Editor’s note: This is the first of a two-part column.
How is it that the God of heaven and earth, the all mighty, would even consider mere man in the scheme of things?
The Hebrew writer refers to Job, who questioned the fact that God would set his heart upon man (Heb. 2:6; Job 7:17). In the grandeur of God’s creation, man seems to be such a small part of the entire picture, but it is to man that God’s love has been given (John 3:16; II Peter 1:3).
These three attributes of God, his infinite power, love and justice, have been working for man since the beginning of time and will continue till time is no more.
What a spectacle of God’s power must have been shown during the days of creation, the shifting of the land masses, the forming of the seas and waterways, the great lights set to rule the day and the night to control the seasons and the days and the years as the great designer made a world that was ready for man to inhabit; the plant and animal life formed and given to man to have dominion over them (Gen. 1:28, 29).
Men move mountains and rivers by explosives, heavy equipment and brute force, while God spoke the world into existence (II Peter 3:5-7). It was not a haphazard creation but was a glorious creation.
After each day God looked upon it and saw that it was good. God was preparing a place for his crown of creation to be placed.
God planted a garden and here is where he placed his creation, man, giving instructions to dress and keep the garden.
As God looked upon his creation, he saw that man being alone was not good. God’s love for man was shown in his making a help mate suitable for Adam.
In his creative power, God caused a deep sleep to come upon Adam and from his side he took one of his ribs, and from that rib he formed woman.
God brought the woman to Adam and the first home came into existence.
In a place where the power of God had been so manifested, where his love for man was expressed in his providing for man, one would think no wickedness would ever enter.
But it was into this perfect place of peace the serpent came, to tempt woman.
God had given man the power to make decisions, to have choices not to be as a machine, unable to reason and think. In giving man this ability, there was the possibility that man would make a wrong choice, which he did (Gen.3:3-6).
God had told man, “But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die” (Gen. 2:17).
Satan tempted the woman with the same ploys he still uses today, the lust of the eye, lust of the flesh, and the pride of life.
He told her eating to the fruit would not cause her to die, but rather it would make her as “gods” knowing good and evil.