human experience that we’re quite ready to leave behind. This is why death is something we look forward to! 

We have sufferings now, but they are nothing compared to the great glory that will be given to us. Everything that God made is waiting with excitement for the time when he will show the world who his children are. The whole world wants very much for that to happen (Rom 8.18-19). 

I have told you these things so that you can have peace in me. In this world you will have troubles. But be brave! I have overcome the world” (Jn 16.33). 

Destination

Gary Pollard

Jesus chose the Passover as the memorial that his sacrifice would fulfill. He is the perfect lamb whose blood saves us from death. Israel was protected from the angel of death through the lamb’s blood on their doorpost, and we’re saved from death through the blood of the lamb. Death is the consequence of sin. By saving us from sin, he saves us from death’s permanence. When we say that he saved us from our sins and he saved us from death, we’re saying exactly the same thing. The two are interchangeable. Without sin there is no death. Without forgiveness of those sins, there is no life. 

Because of Jesus’s sacrifice and because he came back to life, taking a position at the Father’s right hand as our perfect high priest, he will save us from our own Egypt — this earth. Being saved from death isn’t where the Exodus story ended, right? Israel was also saved from a dysfunctional country. The Jewish people saw this parallel eight centuries before YHWH came to earth as Jesus (Is 65.17, 66.22). They were looking forward to the return of Eden, the perfect creation of the first time — before man had to fight the earth for food, and before woman had to experience pain in childbirth and submission to her husband. 

Peter makes the comparison between the first destruction of earth and the second, and quotes Isaiah and Jesus when he says, “But according to his promise, we are waiting for a new heavens and a new earth where only goodness can live” (II Pt 3.13). This new earth does not have the curse God put on this earth when humanity sinned (Rv 22.3; Rom 8.15ff). The wording used II Pt and Rev 21, 22 strongly suggests a literal understanding of this teaching. The use of γης for earth (instead of κοσμος), the use of καινην for new (instead of νεος, though this is only suggestive and not something that stands alone as proof), and the use of παλλιγγενεσια (return to a former state) in Mt 19.28 all point to a literal understanding of this promise. 

We can add to this the fact that the word “heaven” is ουρανος — a word that was primarily understood to mean “sky” by Greek speakers from the Classical period on. In its plural form — usually the dative plural ουρανοις or genitive plural ουρανους — it could be the realm of the stars (it also means “skies” when context demands). It was understood to be the place where God lives. Jesus said as much in Mt 6.9, 6.14, and 6.32 (and fifteen other passages, mostly in Matthew). Our ultimate destination is not figurative. No figurative interpretation appears to have existed before the Docetics and other gnostic groups came to prominence in the mid-to-late 1st century. 

Salvation is not some intangible platitude or vaguely-defined ethereal existence. How would that produce effective anticipation or hope? It had to make sense to the people it was written to, and it had to use language native to their thinking. If not it wouldn’t have been as powerful.  

The Serpent

Tuesday’s Column: Dale Mail

Dale Pollard

Interesting conversations with godly people are some the best ways you can stir your desire to get into His word more. Studying the Bible will always bring to the surface questions we didn’t even know we had— along with the answers to the most important questions you could ask. 
Here’s an idea. Find somebody with a wealth of Biblical knowledge and create a shared note on your cell phone or computer. If there’s something on your mind or something you’d like to know more about, it helps to have another brain working to help you get to the bottom of it. 
It’s also a great way to keep you thinking about Biblical subjects! Below is a portion of a shared note that my brother and I have had for months now (Gary’s input is italicized and correspond with the numbers you see). 
Thoughts On The Serpent 

  • The serpent was crafty and could walk. Why this animal? Its craftiness seems to be linked with its intelligence (1). When the subject of possession is brought up, demons typically come to mind. The possessor of the serpent (2) seems to change form once again as Satan is described as “walking about on the earth” (Job 1) and traveling to the pinnacle of the temple (Matt. 4.5). Satan’s mobility had improved since the removal of his serpentine legs (3). Could it be that he was never a serpent from the beginning? What if he merely chose the animal for reasons unknown, and used his intelligence to utilize this particular creature’s capabilities. If the serpent changed his form to the Leviathan, then that would be a logical explanation for his mobility in Job (4). A mighty beast, with unnatural intelligence (5) that humans couldn’t tame. This would also explain how humans are able to dominate and tame all animals (Gen. 1.26-28) but weren’t able to tame the beasts in Job. 
  • (1) Rev 12.9; 20.2
  • (2) Satan is always portrayed as a serpent…except when he isn’t (i.e., cursed to crawl in Genesis, walking in Job 1 & 2, flying in synoptic gospels at temptation of Jesus, moving tactically in I Peter). I have to think that, like the angels, he had the ability to project his consciousness into non-sentient beings (i.e., no free-will override), or disguise himself as humanoid (II Cor 11.14; Gen 3.18; Heb 13.2). We know very little about who/what satan really is, but because he was a fixture in God’s entourage before banished to earth, I have to assume he was a watcher of some kind. 
  • (3) A curse that improves mobility is no longer, by definition, a curse. 
  • (4) God specifically names Leviathan as the pinnacle of his non-human creation. He would not have extolled leviathan if its characteristics were synonymous with the accuser in Job 1, 2. This would also imply a duality of personhood never attributed to satan (i.e., existing as two entities simultaneously). Since this predates Jesus’s arrival by probably 4500 years, satan is likely still in the accuser position in God’s entourage. This would make him a powerful cosmic being with the same abilities other watchers enjoyed. When he became the ruler of planet earth, his power was “chained” or throttled (II Cor 4.4; Eph 2.2; Lk 10.18; Rev 20.1-15). 
  • (5) I was unable to verify the leviathan’s unnatural intelligence, but Job does describe its unnatural strength. 

Happy studies! I hope this inspires you to begin your own interesting conversations. 

How Satan Tempts

Thursday Column: Captain’s Blog

carl-pic

Carl Pollard

 
Genesis 3 records for us the fall of man. This account reveals to us the methods Satan uses to tempt us, and the choice that changed the course of the world. We can learn a lot about the devil in his first interaction with God’s creation.
 
“Now the serpent was more crafty than any other beast of the field that the Lord God had made. He said to the woman, “Did God actually say, ‘You shall not eat of any tree in the garden’?” And the woman said to the serpent, “We may eat of the fruit of the trees in the garden, but God said, ‘You shall not eat of the fruit of the tree that is in the midst of the garden, neither shall you touch it, lest you die.'” But the serpent said to the woman, “You will not surely die. For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.””
 
We don’t know how long Adam and Eve were in the garden. There is no timeframe between chapter 2 and 3.
It could’ve been a month, a year, a century that has gone by. Whatever the time frame, Satan comes to Eve and places doubt in her mind. This is quite possibly the worst lie ever told. “Did God really say…?” While Satan doesn’t physically appear and speak to us today, he still uses this same tactic. He has destroyed many churches’ worship to God. “Did God really ask for music with no instruments?” “Did God really say for the women to be silent?” By casting doubt Satan has corrupted the worship and faith of millions.
 
After he casts doubt, he then blatantly contradicts God, “you will not surely die.” And once again he continues to blatantly contradict God’s word today. The message Satan tells the world is completely different from what God has given to us. Satan contradicts the Father. Rather than “love you neighbour as yourself” he says “love yourself above your neighbour.” Rather than “serve God and keep his commandments, he says “serve yourself and listen to no one.” Satan contradicted God in the past and continues to do so today.
 
After he casts doubt and blatantly contradicts God, he then offers power, “you shall be like God.” Obviously in their close relationship with God, they understood who created the world. The created wanted to be like the creator, but the devil offered a lie. Satan only has one thing to offer– sin. He oftentimes portrays this lifestyle of sin as a lie.
He offers happiness and joy, but at the end of the day all he has to offer is sin and regret.
 
Eve was tempted by Satan, and he used the same methods then as he does now. Eve experienced:
  • The lust of the flesh (she wanted to eat of the fruit)
  • The lust of the eyes (literally says “it was a delight to the eyes,” v.6)
  • Pride of life (she wanted to become wise and have power)
The devil always knows what to say in order to get us to stumble. We must be vigilant and ready to refuse the tempter when he appears.

HOLDING THE CIGARETTE OUT THE WINDOW

Neal Pollard

I saw an older man, trying to negotiate a turn, with the window partially down and balancing a cigarette out of that window. It was 25 degrees, so my guess would be that he was not overheated by his tiny, burning cylindrical distraction. It’s not an uncommon occurrence, though I’ve normally observed teens doing this. A friend of mine in High School said he dangled his cigarettes out the window to keep his mom from smelling it in the car.  There may be more than one reason why people do this, but concealing the fact of one’s smoking (or at least its pungent smell) seemingly factors in.

Trying to conceal actions we know are wrong or think others will disapprove of is as old as the Garden of Eden. After Adam and Eve disobeyed God’s command, “the man and his wife hid themselves from the presence of God among the trees of the garden” (Gen. 3:8b). From that point forward, mankind has shown a remarkably similar tendency—regardless of century, geographical location, gender, age, or other demographical details—to try and cover up his sins. David, one whose heart was ordinarily pleasing to God, conceived such deception and dishonesty in an effort to hide his egregious sin with Bathsheba (cf. 2 Sam. 11:6-27). Solomon issues multiple warnings to those who, rather than repenting, attempt to conceal their iniquity (Prov. 10:6,11,18; 28:13).

It extends beyond just trying to conceal the smell of smoke, doesn’t it? Guilt, fear, worry, and shame usually leads the pornography addict, participant in an illicit relationship or affair, the problem drinker or drug user, as well as the general hypocrite, to use up a lot of energy and attention to covering up their wrongdoings. The hope is that they can keep discovery out of the reach and detection of the ones whose acceptance and approval they greatly desire to have. So often, these concealers have forgotten someone very important. Such is a serious miscalculation since that someone cannot fail to notice. The eyes of the Lord watch all the ways of man and his paths (Prov. 5:21) and “are in every place, watching the evil and the good” (Prov. 15:3). “The Lord looks from heaven; He sees all the sons of men” (Psa. 33:13).

We may conceal deep, dark secrets from even those closest to us for a lifetime.  Yet, ultimately, no one will get away with a lifestyle of sin.  God won’t be duped. We won’t pull the wool over His all-seeing eyes. Instead, our energy should be directed toward overcoming sin and looking to Him to give us the strength we need to do so.  All of us struggle with temptation and sin, but how we address it is an indicator of our character. May we be transparent with our God and honest with one another!

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