There is a traditional Jewish tale that is interesting, it goes like this:
God said to Abraham, “But for Me, you would not be here”.
“I know that, Lord,” Abraham answered, “but were I not here, there would be no one to think of You.”
Did you ever wonder why God created us in the first place? The answer just may lie in the foregoing tale and may be more accurate than we realize.
God created mankind for His purposes not ours. I believe He wanted a relationship unlike any other that He had created. He wanted a relationship with someone that far exceeded any creature that He had created, (including angels). He desired fellowship and mutual love.
Mankind was created in a manner whereby we would be capable of having a relationship like none other to include fellowship with Him. He remained Lord, holy beyond measure, totally sovereign and Ruler over all things and the creation account teaches men and women to praise and serve Him as such, but also as a father, totally approachable, and exuding love. We are told that Adam enjoyed many a conversation in the cool of the evening as He and Adam walked through that paradise. O’ to have been there on those walks.
In the beginning God gave Adam everything that he needed to thrive via the Garden of Eden including food in fruit and I suppose vegetables of every description, work, in caring for the garden, responsibility, in having dominion over the animals. He gave Adam a helpmate and companion, Eve, and He gave him protection in a sheltered protected haven. It was a place that God and man could enjoy the creation together, with God Himself as protector and teacher.
A perfect setting wouldn’t you say? Well not quite, the garden contained many trees, and all were very appealing, but one was forbidden.
Did God set us up for a fall?
Why was it there in the first place? Eating fruit from this tree would provide man with a knowledge which only God Himself possessed, and this was a huge temptation to mankind. To eat of it meant death.
How fair is that?
I believe that the temptation was actually a limitation deliberately set in place by God that was put there to develop character and establish moral direction, and I believe was designed to be a central part of God’s original purpose for creating us in the first place.
Man’s sin was trying to obtain knowledge in a rebellious disobedient manner, independent of God. He created us because He wanted a relationship, but a relationship with almighty God means there can be no challenge to His sovereignty.
God showed us through the forbidden tree that the modern adage, “If it feels good do it” simply doesn’t work. There are consequences for disobeying God. He wanted to give us freedom to exercise free will in order to allow us to express our love and respect for Him through our demonstrating obedience; however we had to be taught that failure to obey God and surrender our will to His resulted in generational disaster of epic proportion.
Nothing has changed in that regard.
Surely He could have created us as totally obedient servants who, without free will, would do whatever He told us (similar to a robot). But when you think about it one must ask, who wants to be a robot and who wants to talk to one?
After the fall, God had compassion upon us and provided a way to re-establish fellowship. He sent Jesus, His perfect loving Son to die for us. Jesus is the second Adam, but unlike the first He did not succumb to satan’s temptation and was obedient to the end.
His death paid all of our sin debt for being disobedient; however as noted He still insists that we be obedient in following Christ. Choosing Jesus is a free will decision that fulfills Gods original purpose in creating us in the first place, it overcomes all obstacles to regaining our former glory and fellowship with our Creator . . . (So there will always be those of us who are thinking of God and loving Him with all of our heart and soul and spirit, as he first loved us . . . )
Are you obedient to God? Have you surrendered your will? It’s never too late to begin this wonderful journey of love . . . I urge you to pray about this.
Have a great weekend and go to our second Sunday service at Honey Lake Church this Sunday. It’s going to be glorious as world renowned musician Walter Santos lifts the roof in praise and worship. You do not want to miss this one I tell you!
Psalm 8:3
When I consider Your heavens,
the work of Your fingers,
The moon and the stars which
You have ordained,
What is man that You are
mindful of him,
and the son of man that You
visit him?
December 11, 2015 – Click here to listen