I love being able to go back to the beginning. I think that as I grow in Christ I have realized the value of going back to old familiar stories that I have heard throughout my life and seeing what God has new to teach me from them. I recently went back to Genesis 3, which is the ruin of God’s creation. It is the account of the temptation to sin, the fall, and the judgment of God. As I was reading this a part of me had to stop and ask God for new eyes. I had gotten to the point that I had the view point, “oh I know this”. I really had to ask God to help me see something that I hadn’t seen before. Show me what I need to learn. Remove from me this arrogance of knowing it all. Give me eyes to see and ears to hear. Help me understand. And He did, but it also opened the door for a lot of questions.

First off we talk about the schemes of the enemy and even are aware of what they are. Yet, he is such a deceiver that we can easily fall victim.  In verse one he began by twisting God’s language to cast doubt on God’s goodness. “Did God really say?” And for me personally I have to always remind myself of what the word of God says in wholeness because the removal or misplacing of one word can change the entire meaning and cause doubt. Once there is doubt of God’s character all else goes out of the window. Does God really love me? Why would God do this? And so on. 

Secondly, I learned not to belittle the privileges God has given us. In verses 2-3 the woman attempted to set the record straight; in the process, she belittled the privileges God has given her and her husband in several ways: 1. God said that they could “freely eat” she reduced God’s words to “we may eat” 2. She down played God’s emphasis on the availability of fruit, He said “from every tree in the garden but one” 3. She added “or even touch it” to God’s prohibitions against eating. 4 she softened the certainty of death by saying “you will die” God said “you are sure to die. We have to take God’s word as it is in its fullness and not change the meaning or the context to fit out narrative. Changing God’s word gives the enemy an opportunity to capitalize on our uncertainty and to deny the penalty of our sin, quickly diverting our attention to the supposed prize he offers. 

Lastly, which is the source of my questions, the woman made two grave errors: 1. She assumed the right to decide what was good or not, though God alone has this right, 2. She also coveted God’s wisdom. Meaning she greatly desired God’d Wisdom. 

Is it wrong to want to be like Jesus? To be like God?

Is it wrong to desire the wisdom of God? 

Is it wrong that I think, I am made in the image of God so I am suppose to be like God? 

Please share your wisdom with me on these questions as we seek God together for understanding.