Week One DQ – The enemy & temptation

[Jamie]

How does Satan tempt us today the same way he did Adam & Eve?
What is the significance of God clothing Adam & Eve (vs. 21) after the fall? How do we see this theme repeated again & again throughout Scripture?

[Anonymous]

I think the clothing He made were out of animal skins (lamb). Perhaps it was meant as an analogy of how Christ was going to redeem man from his now fallen sin state. The same way the Lord covered Adam & Eve physically from “nakedness” so Christ shed His blood for us, that we might be “clothed” with His righteousness.

[Anonymous]

Good comment, Matt. I hadn’t thought of the clothing that God provided in this way.

[Anonymous]

I think Satan temps me with the bad desires that i have, he knows what sometimes i become weak at and that is when he attacks me. I also think that he uses people to get in my way and get me drawn to sin. Like when the serpent was telling Eve that it was ok to eat from the tree of good and evil, that her eyes would be opened and that she would be like God, she thought it probably isn’t that bad, she can trust the serpent and i think Satan uses tricky words to confuse us and fall.

Even though Adam and Eve did not listen to God, God did not leave them alone and let them try to figure out there problems. Like he Still dressed them and took care of them like a father would, a father who loves and disciplines. i don’t know if i am right, but i think throughout scripture just like God clothed Adam and Eve, he does that to all his people in different ways, even though bad things happened his presence was there, that later someone will come and they would be saved and be closer to the LORD.

[Anonymous]

yeah, I never thought of that either… thats really good!

[gretchen211]

The first thing that came to my mind when I read this question was God’s kindness. God is holy and allows us to experience the consequence of sin, but at the same time he is so gracious. I think we see this even with Cain after he killed Abel and God marked him so that if anyone killed him they would be avenged 7 times.

As far as temptation, I think Satan uses the idea that God is withholding something from us as a lie that gets us to doubt his goodness. He told Eve that she was missing something in not knowing good and evil, and she was, but she was missing something she could live without. This is a lie that has deceived me before. I hate that. With a God so gracious to show kindness in our disobedience, why would we ever doubt his goodness?

[Anonymous]

“his presence was there”, that is a great thought to meditate on Alex. As God came to the garden that day he knew they had sinned. He knew that the human race would never be the same again and yet he came. It did not catch him off guard and in fact we read the redemption was a plan he had all along. It is mind blowing how somebody so perfect can desire somebody so imperfect with so much passion.

[Anonymous]

“Why would we ever doubt his goodness?” when I look at the moments of my greatest weakness, I think I am doing this very thing. I think when my eyes are fixated on something I desire, that I know is wrong, hurtful and dangerous I am really just questioning the goodness of God. I stop taking my eyes off the rest of the garden he has provided, all the good things he HAS given me and turn to the thing he says to avoid (for my own good).

I think asking myself this question is something that will really help during times of weakness. It takes obedience away from simply conforming to a set of rules for rules sake and makes obedience a reaction to a loving father I believe wants to take care of me and give me life.

[Jamie]

Great comments by everyone! Before the fall, Adam & Eve were “naked and felt no shame”. After the fall, they knew they were naked and hid. I am assuming if we were naked in a beautiful garden, we would hide too! They felt shame because of their sin & nakedness. God did not want them to be ashamed…hiding from His presence. He desired to “cover” them so the relationship could be restored. When we sin, we could feel ashamed, isolated, and want to hide from God.

Questions for us to ponder (and answer here) – Why, even in the wickedness of our sin, should we not hide from God? What covering has God provided? Ultimately, why did God cover us? What does He want from us?

[bstadle1]

When i think of sin, I also think of death as they seem inseparable. I believe sin kills, and I believe Adam and Eve’s sin required a sacrifice (death) and His grace was willing it be an animal rather then Adam and Eve. Yes they were naked and God clothed them, but the goodness of God was warn around their hips for them to remember who did not die that day (at least immediately). It is also amazing to see how God’s goodness multiplies to not only cover their immediate sinful action, but also their new found awareness of their nakedness.

God’s goodness and grace is always desiring for us to return to Him/Us (our true nature). Grace is an invitation for freedom and peace to reign in us where their was once separation and death. Any other response then receiving restoration is a slap in the face to a loving God.

• This reply was modified 10 years, 5 months ago by bstadle1.

[Anonymous]

I think that when I know i did wrong, is not healthy for me to hide and keep distancing myself from the Lord because i feel so nasty and terrible, like i don’t just end hiding from God, but from the people that love and care about me too!

I think when i reflect on what iv’e done wrong and really go to him with an honest heart and hungry to hear him discipline me (which is not bad at all), i feel so release and so much peace, i don’t feel like he is blaming me, or judging me, but he makes me reflect and makes me humble to the situation where i can apologize or really ask myself if that is really what i want in my life? and what i desire?

As i walk with the Lord, i learn that Jesus has covered all my sins, he has washed me and cleansed me. But that doesn’t mean i can keep on sinning, and i am not saying i am perfect, cause i am not! i make mistakes all the time, but i think that the greatest thing is when you get to know Christ and know that the spirit lives in me and that means that God is in me, so if sin comes in play in my life, i don’t just let it take completely control of my me but let the spirit control me. And i learn this as i ask God to know him more, to fill me with his gentleness and wisdom and knowledge and to guide me as i live.

[Anonymous]

and that is why i becoming so passionate about God because even though i am not perfect he is passionate about me! He is always reveling himself in my life.

[Jamie]

“like i don’t just end hiding from God, but from the people that love and care about me too!”

I don’t think you are alone in this Alex! I think many of God’s children hide from their brothers and sisters in Christ. I think the key is to have the kind of relationships with your community of believers where the truth, spoken in love is practiced.

[gretchen211]

“It takes obedience away from simply conforming to a set of rules for rules sake and makes obedience a reaction to a loving father I believe wants to take care of me and give me life.”

This is huge for me. I am a natural goodie-goodie, so rules are easy, but leave my faith flat. Obedience for love’s sake is so much more life giving and sustaining.

[Author]

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