It started right there in the garden. The serpent tempted Eve with a thought, “Did God really say …?” The first step in his deception was to get her to doubt God and he’s still whispering the same question today. What is he tempting you to doubt?
But God didn’t give up on mankind. His response provides hope to us all. And in the next chapter of Genesis, He counseled a young man. Could that counsel be something you need to hear?
Also read about the murder of dozens of innocent babies by a jealous, paranoid king, the danger of thinking we’re smarter than God, the importance of honoring parents, and some examples of fulfilled prophecy.
Happy New Year!
Welcome, to “God’s Word Day by Day” where I blog through the Bible each year. To keep it interesting, we read some in the Old Testament, some in the New, a portion of a Psalm and a verse or two in Proverbs each day.
Whether you’ve been following me for a while or are new to the blog, I’m glad you’re here.
Every time we start out on this adventure, we’ll be changed. That’s true whether you have read the Bible many times or if this is your first serious attempt. Maybe you’re a new believer or have always wanted to read through the Bible. Maybe you have set out to read through the Bible before but fell behind and quit.
Or maybe you’re undecided about what to do in the area of Bible reading and devotional time in the coming year. If so, you might want to read this post, Why Read “through” the Bible?
I also write on other Christian living topics like marriage, parenting, depression, anxiety, spiritual growth, how to handle tests and trials, and more. You can sign up for any or all of my posts here.
Now on to God’s Word …
Today’s Readings:
Genesis 3 & 4
Psalm 2.1-6
Proverbs 1.8-9
Matthew 2.1-23
Ever Wondered, “Did God Really Say …?”
Genesis 3 & 4:
Another Voice
God had created the man and the woman and placed them in the garden to tend and keep it (Gen. 2.15). He left them with just one restriction:
And the Lord God commanded the man, saying, ‘Of every tree of the garden you may freely eat; but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die’ (Gen. 2.16-17).
But sadly, they would listen to another voice:
Now the serpent was more cunning than any beast of the field which the LORD God had made. And he said to the woman, ‘Has God indeed said, “You shall not eat of every tree of the garden”?’ (v. 3.1)
The New Living Translation says, “’Did God really say you must not eat the fruit from any of the trees in the garden?’”
The Serpent is Still Whispering, “Did God Really Say …?”
Nothing much has changed. The serpent is still whispering the same question today, trying to get us to doubt God’s Word.
“Did God really say … that homosexuality is wrong?”
“Did God really say … that I should submit to my husband? What if he’s wrong? What if I’m more spiritual?”
“Did God really say … I must forgive when someone has hurt me?”
Or maybe you wonder, “Did God really say anything? Does He actually exist?”
We’ve probably all been tempted to fill in the blank at one time or another.
You Won’t Die
Verses 4 and 5:
4 Then the serpent said to the woman, ‘You will not surely die. 5 For God knows that in the day you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.’
“… you won’t die …” In other words, God’s a liar.
“… your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God …” God is withholding something good from you! You can be like God and do what you please.”
Today he whispers much the same thing:
“You won’t die. No one will know.”
“You won’t die. In fact, you deserve it.”
“You won’t die. It’s just a little fun.”
“You won’t die. It’s just one date.”
“You won’t die. You can live together. God understands.”
But remember Jesus said Satan is the father of lies (Jn. 8.44). And he has had several thousand years to perfect them. He knows what works on us. Often He just tells us what we want to hear.
14 But each one is tempted when he is drawn away by his own desires and enticed. 15 Then, when desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, brings forth death (Jas. 1.14-15).
The Truth Is …
We need to know our enemy and not be ignorant of his devices (2 Cor. 2.11).
The devil is subtle and patient. He waits for the right time. Often, that’s when we’re tired or discouraged. Tired of waiting on God. Depressed about the circumstances of our lives or just plain weary.
No Surprise to God
But none of what happened in the garden surprised God. Even as He pronounced the curse that would come as a result of their sin, He laid down the plan of redemption (Gen. 3.15). The rest of the Old Testament moves us forward pointing to the time when He would bring that plan to fruition.
But let’s look at one more verse before we go on to our other readings.
Sin Is Crouching at the Door
Verse 7 of Chapter 4:
If you do well, will you not be accepted? And if you do not do well, sin lies at the door. And its desire is for you, but you should rule over it.
The New Living Translation says:
You will be accepted if you do what is right. But if you refuse to do what is right, then watch out! Sin is crouching at the door, eager to control you. But you must subdue it and be its master.
God was talking to and counseling a young man named Cain who was angry with and jealous of his brother, Abel. Sadly, Cain refused to listen to God.
One day Cain suggested to his brother, ‘Let’s go out into the fields.’ And while they were in the field, Cain attacked his brother, Abel, and killed him.
I don’t know who first said it, but I’ve heard it quoted many times:
Sin will take you farther than you want to go, keep you longer than you want to stay, and cost you more than you want to pay.
As we read the rest of Cain’s story, you have to wonder whether he ever considered that his sinful thoughts and attitudes would take him that far. And he certainly didn’t think it would cost him what it did, banishment. What about us? Do we heed God’s warnings when they come or do we think we can play around with sin?
Could Sin Be Crouching at the Door of Your Heart?
Sin is still crouching at the door wanting to have mastery over us. The devil whispers, “You have a right to be angry!” or some other lie and sin takes control of us instead of us subduing it with the truth.
Even things that aren’t sinful in and of themselves can tempt us to become obsessed with them instead of being single-minded and growing in the Lord. Paul said it this way:
All things are lawful for me, but not all things are profitable. All things are lawful for me, but I will not be mastered by anything (1 Cor. 6.12).
Some things are allowable, but not necessarily profitable, especially if we are at risk of being controlled by them. Sin crouches at the door ready to turn that habit or that desire into idolatry.
When you think about your interests, that hot new movie, your favorite musician or TV show, or the latest book series … ask yourself, “Did I spend an equal amount of time focused on God and ‘His-Story’?” Do you spend as much time yearning to read God’s word as you did waiting for the newest book or movie to come out? Are you compelled to get to know Him? Remember Psalm 1 in yesterday’s readings said we are to “delight ourselves in the law of the Lord” and to meditate on it day and night.
Let’s make this year the year when we grow in our desire to know Him better and learn to recognize sin when it crouches at the door.
Today’s Other Readings:
Psalm 2.1-6:
Thinking We’re Smarter than God
These verses picture the blindness of our sin nature and, through it all, God’s sovereign control.
Why do the nations rage, and the people plot a vain thing (v. 1)?
We have a habit of thinking we’re smarter than God. We make up our own rules and think we can decide what truth is. And all the while:
He who sits in the heavens shall laugh; the Lord shall hold them in derision (v. 4).
This is something many in our world today may realize too late.
Proverbs 1.8-9:
Honor Your Father & Mother
My son, hear the instruction of your father, and do not forsake the law of your mother; for they will be a graceful ornament on your head, and chains about your neck.
One of the Ten Commandments is “Honor your father and mother.” And Paul echoed that principle in Ephesians 6 when he said:
Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. ‘Honor your father and mother,’ which is the first commandment with promise: ‘that it may be well with you and you may live long on the earth.’
If we love our children we must teach them to be obedient without being harsh. Children who don’t learn to obey their parents cannot be truly blessed and may even shorten their lives through rebellion.
Just as with wives’ submission to husbands, the command does have limitations. Children are to obey their parents “in the Lord.” Children are not to obey if asked to sin. And once a child has become a self-supporting adult, he or she should continue to honor his or her parents but is no longer bound to obey in a parental sense.
A note to us as parents: In the process of teaching, we must be careful about our methods. Teaching and instructing are to be done in love and not in ways that would provoke our children to anger.
Matthew 2.1-23:
Fulfillment of Prophecy
We see at least four Old Testament prophecies being fulfilled in this chapter:
God had foretold of His Son’s birth in Bethlehem in Micah 5.2 (v. 6).
Hosea 11.1 said He would be called out of Egypt (v. 15).
Jeremiah 31.15 prophesied the death of the Jewish infants (vv. 16-18).
“He shall be called a Nazarene.” This probably meant he would be called “detestable” from Psalm 22:6-8 and Isaiah 49.7, 53.3 (vv. 22-23).
Closing Thoughts:
Psalm 19 tells us that God’s Word is perfect and sure. That it is right, true, and righteous and that by it “Your servant is warned, and in keeping [it] there is great reward.” Today’s readings warn us about how easy it is to believe what seems right to us and to question what God says. We are also warned to beware of those sins that couch at the door waiting to pounce on us.
Let’s ask for His help to believe His Word, heed His warnings, and trust in His sovereignty.
Coming Up:
As we continue through Genesis, we’ll meet real people with real stories like yours and mine. In the coming weeks, we will read about Abraham and Sarah, Isaac and Rebekah, Jacob and Rachel, Esau, and Joseph, just to name a few. We’ll witness sibling rivalry, murder, favoritism, idolatry, deception, manipulation, and revenge. But through it all, we’ll see God’s sovereignty and grace and find hope for the messes we make of our lives (Rom. 15.4).
In the New Testament, we’ll talk about the difference between regret and repentance, about fighting temptation with the sword of the Spirit, about radical surgery, and look at Jesus’ outline for prayer.
I hope you’ll prayerfully consider reading through the Bible with me again or for the first time. The readings only take 15-20 minutes a day and the commentary will help you think more deeply about what you’ve read. So, don’t forget to sign up for my daily email or subscribe here for the YouTube version.
Following along with me can help you stay on track. And I believe you’ll benefit from the additional information I share and grow as you learn to apply God’s Word to your own life.
Here’s a short video about what we’re doing on YouTube followed by the first two days’ videos.
If this post spoke to you, I hope you’ll share it on your favorite social media platform.
Blessings as you grow in Christ,
Donna ♥
Note about this post:
I began blogging through the Bible in 2012 and have done so every year since then. These posts are the product of many edits and additions throughout those years. Some days I make major changes, other days fewer.
A while ago, I read Jen Wilkin’s book None Like Him about the attributes of God. One is His incomprehensibility. In it, she says, “God is incomprehensible. This does not mean that he is unknowable, but that he is unable to be fully known.”
I have found that to be true each year as I’ve gone back through the Bible. Sometimes I find myself feeling as if a passage just appeared there for the first time. I’m reminded that no matter how many times we read through the Bible, we have only scratched the surface. I hope you feel the same.
Indeed these are the mere edges of His ways,
And how small a whisper we hear of Him!
But the thunder of His power who can understand?” (Job 26.14)
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