BIAY Day 2 - Trouble in Paradise
Genesis 3-5, Psalm 2
Welcome to the Bible in a Year for 2025. Intro to this series and resource links available here, plus here’s how I’m approaching this year.
Scriptures for Today:
Reflection:
What began brimming with vitality and blessing takes a turn. Alongside the reliable question, “What does this passage say about God?” stand the questions, “What does this passage say about humans?” and “What does this passage say about the relationship between God and humans?”
As we have stories of sin and curses, those are helpful today. Here are a few thoughts. Many more could be shared. I’d love to hear what you see in the comments.
Dodgy: Humans get dodgy about God’s commands when presented with an attractive alternative. Eve misquotes the command about what trees are available to them, adding, “and you must not touch it.” It’s worth noting that the command was given to Adam prior to Eve’s arrival on the scene, so perhaps it was relayed to her incorrectly in the first place? Next, Cain gets testy when God notices that Abel is missing and inquires about it (v9).
Deception: Sin looks like it will solve problems and provide something desirable to us. The fruit looked “good for food and pleasing to the eye, and also desirable for gaining wisdom.” But there was more to it than that. Instead of trusting God’s bountiful provision, the man and woman ate and the “wisdom” they gained wasn’t life-giving but intimacy-stealing, undoing the goodness of the safe vulnerability present prior (2:25).
Consequences spoil blessedness: Judgment in the form of consequences is a result of sin—treating God and His ways as a problem to solve rather than a gift to receive. Consequences and curses are “de-creation,” meaning they twist or reverse the good created order. For Adam and Eve both, their curses taint the original blessings, the goodness of work and of giving birth to new life. Like his father, the consequence of Cain’s sin obstruct the original blessing of working the ground.
Grace, nevertheless: These two stories present a God who holds people responsible for their disobedience and wrongdoing, while continuing to insert notes of grace into their lives just the same. God provides clothing to Adam and Eve. God warns Cain of the sin lurking in his heart as a result of his jealousy regarding the offerings. God provides a (mysterious) mark of protection upon Cain. Notes of grace still come in the midst of consequences.
Questions:
What similarities or differences do you see in these two stories of sin?
What do you think about the notion that grace may still be available even though consequences come to these wayward people?
What else might the Holy Spirit be speaking with you about in the text today?
Prayer: Lord, guard my heart from temptation and lead me into faithfulness. When I fall, may I take hold of the grace you generously offer. Amen.
“But the seed falling on good soil refers to someone who hears the word and understands it. This is the one who produces a crop, yielding a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown.” (Matthew 13:23)
If you liked this post from Seeds of Faith, why not share it and/or subscribe?
All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide. www.zondervan.com The “NIV” and “New International Version” are trademarks registered in the United States Patent and Trademark Office by Biblica, Inc.™