“And the Lord
God commanded the man [Adam], 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.”” (Genesis 2:16,17)
The death penalty for eating fruit from a tree seems extremely
harsh!! We would judge any society inflicting such a severe penalty as brutal
and barbaric. Yet, God’s judgment is clear and emphatic. “You will surely
die.” We could paraphrase it, “Be absolutely clear, you will most certainly
die.” If the Bible shows us who God really is, then does this reveal a barbaric
God?
The LORD’s command to Adam was a simple test of obedience.
It did not require great intelligence, might or will power. The test revealed
whether or not Adam would acknowledge God as sovereign. To eat of the tree was
to send a message that God had no right to tell him what he could or, could not
do. This is the essence of what the Bible calls “sin.” It is man refusing God
the right to be God. The LORD’s answer to such rebellion is, “you shall surely
die.”
We can never appreciate the necessity of Christ’s crucifixion until we see the true
nature of God. Jesus did not die on the cross as a martyr. He died because of
the demands of a holy God.
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