Genesis 2:9
The scripture for today is Genesis 2:9
Genesis 2:9 And out of the ground made the LORD God to grow every tree that is pleasant to the sight, and good for food; the tree of life also in the midst of the garden, and the tree of knowledge of good and evil.
From the ground God provided the food that was needed to sustain life. This is an amazing miracle of creation. God designed food to grow out of common soil; good, nutritious and delicious food of every variety comes up from the dirt. Along with the food God also placed in the garden two special trees; the tree of life and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. It was forbidden for them to eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil but the tree of life was not forbidden.
“Though created innocent and holy, our first parents were not placed beyond the possibility of wrong-doing. God might have created them without the power to transgress His requirements, but in that case, there could have been no development of character; their service would not have been voluntary but forced. Therefore, He gave them the power of choice—the power to embrace or to withhold obedience; He gave them free will thus their love and loyalty to God would be tested.
In the Garden of Eden was the “tree of knowledge of good and evil… And the Lord God commanded the man, saying, Of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat: but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat.” Genesis 2:9–17. It was the will of God that Adam and Eve should not know evil. The knowledge of good had been freely given them; but the knowledge of evil,—of sin and its results, of wearing toil, of anxious care, of disappointment and grief, of pain and death,—this was in love withheld.” Ellen G. White, Education, p. 23
“In eating of the tree of life Adam and Eve were to have the opportunity of expressing their faith in God as the sustainer of life, just as by keeping the Sabbath they demonstrated faith in and allegiance to their Creator. To this end God had endowed the tree with supernatural virtue. Its fruit being an antidote for death and its leaves for the sustaining of life and immortality, men would continue to live just so long as they should eat of it.” The SDA Bible Commentary Vol. 1, p. 223
Adam and Eve chose disobedience and death over life. The looked away from the goodness of God and all that He had provided and listened to the evil one and followed him. They rejected the commandment of God.
While it is easy to criticize our first parents, we need, however, to look at our own lives. No one is condemned for what Adam and Eve did; all are condemned for their own sin. Just as our first parents had a choice, we have the same choice today, eternal life or eternal death. No one has to experience eternal death, all are invited to choose life through Christ. The penalty for sin has already been offered through His sacrifice, and His atonement gives us the right to eternal life. The challenge that God issued to Israel of old is His challenge to us all: “I call heaven and earth to record this day against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing: therefore choose life, that both you and your seed may live.” Deuteronomy 30:19
God bless you as you continue in His service.
Tim