Sept.

30, 2007 A Way Back To God Kathleen Maples

The first recorded Word of God in the Bible is "Let there be light." Psa_33:9 says for He
spoke, and it was done. He commanded, and it stood secure, unmoveable.
Illumination, clear and bright light. Before anything else could exist, there had to be
light. God divided light from darkness. He made it impossible for the two to co-exist.
The word for darkness here also means misery, destruction, death and ignorance;
sorrow and wickedness, obscurity. That covers a lot of territory. Ignorance and
sorrow are part of the night, in the darkness, they are part of the light. When you are
in the light, you can see where you are going, so you don't fall into destruction, or
ignorance. He created the atmosphere, the waters above and beneath the atmosphere.
(Gen_1:7) First, light, in a place where there was only darkness. In a place of
nothingness, just an empty, dark place, God spoke light into existence. Can our minds
begin to grasp the amazing reality of that truth? In what we might call the deepest
depths of eternity, or space, what would be the right word here? I'm not sure, but in
that dark, deep, empty space, GOD was there. Where there was nothing, He called
forth something wonderful, and it was made out of His pure Word. He spoke it, and it
happened. It had to be. What power. What incredible, mind blowing power. My feeble
mind can't begin to grasp this.

He spoke light into darkness. He separated waters from waters, He created the
atmosphere, the sky, and day and night. He spoke dry land into existence, and named
it earth, which means to be firm. He called the waters together to form seas. He spoke
to the earth to bring forth grass, and herb, that would grow within itself the seeds to
reproduce itself. Then there were the trees, which would bear fruit, and seeds within
themselves to reproduce. He fixed it so the seed would only reproduce the kind of fruit
or plant it came from. Divine order. Then He spoke the stars into existence, and by His
Word, placed them in the sky. Then, He made the sun and the moon, (Gen_1:16). So,
there was light before, and in addition to, the sun and moon, and stars. Joh_8:12 says
Jesus is the Light. God set the stars, the sun and moon to give light to the earth. God
created, He fashioned and formed all living things (Gen_1:21)

Then, He speaks again.."Let US make man, a human being that will resemble us. He
will take care of what we have created. He made man, to resemble Himself. He blessed
His creation, told them to bear fruit, grow, and increase, take dominion over the
creatures of the earth, and He made provision for every need that would arise. He
rested after He made the world, and the animals, and the fish, and the plants and
trees. Then, He formed Adam. He made all this, then planted a garden and called it
Eden which means 'pleasure, delight'. At the center of the garden, there were two very
important trees. God gave Adam a mind of His own, but also, the freedom to choose
what to do. There was a tree of life, God's choice for man, this tree would sustain him
forever, should he choose to eat its fruit. This implies humble dependence on what God
provided for continued sustenance. Then, there was the tree of knowledge. The Bible
says knowledge puffs one up, makes them feel proud, and arrogant, if they are not
careful. God had to make sure to give the apostle Paul opposition, and trials to ensure
he remained humble, because he was to be given such great knowledge and
understanding.

There were four rivers that flowed from the garden, and the more you read about this
garden, the more it sounds like an illustration of the presence of God. Gen_2:15 says
God put Adam in the garden to care for it,as an husbandman, and he was also to
minister to God's need for fellowship, a relationship with His creation. He was also to
guard and protect the garden (keep-H8104) and that implies knowledge that
something had to be kept out, watched out for. God warns Adam not to feed on the tree
of knowledge for he was not meant to experience evil. Isn't that why there is an age of
accountability before God? Before a child is old enough to understand the difference
and choose good or bad, they are innocent. Once they choose to do wrong,
understanding it is wrong, sin begins to strengthen its grip on their heart and pull
them down the wrong path.

Gen 2:19 And out of the ground the LORD God formed every beast of the field, and
every fowl of the air; and brought them unto Adam to see what he would call them:
and whatsoever Adam called every living creature, that was the name thereof.
Gen 2:20 And Adam gave names to all cattle, and to the fowl of the air, and to every
beast of the field; but for Adam there was not found a help meet for him.

Adam was in such close communion with God; they thought alike-basically he had the
mind of God. Where else would Adam get the wisdom and understanding to know
what to call each living thing? God provided Adam a mate, to fulfill his own need for
companionship, with another like himself. This distinction reminds us Adam was
made inferior to God, but loved by God, and in his innocence, unaware of his
inferiority. What a blessed condition! Unbroken, perfect fellowship with God. The
Bible says in Him we move and have our being. He blew the breath of life into Adam,
and it sustained him as it does us. The very breath we breathe is His breath moving in
us. His life is sustaining us, because He is the Source of all life. God made Eve from a
part of Adam, the part taken from his side, not his back, not his foot, his head, but his
side. This implies equality, not inferiority. They were meant to exist together in unity
with each other, to help and comfort one another. There was a river that went out of
this garden, it doesn't say it passed through the garden, but went out, so that implies
to me the river originated from within the garden? Is that too far fetched? Rev 22:1
says "He showed me a pure river of water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding out of the
throne of God and of the Lamb." Again, doesn't say it passed through, or under, but
out of......hmmm...

God put Adam to sleep, and He took the rib from Adam's side, and He fashioned a
woman. He knew the need of Adam, He knew and He made her for His son. He made a
bride for His son. He did not take part of Adam's back, or feet, or head to make her, but
a rib from his side. He makes a woman who can help Adam that is "meet" or
acceptable. The Lord takes the woman, and brings her to his son. There is no record of
God saying anything, but Adam understood...what close communion he had with God.
Can you imagine the God of the universe bringing you a gift? Oh, this precious Book is
full of them..and they are for His children....

Adam and Eve were naked, but innocent, not knowing between good and evil. All they
knew was God and this beautiful garden. They knew two other important things, as
well: one, they were to tend the garden, and keep it. In the Hebrew, the word for keep
means to guard, attend to, protect, and preserve from injury or loss. If he was in close
enough communion with God that he knew what to call the animals-remember, this
man had no "formal education" or learning. What he learned, he knew directly from
God. If he knew that, he knew there was something to watch out for in the garden, as
well. God knew they were being observed. God knew the hatred in the heart of Satan
as he with great envy saw the close bond God and Adam shared. God warned Adam the
knowledge of good and evil was off limits. To disobey God was to open the door to sin
and death. It would separate Adam and God. God did not want Adam to partake of
anything that would separate or break their fellowship! Think about it...God knew
Adam would fail before He created Him. He knew when He created Eve she would fail,
too. But He still leaned down and breathed the breath of life into them and made them
a living soul. He knew there would be a separation, but He already had made
provision for this.

Gen 3:1 Now the serpent was more subtle than any beast of the field which the LORD
God had made. And he said unto the woman, Yea, hath God said, Ye shall not eat of
every tree of the garden?

There was no other human Satan could use to trip them up. They were sinless, and if
he could have touched them directly, I know he would have done so. He looks around
and examines the creatures of the garden. He's been watching and circling, looking for
an opening. He's been studying this situation, and he's picked out the weak link-Eve.
He approaches her. She does not act the least surprised that a serpent would speak to
her, and challenge God's Word. That has always surprised me. She wasn't surprised
that a serpent could speak. Another thing-she adds the command of God "neither shall
ye touch it". God said in Gen_2:17 not to eat of it. The serpent easily convinced this
woman with a very short conversation to go against what God had commanded. It
was so easy for him to tempt her to sin, too easy. The ease with which he persuaded
her convinces me there was something in her heart that had been pondering this tree.
Was she standing near the tree, looking on it, with a secret desire and curiosity in her
heart? He tempted her with the lust of the eyes,the lust of the flesh, and the pride of
life. (1Jn_2:16) They eat something that gave them an understanding of good and evil,
and the difference between the two. Their innocence lost, they saw they had no
covering. They were suddenly vulnerable. When we disobey God, we put ourselves in a
dangerous position.

With their own hands, the best covering they could come up with was fig leaves.
Flimsy, inadequate fig leaves. Imagine them huddling together, fearful for the first
time, in this beautiful garden, while the serpent's laughter probably rang in their ears.
Dread gripped their hearts and suddenly on the gentle breeze, they hear the voice of
God, surely pained, fully aware of their transgression, calling.

Gen 3:8 And they heard the voice of the LORD God walking in the garden in the cool
of the day: and Adam and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the LORD
God amongst the trees of the garden.
Gen 3:9 And the LORD God called unto Adam, and said unto him, Where art thou?
Gen 3:10 And he said, I heard thy voice in the garden, and I was afraid, because I was
naked; and I hid myself.

They hid from the presence of the Lord in fear and shame. I can relate. It's an instinct,
I think, for those who love the Lord, when we fail Him, or fall into a sin, or are
overcome by temptation, and yield to the flesh, to struggle with a heavy sense of
shame, and uncleanness. Have you ever been there and avoided the presence of the
Lord because of a personal failure? They detected the presence of the Lord, they
understood and heard Him approaching them. The Scripture says He came in the cool
of the day. In the Hebrew, this translate "on the wind", as a spirit or breath of air.
When they heard Him coming, they hid themselves from the face of God. They didn't
want Him to see them, and they were afraid and ashamed. Up until they disobeyed
God, these two things were foreign to them. Fear and shame. And, knowing all things,
God still calls, trying to draw them out of their hiding. Where are you, Adam? He was
addressing the head, the one who was supposed to be in charge. Something in the
voice of God drew a response from Adam, despite his fear and shame. He responded
honestly.
Gen 3:10 And he said, I heard thy voice in the garden, and I was afraid, because I was naked;
and I hid myself.
Gen 3:11 And he said, Who told thee that thou wast naked? Hast thou eaten of the tree,
whereof I commanded thee that thou shouldest not eat?

God didn't deny that they were naked, and He immediately zeroed in on the problem.
Disobedience. Then the blame game starts. God curses the snake first before He
addresses His children. He curses the snake. Cursed means "marked or set for
destruction". This was a knowledge that would always torment the cursed one. It
would be a constant affliction. It destroyed hope, it destroyed peace. It was a heavy
load-no matter what the enemy does, he always carries with him the knowledge he
has no hope, no recovery, no rescue, no deliverance, only a day coming when he will
be tormented literally and destroyed. His destruction will be eternal and never
ending.

Gen 3:15 And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her
seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel.

God put hostility and hatred in the heart of the woman toward the serpent, the devil,
and it would transcend the generations. I believe He was meaning this for the church,
those who would be His. The world apart from God does not even recognize for the
most part the devil exists, much less hold hatred for him. Judgment was put on both
the woman and the man for their disobedience. The effort that it takes to bring forth
new life has been greatly multiplied, and the sorrow and pain with hardship shall be
constant companions of this process.

Gen 3:16 Unto the woman he said, I will greatly multiply thy sorrow and thy conception; in
sorrow thou shalt bring forth children; and thy desire shall be to thy husband, and he shall
rule over thee.

The word 'sorrow' is repeated twice, but there are two different meanings here. The
first one, in the Hebrew (H6093) means labor or pain, and the second one means an
earthen vessel, enduring pain, hurt, whether body or mind, that is grievous. (H6089).
He said the longing of the heart of the woman would be for the husband. He would be
in authority over her. She was to be in subjection. And Adam's judgment was harsh, as
well. The ground was cursed-right then this world was marked for destruction. It's the
same word as the one used for the cursing of the serpent. Adam would have to labor
and toil, with pain at times, to work the ground and make a living and provide for his
family. The same sorrow the woman would endure to give birth, was the same kind of
sorrow man would endure to provide for himself and his family-labor, pain and toil.
There was going to be some sticky situations, some hard places it would be difficult to
get out of. Because of their sin, they would have to work hard and suffer. God then
covered them with the animal skins-and the first living thing was slaughtered, to
cover mankind.

Gen 3:22 And the LORD God said, Behold, the man is become as one of us, to know good and
evil: and now, lest he put forth his hand, and take also of the tree of life, and eat, and live
forever:
Gen 3:23 Therefore the LORD God sent him forth from the garden of Eden, to till the ground
from whence he was taken.
Gen 3:24 So he drove out the man; and he placed at the east of the garden of Eden
 Cherubims, and a flaming sword which turned every way, to keep the way of the tree of life.

The Lord sent them away and put them out of this perfect place of fellowship and
provision. Eden means pleasure-and Psa_16:11 says "Thou wilt show me the path of life;
in thy presence is fullness of joy; at thy right hand there are pleasures forevermore."
What they had lost as a result of deciding to go against what God had said, and follow
the leading of their eyes and ears and minds. Adam was made a slave of the earth from
which he was taken. (H5647) When He drove out the man, in the Hebrew that means
"to expatriate or divorce". He put an angelic being with a blazing sword which
guarded the path to the tree of life. But God made a way that man could come back.
He did not abandon mankind. He did not turn His face away in contempt. He made a
way back for us. It is a straight and narrow path, and in order to get to the Tree of
Life, we have to submit to the Sword of the Word of God, and die to self and this world,
and enter into the Door, which is the Lord Jesus Christ. We can do this as the Spirit
says come and convicts of sin, and we acknowledge our sins, repent and turn from
them, and the blood of Jesus cleanses us.

Heb 4:12 For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword,
piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is
a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.
Heb 4:13 Neither is there any creature that is not manifest in his sight: but all things are
naked and opened unto the eyes of him with whom we have to do.
Heb 4:14 Seeing then that we have a great high priest, that is passed into the heavens, Jesus
the Son of God, let us hold fast our profession.
Heb 4:15 For we have not a high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our
infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin.
Heb 4:16 Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy,
and find grace to help in time of need.

We have a hope, we have an Advocate with the Father, who can through and by the
Holy Spirit, usher us into the presence of God, once again. We have been given access,
direct access by the blood of Jesus.

Rom 5:2 By whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice
in hope of the glory of God.
Eph 2:18 For through him we both have access by one Spirit unto the Father.
Eph 3:12 In whom we have boldness and access with confidence by the faith of him.

We are justified, or declared right with God, when we believe and receive what He
said, and let it govern our lives. We surrender our hearts and place our faith in what
He said, and let His Word have its way in our lives. Believing without change is not
salvation. The devils believe and tremble. But they are not saved. But through Jesus,
we are declared right, and have peace with God by faith, because of what HE did. He
gave us the right to approach God, where would could know we are accepted by Him
because of Christ. We have the assurance because of the blood, and His love for Christ,
whose we are, that we will have favor with God. When we are redeemed and born
again by the Spirit of God, we have a fixed position in Jesus Christ, as part of His
Body. God will never reject part of His own Son...He's not going to look at His Son in
the face, and say, I accept your head, but not your feet-cut them off. God isn't going to
do that! He accepts His Son completely and totally, who is perfect and one with
Himself. They agree on everything. They think alike, they talk alike, there is no
division or strife between them. They love one another. And when God draws us by the
Holy Spirit to Christ, (no man can come except the Father draw him, Joh_6:44) and we
come, we repent, and He washes us and cleans us up and places us inside the Body of
Christ, what a protected place! What a secure place! Unless we decide we want to
move out and do something else, or go back, unless we allow the devil to deceive us, we
have a place secure, because we are in Christ, who is the Rock of our salvation! 0h
praise the Lord! We're not a guest, or a foreigner, but He has declared us who are in
Christ natives of Heaven, traveling through the earth, on our way home! We are
declared saints, set apart for the HOLY ONE in heaven, whose very presence in us
makes us holy inside and clean! The blood washed us clean, so He could move in, and
His presence keeps us! He lives in us! He would not live in someone He did not love,
care for, and intend to protect and keep! We were born into the House of God, by the
Word of God (remember He spoke, He commanded and it was done!) He begot us by
His Word! (1 Pet 1:23) He has put us in this Perfect and Precious Body of the Lord Jesus
Christ-fitting us and shaping us together, to be a holy temple, a place where He can
live and dwell among and in us. What an awesome honor He has bestowed on us! He
purposed in His Son we would have a way back into His presence, where we could
come with assurance, and freely without condemnation come to Him. We could have
the admission into the presence of this Holy God who is our Father now, and we can
rely on Him, just as Jesus did because we are in Christ! But oh, how should we look at
one another, because of this great revelation? If we look at our brother or sister and
criticize or bad mouth them, then we are bad mouthing Jesus Christ Himself. And we
can't touch Christ without touching God. That is serious business. If we love HIM, we
can't just love His Head and despise His feet or hands! We have to love the whole
Package! We don't know which part of the body we are, but we need to have respect to
the Body! Those who don't pay a terrible price!

1Co 11:28 But let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of that bread, and drink of that
cup.
1Co 11:29 For he that eateth and drinketh unworthily, eateth and drinketh damnation to
himself, not discerning the Lord's body.
1Co 11:30 For this cause many are weak and sickly among you, and many sleep.

We can't casually consume the things of God. We can't lightly esteem His Word or His
people. We must have reverence and respect for God, His Word, His Son, The Holy
Spirit, the promises of God, and the people of God. The word for 'discerning' here
means to separate from with a hostile spirit, in opposition to, striving against with
dispute, to contend with. It says nothing about recognizing the Body...it means don't
think you can bite and devour the people of God, and get away with it. Don't think you
can turn on them, in discord and split them apart and get away with it. Because of
things like this, many have no strength, no power, they are spiritually impotent, they
may be physically or spiritually sick, and many are either spiritually asleep or
physically dead.

1Co 11:31 For if we would judge ourselves, we should not be judged.

1Co 11:32 But when we are judged, we are chastened of the Lord, that we should not be
condemned with the world.

The word for judge here is the same as the word for discernment above. It means we
should turn this willingness to separate ourselves from other people, out of strife and
contention, over issues of disagreement, on ourselves. Whatever in us does not line up
and agree with the Word of God, we need to turn on it, separate ourselves from it, cast
it out, after it has been judged by us according to the Word...If we do this, if we
contend with ourselves, by the Word of God, make a distinction in judging things in us
that are not conforming to the Word, and passing sentence on them, then we will not
be judged. Different word in the Hebrew for this one. This last word "judged" means to
be put asunder, selected, and judged at trial before THE JUDGE, and have sentenced
passed by HIM. If we judge ourselves, we will find forgiveness.

1Ti 5:24 Some men's sins are open beforehand, going before to judgment; and some men they
follow after.

Some sins are obvious, evident, not secret. They have been sent on, after being
confessed, to the the judgment seat of Christ to be put under the blood, and cleansed.
They will not be held against us. They go before us, and are dealt with. But woe to
those who let their sins, unconfessed, not dealt with, follow them to the judgment. If
we judge ourselves, and let the Lord deal with us as children, and endure the discipline
and instruction He deals out, we do well.

1Co 11:33 Wherefore, my brethren, when ye come together to eat, tarry one for another.

That word "tarry" means to accept, look for, wait for one another. Make sure all are
taken care of, not just a select few. Just as we are accepted by Christ, we need to accept
one another. Unity is something we can glory in...so long as it is under and in CHRIST,
and not at the expense of truth.