Oy, about the Genesis story... (7m25s in the video)... You mention talking snake, but to be technical, the Bible says serpent. We often synonomize the two, but I think this should be clarified. Even the verse read at 11m45s says serpent! On another clarification, the serpent first twisted God's words (compare 2:16-17 to 3:1). By rephrasing God in a negative fashion, he miscontrues God's word (must not eat from the one tree vs must not eat from any tree). Eve later requotes God... incorrectly, by added the 'shall not touch.' to the commandment. Satan tempts Jesus by abusing the scripture in a similar fashion (Matthew 4:5-7). A last thought about the "you will certainly die" line: we humans are well aware of our physical death, but think very little of the concept of a "spiritual death." TS Eliot's poem "The Hollow Men" comes to mind here - being a man of no independence, no thought, no utility nor value... that is a man that is dead, even if he is physically alive. Concrete example: staying in a job you hate. Just to really illustrate this, watch the movie Click (starring Adam Sandler, released in 2006). In my observation about evil: It has no concern for the well-being/responsibility/consequences of a given action. For a stereotypical example, someone who feels compelled to pursue money above all else will destroy friendships, marriages, and families in pursuit of that monetary desire to be earthly rich (and Jesus speaks about heavenly riches in Matthew 6:19-21). Outsiders see the consequences clearly: lost friendships, broken marriages, estrangement from family, etc. But the sinner does not, which compounds the catastrophic cost of the sin. Of course, only upon repentance could one see where the lies came into play. We absolutely must use our discernment with the information we hold in front of us.
THANK YOU GOD!
This message is an answer to prayer.
Thank you Joel Thomas for cooperating with The HOLY SPIRIT : ) \o/ *******
February 9, 2022, Wed.
Oy, about the Genesis story... (7m25s in the video)... You mention talking snake, but to be technical, the Bible says serpent. We often synonomize the two, but I think this should be clarified. Even the verse read at 11m45s says serpent!
On another clarification, the serpent first twisted God's words (compare 2:16-17 to 3:1). By rephrasing God in a negative fashion, he miscontrues God's word (must not eat from the one tree vs must not eat from any tree). Eve later requotes God... incorrectly, by added the 'shall not touch.' to the commandment. Satan tempts Jesus by abusing the scripture in a similar fashion (Matthew 4:5-7).
A last thought about the "you will certainly die" line: we humans are well aware of our physical death, but think very little of the concept of a "spiritual death." TS Eliot's poem "The Hollow Men" comes to mind here - being a man of no independence, no thought, no utility nor value... that is a man that is dead, even if he is physically alive. Concrete example: staying in a job you hate. Just to really illustrate this, watch the movie Click (starring Adam Sandler, released in 2006).
In my observation about evil: It has no concern for the well-being/responsibility/consequences of a given action. For a stereotypical example, someone who feels compelled to pursue money above all else will destroy friendships, marriages, and families in pursuit of that monetary desire to be earthly rich (and Jesus speaks about heavenly riches in Matthew 6:19-21). Outsiders see the consequences clearly: lost friendships, broken marriages, estrangement from family, etc. But the sinner does not, which compounds the catastrophic cost of the sin.
Of course, only upon repentance could one see where the lies came into play. We absolutely must use our discernment with the information we hold in front of us.