Sticks intro sampler - Flipbook - Page 29
precipice of the land God promised—but could they, would they, choose wisely
and actually reach it?
Moses begins the Torah with God’s creative activity: breathing the world into
order and breathing life into his image bearers. The Creator exhorted Adam and
Eve to enjoy all the trees in the Garden, even the Tree of Life. But there was one
limitation: They were not to eat the fruit of the Tree of the Knowledge of Good
and Evil.
It’s God’s garden and God’s covenant with Adam and Eve, so he gets to set the
terms. Do you bristle at that? I know I do. My Western culture encourages me
to be self-sufficient and independent, without limitations. Good or bad, those
are some of the messages I’m consuming on a regular basis, and they’ve shaped
me, whether I like to admit it or not. That’s why living on God’s terms can be a
challenge.
But your limitations, and mine, were designed by our Creator in love. I know
as soon as I mention our limitations, some of us are already problem-solving our
finitude. But taking matters into our own hands is not
going to lead to flourishing lives. Adam and Eve will
The qualities in the
show us that much is true.
Garden of Eden put
Embracing that God knows best and has our best in
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human nature to a test.
mind is a truth I hope takes root in our souls through
this lesson. We don’t have to have all the answers to
Terje Stordalen, Echoes of Eden
make wise choices—we need to trust God’s wisdom
and wait on him to dispense wisdom to us as we come
to him with our questions, seek out wise counsel, and search the Scriptures for
guidance.
As we follow the tree line and zoom in on the Garden of Eden, Moses will
teach us about ourselves, our world, and the human condition through the tale
of two trees.
You’re going to see in this lesson that taking matters into our own hands is not
going to lead to flourishing lives.
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S T I C KS
