The Chapter-A-Day thread.

[Andrea411]

Many ways to go with that chapter for me personally it has effected my marriage wonderfully. We have an egalitarian marriage (equal/partners).
The part the helped me as a young woman was the idea that as one flesh, what ever I did to him I did to myself. There is no getting even or being spiteful to yourself.
It helped me keep in perspective what a marriage should be…. it must have helped we've been together almost 40 years and we are still very in love and I told him to agree with me….

God bless, andrea

 

[graciesings]

That's a good point, Andrea! As a teenager, I never would have thought of it that way, but I'll use the wisdom later

I find the "tree of life" fascinating, and always have. It is mentioned in Genesis 2, Genesis 3, and Revelation.

 

[daughter of man]

I like your point too, Andrea. It's worth noting that God felt it necessary to make woman for man and was made the same, almost.
Reading the chapter also made me wonder what the Garden is like. There are so many beautiful places on Earth but Eden is surely better than any of them since it's described as such a paradise. I guess God is so great He is able to create somewhere much more beautiful than we've ever seen

 

[brinny]

Good thought to meditate on.....the Garden of Eden was in a state of perfection.....there are hints of what it might've been like before the fall....in other parts of the Bible there are descriptions of the mountains and hills breaking out in song and the trees of the field clapping their hands.....

 

[graciesings]

Interesting. I got to thinking, the Garden of Eden was a state of perfection, a beautiful paradise, and God was there...

That's pretty close to the description I would use for Heaven.

I wonder how similar the two are.

 

[brinny]

Excellent question gracie

 

[graciesings]

Ok, it's February 19th in England now. Today's chapter is Genesis 3, which is a VERY interesting chapter, it describes the Fall. Here is a link for anyone who would like to read it online: Genesis 3 NIV - The Fall - Now the serpent was more - Bible Gateway

 

[emilie mayer]

This chapter is very enlightening. It does show how conniving he enemy can be. This is why i believe we should pray for discernment from God.

 

[graciesings]

I have always thought it's interesting that it was the tree of "knowledge of good and evil." I have to look at it and think, "So did they receive the knowledge of good and evil?"

The obvious answer is no, because only God knows that, and a lot of people don't seem to understand the difference between good and evil! However, I have to wonder if maybe they did know more about good vs. evil after the fall. I mean, in the garden of Eden they didn't know about evil at all! And then they learned about evil...

 

[emilie mayer]

Adam and Eve didnt know they were naked until after they ate the forbidden fruit. That makes me believe they were more aware of good and evil. They Hid from God because they were scared. Before they ate the fruit they werent scared.

 

[emilie mayer]

Its also nice to know God still took care of Adam and Eve after they disobeyed. God created clothes for them because they had become aware of there nakedness. To me that shows how much God loves His creations.

 

[graciesings]

Yeah, although the fact remains that humans still don't know the difference between good and evil. The world would be a better place if they did!

That chapter shows both sides of God. He gives them the curse they deserve and gives them the love they didn't earn!

 

[emilie mayer]

I dont understand why you say people dont know good from evil. I know good from evil,

 

[graciesings]

I was thinking how people don't seem to know what's good, they just think they do. If you take an "evil" person as an example, such as Adolf Hitler. He probably thought he was doing the best thing for the world by getting rid of the Jews and making Germany a strong nation, but maybe he didn't know the difference between good and evil? I think humans are able to know what we think is good vs. evil but we don't understand God's standard of good and evil.

Besides, if we knew what was good we could just do it, and then we wouldn't need Jesus.

 

[daughter of man]

That's why I like to be open minded about things and question my faith sometimes. Some people say that you should just believe and go along with it, that doubting is temptation but in the Bible, somewhere in Acts I think, the Jews discuss putting the apostles to death. The reason they didn't is because the high priest said that if their faith is not from God it will die of its own accord. The reason Hitler was so successful was that he managed to brainwash so many other people and if they had questioned what they were doing I believe he wouldn't have got so far.

In the same way, both Adam and Eve trusted someone else's judgement without thinking about what they were doing. Maybe I've gone a little off the subject here but some things help me know my faith isn't unfounded.

 

[daughter of man]

Also a few things to wonder/speculate on/answer for me:
What would happen if only Eve had eaten the fruit and Adam refused?
What if neither of them had, how long would it have been before someone did?
Was the rest of the world created for mankind after the Fall since God had intended them to live in Eden beforehand?
Why did God put the tree there in the first place?

 

[Andrea411]

This is a difficult thought for new Christians, so I ask that you 'set it aside ' if it bothers you or just pray on it. Our Triune God who never had a beginning and will never end is a relationship. He is three in one… He is also omniscient, omnipresent and omnipwerful - all- knowing, always present (in your future and in your past), and has complete power to control everything and all at once….). Our Heavenly Father knew that Eve would fall, He knew that Adam would follow Eve. He allowed satan into the garden where the tree of knowledge grew.
…. My own explanation is simply. If we are to be a people called out to be 'friend' it must be willingly, with each decision we make, our faces turned toward the Lord God as we journey through the ages marching into eternity.
…..God could have made automatons, with no decision but the right one, with a desire for righteousness. This is where I see God made us to choose. If we are to relationship with God it must not be from a place of ambiguity. It must be from a place, with eyes wide open separating ourselves unto Him.
……Without the Holy Spirit we have no understanding of the God relationship but if marriage is to reflect that relationship. As it is often used to define our dependence on Christ, than I ask, who would want to marry someone they did not choose? Unless we are in submission to someone we give our authority over to willingly. As in a willing 'bondservant'. So I choose Christ and His righteousness and then I find out He has already chosen me and the two become one. Hopefully, that is not too far into my inner most thought processes…. in that sense I am married to Christ, a bride to my Lord whom I willing become a bondservant as I have to my own earthly husband and he to me….
God bless, andrea

 

[brinny]

ok, gotta think out loud here....in the beginning of Chapter 3...there's the serpent that comes to Eve and speaks.....just thought of this....did he have legs?

 

[graciesings]

Daughter of man, that's interesting. I've never thought of it that way.

Brinny, I think verse 14 implies that the serpent didn't have to crawl on it's belly before the fall. The serpent's curse was that it would have to crawl on it's belly.

A very wise woman once pointed out to me that she sees all mankind trying to escape the curse given in verses 14-19. We try to live longer instead of returning to dust, women try to dominate men, and men try to escape toiling and fighting the earth to make a living. I find that idea quite interesting.

God bless you,
Grace

 

[graciesings]

Ok, it looks like it's February 20th now. Today's chapter is Genesis 4. You can find a link here: Genesis 4 NASB - Cain and Abel - Now the man had - Bible Gateway

I pray that God will lead today's discussion!

Grace