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Genesis 3-4

It’s heartbreaking to read of the fall of man. Adam and Eve were free to eat of all the other trees but they defiantly chose to disobey God. Eve was fooled, but Adam did it with eyes wide open, and therefore sin entered into our world through Adam (1 Timothy 2:14; Romans 5:12).

We have questions of a serpent talking and God walking in the garden. All I know is that it was the devil who deceived Eve and the fellowship between God and man before the fall must have been sweet.

But now, every time we see a snake slithering we’re reminded of the fall. Every time a woman gives birth in pain and anguish, we’re reminded of the fall. Man’s transition from tending a garden to toiling as a farmer in the sweat of his brow, is a reminder of the fall.

Genesis 3:16b is an interesting verse in the (NLT)

“Then he said to the woman, ‘…you will desire to control your husband, but he will rule over you.’”

The New King James emphasizes the way the wife will desire her husband (to an extreme), while other translations point out that a part of the curse is woman’s desire to control her husband .

God was forced to expel Adam and Eve from the garden lest they eat of the Tree of Life and live in their fallen condition forever…but not without hope. Genesis 3:15 is called the Protoevangelium. Protoevangelium is comprised of two Greek words, protos meaning “first” and evangelion meaning “good news” or “gospel”. Thus the protevangelium in Genesis 3:15 is commonly referred to as the first mention of the good news of salvation in the Bible, because the prophecy states that the seed of Satan would bruise the heel of the Seed of Eve. We all know that women don’t have “seeds,” men do. This is therefore a prophecy of the Virgin Birth and the Lord Jesus Christ dealing Satan a deathblow (crushing his head) at the cross of Calvary.

Genesis 4 is such a sad account of the fall unfolding. Abel’s offering included faith while Cain’s did not (Hebrews 11:4). God spoke to Cain warning him that sin was knocking on the door of his heart. We read God’s words to Cain in:

Genesis 4:7 (NKJV) “If you do well, will you not be accepted? And if you do not do well, sin lies at the door. And its desire is for you, but you should rule over it.”

This describes my daily battle!

Tragically Cain killed Abel (beware of the horror of jealousy/envy) and things went south fast.

Adam and Eve had many more sons and daughters and the multiplication of the depravity of man began.

But then we read those words of hope in:

Genesis 4:26b, “…then men began to call on the name of the LORD.”

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Matthew 2:13-3:6

When Herod found out that the wise men weren’t returning to inform him as to the whereabouts of the new King, this heartless brute, simply decided to kill all the children 2-years old and below. O the heartache and evil of the culture of death – even of children (today’s comparison – abortion).

Joseph was warned in a dream and the family moved to Egypt for a season. These things were spoken of in the Old Testament (prophesied) to prove the validity of the Messiah to the Jews and to all mankind. One wonders why the holy family wasn’t allowed to stay in Israel and experience the supernatural protection of God right there? God often protects us in practical ways.

Fast forward close to 28 years later and the voice of God through John the Baptist begins to cry in the wilderness:

“Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand!” (Matthew 3:3)

Wouldn’t you say that’s pretty much the same message for today? Get ready, Jesus is coming!

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Psalm 2

What a beautiful Psalm of the inevitable coronation of our King. The world, led by all the forces of hell will resist, but God will laugh (Psalm 2:4) and He will set His Son as King in Jerusalem (Psalm 2:6). Don’t you look forward to that day?

We must bow our knees to King Jesus. Serve Him with godly fear. 

To rejoice with trembling (Psalm 2:11) might sound like an oxymoron but it accurately describes the way we tremble at God’s Word, and have joy in the blessings and benefits of obedience (Isaiah 66:5).

I love the way the Psalmist summarizes what we’re to do:

Psalm 2:12 (NKJV) “Kiss the Son, lest He be angry, and you perish in the way, When His wrath is kindled but a little. Blessed are all those who put their trust in Him.”

Have you put your trust in God’s Son? If so, you are blessed. If not, you’re still in your sins, kindling God’s anger and jugment.

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Proverbs 1:7-9

Proverbs 1:7 (NKJV) “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and instruction.“

To fear the LORD speaks of the reverence we must have for God in that He is infinitely awesome and utterly holy. Will I fear Him and live a “Full” life? Or will I fail to fear Him and live a “Fool” life? O God give me wisdom!

“The fear of the LORD is a phrase found 18 times in the Proverbs, and if there’s ever to be wisdom, there first must be this healthy fear.”

For the believer, the fear of the Lord is this reverence and healthy fear of the loving discipline of a Father. As we study the Scriptures, we find that God is not presented as a Father who enjoys chastening His children and does so flippantly or even easily. God is patient, gentle, and longsuffering – – – but make no mistake about it, He will keep His promise to do whatever it takes to keep us in line!

It can be verbal discipline, circumstantial discipline as with Samson, and even fatal discipline -as was the case of Nadab and Abihu, and Ananias and Sapphira.

The fear of the Lord is also applicable to the non-believer.

Matthew 10:28 (NKJV) “And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. But rather fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.”

Proverbs 1:8 (NKJV)“ My son, hear the instruction of your father, and do not forsake the law of your mother; ⁹ For they will be a graceful ornament on your head, and chains about your neck.

“My son,” is an address we find 23 times in the book of Proverbs.

They may been things he heard from his father, but we know – ultimately it was his heavenly Father. And then there’s the mother – some would compare the church to a mom-type, although we have to be careful of that.

But son…listen (v. 8) as God’s children we’re called to “hear” (shema – listen and obey). For we we listen our Father is blessed.

3 John 1:4 (NKJV) “I have no greater joy than to hear that my children walk in truth.”

When I read Proverbs 1:9, I don’t think it’s wise to hone-in on the ornament or crown on our heads, or the gold chains around our neck – I gravitate more towards that word “graceful.” If we walk in wisdom, we’ll experience this grace; we’ll live in it, Graceland; and that will adorn our lives; it will make life beautiful.

If you have any questions or comments on today’s reading, feel free to leave a reply below. I’d love to hear from you as we grow forward together.