FIRST WE LOOK AT A "PRIESTLY BENEDICTION": THAT I HAVE HAD SINCE THE [1980] STUFFED IN AND OLD, OLD, BIBLE, UNEXPECTEDLY FOUND IN A SMALL EXCAVATION IN A IRON AGE CEMETERY OUTSIDE OF THE CITY OF JERUSALEM, THERE WAS RECOVERED TWO SMALL SHEETS OF SILVER WITH TEXTS FAINTLY ENGRAVED UPON THEM WHICH, AFTER THE MOST DELICATE LABORS OF CONSERVATION AND DECIPHERMENT, PROVED TO BE PASSAGES SIMILAR TO TWO FAMOUS VERSES OF THE BOOK OF NUMBERS; CHAPTERS [6: 24,26,] " THE LORD BLESS THEE AND KEEP THEE, THE LORD MAKE HIS FACE SHINE UPON THEE, AND BE GRACIOUS UNTO THEE; THE LORD LIFT UP HIS COUNTENANCE UPON THEE AND GIVE THEE PEACE.
NOT ONLY DID THESE SMALL SLIPS OF SILVER, HAVE THE OLDEST FRAGMENTS OF THE BIBLE TEXTS YET DISCOVERED ENGRAVED ON THEM, BUT THEY ALSO CONTAINED THE EARLIEST KNOWN MENTION OF "JEHOVAH" IN HIS CITY OF JERUSALEM. THE TWO SILVER SHEETS HAD BEEN CAREFULLY ROLLED UP AND TIED AROUND THE NECKS OF TWO DEAD CHILDREN.
"GENESIS 3:16 ".
SOMETIMES A NARRATIVE OF THE FIRST TEMPTATION FOUND IN GEN.3:16, THE ACTIONS OF THE NARRATIVE ARE FOUND IN A STRAIGHT FORWARD RECOUNTING OF THE TEXT: NOW THE SERPENT WAS MORE CRAFTY THAN ANY OF THE WILD ANIMALS THE LORD GOD HAD MADE. HE SAID TO THE WOMEN, "DID GOD REALLY SAY, YOU MUST NOT EAT FROM ANY TREE IN THE GARDEN? THE WOMEN SAID TO THE SERPENT, " WE MAY EAT FRUIT FROM THE TREES IN THE GARDEN, BUT GOD DID SAY: YOU MUST NOT EAT FRUIT FROM THE TREE IN THE MIDDLE OF THE GARDEN, AND YOU MUST NOT TOUCH IT, OR YOU WILL DIE." " YOU WILL NOT SURELY DIE," THE SERPENT SAID TO THE WOMEN. "FOR GOD KNOWS THAT WHEN YOU EAT FROM
IT YOUR EYES WILL BE OPENED, AND YOU WILL BE LIKE GOD, KNOWING GOOD AND EVIL." WHEN THE WOMEN SAW THE TREE WAS GOOD FOR FOOD AND PLEASING TO THE EYE, AND ALSO DESIRABLE FOR GAINING WISDOM, SHE TOOK SOME AND ATE IT. SHE ALSO GAVE SOME TO HER HUSBAND, WHO WAS WITH HER, HE ATE IT. (SATAN'S TEMPTATION OF EVE CAN BE CONCEPTUALIZED IN "SIX STEPS" STEPS THAT CAN BE SEEN IN SATAN'S TEMPTATION OF BELIEVERS TODAY.
"STEP ONE" IS FOUND IN VERSE ONE. THE HEBREW MAY BE PARAPHRASED IN THE FOLLOWING WAY: NOW THE SERPENT WAS MORE CRAFTY THAN ANY WILD CREATURE THE LORD GOD HAD MADE. HE SAID TO THE WOMEN."IS IT REALLY A FACT THAT GOD HAD PROHIBITED YOU FROM EATING OF ALL THE TREES OF THE GARDEN?
WHAT IS THE DYNAMIC HERE? WHY DID SATAN ASK THIS QUESTION? HE OBVIOUSLY KNEW WHAT GOD HAD SAID TO ADAM AND EVE, OR HE WOULD NOT HAVE BEEN ABLE TO ASK WHAT HE DID. FURTHERMORE, HE DELIBERATELY DISTORTED WHAT GOD HAD SAID. " IS IT REALLY A FACT THAT GOD HAD PROHIBITED YOU FROM EATING OF ALL THE TREES OF THE GARDEN?" SATAN'S PLOY IS RATHER OBVIOUS HE WAS GETTING "EVE" TO TAKE HER EYES OFF ALL THE THINGS GOD HAD GIVEN HER TO ENJOY, AND TO FOCUS ON ONE THING GOD HAD FORBIDDEN. THERE WERE PROBABLY THOUSAND PLEASURABLE THINGS "EVE" DONE IN THE GARDEN, BUT NOW ALL HER ATTENTION WAS FOCUSED ON ONE THING SHE COULD NOT DO. WE MIGHT CALL THIS MAXIMIZING THE RESTRICTION.
EVE WAS NOW PREPARED FOR SATAN'S NEXT STEP. EVE'S STATEMENT THAT GOD SAID EATING OF THE FRUIT OF THE TREE WOULD RESULT IN DEATH, SATAN BOLDLY
DECLARED: YOU WILL NOT SURELY DIE.." THE RESULTS OF SUCH-AND SUCH AN ACTION WON'T REALLY BE AS BAD AS GOD HAS SAID. SATAN MINIMIZING THE
CONSEQUENCES OF SIN IN TWO WAYS, BY TELLING EVE THAT THE CONSEQUENCES WOULD NOT BE AS BAD AS STATED TO BE., AND SECOND, BY EVENTUALLY FOCUSING HER ATTENTION SO COMPLETELY ON THE TREE, THAT SHE FORGOT ABOUT THE CONSEQUENCES ENTIRELY. (V.6) THE THIRD STEP SATAN TOOK MIGHT BE CALLED "RELABELING" THE ACTION. IN VERSE 5 HE SAYS: " FOR GOD KNOWS THAT WHEN YOU EAT OF IT YOUR EYES WILL BE OPEN, AND YOU WILL BE LIKE GOD KNOWING GOOD AND EVIL." HERE SATAN PLANTED THE SUSPICION IN EVE'S MIND. THAT IT WAS NOT THE FRUIT OF THE TREE THAT WOULD INJURE HER, THAT GOD HAD FORBIDDEN HER TO EAT IT, BUT BECAUSE HE DID NOT WISH HER TO BE LIKE HIMSELF. SATAN DEFTLY TRIED TO REMOVE HIS TEMPTATION FROM THE CATEGORY OF SIN BY LABELING IT. IN THIS PARTICULAR INSTANCE, PARTAKING OF THE FRUIT WAS RELABELED AS A WAY OF EXPANDING HER CONSCIOUSNESS . SHE WOULD BECOME A MORE COMPLETE PERSON. BEFORE THIS TIME "EVE" HAD THOUGHT OF THE FORBIDDEN ACTION AS DISOBEDIENCE: NOW SHE SEES IT AS A NECESSITY IF SHE IS TO BECOME A COMPLETE AND MATURE PERSON. SATAN THEN QUICKLY ADDED ANOTHER ASPECT WHICH MIGHT BE CALLED "MIXING GOOD AND EVIL."
VERSE 6) READS: " THE WOMEN SAW THAT THE FRUIT OF THE TREE WAS GOOD FOR FOOD." C.S. LEWIS HAS COMMENTED THAT EVIL IS OFTEN A PERVERSION OF SOMETHING GOOD THAT GOD HAS CREATED. IN THIS INSTANCE SATAN ADDED POTENCY TO HIS TEMPTATION BY MIXING GOOD WITH EVIL: "EVE" SAW THAT THE TREE WAS GOOD FOR FOOD.
THE FIFTH ASPECT OF EVE'S TEMPTATION FOUND IN THE MIDDLE PART OF VERSE 6:) 'SHE SAW THAT THE FRUIT OF THE TREE WAS... PLEASING TO THE EYES." THIS MIGHT BE CALLED MIXING SIN WITH BEAUTY. TEMPTATION OFTEN COMES WRAPPED IN THE FORM OF SOMETHING BEAUTIFUL, SOMETHING THAT APPEALS TO OUR SENSES AND DESIRES. IT IS OFTEN NECESSARY TO THINK TWICE BEFORE WE RECOGNIZE THAT A BEAUTIFUL OBJECT OR GOAL IS REALLY SIN IN DISGUISE. IN THIS INCIDENT "EVE" FAILED TO DISCRIMINATE BETWEEN THE BEAUTIFUL PACKAGE AND THE SINFUL CONTENTS THAT THE PACKAGE CONTAINED.
FINALLY "EVE" TOOK A SIXTH STEP: THE NARRATIVE TELLS US THAT "SHE SAW THAT THE FRUIT OF THE TREE WAS... DESIRABLE FOR GAINING WISDOM." IN ESSENCE SHE SWALLOWED THE DEVIL'S LIE. THIS STEP MIGHT BE CALLED MISUNDERSTANDING THE IMPLICATIONS. ALTHOUGH THIS MAY SEEM A LESS SIGNIFICANT POINT IN THE TEMPTATION PROCESS, IT IS PERHAPS THE MOST CRUCIAL. IN EFFECT, BY ACCEPTING SATAN'S STATEMENT, "EVE" WAS CALLING GOD A LIAR; EVEN THOUGH SHE MIGHT NOT HAVE RECOGNIZED THOSE IMPLICATIONS OF HER ACTION. SHE ACCEPTED SATAN'S ANALYSIS AS THE TRUTH TELLER OF THE SITUATION INSTEAD OF GOD'S, TEMPT MANY OF THE SAME DYNAMICS OF EVE'S TEMPTATION ARE OFTEN PRESENT IN SATAN'S TEMPTATIONS OF BELIEVER'S TODAY.
WITH ONLY BRIEF INTROSPECTION HIS TACTICS OF MAXIMIZING THE RESTRICTION, MINIMIZING THE CONSEQUENCES, RELABELING THE ACTION, MIXING GOOD AND EVIL, MIXING SIN WITH BEAUTY CAN FREQUENTLY BE FOUND OPERATING IN OUR OWN LIVES. THIS IS CALLED PRINCIPLIZING WHICH FOCUSES ON THOSE PRINCIPLES IMPLICIT IN A STORY THAT ARE APPLICABLE ACROSS TIMES AND CULTURES. THE DETAILS MAY CHANGE, BUT THE PRINCIPALS ARE THE SAME: SATAN e.g., SATAN MAY CONTINUE TO TEMPT US BY MAXIMIZING A RESTRICTION, BUT IS NOT LIKELY TO DO SO BY USING A FRUIT TREE. FROM A THEOLOGICAL STANDPOINT, THE MEANING AND PRINCIPAL'S DERIVED FROM A STORY MUST BE CONSISTENT WITH ALL OTHER TEACHINGS OF SCRIPTURE A DEDUCTIVE PRINCIPAL DRAWN FROM A NARRATIVE WHICH CONTRADICTS THE TEACHING OF SOME OTHER SCRIPTURAL PASSAGE. TO WHAT ARE THOSE INTERPRETERS WHO BELIEVE THAT OFTEN SCRIPTURAL PRINCIPAL'S AND THEIR BEHAVIORAL COMMANDS ALWAYS SHOULD BE APPLIED
LITERALLY WITHIN THE CHURCH TODAY. THE MAJORITY OF EVANGELICAL CHURCHES HAVE IMPLICITLY AGREED THAT SOME BIBLICAL COMMANDS ARE NOT TO BE ADOPTED WHOLESALE INTO OUR TIME AND CULTURE. FOR EXAMPLE THE COMMAND TO GREET ONE ANOTHER WITH THE HOLY KISS IS MADE FIVE TIMES IN THE "NEW TESTAMENT" YET VERY FEW CHURCHES OBSERVE THIS COMMAND TODAY.. LIKEWISE, FEW PROTESTANT CHURCHES OBSERVE WOMEN TO WEAR VEILS WHEN PRAYING (1 COR. 11:5) FEW CHURCHES CONTINUE THE PRACTICE FOOT WASHING, SPOKEN OF IN JOHN (13:14), BECAUSE THE CHANGING CULTURES AND TIMES HAVE LESSENED THE NEED AND SIGNIFICANCE OF THE PRACTICE. MANY EVANGELICALS, MEN AND WOMEN ALIKE, ARE WONDERING WHETHER THE TRADITIONAL ROLES, WHERE WOMEN PREACH, ALTHOUGH PAUL STATED IN (1 TIMOTHY 2:12), THAT HE PERMITTED NO WOMEN TO TEACH OR HAVE AUTHORITY OVER MEN. MANY EVANGELICALS, MEN AND WOMEN ALIKE, ARE WONDERING WHETHER THE HUSBAND -WIFE ROLES DELINEATED IN (EPHESIANS 5) AND OTHER PASSAGES ARE TO BE CONTINUED IN OUR CULTURE AND TIME? WHEN GOD ASKED ADAM, "WHERE ARE YOU?" ADAM ANSWERED, " I WAS HIDING' (GENESIS 3:9-10) HE CONFESSED HIS TRUE CONDITION. THIS CONFESSION OPENED HIM TO GOD. WHEN WE PRAY WE COME OUT OF OUR SHELTERS AND NOT ONLY SEE OUR NAKEDNESS BUT ALSO SEE THAT THERE IS NO ENEMY WHO HAUNTS US, ONLY A FRIEND WHO WOULD LOVE NOTHING BETTER THAN TO CLOTH US WITH A NEW COAT. HOWEVER, PRAYER DOES NOT LEAD US TO SHAME, BUT RATHER TO THE JOYFUL DISCOVERY THAT WE ARE ONLY HUMAN, THAT GOD IS TRULY GOD. IF WE CLING TIGHTLY TO OUR OWN WEAKNESS, OUR FAULTS, SHORT COMINGS, AND OUR TWISTED PAST; TO ALL THE EVENTS, FACTS AND SITUATIONS WHICH WE WOULD PREFER TO CUT OUT OF OUR OWN HISTORY. WE ARE ONLY HIDING BEHIND A HEDGE THROUGH WHICH EVERYONE CAN SEE. BUT WHAT WE HAVE DONE IS TO NARROW OUR WORLD TO A SMALL HIDING PLACE, WHERE WE TRY TO CONCEAL OURSELVES, SUSPECTING RATHER PITIFULLY HAS SEEN US ALL ALONG. ( HENRI NOUWEN.) "WITH OPEN HANDS".
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