Genesis 2:5-17

Chapter two has a special purpose in the Genesis record. Many times, people read chapter two and think, Why does God give us this second account of the creation? The simple answer is that it is not a second account of creation. Upon closer examination of chapter two, you will find further details concerning God’s work of creation, complementary information, and some important specifics of what God did.

The Scripture declares, “…In the day that the LORD God made the earth and the heavens, before any plant of the field was in the earth and before any herb of the field had grown. For the LORD God had not caused it to rain on the earth, and there was no man to till the ground; but a mist went up from the earth and watered the whole face of the ground. And the LORD God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living being. The LORD God planted a garden eastward in Eden, and there He put the man whom He had formed. And out of the ground the LORD God made every tree grow that is pleasant to the sight and good for food. The tree of life was also in the midst of the garden, and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. Now a river went out of Eden to water the garden, and from there it parted and became four riverheads. The name of the first is Pishon; it is the one which skirts the whole land of Havilah, where there is gold. And the gold of that land is good. Bdellium and the onyx stone are there. The name of the second river is Gihon; it is the one which goes around the whole land of Cush. The name of the third river is Hiddekel; it is the one which goes toward the east of Assyria. The fourth river is the Euphrates. Then the LORD God took the man and put him in the garden of Eden to tend and keep it. And the LORD God commanded the man, saying, ‘Of every tree of the garden you may freely eat; but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die.’” (Gen. 2:4b-17).

What is recorded in chapter two is the written record from Adam himself, because he was the only one there in the Garden. This is clear when you come to the end of this section in Genesis 5:1, where Scripture declares, “This is the book of the genealogy of Adam. In the day that God created man, He made him in the likeness of God.” Remember that I have already stated that the word genealogy in this verse means history. So, this is literally the history of what Adam saw in the Garden, and what God told him, which is recorded between Genesis 2:4b and Genesis 5:1.

Another important point in this second chapter is the fact that the words Adam uses for God’s name changes. In Genesis 1:1, the word used for God is Elohim, and continues that way until Genesis 2:4a. As Adam begins to write from Genesis 2:4b and forward, he now changes this reference to God, to the LORD God, with means Jehovah Elohim. Jehovah is the personal name of God. This is another internal proof that the author of this section of Scripture has changed now to Adam because of his personal relationship with the Father. This is also an important fact, because God has a personal name. God’s name is not Allah. The proper name for the God of Israel is Jehovah, which means the eternally existing One, or the becoming One. So, when people say to you that the God of the Koran is the same as the God of the Bible, they are incorrect for two reasons. First, their names are completely different, and second, their behavior is completely different in the way they relate to mankind.

In addition, Jehovah is also equivalent to the name revealed to Moses in the burning bush, which is I AM. You remember the exchange between God and Moses, when he questions the one who spoke to him from the burning bush, “Indeed, when I come to the children of Israel and say to them, ‘The God of your fathers has sent me to you,’ and they say to me, ‘What is His name?’ What shall I say to them?” And God said to Moses, ‘I AM WHO I AM.’ And He said, ‘Thus you shall say to the children of Israel, I AM has sent me to you.’ Moreover God said to Moses, ‘Thus you shall say to the children of Israel: The LORD God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, has sent me to you. This is My name forever, and this is My memorial to all generations’” (Ex. 3:13-15). The personal name I AM, means the eternally self-existent One, or the becoming One. This is the way God wanted His name remembered for all generations. Notice in the text that the great I AM declared that He is the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, thus equating the Creator God, Jehovah Elohim, with I AM WHO I AM.

In addition, in the New Testament, Jesus also claims to be the I AM. When Jesus disputed with the religious leaders He declared, “Before Abraham was, I AM” (John 8:58). They knew exactly what He was claiming, because they took up stones to stone Him because of this claim. Earlier in Christ’s ministry when He equated Himself with the work of the Father, the Scripture declared, “Therefore the Jews sought all the more to kill Him, because He not only broke the Sabbath, but also said that God was His Father, making Himself equal with God” (John 5:18). These men knew exactly what Jesus was claiming when He referred to Himself in this manner. It is vital to understand these terms, and the fact that God’s personal name was first used in this passage in Genesis two. Remember, the names I AM and Jehovah are synonymous terms.

What are the specific details that Adam recorded for us?

1. There was no rain on the earth, but only a mist and spring fed rivers.  Vs. 5-6

God reveals a very important truth here in verses 5-6. He explains, “Before any plant of the field was in the earth and before any herb of the field had grown. For the LORD God had not caused it to rain on the earth, and there was no man to till the ground; but a mist went up from the earth and watered the whole face of the ground” (Gen. 2:5-6). Here we have this first bit of information about what the Earth was like before man was made from the dust of the Earth. It was a very different place from what we see today. Notice that the original hydrologic cycle that is described is that of a mist that went up from the Earth to water the plant life. The hydrologic cycle we have today is the evaporation of moisture from the ocean and lakes into clouds, that then bring rain which waters the Earth. The runoff from the rain forms rivers, that then runs back into the ocean, and the whole cycle continuously repeats. However, the hydrologic cycle of the Earth in the beginning was very different. What is described in the beginning, appears to be teaching us that the Earth was one huge terrarium. A terrarium is something that most people have observed in their lives. Terrariums are closed systems that need only sunlight. You never have to water a terrarium because it basically waters itself.

Now think about this for a moment. Why would God have set up the Earth to be like a terrarium? Notice that the answer is right in the text before us. It’s because, “There was no man to till the ground.” If there was no man yet created to till the ground, and later only two people on the entire planet in the Garden of Eden, who could have taken care of watering all the plant life on the Earth? Even where it rains on the Earth today, we still need to water our plants, or they will die, because rain is very inconsistent. A terrarium was the best way to satisfy the needs of a growing planet. Remember, in Genesis 1:7, God told us that He, “Made the firmament,” or the expanse which is the atmosphere, “and divided the waters which were under the firmament from the waters which were above the firmament; and it was so.” God is revealing in this passage that there was water above the Earth, below the Earth, and on the Earth as oceans. With this canopy of water above the firmament, and waters under the firmament in the oceans, with a landmass, these conditions create a terrarium. This would have made the Earth like a tropical garden with an abundance of every kind of vegetation. This canopy of water vapor in the stratosphere would also have protected the Earth from the harmful x-rays and ultraviolet radiation coming to the earth. The stratosphere is 22 miles thick and is where our ozone layer exists today. But originally this canopy of water would have been the ultra-protection for our planet. The Earth would have been like a giant greenhouse. This water canopy protection is most likely why lifespans were so much longer before the flood. However, after Noah’s flood this canopy was removed, and thus we see the dramatic decline of men’s lifespans.

The shifting polar axis.

But why isn’t the Earth a giant greenhouse today? Because something radically changed the Earth in the past. This change most likely took place during the cataclysm of Noah’s flood. Scientists revealed in 2015 that magnetic north was shifting more than 30 miles every year. They said that magnetic north was shifting more and more toward Siberia, Russia. Because of this fact the World Magnetic Model has to be adjusted periodically to update the GPS systems in our cellphones and all navigation devices in the world. Since 1990 magnetic north has shifted over 600 miles. In other words, the Earth’s magnetic field is not a constant thing. NASA scientists also tell us that they believe that the Earth’s poles have completely shifted 180 degrees in the past. See their findings at https://www.nasa.gov/topics/earth/features/2012-poleReversal.html

How can we be sure that a polar magnetic shift has actually occurred? Scientists take sediment and iron cores from the ocean floor, which allows them to study these magnetic polarity shifts. In addition, paleontologists and archeologists have found fossils at the South pole and in the arctic North revealing large quantities of dinosaur bones. Some of the woolly mammoths found there reveal that these animals were quick frozen in the past, some are even found in a standing position. The hair and flesh are still intact, and they have even found tropical vegetation in their stomachs. They have also found fossils of tropical plants buried in the sediment. How could tropical vegetation live at one time where the polar ice caps are today? This means the environment at some time in the past was very different than it is today.   

Has the Earth’s axis ever shifted from its present 23 ½ degree tilt?

Many scientists believe that the Earth has its polar ice because the Earth’s axis is tilted at 23 ½ degrees. These same scientists believe that the Earth’s axis was different in the past, and this is why tropical vegetation used to grow at our poles. This would make sense if the Earth was once a huge terrarium. But, is a reversal or change of the magnetic core of the Earth really possible? Listen to NASA scientist Bruce Jakosky from the University of Colorado, Boulder. He warns,

“There is evidence the Earth’s magnetic field is weakening and that we would soon see a complete reversal of magnetic poles. Scientific researchers say there is evidence that the Earth’s magnetic field has weakened significantly in the past 160 years and that neutralization of the magnetic field and flipping of magnetic poles could occur in less than 1,000 years – or as early as the next 100 years. Weakening of the Earth’s magnetic field, caused by gradual reverse re-alignment of iron atoms in the Earth’s liquid outer core, will lead to a reversal or flipping of Earth’s magnetic poles so that compasses point to the south instead of the north.” If you are interested in further reading on this topic, see: https://newspunch.com/nasa-warn-that-earth-is-soon-going-to-experience-a-full-pole-shift/

In addition, scientists also know that the Earth oscillates or wobbles on its axis. This issue was first studied by scientists in 1899 and has continued to this day. This wobbling of the earth is now being studied from satellites in space which gives us greater accuracy in calculations and knowledge of this phenomena. Earth’s axial tilt actually oscillates between 22.1 and 24.5 degrees. Scientists believe this shift results from the movement of water on the surface of the Earth.

What could possibly have changed the Earth’s axis in the past?

Creation scientists have considered this question and believe this change resulted from Noah’s flood. Why do they believe this? If scientists believe that the earth wobbles on its axis today because of the movement of water on the planet, what would have happened when, as the Bible states, “All the fountains of the great deep were broken up, and the windows of heaven were opened” (Gen. 7:11). This meant that all the waters stored under the surface of the Earth moved to the surface, and the water canopy that surrounded the Earth came down upon the Earth. These cataclysmic changes would have changed the surface of the Earth and our atmosphere dramatically, and could easily have changed the axis of our planet. Before these kinds of changes that took place during Noah’s flood, our planet would have been a very different place than it is today.

What was it like before the flood on Earth?

One of the best pieces of factual evidence you should consider concerning what life was like before the flood, is the fossil record. Fossils don’t lie or speculate. Fossils are facts! Fossils reveal what kind of plant and animal life once existed here on the Earth. If what the Bible teaches about the Earth being a large terrarium is true, then the Earth would have been covered by lush tropical vegetation over all the planet. This would have resulted in abundance of food for all the animals and for the longevity of human life. This also would have resulted from higher concentrations of oxygen and higher levels of carbon dioxide. If this is true, then the fossil record should show the evidence to prove this fact. Let’s look at some of this evidence.

In the picture below you will see the vertebrae and ribs of a massive snake called Titan-boa. This huge snake was found fossilized in a coal mine in Columbia. This snake would have been 50-60 feet long, over 3 feet in diameter, and estimated at over 2,500 pounds in weight. This was one big snake!

Then there was this monster of a crocodile called Sarcosuchus imperator. This 40-foot-long freshwater crocodile had jaws bigger than a man, and weighed over 20,000 pounds.

Credit: Science Focus Magazine

Credit: Museum of Natural History, Paris

Scientists have also found one of the largest apes ever known called Gigantopitecus blacki. This ape, whose remains have been found in China, Vietnam and Thailand, stood over 10 feet tall and weighed over 1,200 pounds.

Credit: Sciencevibe.com

Below is a picture of a giant Ammonite fossil. Ammonites were invertebrate sea creatures. These sea creatures were a close relative to squid and octopus, with the exception that the ammonite had a shell to live in.

Credit: Ferrebeekeeper.wordpress.com

In 2009 in a coal mine in Illinois, geologists found fossilized tree ferns that were 30 feet tall with crowns of large feathery fronds perfectly preserved. You can read about this find and many more in the July 2009 edition of Smithsonian Magazine. All of these discoveries prove that the Earth was a very different environment in our recent past. Also, fossilized cattails have been found that were 60 feet high buried in sedimentary rock. Fossilized cockroaches, turtles, centipedes, dragonflies, beavers, and many other animals and insects grew to enormous sizes. Examples like this have been found all over the world, proving that the flood was a world-wide deluge, and revealing that the pre-flood environment was very different than it is today.

How did these plants, animals, and insects get so large? The Earth before the flood had an abundance of food sources with oxygen and carbon dioxide levels far above what we have today. We know this from studies done on the air bubbles found in fossilized tree sap called amber. Tests on these air bubbles reveal that the oxygen level before the flood was 50% richer that it is today. (See Time Magazine, Nov 9, 1987, p. 82). The temperature was probably much warmer, with no variation of temperature over the entire planet, because of the "greenhouse effect" of the vapor canopy in the stratosphere.

2. Man was formed from the dust of the ground.  Vs. 7

The second issue that Adam addresses is how he was made by God. He gives us further detail about this forming of man by God on the sixth day of creation. Notice again that Adam uses the personal name of God, Jehovah Elohim, to describe the creator God at work. This work of God resulted from forming man out of the dust or clay of the earth. This is a significate fact because if you compare the 59 basic elements in the crust of the Earth, you find the same elements that make up the human body. Your body is made up of carbon, hydrogen, nitrogen, oxygen, phosphorus, sulfur, iron, sodium, and many other elements.

When Scripture declared that God formed man from the dust of the Earth, this same Hebrew word is also used for a potter crafting or forming a pot from the clay. When Elihu refers to himself as he speaks to Job, he said, “Truly I am as your spokesman before God; I also have been formed out of clay” (Job 33:6). So, he acknowledges this fact that he believed that he was made out of clay. Isaiah also agrees when he declared, “O LORD, You are our Father; we are the clay, and You our potter; and all we are the work of Your hand” (Isaiah 64:8). This fact of how God formed Adam is acknowledged throughout the Scripture. What the Bible declares again has been proven to be true by science.

Another point that is important to note in verse seven is the fact the God breathed into Adam’s nostrils the breath of life. God is the giver of all physical life and all spiritual life. But God told Adam and Eve that if they disobeyed Him that they would surely die. God warned them, “Of every tree of the garden you may freely eat; but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die” (Gen. 2:16-17). It is important to realize that Adam didn’t die physically on the day he sinned against God, but he did die spiritually and became estranged from God and was cast out of the garden. Each of us has the same problem today. Paul states in the New Testament, “Therefore, just as through one man sin entered the world, and death through sin, and thus death spread to all men, because all sinned” (Rom. 5:12). This means that all mankind is born dead in sin, because we have all received a sin nature just like Adam (Eph. 2:1). We continue in this spiritual death because of the sins we continue to commit. The Bible teaches that we are body, soul, and spirit (1 Thess. 5:23). When each of us was born, our spirit was dead within us because of the sin nature passed down from Adam. Our only solution to this spiritual death is to be born again, and allow the Lord to breathe into us the breath of life. This allows our spirit to come alive because of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus (Rom. 8:10-11). This is why after the resurrection of Jesus, the first thing He did when He met with the disciples was to breathe into them this life. It declares in John 20:20-22, “Then the disciples were glad when they saw the Lord. So, Jesus said to them again, ‘Peace to you! As the Father has sent Me, I also send you.’ And when He had said this, He breathed on them, and said to them, ‘Receive the Holy Spirit.’” This same thing will happen to every believer in Jesus the moment we choose to surrender to Him. He breathes into you and me the breath of life, and we are born again, or born from above, by the Spirit of the living God. This is how salvation occurs! When we are forgiven of the sin that has separated us from Him, we come into fellowship with the living God. Paul wrote in Titus 3:5-7 of our salvation and said, “Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us, through the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit, whom He poured out on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Savior, that having been justified by His grace we should become heirs according to the hope of eternal life.” Note that only a living God can breathe life into you. True spiritual life can only come from the living God! There are no works that you can perform that could ever give you this life. Mercy and grace must be received to enjoy this life. Have you received this life by asking God to forgive you of your sins? Just as Adam chose to reject God’s plan for him, so you must now choose to accept His plan of salvation for you. However, this life that God will give is not a one-time occurrence. Never forget that this plan of salvation also includes being filled with the breath of life anytime you desire, simply by your asking to be filled with the Holy Spirit. Jesus said, “If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him” (Luke 11:13). Therefore, ask daily and experience His life afresh and anew each day!

3. God made a garden eastward in Eden.  Vs. 8-9

In the next few verses, we get further information about where and how Adam was to live. God made a garden for him to dwell in with all that he needed for an enjoyable life. Scripture declares, “The Lord God planted a garden eastward in Eden, and there He put the man whom He had formed.  And out of the ground the Lord God made every tree grow that is pleasant to the sight, good for food.  The tree of life was also in the midst of the garden, and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil” (Gen. 2:8-9).

We first have a description of where the garden was relative to where Adam was made by God. The garden was eastward from Adam’s location, and there God placed the man. Then God described what the garden was like. There were plenty of trees that were pleasant to look at and good for food. The garden was a pleasant place, a good place, and a fruitful place. The garden also had within it the tree of life, and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. Note that all these trees were obviously created full-grown and fully producing fruit at the moment of creation. These trees had to be fully grown and producing fruit, because Adam couldn’t wait around for a couple of months until fruit could be produced that he could eat. These trees were created fully formed, just as Adam was a fully formed adult man, and as Eve was a fully mature woman. This fact proves that God can create anyone, and anything, in any way that He chooses. 

The word Eden literally means delight or pleasure. This was a land of delight that was to be a pleasurable and enjoyable place for this first couple to live. It is important to note that the first thing that man would realize about his God, was that He wanted to give them something pleasant, something good, and something beneficial for them to enjoy in life. Adam’s first impression of God would be that the One who created him, wanted to bless him and give to him good and pleasant things. I make this point for a reason.

Is this the way you see the God that you serve? Do you believe that God wants to give you good things that will bless you and your family? This is an important concept to consider, and will either help or hinder your faith depending on what you believe. Do you believe that God wants to give you His good pleasure? Jesus answers this question when He declared in Luke 12:32, “Do not fear, little flock, for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom.” Do you believe that this is God’s heart and desire for you? Yes, it is His good pleasure to bless you like this! But, do you believe this fact? Did you realize that you must believe this truth about God, or you cannot please Him? The Scripture is very clear on this topic, “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 diligently seek Him” (Heb. 11:6). In addition, in the same context God declares, “The just shall live by faith; but if anyone draws back, My soul has no pleasure in him” (Heb. 10:38). For God to find pleasure in me, He requires me to trust Him, to believe in Him and the love that He has toward me. It is absolutely necessary for you to trust in this fact that He is the rewarder of those who trust and seek Him. The Apostle John also assured us of this fact when he wrote, “And we have known and believed the love that God has for us. God is love, and he who abides in love abides in God, and God in him” (1 John 4:16). If you want to abide in Christ, then trust His love for you!

The two most important trees in the garden.

In the midst of the garden there were these two trees, the tree of life and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. These trees were prominent in the garden because they were, “In the midst of the garden.” This meant that Adam could not disregard them, or not be aware of them. Why would God set them in such a prominent place? The only possible reason that I can think of would be so that Adam would need to realize he had to make a decision about these two trees. What decision would he make concerning what God had commanded him? Would he obey God’s command, or disobey the Lord? God had commanded Adam, “Of every tree of the garden you may freely eat; but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die” (Gen. 2:16-17). What would he choose? Isn’t that the decision that every human being must make? Every day you must choose to reverence and respect God and His commands, or reject them to satisfy your own desires. If we obey the Lord, then one day we will eat of the tree of life. This is why Jesus said to the church of Ephesus, “He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To him who overcomes I will give to eat from the tree of life, which is in the midst of the Paradise of God” (Rev. 2:7). May we choose wisely today! Your right to the tree of life is determined by you hearing and choosing to overcome.

4. The blessings of the garden.  Vs. 10-14

Another blessing provided in the garden was a river that parted into four smaller rivers. Adam records, “Now a river went out of Eden to water the garden, and from there it parted and became four riverheads. The name of the first is Pishon; it is the one which skirts the whole land of Havilah, where there is gold. And the gold of that land is good. Bdellium and the onyx stone are there. The name of the second river is Gihon; it is the one which goes around the whole land of Cush. The name of the third river is Hiddekel; it is the one which goes toward the east of Assyria. The fourth river is the Euphrates” (Gen. 2:10-14). Adam obviously felt it was important to give this geography lesson on the land of Eden and what it was like. There were precious stones and gold in the land where these rivers flowed. Since there was no rain on the earth at this time, this river must have had its source from an artesian spring flowing from the subterranean reservoirs of water under the earth. This flow of water must have been very large because it divided into four other rivers. Now of course, because this is pre-flood geography, these features would have disappeared after the cataclysm that occurred from the deluge of Noah’s flood. Remember that when the flood came, the Scriptures declare that the entire surface of Earth was changed. The psalmist writes concerning the earth’s surface during the flood, “You covered it with the deep as with a garment; The waters were standing above the mountains. At Your rebuke they fled, at the sound of Your thunder they hurried away. The mountains rose; the valleys sank down to the place which You established for them” (Ps. 104:6-8 - NASB).

5. What was Adam to do in the garden?  Vs. 15-17

God now commanded Adam as to what his work would be in the garden. Scripture declares, “Then the Lord God took the man and put him in the garden of Eden to tend and keep it. And the Lord God commanded the man, saying, ‘Of every tree of the garden you may freely eat; but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die’” (Gen. 2:15-17). Adam records for us his two important responsibilities in the garden. He was to tend and keep the garden. He was also to freely enjoy all of the fruits of the garden except for one tree.

The Hebrew word for tend means to work, serve, and cultivate. Understanding this word reveals that work was not a part of the curse as proclaimed by God after the fall of man. The Bible is clear that man’s work was to be a sanctified and good thing that would bring meaning and purpose to Adam’s existence. The curse was that Adam’s work would now become painful and difficult, and would be brought forth through his sweat (Gen. 3:19). This is the meaning of the word toil used in Genesis 3:17. Weeds would grow in the garden after the fall and Adam would have to sweat to produce a crop to eat. Before the fall, the opposite would have been the case. Can you imagine what life would be like to work and cultivate the ground and not sweat and not have to pull weeds all the time? Oh, what a joy that would be!

Second, Adam was to see his work in the garden as service to God. This is why Paul writes in the New Testament, “Therefore, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God” (1 Cor. 10:31). Paul also teaches in Colossians 3:23-24, “And whatever you do, do it heartily as to the Lord and not to men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the reward of the inheritance; for you serve the Lord Christ.” So, whatever you do for work each day, do it as unto the Lord and this will bring glory to God. If you serve the Lord like this as you work, do you realize that He will reward you eternally for your faithfulness to Him? This means that if you go to work each day with the heart to serve your boss as if he were the Lord Jesus, God will reward you eternally for your witness on your job. Does that give you new meaning and purpose for the work you do every day? I hope that it does!

God’s position as sovereign Lord.

It is also extremely important to remember that in the Father’s first interaction with Adam, God takes His sovereign position to command him as Lord over his life. This is God’s rightful position! He then commands him to tend the garden, and to not partake from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. God gives Adam one command concerning what he must do, and one command for what he must not do. There was only one thing he could not do. He could enjoy all of the fruits of all the other trees in the garden, except for just one. There weren’t even ten things he shouldn’t do, just one thing! He must resist the temptation to eat of just one tree.

Did God have this right to command him in this manner? Absolutely He had this right! Why? Because He is the creator, sustainer, and provider of all things. My point is this. If you have surrendered to Christ as Lord over your life, then you have acknowledged that He has this right to command you too. This is the fundamental question that every person must answer in their own life. Your surrender to Christ is proof that you believe He has this right to command and direct your life. But this decision is not a one-time occurrence. You must make this decision every day of your life as a believer. You must wake up every day and confess to God, I submit to You, because You have authority and the right to command me to obey. So, I bow my knee to You. You are Lord of my life. Refusing God’s right and authority over us is why the world is in such a mess today. However, even believers’ lives will experience failure and heartache if they fail to surrender to the commands of God. This is why Paul addressed believers and associated rebelling against God’s commands with rebelling against God. He wrote to the Thessalonian church, “For God did not call us to uncleanness, but in holiness. Therefore he who rejects this does not reject man, but God, who has also given us His Holy Spirit” (1 Thess. 4:7-8). From these verses it is very clear, when you reject God’s commands, you are rejecting Him and His authority over your life. When people say, “I don’t like or agree with what God has said about ______. I’m going to do what I please.” When people say such things, they are behaving just like Adam and Eve did in the Garden. This is a very dangerous attitude that will only bring God’s correction upon their lives.

Please don’t allow this rebellious attitude to govern your decisions in life. Rather, pursue and seek the answers that you need from God’s Word, and then obey them. Remember, disobedience always brings death inside your heart, just as it did to Adam and Eve. The alternative is the tree of life. God’s desire from the beginning of time is to give life to all who would believe and obey Him. Jesus made the alternatives just as clear when He spoke to His disciples and said, “The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly” (John 10:10). Each of you has the same option before you every day. Will you choose life or death? Just as Adam and Eve chose, you must choose! Moses put this same choice before the people of God when he said, “I call heaven and earth as witnesses today against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing; therefore choose life, that both you and your descendants may live” (Deut. 30:19). Choose wisely for yourself and for your family!