The Light of Christmas Pt. 3 {Eve's Choice)

Continued from Part 2

Decisions.  Choices.  I am not very good at either.  Terrible actually.

This job, that job?  Go here do this, or there and do that?  Please this one and upset that one or the other way around?  Chicken for supper again, or beef for a change?

Lay it out for me, tell me what to do, how to do it, and when – it’s all good.  It’s easier that way isn’t it?  No thinking required.  Just following while someone else leads. 

I think I’d like that for Tuesday night supper and Saturday afternoon multiple-task options, but in reality, as much as I don’t like making decisions, never having to make any would be pretty boring.  Things would quickly become kind of pointless, empty and robotic in its process don’t you think? 

That’s because God created man to make decisions, to choose whom they would serve.  So fellowship between Creator and creation wouldn't be pointless, empty and robotic.

The Bible records man’s first encounter with chosing what they wanted in Genesis Ch. 2&3.  God had finished his creation and was well pleased with it.  Then it says,

“The Lord God took the man and put him in the garden of Eden to tend it and keep it.  And the Lord commanded the man, “Of every tree of the garden you may freely eat; but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it, you will surely die.”  Gen. 2:15-17

God gave man a choice.  Eat freely from an abundance of options, trees and fruit abounding, and remain alive and in perfect fellowship with God, or eat the fruit from the one tree off limits and surely die, a spiritual death, eternal separation from a perfect Father.

One command.  One choice.  One decision to make.

They believed the lied told by the cunning serpent.  They chose to disbelieve God.  They chose to eat the forbidden fruit.

“Then they eyes of both of them were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together and made coverings for themselves.”  Gen. 3:7  (It didn't take long for man to try to cover his sin and get to God on his own terms, did it?) 

Sin entered the world.   And all these years later, sin still abounds.

“Therefore, just as through one man, sin entered the world, and death through sin, and this death spread to all men...”  Rom 5:12

Adam and Eve exchanged the truth for a lie; God for Satan; perfection for sin; light for darkness; life for death....”because although they knew God, they did not glorify Him as God, nor were thankful, but became futile in their thoughts and their foolish hearts were darkened.”  Rom 1:21

One word brought light into darkness. 

One choice brought darkness into light. 

Now man...”walks in darkness, and does not know where he is going, because the darkness has blinded his eyes.”  1 John 1:11b

Vanquished to the now cursed creation outside the garden, man toils in vain until his body dies and returns to the dust, destined for futility. 

Or so it seemed.

Within the curse set upon creation, there was hidden a promise, a glimmer of hope, a distant light in the darkness.

”And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your seed and her seed; He shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise His heel.”  Gen. 3:15

 

To be continued....