January 2, 2013

TO OBEY OR TO DISOBEY? THAT IS THE QUESTION.

Genesis 2

Ryan Michael
Wednesday's Devo

January 2, 2013

Wednesday's Devo

January 2, 2013

Central Truth

God made it really clear to Adam what he was not supposed to do, but Adam still disobeyed Him.

Key Verse | Genesis 2:16–17

The Lord God commanded the man, saying, "From any tree of the garden you may eat freely; but from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat from it you will surely die." (Genesis 2:16-17)

Genesis 2

The Seventh Day, God Rests

Thus the heavens and the earth were finished, and all the host of them. And on the seventh day God finished his work that he had done, and he rested on the seventh day from all his work that he had done. So God blessed the seventh day and made it holy, because on it God rested from all his work that he had done in creation.

The Creation of Man and Woman

These are the generations
of the heavens and the earth when they were created,
in the day that the LORD God made the earth and the heavens.

When no bush of the field 1 2:5 Or open country was yet in the land 2 2:5 Or earth; also verse 6 and no small plant of the field had yet sprung up—for the LORD God had not caused it to rain on the land, and there was no man to work the ground, and a mist 3 2:6 Or spring was going up from the land and was watering the whole face of the ground— then the LORD God formed the man of dust from the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living creature. And the LORD God planted a garden in Eden, in the east, and there he put the man whom he had formed. And out of the ground the LORD God made to spring up every tree that is pleasant to the sight and good for food. The tree of life was in the midst of the garden, and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.

10 A river flowed out of Eden to water the garden, and there it divided and became four rivers. 11 The name of the first is the Pishon. It is the one that flowed around the whole land of Havilah, where there is gold. 12 And the gold of that land is good; bdellium and onyx stone are there. 13 The name of the second river is the Gihon. It is the one that flowed around the whole land of Cush. 14 And the name of the third river is the Tigris, which flows east of Assyria. And the fourth river is the Euphrates.

15 The LORD God took the man and put him in the garden of Eden to work it and keep it. 16 And the LORD God commanded the man, saying, “You may surely eat of every tree of the garden, 17 but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat 4 2:17 Or when you eat of it you shall surely die.”

18 Then the LORD God said, “It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him a helper fit for 5 2:18 Or corresponding to; also verse 20 him.” 19 Now out of the ground the LORD God had formed 6 2:19 Or And out of the ground the LORD God formed every beast of the field and every bird of the heavens and brought them to the man to see what he would call them. And whatever the man called every living creature, that was its name. 20 The man gave names to all livestock and to the birds of the heavens and to every beast of the field. But for Adam 7 2:20 Or the man there was not found a helper fit for him. 21 So the LORD God caused a deep sleep to fall upon the man, and while he slept took one of his ribs and closed up its place with flesh. 22 And the rib that the LORD God had taken from the man he made 8 2:22 Hebrew built into a woman and brought her to the man. 23 Then the man said,

“This at last is bone of my bones
    and flesh of my flesh;
she shall be called Woman,
    because she was taken out of Man.” 9 2:23 The Hebrew words for woman (ishshah) and man (ish) sound alike

24 Therefore a man shall leave his father and his mother and hold fast to his wife, and they shall become one flesh. 25 And the man and his wife were both naked and were not ashamed.

Footnotes

[1] 2:5 Or open country
[2] 2:5 Or earth; also verse 6
[3] 2:6 Or spring
[4] 2:17 Or when you eat
[5] 2:18 Or corresponding to; also verse 20
[6] 2:19 Or And out of the ground the LORD God formed
[7] 2:20 Or the man
[8] 2:22 Hebrew built
[9] 2:23 The Hebrew words for woman (ishshah) and man (ish) sound alike

Dive Deeper | Genesis 2

God makes it very clear in His Word how we are supposed to live our lives, but we still sometimes continue to disobey Him. God told Adam that he could eat from any tree in the garden except for one, the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. Adam went against what God said and disobeyed His command. I know that I'm in Adam's place sometimes. God promises me abundance, joy, peace, and many other good things, but I still sometimes follow my sinful desires and dishonor or disobey God.

In Matthew 16:24, Jesus tells His disciples, "If anyone wishes to come after Me, he must deny himself, and take up his cross and follow Me."

Jesus tells us clearly that if we really want to trust Him and want to follow Him, we need to deny our sinful broken selves. The great thing about our Lord is the forgiveness and mercy He has for us. Our time for confession and asking for forgiveness should immediately follow disobedience. Today's question is: Am I going to trust and obey God, or am I gonna go my own way? It was an issue for Adam in Genesis 2, and it is still an issue for each of us today. Some things never change!

Discussion Questions

1. What are some ways you have been disobeying God recently?

2. How can you deny yourself today?

3. Have you been trusting in God or going your own way?