Genesis 3:1-27, 4:1-7.                        Continuation
'And they heard the voice of the Lord...' . Whilst they lived in the Garden they had communion and Fellowship with God, they knew His voice and spoke with Him. Jesus said, 'My sheep hear My voice...' , the relationship we also have with our Lord.
This reaction, of hiding from God's voice, is typical of many believers today. When sin enters their heart their immediate reaction is to hide. Why? Holiness and unholiness do not mix, darkness hates the light and lies hate the truth - John 3:19. A person with sin in his heart will not want to face God, unless he repents. Sin will bring a state of shame upon the person. That is how Adam and Eve felt.
'Where are you?' . The first question in the Bible.
It appears that God could not locate them. Not so, it was something else. It was not a question concerning their place but their condition, their state. God has put this question to sinful man even since sin came into the world. Are we what God wants us to be or something else? It was the same call that went out on the shores of Galilee and in Judea-Luke 19:10.
Adam's response was rather pathetic, 'I heard your voice and was afraid...' .The effect of sin had already worked its way into their beings.
1. They knew they were naked, though they were naked before; but now God's covering had departed from them.
2. Fear gripped their hearts. Fear caused them to run away from God's presence and hide. Fear has a paralyzing effect and makes people disloyal.
At that moment they did not fully understand the implications of sin yet they were gripped by fear.
The Bible has a lot to say about Fear simply because God wants us to be set free from its grip. Two reasons:
a) Believers do have fears in their hearts.
b) God wants to set us free from fear.
Not all fear is negative. There is a fear that protects us, e.g. the fear of a passing car that may hit us, but the 'fear of man' is not a healthy fear. The 'fear of God' , however, is a healthy fear and that is what we need in our Christian lives. It is the fear that causes us to revere God and turn away from disobeying His Word, The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom' .
'And God said, who told you that you were naked?' .
A strange question. Should someone have told them they were naked? The question actually reveals the explanation. They could not have known that they were naked unless they had eaten of the fruit of the tree. Why did God ask such a question? Simply to show Adam that he had to come out with the truth. It was no good trying to hide things from God.
It is of no use for us either, when we sin, to try and cover things thinking that somehow we can fool God and people. When David sinned God knew all about it and He sent Nathan to confront David, because David thought that he could cover it up.
Apart from fear Adam and Eve show unwillingness to accept responsibility for their action. Adam's excuse was to blame his wife -a familiar story, the accusing finger. What Adam was actually doing was to blame God, like we do. Had not God given him the wife? If He hadn't this would not have happened!! Notice the words, 'The woman you gave me' . Not only is the blame on Eve but he also lets her down by trying to absolve himself of all the blame. "It's all God's fault, not our responsibility", we inwardly bear a grudge against God for our circumstances. What is actually the problem? Pride. But God is only interested in cleansing and setting us free in order to restore us to Himself as a holy people. He does not remember.
Eve took up the accusation theme and blamed the serpent, but the serpent never actually forced her to take the fruit. They both knew what they were doing. Interesting to note that the serpent did not blame anybody. God turns now to the serpent and we see no questioning, no conversation at all. God simply pronounces judgement upon it. Why?
Adam and Eve were tempted and consented to the whole affair but not the serpent. It allowed itself
to be used by Satan, a serious thing in the sight of God. Temptation is unavoidable, it comes to all of us but yielding to Satan's wiles to be used for evil purposes is something else and will bring dire consequences upon us.
The serpent belonged to the animal world which was created to serve man, not to become master over him. The serpent's role was misused, therefore its role and purpose in God's creation had to be altered. Man, though fallen, had a role to play in God's redemptive plan, a different role from that of the animal creation.                         To be continued

Genesis 3:1-24, 3:1-7.                      continuation 

 'And the woman took of the fruit....' .

Satan tempted Eve but Adam knew of God's command yet he was persuaded  by Eve to take the fruit and eat it. What made him do that? The Bible does not give us any explanation but we can make some good guesses. A matter of relationship?

God created Eve for Adam because he had no companion, the obvious solution to loneliness. Loneliness can be a very hard trial for the individual but as so often happens the things we keep praying about and consider as pressing needs often turn out to be our downfall or a constant thorn in our flesh.

Abraham took Lot with him and he finally had to rescue him from Sodom. Moses took Aaron with him as a spokesman and the result was the Golden Calf. At other times, the blessing we yearn for from God, when received, draws us away from the Almighty.

What sort of influence did Eve have on Adam? Did she accuse him of not loving her? Did she threaten him with divorce? God put man as head over his house and it is a disaster when this role is not fulfilled. Was Adam with Eve when the serpent tempted her or not?

When Eve took of the fruit it was obvious nothing evil took place immediately and that is why perhaps Adam was easily persuaded. To be left out of a loving partnership is a hard decision to make! The immediate results of their action were not obvious to them neither is it to us when we commit sin, therefore we may indulge in it. For a time we think we are alright! Remember Samson? He got used to playing with sin and temptation but one day he woke up to find that God's power had deserted him.

'And the eyes of them both....' . Soon it became apparent that something drastically wrong had happened to them. They became aware of their nakedness and fear in their hearts. We see that they ran away to hide from God but we do not see any desire to turn to Him. The effect of sin is to turn away from God and a desire for more sin.

Their first reaction was to cover themselves. Man's first attempt to cover his sin and degradation-Fig Leaves. Why fig leaves?  not the best cover for the body.
                                                                                      To be continued

Genesis 3:1-24,4:1-7.                               continuation
'And the serpent said to the woman...' . Why did Satan pick on the woman? Simply because he knew Eve would give an ear to him.
God commanded Adam not to eat of the fruit but Eve must have known this very well because she told the  serpent so. Why do so many believers give an ear to Satan's talk and accusations?
1. They do not discern the difference between God or Satan talking to them.
2. Their hearts are so deceived by carnal ways that they will readily listen to anything of the world.
Eve had no business to sit and listen to the serpent's suggestions. James, in his Epistle warns us clearly: 'Resist the Devil...' .
Now we see Satan's strategy in making people believe a lie, 'Has God really said...' God never said anything of the sort to them. He actually told them the opposite but Satan cannot call God a liar so he resorts to half-truths.
Many believers do just the same when they resort to half truths to ease their conscience but this means telling half a lie. Nowhere does the Bible condone half lies or deception but roundly condemns them. They come from the father of lies. The moment I resort to lies I become his child
Eve never saw through the serpent's suggestion and fell into the trap. The moment doubt was sown in her mind the battle was lost. The next suggestion was an outright lie. By this time her mind was ready to accept anything. Why?
Life in the garden was perhaps a daily routine; animals to name, plants to look after, same weather every day, walks with God, etc. Time for something different? There are many Christians who feel just the same. Anything to escape from the daily routine of ordinary life, then Satan comes along and offers the carrot of exciting meetings, signs and wonders and more. If Christ is not our passion other things will tempt us, not necessary evil things. Even a clean cloth can obscure your vision.
Eve looked at the tree and its fruit and saw in her mind that they looked so harmless and ordinary.
Sin looks so attractive and desirable to the eye but the Bible warns, 'The wages of sin is death' .
There are THREE things to Remember here:
1. 'She saw that the tree was good for food' The lust of the Flesh.
2. 'It was pleasant to the eyes' The lust of the eyes.
3. 'Desirable to make one wise' The pride of life.
The basic areas of our lives where temptations take place. They are: SPIRIT, SOUL, BODY.
                                                                                   to be continued

Genesis 3:1-24,4:1-7.                                   Continuation
And God looked, when all that He created was good, and saw that it was perfect. How then has it become like it is today?
Of all God's creation mankind was the only one given the faculty of logic. The animals, plants, etc., were to serve Him-Gen.1:27-30. It was this ability in humans to reason and make decisions that brought about their downfall. Why did God work things that way? What is the answer?
God did not deprive man of his free will. Man had the ability to choose, to follow and make decisions. God was not interested in making robots: they are made to serve, not to love. That is why humans stand out as being different from all God's other created beings. However, this free will had to be tested and proved in the same way we are tested by God time and time again during our earthly life.
From Gen.2:16-17, we surmise that there was nothing evil about the tree; but what it stood for, a means of gaining knowledge and man used his free will to choose to disobey God's command. Therefore evil entered the world because of man's decision to partake of that source of evil. How?
Through intimate communion and a tangible contact-taste. The first reference as to how sin is committed through the members of our body. Preceding that action an inner decision took place-Lusting, concluding that the fruit was harmless.
Chapter 3:1, begins with an almost casual but awesome statement, 'The serpent was more....' . We naturally think of serpents in terms of evil, crawling, poisonous, deadly creatures. A careful look at these verses conveys a different picture. Of all the animals in the garden, the serpent was the most intelligent. Remember the words of Jesus? 'Wise as serpents...' . It probably had the ability to communicate and not crawl on the ground. It was not an evil looking creature or Eve would have had second thoughts about chatting with such a creature. Satan simply found a suitable vehicle to work through and tempt Eve. Why was the serpent readily used? Was there a wider plot in the garden? We can only surmise; but our intelligence and wisdom do not always work for our good - 
1 Cor.2:6-8.
At this point in the account Satan enters the scene in the Garden of Eden. Why did God allow Satan to interfere with His creation? What was the whole point, He could have surely stopped it.
Satan is a powerful being and we must not underestimate his power and cunning, as some Christians do. In actual fact Satan's power and authority is always limited by God's authority so he can only do what God allows him to do-Job 1:6-12. However, we note that Satan had access to the Garden of Eden. He is free to enter Churches and interfere with our worship and also with our lives.                     
To be continued

Genesis 3:1-24, 4:1-7.
Genesis is one of the most controversial books in the Bible. What has God to offer us in this book? Stories about the Creation, the Flood, etc. ? More than stories. God's account of "how things began" from the Greek word "Genesis". The very name speaks of its clear message to us, the Book of Beginnings.
 The Book of Beginnings is not a scientific book and does not set itself out to be so, though it contains many scientific and historical facts. It does not try to justify God's existence. One of its most pointed themes starts very early in its account of God's dealings with man-a question, 'Where are you?'. The same question is directed to every human being today.
The setting of the Book of Genesis begins with the Garden of Eden, a special place where God has placed His created human being to look after it and enjoy fellowship with God. It was a perfect place.
However, let's go back a bit further and look at what God was doing. On the sixth day, when God finished His creation, He looked and saw that everything He had done was found perfect 'in His eyes'. A perfect creation from the hands of a Perfect Creator. Whatever God does is always perfect, very different from man's doings who always tries to find fault with God's doings. God's timing and methods are always perfect. In His dealings with us He always works to bring the best for us out of every situation.
The man and the woman were created perfect and God breathed into Adam the Breath of Life. Both became living souls, both created in God's image. In ch.1, we read that God (Elohim) expressed the desire to create human beings.Why?
Here we see God's motive in creating man. God who is Love wants to have Fellowship and though He knew what was to come yet He went ahead with the plan-1 John 4:16. How foolish the unbeliever would say, why do such a thing? Does a woman who longs to have a child sit down and consider whether the baby she will bring into the world will one day become a criminal? No, she loves that little creature, her offspring, and she nurtures it in love and care all her life.
God created the man and the woman and placed them in that special place for a specific purpose, not to enjoy themselves; but to have fellowship with God, to be loved by Him and to return that love. Was it in the end a failure, was it a rewarding experience for God or was it a waste of time?
Let us ask ourselves. Is love a rewarding experience? Yes it is; no matter what failure or disappointment may intervene. The Cross proved that God's creation was worth it.

to be continued

Song of Songs 2:8-15.
A mysterious little Book in the Bible that most people regard as a love story or even as an erotic one, but is it really so?
On closer study of this Book we find that it is an account of the conversation between a girl, called
the Shulamite and her Beloved. Occasionally, in the account, some other people interject who are
bystanders or neutral observers. What does the message of the Book really tell us? It describes the relationship between Christ (the Beloved) and the Church or the believer (Shulamite), a relationship of Love, Christ's love for the Church.
As the story unfolds in the Book, we can trace Love in four stages:
1. Initial Love
2. Fluctuating Love
3. Growing Love
4. Mature Love
In the verses above, we see the Maiden after the Initial Love which is the stage that every believer should experience when they come to Christ. This is the warm love that fills believers with zeal and joy in the knowledge of the Saviour's touch upon the believer's heart.
Following this state, the Maiden or believer cools off and the Beloved or Christ tries to draw her
out from this frozen, lukewarm state. However, before moving on which is the desired next stage
for the believer small obstacles or problems in the heart have to be dealt with. The heart is likened to a vine, symbol of spiritual life.
Christ spoke of Himself as the True Vine. Here, the Vines are described as having tender grapes, a delicate stage in the life of the Vine. It is the time when fruit appears on the vine so we need extra care.
The danger here for the fruit of the Vine is spoken of as 'Little Foxes' that can damage the fruit.
Little Foxes are small animals that pose a threat to the fruit of the Vine, but they can cause great damage. These little things, if left unattended, can cause a lot of damage in the spiritual life of the
believer. These can be faults we do not usually consider as serious obstacles in our spiritual lives, things like a bad temper, unclean thoughts  that persist, "innocent" habits of all kinds, lack of discipline and many more can damage the Fruit of the Spirit in our spiritual walk with Christ.
Paul, the Apostle, in Heb.12:1 speaks of weights that can hinder us and make us heavy spiritually
so that we cannot run the Race of Faith effectively. Little things we do not normally consider as sins but we can carry, even from our old lives. Paul again, in 1 Cor.5:6-8, warns about the 'Old Leaven' that can inflate us and can delay us in our spiritual walk and progress.
We need to deal with the Little Foxes that can spoil the Fruit of the Vine. Treat the problem as Urgent, do not delay or leave it unattended as something not important. In verse 15 of Songs ch. 2 we have a Command 'Take us', take is plural, not singular. The term 'Take Us' suggests here that it is a joint effort, we are not left to our own resources alone to tackle the problem. God has sent His Holy Spirit to earth to be with us, to lead and to guide us, being a Comforter in every trial and Tribulation we face in this dark world in which we live. Take courage and be a man or a woman of God.

CLEANSING-1
The Ordinance for the Bronze Laver-Exodus 30:17-21.
Positioned between the Altar and the entrance to the Tabernacle-Exodus 40:7. A person would first come to the Altar of Sacrifice before proceeding to the Laver and then to the Tabernacle for
worship.
The Altar of Sacrifice speaks of the Cross where the sinner finds forgiveness from sin and makes peace with God. The Laver speaks of the need for the daily cleansing from the defilement a
person meets in the world.
The Priests had to wash their hands and feet before going in to minister to the Lord. Remember, we are made Kings and Priests to God. Kings rule over people and Priests minister and intercede.
Feet & Hands. They speak of our walk and relationships in this world. The need for cleansing from the daily defilement - John 13:10. If we rolled in the pollution of the world, that would be sinful.
Water in the Laver. Represents the Word of cleansing - Ephesians 5:25-26. We are called to minister from a cleansed heart - Revelation 1:5-6. 
The Laver was made from the mirrors of the women assembling before the Tabernacle -Exodus 38:8. As the Priests washed their hands, they could see their reflection in the water -the cleansing work of the Word upon us -John 15:3.
God made it clear that they should wash before sacrificing or going into the Holy Place to minister, 'Lest they die' . Failure to cleanse would bring death. A message of warning for us. We cannot offer sacrifices or serve our God from a heart not cleansed from sin or the pollution of the world-
Hebrews 13:15.

N.B.  Greek Text (Nestle) reads λυσαντι=loosed  in Rev.1:5.   

2 Kings 5:1-19
A delightful story with a great message.
Naaman-Represents the world and its power but sin-sick and incurable by itself. When in need  it turns to God and to His people to find healing and deliverance.
This is through the despised believer, the slave girl, the Church. God works through the Church and through His faithful people, His servants. The girl could have kept quiet at the
enemy's need (Naaman), but 'Love works no ill to its neighbour' .
Naaman went to the king of Israel, a type of the official Church that has no power to help, though it has the resources and makes a lot of noise, 'Having a form of Godliness but denying the power...', 2 Tim.3:5. Jesus condemned the Laodicean Church: the rich, lukewarm Church that claimed it had  need of nothing.
 However, God has His servants everywhere. Elijah thought he was alone in Israel but God told him he was mistaken. God's command to Naaman was unspectacular, 'We preach Christ crucified, to the Jews a stumbling block but to the Greeks foolishness', 1 Cor.1:23. To the unregenerate the Cross is foolishness. Ananias, when told to go and see Saul of Tarsus, thought that God was mistaken. Naaman was enraged when told to dip seven times in the Jordan, but his pride was handled wisely by his servants, a type of the Holy Spirit the Comforter.
Not only was there a work of physical healing but also a work of Grace in Naaman's heart. Quite often people are only interested in the things they can get from God but do not want Him in their lives. But remember the jailer's  humble attitude at Philippi? 'What must I do to be saved?' Naaman got his priorities right, 'to God and to the King'. There was no condemnation from Elisha.
The story ends on a sad note -the servant. He is a type of the carnal believer who does not rejoice in the mighty work of God but focuses on the material, 'love not the world neither the things that are in the world....' .