We started off yesterday saying we have choices in life, and failure to make right choices can land us into serious trouble … I came across a horrific accident on Sunday morning.
I was invited to preach at Roebuck Presbyterian Church (PCA), some 30 minutes away. On my way there, I passed four or five fire engines with their red lights flashing as well as a few Sherriff cars with their blue lights flashing. The law states that when you come across such a scene, you slow down. I, driving slowly, looked to my left where these vehicles were. (Remember in the USA we drive on the right side of the road.) I saw a SUV down the side embankment, with a tree in the middle of the car where the gear leaver would be. The officials had erected a yellow plastic sheeting to prevent people from seeing the horror of the crash. I am no criminal investigator and cannot say exactly what happened. In my mind the driver either fell asleep whilst driving in the early morning, had a medical emergency or was under the influence of something. Perhaps another possibility was speeding and losing control. This vehicle crossed from the right lanes, over two solid lines (it was a highway), two lanes going in the opposite direction, before going down the side embankment, ramming a tree that cut the vehicle open. In three of my suggestions there was a choice for the driver. Don’t drive or don’t drive so fast! If you do drive when feeling sleepy or intoxicated, chose not to drive … or chose not to speed. The reason for that yellow sheet was to block from view dead people being cut out of the vehicle and put into body bags. Keep two things in mind …
(a) Choices.
(b) Death.
Please read:
Gen 2:9 In the middle of the garden were the tree of life and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.
Gen 2:16 And the LORD God commanded the man, “You are free to eat from any tree in the garden; 17 but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat of it you will surely die.”
1) A Probationary Command.
Ge 2:16 And the LORD God commanded the man.
We need to understand that up to now God had given instructions to man. For example:
Ge 1:28 God blessed them and said to them, “Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it. Rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air and over every living creature that moves on the ground.”
Be fruitful, increase, fill the earth, subdue the earth and rule are all instructions. I would even suggest that instructions are implied in:
Ge 2:15 The LORD God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and take care of it.
That is in … work and take care, as it reflects chapter 1:28. But in chapter 2:17 the word “commanded” is used. Although the word ‘probation” or “probationary” is not used, it is implied and most reformed commentators will support this point. Look at what God commands …
(1) The wide scope of variety. You are free to eat from any tree in the garden. Obviously we do not know the size of the Garden, nor do we know how many different varieties of fruit bearing trees were there. The closet we can get is by what God says in His Word:
Ge 1:11 Then God said, “Let the land produce vegetation: seed-bearing plants and trees on the land that bear fruit with seed in it, according to their various kinds.” And it was so. 12 The land produced vegetation: plants bearing seed according to their kinds and trees bearing fruit with seed in it according to their kinds.
Now add to this:
Gen 2:9 And the LORD God made all kinds of trees grow out of the ground—trees that were pleasing to the eye and good for food.
However one looks at this information we would agree that Adam was given a huge variety of foods to eat. The command starts with the positive … “You are free to eat from”. No questions asked. At your meal table, the children ask the mother or father whether they may have more food. Adam was not limited by such a clause. His Father said … “you are free to eat from any tree in the garden.” In a way I labor this point because although the positive aspect of the probationary command, it precedes the negative. It’s like Mom and dad saying. “Kids you are teenagers. We are away for the weekend. You have permission to eat anything in the fridge or pantry, just leave dad’s droer wors.” (Dry sausage).
(2) Note the word “but” … but. The word “but” is a coordinating conjunction used to connect ideas that contrast. The contrasting ideas here are the positive and the negative of the command.
(3) The restriction.
Ge 2:17 but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.
It’s fascinating is it not? … “You are free to eat from any tree in the garden.” but … “you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.” There is just one fruit (whatever that was) that was prohibited.
It’s like mommy saying to her crawling baby … “Here’s your sweet banana I have cut up and a creamy chocolate biscuit. This is your food. Do not eat doggy’s food. You eat yours, it’s nicer. Doggy’s food does not taste so nice.” Mom goes out of the kitchen and when she returns, baby is eating doggy’s pellets. The prohibition is extremely forceful! Note the word “must” … “but you must not eat”.
(4) The promise of death for disobedience … for when you eat of it you will surely die. You have to see the magnitude of the probationary command. Eat any of these foods but as so as you eat from that forbidden fruit “you will surely die.” The test is huge. God does not play games when He commands! Another way to say it is … God delivers on His promises! Total obedience to God would result in man living forever in the beautiful garden, the paradise of God. Disobedience would result is death. We need to observe the devastating consequences of disobedience! Some will argue and say … “God said man would die if he disobeyed yet Adam lived to almost 1000 years!
Gen 5:5 Altogether, Adam lived 930 years, and then he died.
There are three deaths to keep in mind here.
(i) Physical death. God required Adan and his wife Eve to procreate. They were the first parents. They needed to fulfil this role. After the account of Cain and Abel, we read:
Ge 5:3 When Adam had lived 130 years, he had a son in his own likeness, in his own image; and he named him Seth. 4 After Seth was born, Adam lived 800 years and had other sons and daughters.
Even though he was 930 years old, he died physically.
(ii) Spiritual death. As we shall see in Genesis chapter three, the moment he sinned by breaking the command, his relationship with God ended. He was banished from the presence of God. He died spiritually.
(iii) Eternal death. When a person is spiritually dead and they die physically, they experience the eternal death … hell.
We shall return to what happened to Adam in time. For now though, the focus is on ourselves. Jesus issues a command at the start of His earthly ministry:
Mark 1:15 “The time has come,” he said. “The kingdom of God is near. Repent and believe the good news!”
This is not probationary. There are no “buts”. It is plain … simple … easy to understand … “repent and believe.” There is nothing hard about that. Yet most people chose not to repent and believe. They chose to disobey Jesus’ command. Have you obeyed this command?
Our Father, many seem to have heard the Gospel and have not given much thought to the consequence of disobeying … the consequences of refusing to believe and live a repentant life. Have mercy on souls. Bring back to the memory of those who have heard and cause them to respond … and we ask in Jesus’ name. Amen.