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Word from Scotland
by Sandy Shaw
It was pleasing and desirable and so I took it and ate. These words in Genesis Chapter 3 verse 6 explain a lot. I saw the chocolate bar, and because it looked good, I wanted it, and I stretched out my hand and took it and ate it – and because I got off with it once I thought I could get off with it time and time again, and one day someone tapped me on the shoulder! The illustration can apply to anything!
We move on to verse 8 where we read that the Lord God comes and walks in the Garden. How do we react when God draws close? He loves to walk with the people He loves. Rather than run to HIM for mercy and forgiveness - they hid.
They are afraid - ashamed - guilty - separated.
Verse 9 - Where are you? What a question - not physically, but spiritually? God is trying to draw out something deeper. "Where have you got yourself to?" God is giving them the chance to comes and repent and confess - the opportunity to sort things out, and put things right.
They begin to answer and pass the buck - and blame others. Adam blames Eve. Eve blames the serpent.
Adam really blames God - and we do this. We ask why God allows wars - famines - floods - disasters! We even do it legally - we call them on our Insurance Policies - Acts of God!
Next we read of the Promise of Salvation.
If all God wanted to do was reform man, then there would be no need for a Saviour - no need for Jesus Christ to die. God wants to do more than make man better.
God wants to save or rescue man from sin and its consequences.
And, God curses as well as blesses. When God goes into poetry, He is speaking from deep within His Heart.
Verse 14 - From now on there is a curse upon that serpent - but one day one of her descendants will crush your skull. There is the virgin conception right at the very heart of verse 15.
Verse 16 - God speaks to the woman, and it is specific and detailed. Your desire will be for your husband - and he will rule over you - and from that union there will be the greatest pain as you bring a child into the world.
Verse 17 - God speaks to Adam. Because you listened and ate and disobeyed, cursed in the ground.
There is a change in the whole Creation. What we have today is NOT what God created. The ground is cursed. Sin has ruined what God created, and pain has entered as a direct consequence of sin - thorns and thistles and sweat.
There is a massive change here in the environment and ecology
Verse 19 - then God announces something further - death.
Do you see the language of sin - hiding - running away - pain - sorrow - suffering - sweat - fear – death?
“O gracious Father, guard our mouths – but open our ears and hearts and minds to receive what You have to say. Enable us to become and remain faithful witnesses to Jesus Christ and His Word.” Amen
Alexander 'Sandy' Shaw is pastor of Nairn Christian Fellowship in Nairn, Scotland. Nairn is 17 miles east of Inverness - on the Moray Firth Coast - not far from the Loch Ness Monster!
Gifted as a Biblical teacher, Sandy is firmly committed to making sure that his teachings are firmly grounded in the Word.
Sandy has a weekly radio talk which can be heard via the Internet on Saturday at 11:40am, New Orleans time, at wsho.com.
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