Eve, the Serpent and A Cardiologist – Sunday Thought For The Day

As I recently shared, three weeks ago I spent a week in the hospital.  What I didn’t share was that I almost died.  A point my cardiologist made abundantly clear to me as he stared me in the eyes telling me it was my own fault, because I had decided to not obey his directives.  A point also emphasized to me in no uncertain terms by my primary doctor three days later.

I didn’t need to be told again.  I’ve followed their instructions since and in the past weeks I’ve experienced miraculous recovery.  What did I do to nearly cause myself fatal harm?  I stopped following their instructions in mid-August, foolishly believing I could pick and choose which instructions to follow.

2022 had started out with me seemingly out of nowhere experiencing a plethora of health issues.  But, quickly, I began to witness God’s healing hands upon me.  By March I was well on the way to full recovery and my cardiologist specifically, was very pleased.  In May and July, I was no longer seeing my pulmonologist and my cardiologist was saying that very soon I’d need only see him annually.  In mid-August, I had urological surgery and I was firing on all cylinders.  Feeling that good and with everything going my way, not following instructions should have been the last thing I did, but it became the first.  Such is the way with sin in our daily walk.

At first, it seemed my decision was the right one.  I felt okay, but by November I was experiencing symptoms I have no desire to relive.  I don’t share this for sympathy, I share it as an allegorical cautionary experience to Genesis chapter three in the Word of God.

Adam and Eve started out being obedient too God’s directive to them.  They enjoyed everything in the Garden of Eden save a single tree in midst of it.

There’s much to be said here,  but I select two things to tie this to the point I want to make.  The first is: the serpent didn’t question the fact that “God had said,” but rather he questioned the reason “God had said,” thereby subtly introducing doubt/question.  The second, as the Cambridge Bible Commentary notes: “in the serpent’s mouth the general name, “God” (Elohim), is used, and not the sacred name “Jehovah” (Lord), and the woman replying [quickly] takes up the serpent’s words and lack of reverence.”

Thus it is with disobedience, which is sin, which leads to death.  You see, I never questioned that my cardiologist had given me explicit instructions, I questioned the reason and validity for them.  He went from knowing best, to my believing the outcome of my actions wouldn’t be bad.  Until, that is, my actions almost cost me my life.  Even then, the fact that I did not experience the effects of my decision right away, reinforced my belief that there were no consequences for my action.

This is a perfect example of the way sin works when we disobey God.  He ceases to be Jehovah and His Word becomes something that we determine the extent of our obedience to, based upon our reasoning.

God instructs us to obey and the consequences for not obeying are death.  Christ’s sacrificial death on the cross for our sins is only effective if we accept Him as the Son of God our Lord and Savior; and confess and repent, i.e., turn from our wicked, disobedient ways.

This parallel was driven home to me in no uncertain terms.  I pray my example is one that you will benefit from.  If we accept Christ as our Savior and determine that we will follow after the Word of God, we will not suffer the consequences of of a life of disobedience.

READ:
Genesis 3:1-21 KJV
1 Now the serpent was more subtil than any beast of the field which the Lord God had made. And he said unto the woman, Yea, hath God said, Ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden?

2 And the woman said unto the serpent, We may eat of the fruit of the trees of the garden:

3 But of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God hath said, Ye shall not eat of it, neither shall ye touch it, lest ye die.

4 And the serpent said unto the woman, Ye shall not surely die:

5 For 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.

6 And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make one wise, she took of the fruit thereof, and did eat, and gave also unto her husband with her; and he did eat.

7 And the eyes of them both were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together, and made themselves aprons.

8 And they heard the voice of the Lord God walking in the garden in the cool of the day: and Adam and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the Lord God amongst the trees of the garden.

9 And the Lord God called unto Adam, and said unto him, Where art thou?

10 And he said, I heard thy voice in the garden, and I was afraid, because I was naked; and I hid myself.

11 And he said, Who told thee that thou wast naked? Hast thou eaten of the tree, whereof I commanded thee that thou shouldest not eat?

12 And the man said, The woman whom thou gavest to be with me, she gave me of the tree, and I did eat.

13 And the Lord God said unto the woman, What is this that thou hast done? And the woman said, The serpent beguiled me, and I did eat.

14 And the Lord God said unto the serpent, Because thou hast done this, thou art cursed above all cattle, and above every beast of the field; upon thy belly shalt thou go, and dust shalt thou eat all the days of thy life:

15 And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel.

16 Unto the woman he said, I will greatly multiply thy sorrow and thy conception; in sorrow thou shalt bring forth children; and thy desire shall be to thy husband, and he shall rule over thee.

17 And unto Adam he said, Because thou hast hearkened unto the voice of thy wife, and hast eaten of the tree, of which I commanded thee, saying, Thou shalt not eat of it: cursed is the ground for thy sake; in sorrow shalt thou eat of it all the days of thy life;

18 Thorns also and thistles shall it bring forth to thee; and thou shalt eat the herb of the field;

19 In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread, till thou return unto the ground; for out of it wast thou taken: for dust thou art, and unto dust shalt thou return.

20 And Adam called his wife’s name Eve; because she was the mother of all living.

21 Unto Adam also and to his wife did the Lord God make coats of skins, and clothed them.