Get Away From Genesis And Soon You Are Into All Kinds of Problems - Social, Moral and Environmental

Most of us know something of the Biblical account of God creating Adam and Eve and the Garden of Eden. Some regard it as a myth or legend, or perhaps expressing something which is true using poetic language.

We read in Genesis Chapter 2 that God places man in a parkland - that is a better translation than garden - a parkland which He has planted and prepared. For the animals it is just random growth - but for man there is aesthetic beauty.

Man has that ability to appreciate. Man needs a useful place to live in, and as attractive a place as is possible.

O that todays architects and planners and designers realised that.

Eden means delight - our Creator Loving Compassionate Considerate God places man in "The Park of Delight" - or the Delightful Park - and man has to develop it, and take care of it and protect it.

In Creation there lies all we need to know about the importance of Conservation and Ecology, and all the other matters that man is suddenly becoming so very interested in today. Here they are in God's Word. And people ask, "Is the Bible relevant?"

Man is able to change the shape of nature, but if he takes more out of it than he puts in, then things go wrong.

God goes on to talk with man. The scene is perfection. We are reading of a perfect environment - where there is no disease - no sin - no death! The New Testament supports these facts. (Romans 5 verse 12 for those who wish to check, and it always wise to check!)

Jesus Christ is the second Adam who came to save and rescue what was wrong and put right what was wrong - I Corinthians 15verse 45.

Do you see where the deception of the teaching that we evolved lead us to? There is then no need for the Second Adam to shed blood and die and rescue and save and wash and cleanse! If there was no FALL there is no need for a Saviour.

This Delightful Parkland is watered by rivers and mists. When God gives you a gift, you are responsible for keeping it in good shape. You have to work at it. Excel at it. Protect your gift and use your gift, and develop your gift.

We receive gifts from Jesus. We have to learn how to use these gifts for the good of the church of Jesus Christ, but not only for the church, but also for the society and community around us, and the environment can benefit.

The Biblical revelation of Creation affects and touches every area of life, and its influence is intended to be positive and to bring blessings to men. That is Gods will if only mankind would time to see and realise that. God wants to do us good. That has always been His way.

When I have been teaching in various places over these past years, there is one matter which I have noticed that man does not like! Of course, there are many but this one comes up in the context of what I have been studying in Genesis Chapter 2. When Almighty God created man and placed in that Delightful Parkland, He then commanded the man.

Now some people do not like to be commanded, but right at the beginning of the Bible, before what is called the Fall - before there is any sin - while man's environment is absolutely perfect - there is a GOD who commands. God gives very clear orders. Come to terms with that. He is a GOD who commands.

We are not allowed to do just whatever we want to do, and think just whatever we decide to think. And, by the way, God always refuses to take NO for an answer.

This is where we can begin to see things go wrong. We are quite pleased to receive gifts and blessings, and to be placed in beautiful surroundings, but how do we react when HE comes along and issues a command?

"You are free to eat from any tree in the garden - except that one - not that one."

If man had avoided eating from that tree he would never have died. Let me say this so very clearly - when our Creator God created man, He never intended that man should experience - sin - disease - pain or death.

When we read verse 9 we read that there were two special trees - one could lengthen your life indefinitely - and one has the capacity to shorten it very quickly. God places man in the situation where eternal life could be his.

Today - GOD points us to another tree - which was raised up on Calvary. God says the same thing - you can live or die. We were not created to die. That is why we dress it up - like a flower show at times - because we were not made for death - and that is why we need Jesus to remove the sting of death! Do you see what that theory of evolution destroys and demolishes?

God is saying - to live you must keep your innocence. I want you to obey ME - I want you to live an obedient life - I want you to trust ME to tell you what is good!

We can only keep our purity by trusting someone else to tell us what is good and what is evil.

If you lose your innocence you can NEVER regain it. You cannot try chastity and unchastity, and then choose which you will have!

God is saying - I give you one restraint - allow ME to decide what is right and wrong for you, but if you lose your innocence you cannot live for ever. But innocent people can live for ever - that is why Jesus Christ came into our world.

Jesus Christ lived a perfectly innocent life - and HE is able to wash away all sin - all guilt - all evil.

When a man begins to sample thing he shouldn't, he moves out of the Will of God. God gives us this freedom to choose. Man is not a manipulated automaton. When God says - You shall NOT - HE means it for our good - HE is NOT a spoilsport. That does not limit us - and narrow things down. That is perfect freedom, if only man could see and realise that truth.

I want you to remain in the Parkland of Delight, in perfect and absolute innocence of evil. Only to man did GOD say this - not to the animals. "Man is responsible." That is why if you are closer to a pet than a person there is something wrong!

In verse 18, there is a Divine principle. It is not good for man to be alone. You cannot grow into a mature Christian on your own. We need to have fellowship and communion and intermingling - the one with the other. You need me to sandpaper you and I need you to sandpaper me. A Christian on his own can get into all kinds of trouble, and can begin to believe all kinds of funny things. And man is NOT made to commune with the animals or the plants. There is something wrong if a person is closer to a dog or a cat than another person - or the living God.

There is something wrong if a person finds it easier to speak to a dog or a cat than pray.

Man is to name the animals - the domesticated animals - not the creeping things or the fish. Naming animals and people gives you power. Jesus was named, and His Names had meaning.

When a woman marries, she lays aside the name of her father, and takes the name of her new head - her husband. Do you see how this is being attacked today? This Ms thing - what is really being said is - I don't want you to know who my head it - or worse - I don't want a head over me!

Once you get away from Genesis, you get away from God's principles which are vital for the welfare and the well-being of society.

As Adam names all these animals he finds no suitable companion for himself among them all. It is not good for man to be alone. So the Lord God gave Adam an anaesthetic and HE took a piece of tissue and made a woman from the piece of tissue from his side. It does not say rib.

God BUILT a woman - that is what it says. Just as today Jesus Christ is building a body, the Church, God built a body on that occasion In verse 22, GOD brought her to the man, and now Adam goes off into poetry. What Adam really says is - "Wow - this is it!" What can evolutionists make of this?

This is either total nonsense, or it is the work of our Creator God. Male and female were created. We don't need other words for firemen - policemen - postmen!

And God ordains MARRIAGE. Marriage is the first order in society, and it is the highest, and that is why there is such an assault upon it today.

Do you see what happens when we move away from Genesis? We are battling with things that have their answer and solution away back in Genesis.

So - get rid of Genesis, and the battle need not be so fierce! When Jesus Christ was asked about MARRIAGE, it was to these verses He turned - and quotes them - Matthew 19 verse 4. Jesus quotes from Genesis Chapters 1 and 2. That is significant. Jesus knew His Bible, and Jesus explains in verse 8 that when God created in the very beginning, He never intended things to go so wrong.

There is no suggestion that Jesus regarded Genesis 1 and 2 as myth, legend or allegory, but as historically true. And, Jesus sees no contradictions in these two Chapters.

Marriage has to be seen to be marriage. There has to be a physical leaving before there is a physical cleaving. We have to untie one relationship, before we are united in another. O, how society needs to hear that today.

Get away from the Word and you get into all kinds of social problems, until we hardly know how to cope. Marriage also takes precedence and priority over all other relationships. Verse 25 describes that first marriage, and it is ideal. There is nothing to hide and there is no mistrust. There is no ridicule. Man is living in a uniformly warm climate - with no sin - no shame - and it is only when we get into Genesis Chapter 3 that things go so very wrong and the waters become muddy.

What God made was good and pure and wholesome. The answer to what went wrong is not - conservation - or peace camps and protest marches - nor even politics.

The only real answer is salvation through Jesus Christ the Son of God, because if there is no salvation there can be no conservation nor reconciliation or restoration.

Sandy Shaw

Sandy Shaw is Pastor of Nairn Christian Fellowship, Chaplain at Inverness Prison, and Nairn Academy, and serves on The Children's Panel in Scotland, and has travelled extensively over these past years teaching, speaking, in America, Canada, South Africa, Australia, making 12 visits to Israel conducting Tours and Pilgrimages, and most recently in Uganda and Kenya, ministering at Pastors and Leaders Seminars, in the poor areas surrounding Kampala, Nairobi, Mombasa and Kisumu.

He broadcasts regularly on WSHO radio out of New Orleans, and writes a weekly commentary at http://www.studylight.org entitled "Word from Scotland" on various biblical themes, as well as a weekly newspaper column.

His M.A. and B.D. degrees are from The University of Edinburgh, and he continues to run and exercise regularly to maintain a level of physical fitness.

Sandy Shaw
sandyshaw63@yahoo.com

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