In Genesis 2 God plants the garden of Eden and puts in it trees that are “pleasing to the eye and good for food.” In Genesis 3 after talking with the serpent, Eve looks at the forbidden tree and “sees” that it is “pleasing to the eye, good for food, and desirable to make one wise.” The first two are true. That is how God made them, but the last one about making us wise, is a lie. Genesis 2 does not tell us that God endowed that fruit with that power. A lot has been said about lies that we believe, and since the text says “Eve saw that it was,” that is evidence that she believed what the serpent told her. She saw what wasn’t even there, so much so that she desired it more than maintaining her relationship with God who had provided everything else. Books have already been written about this. “You shall know the truth, and the truth shall set you free.”

But later in Genesis 3 God is speaking with Eve and He says, “Your desire will be for your husband, and he will rule over you.” I know this verse triggers a lot of people so mindful breathing please. Hang in there I’m going somewhere with this. 🙂 

Jump over to Genesis 4:7, and God is speaking with Cain and He says, “Sin is crouching at the door, it desires to have you, but you must rule over it.” It’s the same two words/phrases: Desire, rule over. 

Three times in these two chapters the word “Desire” is used. And twice God addresses this desire and shows us that what we desire has power over us. It rules us, because just as with the fruit we move toward our desires, even if the desired object can’t give us what we seek. We all know this really. We use the imagery of falling to describe entering into love, because those first moments of vulnerability are both thrilling and terrifying. Desiring something or someone, makes us vulnerable to that something or someone.

We also know that desired objects don’t always live up to expectations. “Buy this and it will do your hair in a way that makes people love and admire you.” “Take this pill and you’ll be svelte and 25 forever!” The serpent is not always so brazenly vulgar, but you get the idea. We want it to be true, but security and freedom in human relationships is far more complicated than finding the right grooming products or the right pill.

In Cain’s case, Sin crouched at the door of his mind whispering little seductions until the Sin was in his mind, it’s desires in his heart. Like a serpent coiling through his thoughts, it destroyed two brothers with one strike.

Then that little serpent laughs because he is the one holding our strings and causing us pain. He would like us to believe that God will treat us the same way, if we give Him the strings our desires create. But is this true?

Eve desired wisdom, to be like God, yet God was right there. Proverbs says Wisdom was with God when the earth was formed, delighting in mankind. Also that Wisdom calls to us, and begs to be our teacher. A relationship, a mentorship it is more work than eating a piece of fruit, but it lasts, and it’s real!

In 2 Sam 12 God speaks to David through the prophet Nathan and says, “I gave you the kingdom, and if this had been too small, I would have given you more.”

To Solomon, when he asked God for wisdom, God said, “because you asked Me for wisdom, I will give you Wisdom and everything else!”

Jesus said “If you who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask!”

And in James it says, “If anyone lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all, without finding fault, and it will be given.”

God begins with giving. He gave us life. He gave us companionship, both with Himself and each other. He gave us a place of beauty and good food to live, and in Jesus He even gives us His life. “And if that is not enough? ASK! I will give you the kingdom!” This is how God treats us.  

Rule 1: Love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, mind and strength. Desire God and God alone. That would mean that we are vulnerable to God. He would have immense power over us. And He is powerful already, but now He would hold absolute power over us, because He is all that we desire. No competing desires would sway us to disobey His wishes. 

He says, make me your only desire. You will be vulnerable, yes, but to the One entity in the universe who is Good. The One person who will not hurt you. He says in Jeremiah 29:11, “I know the plans I have for you. Plans to prosper you and not to harm you. Plans to give you hope and a future. Then you will call on me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.” 

Some of you may not be ready to trust God so completely, just yet. Some people don’t like the idea that God has a plan for them. They want to think they are in control. But if sin has a plan for you, if it is crouching at your door, then you need a game plan, or control may be just another lie.