Three New Additions To My Desk

-
Image
Actually, it’s an ad-duck-tion. I missed the perfect opportunity to say, “and they’re in a row, too!” Silly goose. 

“May Adam Eat From Any Tree?”

-
Question: Genesis 1:29 God said, “Behold, I have given you every plant yielding seed that is on the surface of all the earth, and every tree which has fruit yielding seed; it shall be food for you.” This is followed by Genesis 2:16 where God says, “The LORD God commanded the man, saying, ‘From any tree of the garden you may eat freely.” Then in Genesis 2:17, God forbids eating saying, “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." So which is it: may Adam eat from any tree, or not?

Answer: I remember visiting my grandmother through the summers and especially looked forward to all those wonderful things that came from her kitchen. As long as I had permission, I could eat anything—but there was one thing I could not eat. Right in the middle of the table was a bowl of fruit. I could not eat that, and it was not because I did not have her permission. It was because it was not edible fruit—it was plastic!

Adam may eat from any tree given for food. As a matter of fact, he must eat from every tree given for food or else he will die. Look at Genesis 2:9, “Out of the ground the LORD God caused to grow every tree that is pleasing to the sight and good for food; the tree of life also in the midst of the garden, and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.” Adam has a choice that depends on man’s obedience to God—if he does not eat, he dies. Man must live by eating! If Adam dies, who will work the soil?

But is every tree for food?  There is one tree that is not for food and it is identified separately from every other tree: Adam must not eat from this tree, or he will die by eating. Adam has a choice that depends on his obedience to God. Would he die because it was inedible? No but because he disobeyed God’s command.

Popular posts from this blog

“Men and women who saw God in the Bible: Why did they not all die?”

-
July 2004 I went to Kenya, Africa to speak in two Pastor’s Conferences on the subject of Man, Sin and Salvation. At the end of each day I left just over an hour for questions (half the time were questions touching the subject of my lectures, and the other half for “open questions”; that is, people could ask anything). For the next few weeks, I will be sharing the questions that were asked of me, and my answers—and believe me when I say these people really know how to think! Question from Kenya #1: “Men and women who saw God in the Bible: Why did they not all die?” [“ But He said, ‘You cannot see My face, for no man can see Me and live! ’” (Exodus 33:20) was the basis of the student’s question]. Answer: First, consider those who did see God—how did they respond when they saw Him? They were instantly aware of their sinfulness, and God’s holiness and righteousness (to name a few. And notice also that each responded in an attitude of worship, bowing down): Abraham built altars, wors
Read more

A Sonnet

-
“My God, where is that ancient heat towards thee, Wherewith whole shoals of martyrs once did burn, Besides their other flames? Doth poetry Wear Venus' livery? only serve her turn? Why are not sonnets made of thee? and lays Upon thine altar burnt? Cannot thy love Heighten a spirit to sound out thy praise As well as any she? Cannot thy Dove Outstrip their Cupid easily in flight? Or, since thy ways are deep, and still the fame, Will not a verse run smooth that bears thy name! Why doth that fire, which by thy power and might Each breast does feel, no braver fuel choose Than that, which one day, worms may chance refuse. Sure Lord, there is enough in thee to dry Oceans of ink; for, as the Deluge did Cover the earth, so doth thy Majesty: Each cloud distills thy praise, and doth forbid Poets to turn it to another use. Roses and lilies speak thee; and to make A pair of cheeks of them, is thy abuse Why should I women's eyes for crystal take? Such poor invention burns in their low mind Wh
Read more

A Fresh Perception

-
Image
  “In primitive times, when man awakes in a world that is newly created, poetry awakes with him. In the face of the marvellous things that dazzle and intoxicate him, his first speech is a hymn simply. He is still so close to God that all his meditations are ecstatic, all his dreams are visions. His bosom swells, he sings as he breathes. His lyre has but three strings—God, the soul, creation; but this threefold mystery envelopes everything, this threefold idea embraces everything. The earth is still almost deserted. . . . He leads that nomadic pastoral life with which all civilizations begin, and which is so well adapted to solitary contemplation, to fanciful reverie. He follows every suggestion, he goes hither and thither, at random. His thought, like his life, resembles a cloud that changes its shape and its direction according to the wind that drives it. Such is the first man, such is the first poet. He is young, he is cynical. Prayer is his sole religion, the ode is his only form of
Read more