August 2: An Early Lesson

…but man lives by every word that proceeds from the mouth of the LORD. Deuteronomy 8:3b

The ‘classroom’ that was the garden of Eden was absolutely picture perfect. It was the quintessential learning environment. Seeing the joy that teachers have as they prepare their classrooms for a new school session is a glimpse into the joy in the heart of the Maker as He crowned a perfectly beautiful world with the area known as the garden of Eden. This was to be the ‘home-base of operations’ for His people. The Hebrew word for Eden signifies pleasure and delight. In this ‘garden classroom’ planted by Yahweh, all of the senses were awakened and human minds were in their most receptive mode for learning. Our loving Creator made us to take delight and pleasure in learning. But in His foresight and omniscience, He knew that an influence would intrude that would pervert and distort His every precept. Each precept of God is given to shape our thinking as we expand our minds. Thus, with the perfection represented in the first two chapters of Genesis, chapter 3 takes an abrupt turn in order to give us the “heads-up” regarding the trickery and deceit of the enemy.

Now the serpent was more subtil than any beast of the field which the LORD God had made. Genesis 3:1a (KJV)

This word subtil or subtle, as we spell it today, presents a stark contrast with the character of Yahweh, whose transparency is unmatched: His instructions, intentions, and expectations for us are laid out in chapters one and two. The word subtil is often translated cunning which is directly associated with crafty deception and trickery. Before the serpent’s first words are recorded, we are warned that they will pour forth in such a way as to mislead. The goal of the enemy is to slowly build a deviant thinking mode by the use of words; he has his own educational agenda which contradicts that of Yahweh. The German, bildungssprachlich, encompasses a fuller meaning of education. Yahweh’s education is purposefully designed to lead to never-ending life, but Satan’s way of education builds a way of thinking that ultimately leads only to death.

If we could but truly learn the early lesson of the opposing natures of God and Satan, just as presented in the first half of the verse marked as Genesis 3:1 above, what heartache and woe would be avoided! Challenge yourself to take inventory of the gifts from the hand of Yahweh in those first two chapters, making note of the raw power and the tenderness of His word.

For He spoke, and it was done; He commanded, and it stood fast. Psalm 33:9