Bible in a year: January 2, 2010

Today's readings:
Gen. 3:1-4:26
Psalm 2:1-6
Proverbs 18,9
Matthew 2:1-23

OK, so here's something I've been thinking about. We talk a lot about how the serpent decieved Eve.

But in Genesis 3:5, he tells her that if she eats from the tree she'll know good and evil, like God. Which is actually true. And when he tells her that she won't die, that's also true, because when she does eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, she doesn't die. Not literally, anyway. I think God meant a spiritual death.

So did the serpent actually lie? Or did he use truth to tempt Eve to do something she wasn't supposed to do? And do we sometimes spend too much time looking for lies instead of seeing truth distorted?

Also, we teach kids that Adam and Eve were punished and banished from the Garden of Eden. But that's now how I read it. I think once the couple ate from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, and in fact knew good and evil as God did, God didn't want them then to eat from the tree of eternal life and spend eternity in a state of spiritual death separated from God. He punished them, yes, with hard labor - in the fields and in childbirth; who got the worse end of that is up for debate - but kicking them out and setting guards was God's way of protected them from doing anything that would cost them eternity.

In other words, he kicked them out because he loved them.

So what did today's readings say to you?

And by the way, don't get too used to daily updates, LOL. I'm reading every day, I promise, but I may not comment. I will, however, put the readings up so they post automatically so you can still comment and share your thoughts!

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