Ep. 57 | Did God Really Say...? | Genesis

Listen in as Pastor Eddie Blalock shares today’s daily devotional featuring Genesis 3:1-5. Let’s be Formed by The Word together!

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Transcript

SPEAKER_00 0:01

Every story has a beginning. And if you don't understand the beginning, you'll likely misunderstand everything that follows. Welcome to Formed by the Word. Currently, we're going back to the very beginning as we look together at the first 11 chapters of Genesis. These chapters explain our world, our struggles, and much about ourselves. We'll see beauty and brokenness, purpose and pride, judgment and grace. We'll watch humanity fall and see that God already had a plan to restore his relationship with us. The Bible doesn't start with a problem, it starts with a perfect God, and that changes everything. So, wherever you're listening, whether you're driving, working out, or just scrolling for something meaningful, lean in, open your heart, because the God who spoke in the beginning is still speaking today.

SPEAKER_01 0:56

Today we begin an incredible chapter of Scripture. Chapter 3 of Genesis gives us a beautiful picture of the gospel. It shows us the entrance of sin into the world, the result of man's sin, and God's plan to fix the problem. In the very beginning, God had a plan for redeeming man even before the men fell. Nothing takes God by surprise. Talk about foundational. In this chapter, I hope to show you God's plan for redemption, summarized beautifully around four questions. We will look at these four questions over the next four days and bask in the glory of our awesome God. So let's start with the first five verses of chapter three, and immediately we find our first question, did God really say? Or as I might paraphrase it, are you sure? Well, let's read. The serpent was the shrewdest of all the wild animals the Lord God had made. One day he asked the woman, Did God really say, there's our question, did God really say you must not eat the fruit from any of the trees in the garden? Of course we may eat fruit from the trees in the garden, the woman replied. It's only the fruit from the tree in the middle of the garden that we are not allowed to eat. God said, You must not eat it or even touch it. If you do, you will die. You won't die, the serpent replied to the woman. God knows that your eyes will be opened as soon as you eat it, and you will be like God, knowing both good and evil. Hey, did you ever pick up your phone just to check one thing? Maybe just one notification, just one quick glance, and then that turns into a video, which leads to another and then another, and before you know it, 30 minutes are gone. You didn't plan to be there for 30 minutes. You didn't intend to watch all those videos, you just drifted. I once heard someone say, I didn't fall into sin. I just sort of wandered into it. And honestly, that's how it often happens. Nobody wakes up and says, Today I'm going to wreck my life. It starts small. It starts with a thought, then a question, next curiosity, and then step by step we find ourselves somewhere we never intended to be. Now that's exactly what we see in Genesis 3. Adam and Eve didn't begin with rebellion, they began with a conversation. A simple question. Did God actually say? And in that moment everything begins to shift, not with a shout, but with a subtle suggestion. Not with defiance, but with a little doubt. So the fall of humanity didn't start with a sinful act, it started with a subtle drift. A subtle drift in what they believed about God. The serpent, which is Satan, first tried to confuse them by questioning the validity and the accuracy of what God said. The enemy's been using that technique, by the way, ever since. If he can get us to question God's word, he can get us confused. So here in Genesis, we learn a very foundational truth about temptation, and that is this temptation tries to subtly shift what you believe about God's word and God's character. Temptation is more than just a moment of weakness, it's the culmination of a process. You may remember the first verses of Genesis 1. It mentioned the fact that when God spoke, the creation transformed the earth from darkness and chaos into light and order. Well, similarly, before we're reconciled to God, our lives are dark and chaotic. We don't know God. We don't trust God. And we often even question God's motives. Certainly we question his word. Let's take a closer look at this first question and think about it just a minute. First of all, notice that Satan doesn't start by denying the truth. He starts by questioning it. Did God actually say this? Notice the servant begins with this question, not a command. He was not forceful but suggestive. He wasn't blatant, he was more subtle, but he did everything he could to distort God's word. And notice he mentions any tree instead of every tree but one. Now what's he doing? He's trying to refrain God's generosity as restriction. He's still doing that today. He subtly tries to get us to question what God has clearly said. So we must be careful with our thoughts that quietly challenge God's truth. Doubt often sounds reasonable before it becomes destructive. Here's a truth for life. Satan doesn't start by denying truth. He starts by questioning it. Second, notice that the enemy will try to distort God's word. Verses two and three says, Of course we may eat the fruit from the trees in the garden, the woman replied, It's only the fruit from the tree in the middle of the garden that we are not allowed to eat, and God said you must not eat it or touch it. If you do, you will die. Now notice that Eve responds, but not precisely. She says, God said you must not eat it, speaking of the fruit, or even touch it. Wait, is that what he said? Well, it's close, but not exactly, and the way she puts it certainly changes things. If you look back to verse 17 of the previous chapter, you will see that she adds a sentence to God's word, and this sentence changes things. It's significant. God says, chapter 2, verse 17, God says, You shall not eat the fruit from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. Now in chapter 3, Eve adds here, Neither shall you touch it. It's close, but it's not accurate. By the way, almost right is often where deception thrives. When God's word is slightly altered, God's character becomes easily doubted. And this is why we should determine to know God's word clearly, not just casually. Small compromises in truth can lead to a big consequence in life. A distorted view of God leads to a disordered life. The distortion seems to make God more restrictive. Third, notice that the enemy tried to get them to ignore God's warning. Verse 4, he says, You're not going to die. Now the serpent becomes direct. He boldly blurts out, You won't die? This is a flat contradiction. It is an open rejection of God's word. It's a lie. This is where doubt turns into defiance. Sin becomes appealing when consequences seem unlikely. Don't believe the lie that this won't matter. God's warnings are not exaggerations, they are protection and they are true. When God said if you eat it, you will die, then that's what happens. Sin always downplays the consequences that God has clearly declared. And then finally, notice that the serpent's strategy was to lead them to become their own authority. He tempts them with this when you eat it, you will be like God. Now this is the core temptation. You don't need God. You can decide for yourself. That's what we tell ourselves. We like this talk because we enjoy the idea of self-rule over God's rule and independence over obedience, over temptation is ultimately about who is in control. We like it when we're in control and we think I'm going to do it just because I can. Well, where are you tempted to take control instead of trusting God? Sin is not just doing wrong, it's rejecting God's authority. Temptation offers you control, but it costs you trust. So let's finish up with some application. Let's put some handles on this for today before we approach our next question. I would suggest a couple of things. First, read your Bible daily. This is how you can know God's Word clearly. This is why a daily approach to God's Word, even if it's only 10 minutes a day, is important to your spiritual formation. This is why it is important to be formed by the Word. Clarity of God's word protects you from subtle lies of the enemy. Second, guard your thoughts carefully. Your mind is a battlefield, and much of your war against sin starts in your mind. So guard your thoughts carefully. Third, trust God's heart fully. His commands are not restrictive, they are protective. So the first question shows us the presence of confusion. Sometimes we are confused by what we read in the Word, or confused by what somebody tells us. And this confusion, as we will see, will have to be confronted. Well, buckle up. The next three episodes will show us the gospel in Genesis in a remarkable way. The next three questions will reveal that the fall did not begin with rebellion, but with believing the wrong thing about God. That's a good takeaway for today. The fall didn't begin with rebellion, but with believing the wrong thing about God. Let's pray. Heavenly Father, thank you for this day. Thank you, Lord, for reminding us today that we must know your word and hear your word and obey your word. Help us, Lord, to be clear in our thoughts. Help us to guard our thoughts carefully, to trust your heart fully, to read our Bible daily, and to think on these things. We pray in Jesus' name, amen and amen.

SPEAKER_00 10:14

Thanks for joining us today. We are so glad that you chose to spend a few moments with us in God's Word. If this episode has encouraged you, we ask that you leave us a review or maybe share this episode with a friend. Also, would you consider sending us a note to let us know what God is doing in your life? Pastor Eddie would love to hear from you. You can find this email in the show notes. Until next time, stay in the scriptures, keep following Christ, and allow your life to be formed by the Word.