Sin, part I (a.k.a. God does not want us to stop listening to our wives)

Bible knowledge quiz:

In Genesis 3, God lays curses on the serpent, Eve, and Adam. What were the two reasons God gives for laying a curse on Adam?

...

Here's what Genesis 3:17 says in the NIV:

"Because you listened to your wife and ate from the tree about which I commanded you..."

We often remember that it was because Adam ate from that infamous tree but forget the "listened to your wife" part. Now, before you start assuming some sort of chauvinistic, over-patriarchal view here, let's look at the ESV of the same verse:

"Because you have listened to the voice of your wife and have eaten of the tree of which I commanded you..." (emphasis my own)

This one little word, which is in the original Hebrew, is so huge.

For Adam, he knew what the command was, but he lost track of what God was saying in that very moment. Eve could have been the mouthpiece of the Lord, cautioning Adam that a crafty serpent was giving this advice. But instead was speaking on behalf of satan in that moment, offering up the forbidden fruit to Adam. And frankly all of us live in that constant reality as well: who do you speak for? Moving on though...

I think a major flaw in our teachings, especially to our youth, is that we often only teach them the commands, i.e. the Bible, the Ten Commandments, the Gospel (of which i think is often well undershot as well), etc. But what we need to teach is a two-fold understanding of God's words: those that are given to us in Scripture and those that continue to come out of His mouth.

Interestingly enough, when satan tempts Adam he is cursed for eating of the tree (breaking the command) and listening to the wrong voice (not adhering to God's voice, again God is NOT trying to tell you to not listen to your wives, i promise). Jesus encounters satan in a very similar way!

When Jesus is tempted by satan in Matthew 4:2-4, the encounter looks like this:

And after He had fasted forty days and forty nights, He then became hungry. And the tempter came and said to Him, "If You are the Son of God, command that these stones become bread." But He answered and said, "It is written, 'MAN SHALL NOT LIVE ON BREAD ALONE, BUT ON EVERY WORD THAT PROCEEDS OUT OF THE MOUTH OF GOD.'" (NASB)

Oh, after forty days he became hungry? Thank you Captain Obvious! Anyway...

Jesus quotes a command (the first part to knowing how to not sin) that points us to live on "every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God." (The second part.) Not proceeded but proceeds. Obviously we need to know the commands, but we also need to realize that life comes from having a very present relationship with Him where i feed off of every word that proceeds from Him continually, every day, even right now.

And we learn this way back in Genesis 3 with Adam.

Know His commands AND gain an ear for His every-moment voice. Not only to avoid sin, but to live fully. Even to live life violently!

Coming posts on sin: how our view on our identity helps us to not sin, and why we should do all things excellently.