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Commentary on "A Garment of Innocence"

COLLEEN TINKER

 

Day 2: Sunday, April 10, 2011 - The First Days

 

Overview

Today's lesson asks the reader to "skim through the first two chapters of Genesis" and to imagine what the earth was like "back then". Then the reader is instructed to think about how we might have a similar relationship with the Creator "but now in a world long corrupted by sin" and refers to 2 Tim. 3:16-17; Luke 21:36; Matt. 6:25-34; and John 17:3.

The lesson ends by asking how intimately the reader walks with God and asks us to ponder what we are doing that strengthens and breaks our intimacy with Him. "What choices must you make if you want a closer walk with your Lord?"

 

Observations

First, a quick skim through chapters 1 and 2 of Genesis would miss some of the most prototypical facts of the Bible. Second, the lesson asks the reader to imagine what life on earth would have been like. The focus in the lesson is on speculative impressions of idyllic gardens with "loyal friends" among the animals and other creatures. Of course, part of the speculation is imagining strolling with God every evening.

Adam and Eve were never instructed to have "friends" among the animals. While we know that they had no fear of them because God did not place fear in animals until He gave them to Noah and his family as food after the flood (Gen.9:1-3), Genesis 1 and 2 establish that Adam was giving dominion over the animals, being authorized to name them, and to be in authority over the earth.

Just as an interesting aside, here's what Genesis 9:1-3 says:

And God blessed Noah and his sons and said to them, "Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth. The fear of you and the dread of you shall be upon every beast of the earth and upon every bird of the heavens, upon everything that creeps on the ground and all the fish of the sea. Into your hand they are delivered. Every moving thing that lives shall be food for you. And as I gave you the green plants, I give you everything."

The lesson asks how we might have a relationship similar to Adam and Eve's relationship with God while we are in a sinful world. For insights about this question the lesson refers to several texts:

All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be competent, equipped for every good work. (2 Timothy 3:16-17 ESV)

But stay awake at all times, praying that you may have strength to escape all these things that are going to take place, and to stand before the Son of Man. (Luke 21:36 ESV)

Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life? And why are you anxious about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin, yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is alive and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? Therefore do not be anxious, saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?' For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.

Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble. (Matthew 6:25-34 ESV)

And this is eternal life, that they know you the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent. (John 17:3 ESV)

The lesson does not discuss what Jesus actually did to connect "heaven to earth with bonds that never can be broken," thus paving the say "for us to live as closely and intimately with our Creator as is possible." It just makes the statement that one CAN live intimately with God, and it refers to the above texts as explanation for how this intimacy is possible.

In fact, while the texts above are wonderful texts, they miss the heart of the gospel—the necessary component for intimacy with God. We are to believe in the Lord Jesus and His complete sacrifice for our sin. When we do this, we pass from death to life:

Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life. He does not come into judgment, but has passed from death to life. (John 5:24 ESV)

We must be born again, born of the Spirit. We cannot see heaven apart from this miracle of God:

Jesus answered him, "Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God." Nicodemus said to him, "How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter a second time into his mother's womb and be born?" Jesus answered, "Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit." (John 3:3-6 ESV)

When we have believed the word of truth and placed our faith in the Lord Jesus alone, He seals us with His Holy Spirit and thus brings our own dead spirits to life:

In him you also, when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and believed in him, were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit, who is the guarantee of our inheritance until we acquire possession of it, to the praise of his glory. (Ephesians 1:13-14 ESV)

And you were dead in the trespasses and sins in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedienceamong whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind. But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christby grace you have been savedand raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. (Ephesians 2:1-7 ESV)

The only way to have intimacy with God is to believe in the Lord Jesus and accept His gift on the cross as payment for our sin. When we do this, we then are born again. The new birth is real, not metaphorical.

When Adam and Eve sinned, they did die; their spirits died and were disconnected from the life of God. That spiritual death is what they bequeathed to us. Only in Christ, as we receive His sacrifice and His shed blood, are we brought to spiritual life and reconciled to God.

Apart from this new birth, no amount of prayer or Bible reading will result in being intimate with God. Our lack of intimacy is not because we do not spend time in His word or in prayer. Rather, our lack of intimacy is our birthright as sons of Adam.

We have to surrender our pride and rationalizing and repent before Him, accepting His blood as our payment for sin and trusting Him for our lives. Only when we do this do we pass from death to life...and only then can we have intimacy with God.

 

Summary

  1. The creatures and animals were never meant to be friends of Adam and Eve.
  2. God placed fear of man into the animals when He gave them for food after the flood (Gen. 9:1-3).
  3. We do not achieve intimacy with God by praying and reading the Bible and trying to believe that He'll provide for us.
  4. We must repent and accept the blood of Jesus in payment for our sin, surrendering our lives to Him.
  5. Only then can we have intimacy with God.

 

GO TO DAY 3

 

Copyright 2011 BibleStudiesForAdventists.com. All rights reserved. Revised April 5, 2011. This website is published by Life Assurance Ministries, Glendale, Arizona, USA, the publisher of Proclamation! Magazine. Contact email: BibleStudiesForAdventists@gmail.com.

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