GraceLife Thoughts – Train to Reign (Part 6)

Grace Thoughts

GraceLife Thoughts – Train to Reign (Part 6)

Words are important. Writers, good writers, use words in a particular order to present their ‘story’ so it’s ‘clear and easy to understand.’ The Holy Spirit, the true Author of the Bible, is the best ‘writer’ in the universe. He chose human authors to inspire to communicate God’s Word so that can understand what God is doing.

That’s why I pointed out in the last part of this study that God made humans in His image and likeness and said – Be fruitful and multiply; fill the earth and subdue it; have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over every living thing that moves on the earth‘ (Genesis 1:28). The Hebrew word כָּבַשׁ (kabash – subdue) preceded the word רָדָה (radah – dominion, rule). The question I raised was why would God say that humans would need ‘to bring things under subjection, and force into bondage’ before He said they would ‘rule’ (have dominion) ‘over every living thing that moves on the earth?

I believe that learning how to ‘subdue’ is part of learning how to ‘rule.’ Why, if humanity was going to exist in a perfect world where they would ‘rule and reign’ with the God who created the heavens and the earth, would they need to learn how to ‘subdue’ anything or anyone? Why would bringing things ‘under subjection’ and ‘forcing into bondage’ precede ‘having dominion’ in a ‘perfect world?’ The answer to that question is, I believe, is because the world Adam and his family would live in would NOT be a perfect world.

That leads to the next question: why not? Why didn’t God create a perfect world where humans ruled and reigned and had a great life?

Why?

I think the answer is direct and straightforward, but I know many people won’t like it. The reason why God didn’t create a perfect world where humans rules and reigned and had a great life is because that wasn’t His Eternal Plan. That may not be the answer you were hoping to hear, but it’s the best one I have. Here’s why?

We know several things about God before He created the heavens and the earth – before time began –

God the Father LOVED God the Son – “Father, I desire that they also whom You gave Me may be with Me where I am, that they may behold My glory which You have given Me; for You loved Me before the foundation of the world.” (John 17:24)
God the Father LOVED the world of humans He was going to create so much that He ‘willed’ that the Son He loved would die for the world – “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. (John 3:16)
God the Father LOVED the world of humans He was going to create so much that He ‘willed’ that the Son He loved would die by shedding His ‘blood for them – “knowing that you were not redeemed with corruptible things, like silver or gold, from your aimless conduct received by tradition from your fathers, but with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot. He indeed was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifest in these last times for you.” (1 Peter 1:18-20)
God the Father LOVED the world of humans He was going to create so much that He ‘purposed’ ‘before time began’ that some of humans would be saved – “who has saved us and called us with a holy calling, not according to our works, but according to His own purpose and grace which was given to us in Christ Jesus before time began, but has now been revealed by the appearing of our Savior Jesus Christ, who has abolished death and brought life and immortality to light through the gospel.” (2 Timothy 1:9-10)
God the Father LOVED the world of humans He was going to create so much that ‘promised’ eternal life to some humans ‘before time began.’ (Titus 1:2)
God the Father LOVED the world of humans He was going to create so much that He ‘chose’ some ‘before the foundation of the world’ to “be holy and without blame before Him in love.” (Ephesians 1:4)

The fact that God the Father explained in great detail how He planned ‘before time began’ that God the Son would die for our salvation tells me that what the Garden of Eden was never going to be the ‘perfect’ place for Adam and his family to live out a perfect life. Something had to happen to push ‘perfection’ out of the way and make room for ‘imperfection,’ even if for just a brief time. I say ‘brief’ remembering the words of the Apostle Peter – “But, beloved, do not forget this one thing, that with the Lord one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day.” (2 Peter 3:8) God exists outside of time and space, thus He sees things much differently than do we.

How?

Now that we know the ‘why,’ the next question is ‘how.’ How would God cause ‘perfection’ to become ‘imperfection?’ Easy. Plant a tree in the Garden with the ‘knowledge of good and evil’ and tell humans that was the one tree from which they could eat no fruit. If they did, they would die.

Okay, next question. What if Adam and his family obeyed God and never ate from that ‘knowledge’ tree? I guess that’s possible, though we’ll never know. Why? Because God created a creature that was unlike the humans who had a different agenda. Genesis 3 calls the creature ‘the serpent.’ Revelation 12 calls him – ‘the great dragon, that serpent of old, the Devil and Satan.’

Here’s what happened in the Garden after God warned Adam not to eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. God caused a deep sleep to fall on Adam, took one of his ribs, closed up the flesh in its place, used the rib to make ‘a woman,’ then brought her to ‘the man.’ Adam woke up, looked at her and said – “This is now bone of my bones And flesh of my flesh; She shall be called Woman, Because she was taken out of Man. Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and they shall become one flesh.” (Genesis 2:23-24)

Everyone is now in position to answer the question, HOW. Enter the ‘serpent’ –

Now the serpent was more cunning than any beast of the field which the Lord God had made. And he said to the woman, ‘Has God indeed said, ‘You shall not eat of every tree of the garden’?’ And the woman said to the serpent, ‘We may eat the fruit of the trees of the garden; but of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God has said, ‘You shall not eat it, nor shall you touch it, lest you die.’ Then the serpent said to the woman, ‘You will not surely die. For God knows that in the day you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil. So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree desirable to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate. She also gave to her husband with her, and he ate. Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together and made themselves coverings. Genesis 3:1-7

The events that followed included God catching all of them in their disobedience and a series of curses that would lead to a dark and difficult existence for all involved. God did offer a ray of hope as He cursed the serpent and we’ll get to that a bit later in our series.

God’s Eternal Plan did not include human beings remaining in that ‘cursed’ position forever. If they were to eat from the ‘tree of life,’ they would ‘live forever’ in that cursed state. So, God removed Adam and his wife from the Garden of Eden ‘and He placed cherubim at the east of the garden of Eden, and a flaming sword which turned every way, to guard the way to the tree of life.’ (Genesis 3:24)

Next Time

Now what happens? Is humanity doomed? Is the earth doomed? Is there any hope? Look back at the first paragraphs of this study and you’ll see there is plenty of hope for a bright future. However, Adam and his family have a lot to learn about what it means to ‘subdue’ and ‘have dominion’ over the earth. We’ll look at that next time in our series – Train to Reign.

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Founder & Director of GraceLife Ministries View all posts by gracelifethoughts

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GraceLife Thoughts – Train to Reign (Part 6)