God’s Love in the Garden
Happy February, friends!
A common misunderstanding amongst Christians and non-Christians is the wrath of the Old Testament God. Maybe you’ve heard this, or believe it yourself. The God of the Old Testament appears ruthless compared to the God of the New Testament. The Old Testament is judgment; the New Testament is love.
Appearances aren’t what they seem. The God of the Old Testament IS the God of the New Testament! God is unchanging. It’s one of the many wonderful qualities He possesses! The Old Testament does have a sin cycle theme:
It is easy to pick this out when reading through the Old Testament; it is a little harder to see the multitude of ways God shows his love and grace.
As Alisha and I have been working through the Bible in a Year, I’ve been trying to uncover these seeds sown throughout the Old Testament. The first place God’s love jumped out at me was in Genesis 3, the discussion of The Fall. I would encourage you to read this chapter with fresh eyes (yes, even if you already did last month as you work through your Bible in a year!).
I see God’s love and grace in Genesis 3:15. This is known as the “protoevangelium,” the first gospel. In this verse, God promises the redemption of His people even though they will endure years, decades, and centuries of sin cycles. One day, His promised Son will come to redeem all people from the grip of the enemy.
I see God’s love and grace in Genesis 3:21. Sin ushered in shame. Adam and Eve immediately recognized their nakedness and sought to cover it. God doesn’t want us to live in shame.* The first animal sacrifice occurs, and the skins from that animal are made into clothing by God to cover Adam and Eve’s shame. He could have left them as they were, but He showed them grace. Why? Because even though they disobeyed Him, he still loved them.
Friend, I want you to know that applies to you, too. No matter what you’ve done, no matter what your past says, no matter how many times you try but stumble . . . God loves you. And he’s ready to cover you with his love and grace.
The third time I see God’s love and grace is in Genesis 3:23-24. I didn’t see this at first, though. For years I’d read this account and feel so bad for Adam and Eve. God banished them from the only home they ever knew! He then put angels with whirling swords to keep them from returning. I tried to imagine how I’d feel, and it wasn’t good.
But God.
One time I read this and my eyes zeroed in on verse 22. This wasn’t a punishment; it was protection. God didn’t ban them from the Garden out of anger. He banned them out of love. If Adam and Eve remained in the Garden in their sin-stained humanity and ate from the Tree of Life, they’d be forever separated from their Creator. Sin is passed on, and so all their descendants would also be living in sin-stained humanity in the Garden, eating from the Tree of Life. There would be no hope. So God, in his unrelenting love and grace, banished them from the Garden to protect them from an eternity apart from Him.
Oh, his love. His overwhelming, never-ending, reckless love (go listen to that song!).
All praise and glory to Him, forever and ever. Amen.
From God Not Her
*Shame and conviction are not the same thing. Shame is from the enemy; conviction is from the Holy Spirit. Shame wants you to feel bad and wallow in your sin. Conviction wants you to recognize your error, repent, and move toward God. Be mindful to discern the difference when it sneaks into your life. Shut down shame; praise conviction.