Bible Pathways - January 1, 2006

January 1, 2006

Read Genesis 1

In Today's Reading:

Creation of all things; creation of Adam and Eve; temptation by Satan; Adam and Eve rebel against God and forfeit Garden of Eden

God made mankind in His image and His likeness (Genesis 1:26). He made us different from every animal. God is a Spirit: and they that worship Him must worship Him in spirit and in truth (John 4:24). No animal has a God consciousness or is capable of worshiping God.

The LORD God took the man (Adam), and put him into the Garden of Eden to dress it and to keep it (Genesis 2:15). Man's responsibility was to obey the Word of God and to take care of His garden. However, God allowed man's love, loyalty, and obedience to be tested.

In Eden, we are introduced to Satan, the one who came in the guise of the serpent (3:1). He is also called the dragon, that old serpent . . . the Devil. . . Satan (Revelation 20:2; also Isaiah 14:12; Matthew 13:39; I Peter 5:8; Revelation 12:10). He did not reveal himself as the enemy of God or as a wicked deceiver intent on destroying every enjoyment of mankind (John 8:44). His intent was, and still is, to prevent man from obeying his Creator. First, Satan tried to create doubt concerning the truth of what God had said. He implied that God was withholding the best enjoyments in life from Adam and Eve. He asked: Hath God said, Ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden? (Genesis 3:1). This was followed by Satan's partial truth, which was a lie: God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil (3:5). At that moment, Eve chose to rely on her good judgment rather than the Word of God. She began to "covet" what belonged to God and disregarded His ownership and authority. When she saw that the tree was good for food, and . . . pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make one wise (she chose to trespass on God's property and), she took of the fruit thereof, and did eat (3:6).

On that day, Adam and Eve, the father and mother of all mankind, chose to eat the forbidden fruit. They sinned and consequently died spiritually and they became destined to die physically. From that moment on, all of Adam's descendants inherited his sinful, disobedient nature. So death passed upon all men (Romans 5:12).

Christ Revealed:

As Creator (Genesis 1:1). John 1:1-4; Colossians 1:15-17; Hebrews 11:3. As the Seed of woman (Genesis 3:15; Isaiah 7:14; 9:6-7). God sent forth His Son, made of a woman (Galatians 4:4).

Word Studies:

1:29 meat = food in general; 2:10 heads = branches, rivers; 2:14 Hiddekel = Tigris; 2:24 cleave = cling; 3:1 subtil = shrewd, crafty, sly; 3:13 beguiled = deceived, seduced, led astray; 3:15 it = her Seed (Jesus Christ); bruise = wound.

Prayer Needs:

Pray for our Military worldwide · Government Officials [listed on their birthdays]: Sen. Jon Corzine (NJ), Rep. Darrell Issa (CA), Rep. Robert Menendez (NJ), and Rep. John Sullivan (OK) · Country: China, Mainland (1.2 billion) in eastern Asia · Major languages: Standard Chinese (Putonghua) or Mandarin (based on the Beijing dialect) · Renewed persecution of the Church · 18% Chinese folk-religionist; 6% Buddhist; 2% Muslim; number of Christians unknown but growing · Prayer Suggestion: Pray for our nation, that it would truly be a Christian nation (Psalm 67:1-7).

Optional Reading: Matthew 1

NOTE: Bible Pathway covers the Old Testament with devotional and commentary insights over a nine-month period, January through September. Each day during these months, an optional reading of one chapter a day from the New Testament will also be listed. The October, November, and December issues will provide a daily commentary on the New Testament readings. Thus, the reader goes through the New Testament twice each year using the Bible Pathway plan.

Memory Verse for the Week: Colossians 1:12