Ministry in Words

“Now the serpent was more cunning than any beast of the field which the Lord God had made. And he said to the woman, “Has God indeed said, ‘You shall not eat of every tree of the garden?” (Genesis 3:1)

Isn’t it interesting that the first lie ever told was an attack on God’s word? With that one lie, Satan cast doubt on God’s word. What God said or didn’t say is suddenly under scrutiny. An inquiry disguised as an innocent question now brings doubt upon God’s clear command. Satan was subtle – He didn’t come out and deny God’s word, but baited the hook to lead Eve into unbelief.

Notice Satan’s exact words compared to God’s command made in Genesis 2:16:

Satan’s words, (Gen. 3:1) “Has God indeed said, ‘You shall not eat…?”

God’s words (Gen. 2:16-17) “And the Lord God commanded the man, “You are free to eat from any tree in the garden; but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat from it you will certainly die.”

What was Satan’s focus in the statement he made? What was God’s focus? If you’ll notice, Satan put a negative spin on what God really said. It was as if he was saying, “What do you mean, Eve, that you can’t eat of every tree in the garden?” What kind of God would impose this restriction on you? As James Montgomery Boice stated well, “Satan changes this positive invitation to eat of every tree (with only one exception) into a negative prohibition designed to cast doubt on God’s goodness”. (Genesis, Volume 1 – Creation and Fall, Genesis 1-11, P. 165, James Montgomery Boice).

The reality is that God’s statement was generous and abundant. God said, “of every tree of the garden you may freely eat, but (except) the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.” (Parenthesis mine). God gave them a wondrous environment, full of beauty and fruit of every kind. Can you imagine the discovery of tasting the first banana, or watermelon, or any other fruit for the first time? They not only had fruit, but every other type of food-bearing plant to enjoy – nuts, seeds, vegetables – all in their perfect state. God gave them all of this except the fruit of one tree. Yet Satan put the focus on the one thing they were commanded not to have. He mystifies God’s command in her mind. He gave Eve spiritual blinders and she willingly took them, as if to think that God was withholding even more from her.

Maybe we think we could never react the way Eve did, but how many times do we wear the same blinders? Sometimes we get so caught up with a sense of deprivation when God hasn’t given us something we feel entitled to have that we loose sight of what he has given us.

In your life, have you allowed Satan to set your eyes on anything that is clearly not God’s will for you, in spite of what you are given? Confess it to Him in prayer, acknowledging the deception that leads to discontentment.

If you are a child of God, salvation alone is cause for thanksgiving. Among other things, He has given us spiritual blessings that are too numerous to list here. As a devotional to end this section, I’ve listed just a few. You may chose to look them up fur further study or use them as suggestions for prayer. Know that our God has given us: