Ziklag

 

1 Now it happened, when David and his men came to Ziklag, on the third day, that the Amalekites had invaded the South and Ziklag, attacked Ziklag and burned it with fire,

2 and had taken captive the women and those who were there, from small to great; they did not kill anyone, but carried them away and went their way.

3 So David and his men came to the city, and there it was, burned with fire; and their wives, their sons, and their daughters had been taken captive.

4 Then David and the people who were with him lifted up their voices and wept, until they had no more power to weep.

5 And David's two wives, Ahinoam the Jezreelitess, and Abigail the widow of Nabal the Carmelite, had been taken captive.

6 Now David was greatly distressed, for the people spoke of stoning him, because the soul of all the people was grieved, every man for his sons and his daughters. But David strengthened himself in the LORD his God.

7 Then David said to Abiathar the priest, Ahimelech's son, "Please bring the ephod here to me." And Abiathar brought the ephod to David.

8 So David inquired of the LORD, saying, "Shall I pursue this troop? Shall I overtake them?" And He answered him, "Pursue, for you shall surely overtake them and without fail recover all."

     1 Samuel 30:1-8 (NKJV)

 This tragic scene awaited David and his men when they returned to Ziklag, a Philistine town that they'd made as their temporary residence. How awful to find the town burned and their wives and children taken captive.  To make matters worse, the men wanted to stone David, blaming him for the losses. David was their leader and he had made serious errors, not only in leaving Ziklag defenseless while they were away, but in aligning with the Philistines in the first place.

 Earlier the Bible explains: “And David said in his heart, ‘Now I shall perish someday by the hand of Saul. There is nothing better for me than that I should speedily escape to the land of the Philistines; and Saul will despair of me, to seek me anymore in any part of Israel. So I shall escape out of his hand.’" (1 Samuel 27:7, NKJV)  Out of fear and without seeking God's guidance, David decided to join the Philistines, enemies of Israel. Instead of remaining in Judah where God had told him to stay (1 Samuel 22:5), David fled there and followed his own ill-conceived plan.

Yet after the tragedy in Ziklag, David came to his senses. Once again, David remembered that God was his strength (v. 6) and once again, David turned to God, seeking His wisdom and help (v. 7-8)  And God graciously assured David that He would be with them and bring about their victory.

 Even though he made many mistakes, David was a man after God’s own heart (Acts 13:22) because he always returned to God and trusted Him.  Sometimes God will allow difficulties in our lives to get our attention when we’ve blundered or strayed so we will turn back to Him. When we do, He is gracious and welcomes us back. 

If God is For Us...

 I've been told that my Master actually isn't in my corner, doesn't have my best interest at heart, and I'm living in a world doomed to failure from the point it was created. Does it sound like I heard that from some snake in a tree? That message of bitterness and pain is out there, and it's popular with people who need some excuse for their pain and hopelessness.

The truth is much different. Jesus made a strange statement when Pharisees questioned His disciples about why Jesus would eat with "tax collectors and sinners". Jesus said, "It is not those who are healthy who need a physician, but those who are sick." In the account in Mark and Luke, He continues, "I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance."

It's one of the earliest "reversals" in Jesus' ministry. But God's heart for those "sinners" is clear much earlier. In the Garden, with the dead pair who were so precious to Him, God makes clothes from skins instead of the "fig leaves" they used for themselves (Genesis 3:21). And then, with their firstborn, Cain, we see that, once again, our Creator has a heart for the sinner:

Then the LORD said to Cain, “Why are you angry? And why has your countenance fallen? If you do well, will not your countenance be lifted up? And if you do not do well, sin is crouching at the door; and its desire is for you, but you must master it.” Genesis 4:6-7 NASB

Even as Cain is upset that his sacrifice was not acceptable, his Creator seeks to lead him in the right path. He didn't need to. Why reach out to Cain? Clearly, Cain is far too much like his parents, the ones with whom Yahweh used to walk in the Garden in the cool of the day. But God does not give up on Cain.

Then the LORD said to Cain, “Where is Abel your brother?” And he said, “I do not know. Am I my brother’s keeper?” He said, “What have you done? The voice of your brother’s blood is crying to Me from the ground. Genesis 4:9-10 NASB

God gives Cain a chance to confess, to repent, for regret, and to make it right. The first question is a test, one which Cain fails. Yet God still gives him the opportunity, even to one who has murdered his brother. And it continues. Even after Cain lies, even after he whines about his curse, even then, there is mercy from his Creator.

Now you are cursed from the ground, which has opened its mouth to receive your brother’s blood from your hand.  When you cultivate the ground, it will no longer yield its strength to you; you will be a vagrant and a wanderer on the earth.” Cain said to the LORD, “My punishment is too great to bear! Behold, You have driven me this day from the face of the ground; and from Your face I will be hidden, and I will be a vagrant and a wanderer on the earth, and whoever finds me will kill me.” So the LORD said to him, “Therefore whoever kills Cain, vengeance will be taken on him sevenfold.” And the LORD appointed a sign for Cain, so that no one finding him would slay him. Genesis 4:11-15 NASB

There is something in Cain's cry, that he would be hidden from the face of Yahweh, that resonates with me. Perhaps there was a glint of understanding and regret of what he had lost with his Creator. Commentators differ in their opinion about Cain, but God's mercy is unmistakable. He gives this sinner, this rebel, this murderer, a sign so that he won't be murdered himself. That wasn't part of the curse, it seems. His consequences didn't include being murdered himself, which seems strange to me.

Regardless of how you see Cain, focus on the mercy of our Creator. Regardless of how reprehensible his crime, look at our Savior. Isn't is amazing, incomprehensible? How is it possible that our Creator loves such as Cain? And, if someone loves like that, what sort of hope can we have?

What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who is against us? He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him over for us all, how will He not also with Him freely give us all things? Romans 8:31-32 NASB

This has been true from the beginning. 

Mount Pisgah

 

1 Then Moses went up from the plains of Moab to Mount Nebo, to the top of Pisgah, which is across from Jericho.

And the LORD showed him all the land of Gilead as far as Dan,

2 all Naphtali and the land of Ephraim and Manasseh, all the land of Judah as far as the Western Sea,

3 the South, and the plain of the Valley of Jericho, the city of palm trees, as far as Zoar.

4 Then the LORD said to him, "This is the land of which I swore to give Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, saying,

'I will give it to your descendants.' I have caused you to see it with your eyes, but you shall not cross over there."

5 So Moses the servant of the LORD died there in the land of Moab, according to the word of the LORD.

6 And He buried him in a valley in the land of Moab, opposite Beth Peor; but no one knows his grave to this day.

    Deuteronomy 34:1-6 (NKJV)

When we read this account, we may feel bad for Moses, the leader of Israel forbidden to go into the promised land with the people, and we may feel God treated him harshly. But God is always right in what He does.

 Earlier, we’re told the reason why Moses wasn’t allowed to enter the land: the Lord said Moses “trespassed against Me among the children of Israel at the waters of Meribah Kadesh, in the Wilderness of Zin, because you did not hallow Me in the midst of the children of Israel.” (Deut. 32:51, NKJV)  This reminds us that sin has consequences.

 

Yet despite Moses’ disobedience and punishment, God was so gracious towards him. He let Moses see the land that He was giving to the children of Israel, visible proof of His great promise. And what love and tenderness is shown in that God Himself buried Moses when he died.  In addition, Moses eventually did get to the promised land where he witnessed the transfiguration of Jesus Christ. (Matt. 17:1-3)

 

God has also dealt with me and rightly so. The consequences of certain of my sins are still evident and remain a heartache to me after many years. Yet the Lord has tenderly comforted me and dried my tears on many occasions, and I’m grateful that my brokenness is in His hands.

 

If you’ve experienced a Mount Pisgah in your life, I hope this example from Moses helps and encourages you.

Who's Your Side?

 

This change of plans greatly upset Jonah, and he became very angry.  So he complained to the Lord about it: “Didn’t I say before I left home that you would do this, Lord? That is why I ran away to Tarshish! I knew that you are a merciful and compassionate God, slow to get angry and filled with unfailing love. You are eager to turn back from destroying people.  Just kill me now, Lord! I’d rather be dead than alive if what I predicted will not happen.”

The Lord replied, “Is it right for you to be angry about this?”

Then Jonah went out to the east side of the city and made a shelter to sit under as he waited to see what would happen to the city. And the Lord God arranged for a leafy plant to grow there, and soon it spread its broad leaves over Jonah’s head, shading him from the sun. This eased his discomfort, and Jonah was very grateful for the plant.  Jonah 4:1-6

 I am an election junkie.  With a lot that has been going on, I feel fully vested into this election.  As I was watching the results come in and going up and down with each positive and negative result, it began to feel like I had lost sight of what really matters.  Yes, I know God is ultimately in control, but yet, I still wanted my guy to win.  So, I began to challenge myself with something I read years ago.  Do I believe God is truly in control or are those just words that I say to myself when in reality I know that I truly want to be the one in control?  If it worked out my way, I would happily celebrate, but if it did not go my way, I would sulk and go into a state of depression.  How could this possibly happen?

It’s ok to acknowledge to God that you are struggling with control.  The story of Jonah is a prime example of God love and mercy for us.  God had Himself to Jonah and gave him a message to give to the city of Nineveh that they would be destroyed.  Jonah seemed all about it, but when God changed His mind after the city changed their ways, Jonah was annoyed and upset.  I was amused by his response to God saying, “Just kill me now Lord.  I’d rather be dead than alive if what I predicted will not happen.” (Jonah 4:3) The key here is to note Jonah’s commitment to his prediction and not the mercy God showed a group of people.  How often do we get caught up in what we want above what either God wants or what He feels is right?  This lesson is particularly helpful to those who may not have had the desired result they want.  Furthermore, it is important that we are honest with God and ourselves.  God, I do not understand.  How can you allow this to happen?  Then, pray for discernment.  It may not soothe the disappointment right away, but alas, our goal is not necessarily for us to have our way.  Remember when Jesus on the eve of His crucifixion said to God, “My Father! If it is possible, let this cup of suffering be taken away from me. Yet I want your will to be done, not mine.” (Matthew 26:39b) Even Christ understood that God’s will was more important than His own.

God is there for us in our disappointments as well as our triumphs.  We should all aspire to view our disappointments as moments to take stock to understand exactly what God's will is for your life.  It does not matter who you are rooting for.  Take time to determine what God wants you to learn from it all and move forward with confidence.  When is the last time God disappointed you?  Were you honest in your prayers when things did not go your way?  My prayer is that we acknowledge God’s sovereignty to be thankful for His love and grace no matter who your side is.  Amen.

What we don't do

 

Therefore, to him who knows to do good and does not do it, to him it is sin.

     James 4:17 (NKJV)

It can be hard enough to realize that we sin by doing and saying that which is wrong. But we’re also told that we sin when we fail to do or say that which we know we should.  We may think that what we do is more important than what we don't do, but that's not how God sees it. He cares about both.

 Sins of omission are often prevalent in our Christian lives.  We rationalize that we’re too busy, but that doesn’t excuse us in God’s eyes.  The reality is that we make time for whatever is a priority for us.  We may think that covid-19 gives us a pass, but that would be a mistake. The restrictions simply call us to be creative and determined in finding new and different ways. We may intend to speak or act but put it off because it would be inconvenient, uncomfortable or difficult.  Yet good intentions aren't the same as obedience.

 

This was convicting to me and I invite you to do your own assessment. Be honest in searching your heart to see where your sins of omission are.  Then will you resolve to set aside excuses, be obedient and act?

Walking With Our Creator

 Sometimes, the best lesson is clothed in very strange dressing. In a list of rules for good writing, down the list a ways was this rule: Eschew Obfuscation. I had to look those words up. It was a perfect way to get the point across because it broke the rule in the making it, helping the reader realize how important it actually was. In fact, now it's the only rule I can remember from that list.

Scripture can sometimes be like that rule. There are times when, what we read, requires us looking something up along the way to understanding it. And then we discover that it's actually quite simple. Commentators on the verses below rarely fail to point out the clear picture the verses below paint of life before the fall of man.

They heard the sound of the LORD God walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and the man and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the LORD God among the trees of the garden. Then the LORD God called to the man, and said to him, “Where are you?” Genesis 3:8-9 NASB

The verb for what Yahweh was doing is "to walk". It seems that part of the life of Adam and Eve they enjoyed in the Garden included these "walks" with Yahweh. So, part of what they opted against were these walks as well. Consider again what the temptation included:

The serpent said to the woman, “You surely will not die! For God knows that in the day you eat from it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.” Genesis 3:4-5 NASB

"For God knows..." with the implication that He's been keeping this "secret" from them, afraid of them being "like Him". The seeds of distrust of Yahweh were dropped, and the two gobbled them up like candy. This distrust was why sacrificing the walk was valid in their eyes. Why walk with someone you can't trust? It's not safe.

Really, there it is, lying on the surface. The walk with our Creator is what was lost in Adam's choice. Yes, they also gained shame. Certainly, they died, and therefore we died. No question, we were cursed. But we lost this walk with our Creator that we have been consistently called to come back to. For instance:

Enoch lived sixty-five years, and became the father of Methuselah. Then Enoch walked with God three hundred years after he became the father of Methuselah, and he had other sons and daughters. So all the days of Enoch were three hundred and sixty-five years. Enoch walked with God; and he was not, for God took him. Genesis 5:21-24 NASB (emphasis mine)

It seems that Enoch figured this out, and received a stellar-passing grade (see what I did there?). Even back before Abraham, before Noah, this "walk" with our Creator was possible to get back. Isn't that weird? You're not convinced? Fair enough, look at the New Testament interpretation of Enoch:

By faith Enoch was taken up so that he would not see death; AND HE WAS NOT FOUND BECAUSE GOD TOOK HIM UP; for he obtained the witness that before his being taken up he was pleasing to God. And without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is and that He is a rewarder of those who seek Him. Hebrews 11:5-6 NASB

It seems that this one, in particular, figured something out in his walk with Yahweh that indicated acceptance. It wasn't that he was "perfect", but that he walked with his Creator. It wasn't some sort of sacrificial system, a pattern of mystical incantations, or prescribed practices. He walked with his Creator.

Permit me to eschew obfuscation at this point: Jesus came that we might, again and finally, walk with our Creator. Sure, Enoch figured it out before Jesus, but the effect required Jesus (see Hebrews 11:39-40). We want something, but what our Savior offers is a walk with Him. If that's what we want, bingo. But very often, we want something that, instead, is more like Him walking with us. 

So, when we ask, what do we do? How do we "please God", how do we "live out this Christian life?", and so on, the answer is "to walk with your Savior, daily". Micah 6:8, "walk humbly with your God". Ephesians uses the verb 7 times, including Ephesians 2:10, "For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them. (Ephesians 2:10 NASB emphasis mine)

The simple answer, the clearest description of "what now", is, "to walk with your Savior". Suddenly "pray without ceasing" makes more sense. If you are already walking with Him all the time, talking with Him all the time is assumed. There are other benefits, like not carrying out the deeds of the flesh (sinful nature), and so on. 

So, let's get walking. 

Psalm 24

 

1 A Psalm of David. The earth is the LORD's, and all its fullness, The world and those who dwell therein.

2 For He has founded it upon the seas, And established it upon the waters.

3 Who may ascend into the hill of the LORD? Or who may stand in His holy place?

4 He who has clean hands and a pure heart, Who has not lifted up his soul to an idol, Nor sworn deceitfully.

5 He shall receive blessing from the LORD, And righteousness from the God of his salvation.

6 This is Jacob, the generation of those who seek Him, Who seek Your face. Selah

7 Lift up your heads, O you gates! And be lifted up, you everlasting doors! And the King of glory shall come in.

8 Who is this King of glory? The LORD strong and mighty, The LORD mighty in battle.

9 Lift up your heads, O you gates! Lift up, you everlasting doors! And the King of glory shall come in.

10 Who is this King of glory? The LORD of hosts, He is the King of glory. Selah

     Psalm 24 (NKJV)

 This psalm opens with the glory of God as Creator and Ruler of all. In light of His majesty and power, lowly man is wise to consider who can stand in God Almighty’s presence? Only those who have clean hands and a pure heart (also a New Testament requirement, see James 4:8). Yet we can’t measure up on our own.  Because of our sinfulness, we can never meet God’s holy standard. But when we trust in Christ as Savior, we are cleansed from our sin and clothed in His righteousness. Then we are accepted by God and receive His blessing.

 Tradition has it that this psalm marks the occasion when the Ark of the Covenant was brought to Jerusalem by David (see 2 Samuel 6:1-19). What a time of rejoicing that was because the Ark represented God’s presence to the Jews.  It’s as if the gates and doors of the city are personified as witnessing this grand event (vs. 7, 9) and lifting up praise as the King of glory comes in. And who is the King of glory? The Lord of hosts, the Lord strong and mighty, the Lord mighty in battle (v. 8).  He is the Captain of all the angelic armies and all the hosts of heaven (see Gen. 2:1, Luke 2:13). 

 Twice in this psalm (vs. 6, 10) we are exhorted to “Selah,” meaning take time to meditate on the truths here.  Let us ponder our great God Almighty and bow before Him.

 

“Holy, holy, holy Lord God of Hosts, eternal King,

By the heavens and earth adored; angels and archangels sing,

Chanting everlastingly to the blessed Trinity.

Since by Thee were all things made, and in Thee do all things live,

Be in Thee all honor paid; praise to Thee may all things give,

Singing everlastingly to the blessed Trinity.”

(Christopher Worsdworth, 1807-1885)

Being In It

 

 But in fact, it is best for you that I go away, because if I don’t, the Advocate won’t come. If I do go away, then I will send him to you.  And when he comes, he will convict the world of its sin, and of God’s righteousness, and of the coming judgment.  The world’s sin is that it refuses to believe in me. Righteousness is available because I go to the Father, and you will see me no more.  Judgment will come because the ruler of this world has already been judged.  John 16:7-11

 

What is the difference between being of the world and in the world?  They sound so similar.  I liken it to one of my favorite football players.  The player is ‘of’ the Miami Dolphins, which is my favorite football team.  The player is also ‘in’ the National Football League.  When you are of something, that is who you represent.  When you are in something, you are part of a similar but larger collective.  It’s a subtle but important difference.  We are all living ‘in’ the world, but we are ‘of’ the Christian faith.  But here is what’s important to remember.  All because a person is not ‘of’ the Christian faith does not mean that they are not ‘in’ our world for a reason.  In fact, one might argue God placed them ‘in’ our lives to introduce Christ to them.

We should always be conscious of the differences between people of this world versus in the world itself.  There are many times that I have heard others call people ‘evil’ and ‘of this world.’  I never truly bought into that, but I was not able to figure out why because people would commit sin and do things wrongfully.  It would make sense to call them evil or worldly, right?  But note what Jesus said here.  He said, “The world’s sin is that it refuses to believe in me.”  He is not condemning an individual.  He condemned ‘the world’ or as it would be clearer The Devil.  Why is this important?  It means that no person can truly be judged by us as either ‘evil’ or ‘of this world.’  That’s not to say they won’t be sinful, commit evil acts, or either choose the world over Christ or refuse Him.  What it does mean is no one is beyond redemption.  In the book of Luke, Zechariah, prophesying the coming of Christ, said, “Praise the Lord, the God of Israel, because he has visited and redeemed his people.” (Luke 1:68) Our role is not to levy our standards on others (note what Jesus said about the ruler of this world).  It is to tell those the message of Christ for if they are given His truth, they too can distinguish between being in the world versus being of the world.

God loves us.  It’s not about what we feel about others.  It’s about how God would want us to respond to them.  It is clear what He would say, “For this is how God loved the world: He gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life.” (John 3:16).  Let us focus on being the lover of God’s people and separate the evil of the world from the people who live in it.  Who have you wrongfully condemned?  Where can you replace judgment with love?  My prayer is that we show mercy toward others and recognize our opportunity to save those in the world to become of God's Kingdom.  Amen.

Psalm 23

 

1 A Psalm of David. The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want.

2 He makes me to lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside the still waters.

3 He restores my soul; He leads me in the paths of righteousness For His name's sake.

4 Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; For You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me.

5 You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; You anoint my head with oil; My cup runs over.

6 Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me All the days of my life; And I will dwell in the house of the LORD Forever.

     Psalm 23 (NKJV)

This is probably the most well-known psalm and may be the best-loved. It’s so short that many know it by heart.  Yet despite its brevity, the six verses are a powerful testimony to God’s goodness and grace.

 This psalm speaks of many years of personal experience walking with the Lord. That’s why David could say the Lord is “my shepherd.” But if you don't know Christ as your Savior and if you haven’t submitted to Him as Lord, then this psalm isn’t really for you.  Because that’s what it means to call Jesus your shepherd.

 

David knew what it was to need God’s righteousness, as we all do, and because His forgiveness is so generously extended, our souls are restored.

 

Some consider this a "death bed" psalm since it assures the believer of God’s presence “through the valley of the shadow of death.” (v. 4) That truly is a blessing. But it’s also an "every day" psalm because we all walk in that shadow and find ourselves in many dark valleys of suffering, sickness, fear, trouble, in this life.  Yet we have God’s rod and staff to show us the way and to correct us when needed.  That provides comfort and courage for our daily walk with Him.

 

When we trust in Christ as Savior and Lord, our cup runs over with His goodness and mercy; we are blessed with the sure hope of dwelling in His house forever.

                                                 Savior Like a Shepherd Lead Us

Savior like a shepherd lead us, much we need your tender care.

In your pleasant pastures feed us, for our use your fold prepare.

Blessed Jesus, blessed Jesus, you have bought us, we are yours.

Blessed Jesus, blessed Jesus, you have bought us, we are yours.

(Dorothy Thrupp, 1779-1847)

What Were You Looking For?

 Do things tend to make more sense looking back? For me, this is about 50/50, because I find I'm often still confused later, after the dust settles. The Creator of all matter, the One calling the things that are not into existence, He doesn't always explain Himself to me. I suppose part of the reason for this is that His answer wouldn't make any sense to me. This weekend I was challenged to view another reason, that I'm viewing creation and reading about the Creator from a perspective after the fall of humanity.

Okay, so what does that mean? I was asked by a fairly astute high school student yesterday, why would God put such a dangerous tree in the Garden of Eden? Why give us a choice, when we could have been ignorant and happy without one? It's not a new question, but it prompted me to consider the question. That question only makes sense on this side of the fall. Before that, before the snake lied, it didn't occur to Adam and Eve that the tree of "knowledge of good and evil" (the Tree of KoG&E) was an option. God said they would die, and that settled it.

Only now, when children opt for what is out of reach (the cookie in the cookie jar they've been told they can't have), that which is unknown, who seem driven to explore the dangerous, on this side of the fall, do we ask "why?" of our Creator. Because that question gets asked, and because we give it oxygen, it troubles us. Why create a "rigged system"? But, it wasn't rigged. It was fine until someone introduced another option, an option that contradicted the Creator at every point:

What are the limits?

God says any tree, except...

The LORD God commanded the man, saying, “From any tree of the garden you may eat freely; (Genesis 2:16 NASB)

​The snake says no trees

Now the serpent was more crafty than any beast of the field which the LORD God had made. And he said to the woman, “Indeed, has God said, ‘You shall not eat from any tree of the garden’?” (Genesis 3:1 NASB)

Why the exception?

God says they will surely die

but from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat from it you will surely die.” (Genesis 2:17 NASB)

The snake says you will surely not die, but will become like God

The serpent said to the woman, “You surely will not die! For God knows that in the day you eat from it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.” (Genesis 3:4-5 NASB)

What's the point of debate?

Think through these changes? The snake redefines for the couple what the tree of death means. Their Creator defined it as the knowledge of good and evil. The snake says that's not death, it actually makes you like your Creator. That may be a little hard to follow, but read through the verses again. The tree of Life and the tree of KoG&E were together in the middle of the garden. We would expect the tree opposite of life to be death, and, as it turns out, our Creator warns that death is actually the result of the tree of KoG&E. 

But the snake challenges that. This "shrewd" animal claims that the tree of KoG&E simply gives what the name states, and nothing more. Inherent in that claim is also a challenge to what it means to die. The Creator claims they will surely die, and the snake says they will surely not die.

I find it ironic to a sad degree that most people agree with the snake. We tend to believe that the tree of KoG&E did what the snake said, and not what our Creator said. Why do we believe that? If that were true, why are there any more chapters? Why more books? Why send Jesus? I suspect that, deep down, we still want the cookie in the cookie jar.

I suspect that we still want the knowledge of good and evil for ourselves. We may be comforted by the thought that we simply have it now, inherently, and can't give it up. And yet, I think the whole point of walking with our Creator and Savior is that we leave off our KoG&E. We enter into this walk through a death, the substitutionary death of Jesus. And we continue this walk through power of His resurrection, in the presence of the Holy Spirit living within us. 

We acknowledge that, but sill want to choose for ourselves to be like God knowing good and evil. But what's the alternative? What does this walk look like if it's not choosing the good and eschewing the evil? Do you believe that your Savior wants you to choose every day to do "good" stuff and avoid "bad" stuff? That can't be it, that can't be sufficient. If it were, then much of Scripture is wrong.

It's not choosing to do good, it is choosing to obey. Symantec difference, you say? When I obey someone I have a relationship with that person, it requires communication, understanding. If I'm doing whatever is good in my own eyes, then I'm the one choosing good & evil, and I'm eating from the wrong tree.

Obedience to my Savior requires me to communicate with Him. Obedience requires me to earnestly seek Him (Heb. 11:6). Obedience means that I listen to Him, I learn from Him, that I spend time with Him. I can obey rules, which requires no real relationship. But to obey a person requires more. And yes, I must choose to obey. But that choice is not deciding on the good and evil, but on the walk with a Person. And what I do is the good in His eyes. 

So, I suppose the question for you this morning is from which tree will you eat? The call is to choose to walk with your Savior in the garden in the cool of the day. Bon apatite!