Part 2
Also, the difference in the letter and spirit of the law can be found in the criminal code in most countries where you can be charged with conspiracy to commit a crime, whether murder or stealing or any other crime under the criminal code.
Having explained the Letter and Spirit of the law, we can now move on to examine what occurred in the Garden.
From
Genesis 3:6 “And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make one wise, she took of the fruit thereof, and did eat, and gave also unto her husband with her; and he did eat.”
The Tenth Commandment
From the above quote, we see that Eve coveted or lusted after the fruit when “she saw that the tree was good for food, and “it was pleasant to the eyes” as well as “a tree to be desired to make one wise.” Eve coveted God’s fruit and broke the tenth commandment which says “17 Thou shalt not covet thy neighbor’s house, thou shalt not covet thy neighbor’s wife, nor his manservant, nor his maidservant, nor his ox, nor his ass, nor anything that is thy neighbor’s.” (
Exodus 20:17)
Eve did not only covet the fruit of God, but she also wanted the knowledge which belonged to God, which is the knowledge of Good and Evil. Adam and Eve sinfully lusted after what was not theirs and sinfully desired to be like God themselves. Even though they were tempted and deceived by the Serpent, which is the devil and Satan, to take the fruit and eat, we also learn from James, that every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his lust and enticed.
James 1:13-15 “13 Let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted of God: for God cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempteth he any man: 14 But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed. 15 Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin: and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death.” So before Satan’s deception, he had probably observed their own desires of the fruit before hatching his plan to cause their fall.
Coveteousness or the sin of lust is the primary basis of all other sins committed by man. In Romans 7, Paul states that he was first convicted of sin, the sin of lust by the law, which said Thou shalt not covet. It is from covetousness that people steal, kill, and commit adultery. It is from coveteousness that we find greed or selfishness, envy, and jealousy. We fall into the sin of covetousness or lust when we are not content with what our Creator God has already given us. 1 Timothy 66 “But godliness with contentment is great gain. 7 For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out. 8 And having food and raiment let us be therewith content. 9 But they that will be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and hurtful lusts, which drown men in destruction and perdition. 10 For the love of money is the root of all evil: which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows.” When we show discontent, we become ungrateful to God, who has provided us with everything and also tells us to be anxious about nothing but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, we should make our requests be made known to Him. (
Philippians 4:6)
Adam and Eve were not content with all the fruit trees of the Garden of Eden, which God had given them to eat for food. They became blinded in their lust and desire for the fruit and knowledge of God and thus broke the tenth commandment, which says Thou shalt not covet.
The Second Commandment
From Colossians 3, we learn that coveteousness is idolatry, therefore by breaking the tenth commandment, Adam and Eve automatically broke the second commandment, which speaks of idolatry. Paul states in Colossians 3, “Put to death, therefore what is earthly in you: sexual immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry.”
How is covetousness idolatry someone might ask? It is easy to see how Adam and Eve were blinded by desire and lust for the fruit of God. The fruit became the object of desire and attention. Anything that becomes our object of extreme admiration, love, desire, and attention is an idol. It becomes an idol because it replaces the role of God in our lives. As creation and children of God, He must be our object of admiration and desire and worhsip. Adam and Eve became blinded to everything else God had provided for them in the Garden, and their only focus and object of desire became the fruit of God and the knowledge of good and evil. The second commandment states “Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image or any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth. Thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them: for I the Lord thy God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me; And shewing mercy unto thousands of them that love me and keep my commandments.” (
Exodus 20:4-6).
God considers anyone who commits idolatry to hate him. Most Christians know that idolotry in the form of bowing down an object is a sin. However, many of us are oblivious to the more critical aspect of committing spiritual idolatry when we make other objects or entities the center of our desire or attention or admiration. It can be our children, wives or loved ones, favorite artiste, or a coveted position or any inanimate object.
A perfect example of how coveteousness leads to idolatry is the fall of Lucifer or Satan, which found in
Isaiah 14: 12 “How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! how art thou cut down to the ground, which didst weaken the nations! 13 For thou hast said in thine heart, I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God: I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north: 14 I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the most High.”
Satan, formerly Lucifer, a creation of God, coveted the throne of God and also wanted to be worshipped like God. He was a beautifully created mighty angel who covered the throne of God (anointed cherub). His was not satisfied with his position in heaven and desire to be like God. His desire, selfishness, and greed blinded him to all the gifts God had already endowed him. His selfishness shows in verse above where everything was about him, I, I, I, I, I…..5 I’s, he failed to see anything else but the throne of God in his sight. This desire led Lucifer to rebel against God, causing him to be cast out of heaven and become Satan, the adversery. He is the chief Idolator who desires worship and control everything else, and now he’s deceived fallen human race to worship him instead of our Creator God. The reason why we worship God is that He is our Creator and provider in all things. However, when we commit idolatry, we worship the creation instead of the Creator himself. Adam and Eve committed idolatry because the object of their desire and worship become the fruit of God instead of God, their Creator, who gave them everything.
The First Commandment
Whenever we commit idolatry, we automatically break the first commandment which states that “thou shalt have no other gods before me” (
Exodus 20:3)
By listening to the Serpent, Adam and Eve put their faith in Satan, the god of this world, instead of the Lord, who made Heaven and Earth and created them in His image and provided them everything. They put another god ahead of their Creator; they chose another god. Moreover, through unbelief Adam also put himself before God, desiring to be wise “like God,” knowing good and evil. He put the Serpent, his Wife, and Himself before God. Triple error!
The Third Commandment
The third commandment states, “Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain; for the Lord will not hold him guiltless that taketh his name in vain.” God’s name (YHVH) is Holy and reflects his character. He is the Lord, our Provider (Jireh), our Shalom (Peace), He is Lord Almighty (El Shaddai), He’s Healer (Rapha), Most High God (El Elyon), etc., etc., the characteristics of God are innumerable.
When we take God’s name in vain, we fail to acknowledge God for who he is. When we take God’s name in vain, we treat God, his Word, or his work in the world in a way that demeans him and robs him of his infinite glory. Adam and Eve took the name of God in vain when they portrayed their Creator to be mean and ungenerous. “And the woman said unto the serpent; We may eat of the fruit of the trees of the garden: But of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God hath said, Ye shall not eat of it, neither shall ye touch it, lest ye die.”
God was generous as He provided Adam and Eve with all the fruit trees in the garden and only left one to himself. However, Eve portrayed the Lord as a wicked Father who even did not want them to touch his fruit. They mischaracterized God in front of Satan, who capitalized on it to deceive her.
The Fifth Commandment
The fifth commandment states that “Honour thy father and thy mother: that thy days may be long upon the land which the Lord thy God giveth thee.” (
Exodus 20:12) When Adam and Eve broke the third commandment taking the name of the Lord in Vain, they dishonored their Father and Creator in front of the Serpent. God never told them not to touch of the fruit of the tree, by mentioning that Eve portrayed God to be a wicked Father who did not want His children even to touch his fruit. As a result of that, their days in the land (garden of Eden) were not long but cut short. Even though Adam and Eve lived long, their lives were full of toil and hardship due to their sin.
The Ninth Commandment
“Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbor.” (
Exodus 20:16) As a result of using God’s name in vain, Adam and Eve also bore false witness to God. Adam and Eve misquoted their father as God never told them even not to touch the fruit. As witnesses of God, we have to be witnesses to the truth. Whenever we misquote, misinterpret, or misrepresent any portion of God’s Word, we bear false witness to God and become false witnesses or false prophets, which is sin.
The Six Commandment
“Thou shalt do no murder.” (
Exodus 20:13) Adam and Eve brought death into the world by their act of eating the fruit of the tree. First, Adam had to kill a lamb, then later, Cain murdered Abel, etc.
The Seventh Command ent
“Thou shalt not commit adultery.” (
Exodus 20:14) God’s children, Adam and Eve, were also the bride of God. From Isaiah 54, scripture tells us that “For thy Maker is thine husband.” Being the wife of God, Adam and Eve should have been faithful to God, their husband. However, by listening to Satan, they entertained another entity and listened to the commands of another ‘man’ who was not their husband and became unfaithful committing adultery spiritually against God. The Serpent, Satan, who is the adversary of God, had his way with God’s bride. How does that make God look? Very very bad and very weak. Whenever we listen to another entity besides our Creator God, we commit adultery or fornication.
Adam and Eve, therefore, lusted after another, the word of the Serpent and his ways, and by eating a piece of the forbidden fruit, they violated the seventh commandment. Whenever we forsake the Word of God and follow after commandments outside the Word of God, we commit adultery or fornication, which the Bible in the book Revelation says will be the greatest sin of the church.
The Eighth Commandment
“Thou shalt not steal.” (
Exodus 20:15) By eating from God’s tree, Adam and Eve stole from God. They intended to take the knowledge that belonged to God. Adam and Eve became thieves when they ate God’s fruit, violating the eighth commandment.
The Fourth Commandment
The final commandment Adam and Eve broke was the fourth commandment, the seventh-day Sabbath commandment. The commandment to keep the Seventh-day day Holy, like all the other nine commandments, has a literal interpretation and a spiritual element to it. The commandment states the following: “8 Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy. 9 Six days shalt thou labor, and do all thy work: 10 But the seventh day is the sabbath of the Lord thy God: in it, thou shalt not do any work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, thy manservant, nor thy maidservant, nor thy cattle, nor thy stranger that is within thy gates: 11 For in six days, the Lord made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day: wherefore the Lord blessed the sabbath day and hallowed it.” (
Exodus 20:8-11) It is the longest commandment covering four verses.
The reason God commanded us to keep holy the Sabbath day is stated in verse 11, pointing towards His six-day creation work and Yahweh’s position as the Creator or Maker of Heavens and the Earth. The reason we worship Yahweh is that He Created us as stated in Psalm 95, “O come, let us worship and bow down: let us kneel before the LORD our maker.” (
Psalms 95:6)
The Word Sabbath contains the name of our father ABBA; it is the day of our father. Abba in Hebrew stands for foundation, Source, sustainer, protector, all characteristics of God (
Strong's Hebrew: 1. אָב (ab) -- father). The entire planet originated from God, which makes him the foundation of everything. Everything comes from God, which makes him the Source. He sustains and upholds everything that comes out of his mouth, which makes him Sustainer and Protector.
When we give Him reverence and worship by obeying his Word, we affirm His role as the Creator, Foundation, Source, Sustainer, and Protector of our lives. Adam and Eve instead gave reverence to the Serpent and followed his word against the Word of God. Adam and Eve, in effect, gave the role of Creator, Foundation, Source, Sustainer and Protector to the Serpent and thus broke the Sabbath Commandment, which shows that Yahweh is our Abba Father.
That is a long piece, but we can see from the preceding that Adam and Eve’s sin of disobeying God’s command not to eat of the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil was very grievous in the sight of the Lord and was not simply the eating of a forbidden fruit. The sin led God to drive them out of the garden of Eden and away from the tree of life.
If the Ten Commandments were in existence from the Garden of Eden, then it is still applicable today and was not only given to the Jews on Mount Sinai. It is the Righteousness of God from the beginning of the world; it is the righteousness of God in heaven; it is the righteousness of God now and will be the Righteousness of God in heaven and earth made new. Do not be deceived by anyone who says God has changed any part of it or removed any part of it. God does not change; He is the same yesterday today and forever. Amen!
Many Christians, including myself a while ago, believe that God first made His Ten Commandments known on mount Sinai. However, in this blog post, we are going to show that God ‘covertly’…
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