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Discussion Forum : Devotional Thoughts : Two Sets of Thorns!!

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 Two Sets of Thorns!!

Two Sets of Thorns
Dr. Jack E. Simon


Genesis 3:17-19 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; Thorns
also and thistles shall it bring forth to thee; and thou shalt eat the
herb of the field; In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread, till
thou return unto the ground; for out of it was thou taken: for dust
thou [art], and unto dust shalt thou return.


I was recently doing a study in Genesis. Three things came to mind
after reading the account of the sin of Adam and Eve.

1. First was the realization of nakedness. Adam had named all the animals and his wife, so I’m sure he also came up with the word ‘naked’. There was no concept of clothing or nakedness before their eyes were opened by the eating of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.

2. The second was the realization of ‘work’. In Genesis 2 we see that God after creating Adam, put him in the garden to ‘dress it and keep it’. However like the concept of nakedness, there was no concept of work. Adams ‘pre-fall’ existence was that of innocence and intimacy with his God, his wife, and his surroundings (the garden). The loss of this innocence resulted in the loss of intimacy with God and the ground. It would take work and sweat to tend the ground to raise food.

3. The third was the realization of responsibility. God made it clear to Adam that it was his fault for the loss of paradise (Gen. 3-17). Adam was also made aware that while he would still maintain the intimacy with his wife, he would have conflict outside of the garden. Thorns would be a constant reminder of his fall, as would the issues of childbirth and submission for Eve. Only death would release them from their toil and the cares of life that they did not know before.

Jesus tell the parable of the sower of the seed in the three synoptic gospels.
Each writer tells us that He refers to the thorns as the ‘cares of life’ that choke out the word and cause a person to be unfruitful. While we cannot undo the results of Adam’s fall and how it affected history and each of us individually, we can adjust our own mindset to be fulfilled and used of God.

The following may seem very basic.
Each person has a two levels of nakedness.
1. First is the physical nakedness. As God gave Adam and Eve animal skins to cover themselves, we cover ourselves with clothing. It is not only an issue of modesty, in most communities it is also law.
2. The second is found in Revelations 3:17-19, written to the Laodiceans. It talks about fulfilling the cares of life (leading to a lukewarm experience) and spiritual nakedness. This caused God to call them unto repentance. Each of us, when we are drawn by Christ, have our eyes opened. As we obey His word and repent, we reverse the effects of Adam’s sin and begin our journey back toward spiritual innocence. As we are baptized and receive His Spirit, we put on Christ and allow Him to cover our spiritual nakedness and remove our lusts of the sins of the flesh. (Romans 13:13-14)

As we begin to walk with God, our outlook toward our circumstances should change.
• Ephesians 6:5 tells us that we are to serve our masters (bosses) as if we are serving Christ. Yes, we still have to work, but when we realize that we are working for Jesus, the sweat and thorns diminish in size compared to the realization that we have to opportunity to be a light to a lost and dying world while we perform our duties.

• In Genesis 3:18 we see the beginning of thorns. In the gospels we read how they represent the cares of life in the parable of the sower. It is amazing that most Christians accept His scourging for our healing, and His crucifixion for our salvation, and never comprehend the second set of thorns. He carried a cross while wearing a crown of thorns. The very thorns that symbolized responsibility for sin and the cares of life.

• The leather of the whip came from the animals He created, the cross came from a tree He grew, and the thorns He allowed to grow in the ground cursed because of sin. No, we cannot change the aftermath of Adam’s sin, but we can live in joy knowing that He has made provision for us, both physically and spiritually. Yes, He forgives our sins, but He also takes our cares of life and frees us to be used in His kingdom.

1 Peter 5:7 says “ . . . casting all your care upon him; for he careth
for you.” He wore the thorns to prove it.



_________________
R.Chandrasekaran

 2008/2/12 7:53Profile





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