God’s Teaching of His Word

With over eight billion people in the world, you can have eight billion silly opinions on why a story is in the Bible and what the story means. Instead, what you should want to know is why did God put the story in Scripture, and what does it mean to Him? For example…

THE GARDEN OF EDEN

When the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was desirable to make one wise, she took from its fruit and ate; and she gave also to her husband with her, and he ate. Gen 3:6

Why is this in Scripture? What is God trying to show?

What if Gen 3:6 is about the battle over the Word of God. Throughout Scripture, you will see a battle that involves the three lusts of 1Jn 2:16 — “the lust of the flesh … the lust of the eyes … and the boastful pride of life.” The battle is these three lusts against the Word of God. It’s a battle that shows up thousands of times in Scripture, notably in the Lord’s temptations (Mt 4, Lk 4) and the parable of the sower (Mt 13, Mk 4, Lk 8). Do the three lusts match up with Gen 3:6?

lust of the flesh → “good for food”
lust of the eyes → “delight to the eyes”
boastful pride of life → “make one wise”

Besides the battle over the Word, what if Gen 3:6 also shows how God speaks throughout Scripture, His language. In Scripture, “trees” can mean people. “Fruit” can mean what people say — “the fruit of the lips.” Also, Revelation reveals that the “serpent” was the devil (Rev 20:2). What if the Eden story isn’t about an apple and a snake. Rather, it’s about people believing the creature rather than the Creator. Eve heard and believed lies about God, spoken to her by someone God said not to listen to. Eve then shared those lies with her husband, and he believed them as well. Moreover, those lies about God felt good (lust of the flesh), looked good (lust of the eyes), and sounded wise to the mind of man (boastful pride of life).

JOSEPH’S COAT

Now Israel loved Joseph more than all his sons, because he was the son of his old age; and he made him a varicolored tunic. Gen 37:3

Again, why is this in God’s Word, and what is His teaching on it?

What if the main reason for this story is to show the difference between The Father and The Son: visibility. God the Father is Spirit and invisible, on the throne in heaven. But He can take on a visible form whenever and however He wants.

God’s visible presence is The Son. To The Son He loves, The Father has given many different looks — a “coat” of many colors. The Son can appear as a burning bush to Moses, a Rock to the children of Israel, a hand writing on a wall, or even as a baby who grows into a man: Jesus of Nazareth. More examples…

Gen 3:8 — someone walking in the garden
Gen 14:18-20 — offering bread and wine to Abraham
Gen 18:1-2,33 — a man who eats with Abraham
Gen 32:24-30 — a man who wrestles with Jacob
Dan 7:9; Rev 1:14-18 — the Ancient of Days
Mt 17:2 — transfigured before His disciples
Lk 24:15-31 — a stranger on the road to Emmaus
Jn 20:14-16 — a gardener to Mary
Jn 21:1-14 — a man on the shore to His disciples

JACOB’S WRESTLING MATCH

Then Jacob was left alone, and a man wrestled with him until daybreak. … Then He said, “Let me go, for the dawn is breaking.” But he said, “I will not let you go unless you bless me.” … And He blessed him there. So Jacob named the place Peniel, for he said, “I have seen God face to face, yet my life has been preserved.” Gen 32:24, 26, 29-30

You may want to read the full account, Gen 32:24-30. This is one of the appearances of the Lord, who was in a visible body. Again, why is this in the Bible, and what is God’s mind on it?

What if the story is about wrestling with the Word of God. The Bible is the Lord’s flesh and body, His body of work. “The Word became flesh” (Jn 1:14). To understand the Scriptures, what if you must wrestle with His words, and wait for Him to reveal. The truth, beauty, and power of God far surpasses the foolishness that men dream up and teach. Why are certain stories in Scripture? What do God’s statements mean? He, alone, knows and must reveal. His name is The Word of God, and He alone knows His name (Rev 19:12-13).