Garden of Eden

Adam and Eve’s sin is an interesting incident to reflect on. The pattern of behavior has not changed much from what happened in the Garden of Eden to the current modern age!

God had told clearly that these are the limits and a life of submission, within which they are expected to live. And the limits were put by an all knowing God, who knew that the finite human that they were, their faculties of intellect and reasoning, apart from God, will lead them astray!

What was told clearly by God, was doubted by humans. Did God really say – was the question Satan raised. Eve knew the facts – God had told. But Serpent had a way of explaining away or turning Gods word into what was acceptable for human reasoning and desire! Trying to turn word into something which fulfills the physical desires, emotional fulfillment and intellectual reasoning – (good for food, pleasing to eye and desirable for gaining wisdom). This rational explanation of the word of God and responding based on that, led to irrelevant self-realization – that they were naked! Which was not the core issue, core issue was the deep desire for independence and control of their own lives.

How like us today too! The word, which is clear and succinct, and we know it to be clear, we often doubt. Our own reasoning, the physical desires, emotional fulfillment and intellectual reasoning is often used to explain away God’s word or turn God’s word to fulfill our own desires.

And then we end up focusing on irrelevant issues of life, our own self related issues, issues of control and independence, whereas God’s hand on our lives is to live in submission to His plans for our lives and Kingdom purposes.

And then the all-knowing God, creates opportunities to address this in their lives. He walks in and openly addresses the core issue – taking control of their own lives and disobedience.  The response was by passing the buck and not taking responsibility of their own actions.

When realization that we have failed sets in, our first response is find scapegoats or pass the buck to others as the cause of failure than accepting responsibility.

How do we avoid such failures?

One – live and remain in the word which is clear and succinct. Two – do not depend on our reasoning and desires to explain away God’s word. Three – evaluate all what is happening around and the world through the spectacles of the word. Four – if we fail, take onus and responsibility and accept our failure, and return.

The beauty is that even if we fail, our God is a caring God, he will give us clothes to cover our nakedness of failures today, he will create walls to protect us from such failures tomorrow and preserve our souls for a redemption in the future!