Saturday Morning Devotional...

If you were to do a deep dive into the study of God in Genesis 1-2… I think you’d find something fascinating! At least that was my experience this morning and that’s something I want to share with you today.

Let me set this up for us… In chapter 1 of Genesis, Moses refers to God using the name “Elohim.” Elohim is God’s name with respect to Creation. It emphasizes that God is powerful. It is used to describe God as the awesome and majestic creator!

But things change in chapter two! And hear me when I say… this is VERY important to MOSES because he’s clearly trying to communicate something to his readers that, if we aren’t careful, would miss. Beginning in chapter 2, Moses uses a different name for God… He refers to him as “Yahweh Elohim.” Moses uses two separate names for God in the first two chapters to describe different characteristics of the one God. The reason for the differences in names has to do with the emphasis the author is making.

“Yahweh” (The LORD) is God’s personal name and is used in the context of God having a relationship with His people. When God goes about creating humanity, it is Yahweh who does this act. When the Lord is personally involved with His people, “Yahweh” is the proper way to designate Him. In our English Bibles Yahweh is translated as the “LORD” with all capital letters. (Side note- If your translation varies from this, it will tell you in the first few pages of that Bible.) It will look like this in our English translations: “The LORD God.”

If you look at chapter 2:4 of Genesis, you see where this picks up… “These are the records of the heavens and the earth, concerning their creation. At the time that the LORD God made the earth and the heavens,”

Moses uses the phrase “LORD God” 11 times in Genesis 2 and once in Genesis 3:1. However, the change occurs right there… in 3:1… Because it’s in 3:1 that Satan, the serpent, begins to speak! Notice that the Serpent won’t and NEVER refers to God as LORD! And, this is important as well… neither does the woman, (Eve, who hasn’t been named just yet.)

Genesis 3:1-7 is Satan’s conversation with the woman. And neither of them EVER recognize God as LORD. You may say, “Why is that a big deal?” Because if you can get away from the LORD as THE one who is personal and wants a relationship with you as LORD and MASTER (Adonai in Hebrew) over your life, you can and will be deceived.

Satan is the master of deception. He knows the Truth. But He will not recognize God as LORD. Nor does he want you to, either. We can call that “Demon Faith.” Right? I mean James 2:19: ”You believe that God is one; you do well. Even the demons believe—and shudder!” 

So, what is it we then get deceived with? Satan wants us to be caught up in ANYTHING except WHO God is! If he (Satan) can get us to turn to ourselves, possessions, stuff… whatever that thing is, that’s Satan’s victory big or small… and that was Satan’s victory with Eve. Look back at Genesis 3:1… “Did God really say?” He’s not calling him LORD. In addition, he’s questioning the very things God DID say. Eve then misses it by saying “you must not eat of it or touch it, or you will die.” But GOD never said “or touch it.” She was already adding to God’s words. Satan had already planted a seed of doubt and questioning. He then took it a step further. Look at verse 4… “NO! You will certainly not die.” - that’s literally a lie from hell. But then, Satan gives her even more… he plays on her desire to compare herself to GOD. Look what Satan says in verse 5… “In fact, God knows that when you eat it your eyes will be opened and you will be like God, knowing good from evil.” Do you see how Satan now planted another thought with Eve? now the seed has been planted that says “God is holding out on you.” “God is keeping something from you.”

This is where Satan got Eve and tries to get us… Pride, material or worldly things, struggles and hardships, and/or our lack of faith and trust in God.

I’ll stop here with Satan’s conversation. You know the story. She ate, then Adam, who was standing there the whole time allowing this conversation to take place, ate… and “then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they knew they were naked; so they sewed fig leaves together and made coverings for themselves.” Moses, starting in verse 8 of chapter 3 then picks back up with the beautiful phrase “The LORD God.” Why? Because he wants his readers to see that God, who wants a personal relationship with us and knows what’s best for us, returned. The rest of chapter 3 is the beginning of the LORD God setting up the Gospel HOPE primarily in 3:15 that He, through Eve’s seed, would one day restore the world and reverse the curse of the tree!

The beauty of how God did so was through his Son, the seed of Eve, Jesus! If we love Him with all our heart, we submit ourselves to Him as our ruler and Lord and respond in love (1John 4:19). We will obey His commands because we love Him more than anything else (John 14:15).

• “And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to which also you were called in one body; and be thankful. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom, teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord. And whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him.”–Colossians 3:15-17

Blessings, Frankie