We are still in the midst of discussing the major scenes in Genesis, chapters one through three. Today, we will continue from where we left off last time. By the way, there are numerous events in those chapters, but we have selected a few key moments to guide us toward our goal: understanding the marriage between one man and one woman according to the word of God.
We concluded the last post with this idea: God confronting Adam about his sin was not intended to judge, chide, or ridicule him but to encourage him to confess his sin without trying to hide anything from God.
We may ask. Why does God want us to confess our sins? He already knows everything. God fully and completely understands what we have done, what we would like to do, and what we will do in the future. Given this, why does He still desire our confession?
Wow! This is an excellent doctrinal question!
You see, when we confess our sin, do you know what we are declaring?
We are saying: God is holy, and we are not. We are sinners; God is Holy. God and His word are true; we are liars. God is the only One worthy to receive glory, honor, and power. We are worthless apart from His mercy.
Do you know what that is?
That is glorifying our Lord and Savior, our God, Jesus Christ.
I am sure you know the story recorded in the Book of Joshua. God granted the Israelites victory after victory through Joshua’s leadership. Then God instructed them to take over Ai.
Before the war, Joshua sent spies to determine how many people should go up against Ai. The spies returned and reported to Joshua about Ai and its inhabitants, saying,
“Do not have all the people go up, but let about two or three thousand men go up and attack Ai. Do not make the whole people toil up there, for they are few.” Joshua 7:3 ESV
So, with full confidence, the commander-in-chief, Joshua, sent three thousand men to take over Ai.
Listen:
“So about three thousand men went up there from the people. And they fled before the men of Ai, and the men of Ai killed about thirty-six of their men and chased them before the gate as far as Shebarim and struck them at the descent. And the hearts of the people melted and became as water.” Joshua 7:4-5 ESV
What? How? What happened? Was the spies’ report a lie, or what?
No, there was a man among the people of God who sinned against God. While God’s instruction was to devote everything to destruction, one of the men salvaged something and hid it to use after the war was over.
You can read the whole story later, but after a discussion (with God involved in and leading the whole process), the man who disobeyed God’s command was revealed. It was Achan. Once Joshua discovered the truth, he said to Achan:
“My son, give glory to the Lord God of Israel and give praise to him. And tell me now what you have done; do not hide it from me.”” Joshua 7:19 ESV
Do you see it?
“Give glory to the Lord God of Israel and give praise to Him!”
How?
By confessing exactly what you did, you acknowledge that God is righteous and you are a sinner. You declare that God is the truth and you are a liar. You accept that the judgment coming from God because of your actions is right and just.
This indeed glorifies God! Glorifying God is the calling of His people. When they glorify Him, it will be well with them. Glorifying God means agreeing with who He is, considering Him accordingly, and confirming and affirming that God and His words are true.
Yes, Achan glorified God and declared Him as righteous in all His judges, and he was stoned to death.
In the case of Adam, when God asked him, “Have you eaten of the tree of which I commanded you not to eat?” (Genesis 3:11b ESV), Adam completely missed his opportunity to glorify God and ask for God’s forgiveness by saying,
“The woman whom you gave to be with me, she gave me fruit of the tree, and I ate.” Genesis 3:12 ESV
In essence, this is what Adam said to God:
I hope You won’t consider me guilty here. Think about it. Ask Yourself first: Did I ever come to You and say, “I feel lonely, please create a life partner for me?” Did I ever tell You, “My life as a single man is boring and not enjoyable?” The answer to both questions is an emphatic NO. It was You who saw my good life, innocent and free from disobedience and sin, and said, “It is not good for Adam to be alone.” Did I lie? Nope! You are the One who brought this woman into my life. And now, do You really think it was me who stretched out my hand and cut the fruit, the fruit You clearly commanded me not to eat, saying, “For in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die?” No way! I wouldn’t do that in a thousand years. It was the woman You brought into my life who stretched her hand and cut the fruit and gave it to me, not me. I am still the innocent Adam You created. Hold responsible those who are guilty because I am not.
Wow! Wow! Wow! Adam! What are you saying? What are you doing? God is giving you an eternal opportunity here to come clean with Him. Why are you wasting it?
King David, the great, great grandfather of Jesus Christ, grieved God with a grievous sin by taking the wife of one of his faithful soldiers, making her pregnant, and killing her husband to hide what he had done (2 Samuel 11-12). Then, by His infinite mercy and patience, as He always does with all of us, God confronted David with his sin through God’s prophet, Nathan (2 Samuel 12).
Do you know what David said to God when He confronted him with his sin?
Listen:
”
Have mercy on me, O God,
according to your steadfast love;
according to your abundant mercy
blot out my transgressions.
Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity,
and cleanse me from my sin!
For I know my transgressions,
and my sin is ever before me.
Against you, you only, have I sinned
and done what is evil in your sight,
so that you may be justified in your words
and blameless in your judgment.
Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity,
and in sin did my mother conceive me.
Behold, you delight in truth in the inward being,
and you teach me wisdom in the secret heart.
Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean;
wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.
Let me hear joy and gladness;
let the bones that you have broken rejoice.
Hide your face from my sins,
and blot out all my iniquities.
Create in me a clean heart, O God,
and renew a right spirit within me.
Cast me not away from your presence,
and take not your Holy Spirit from me.
Restore to me the joy of your salvation,
and uphold me with a willing spirit.
Then I will teach transgressors your ways,
and sinners will return to you.
Deliver me from blood guiltiness, O God,
O God of my salvation,
and my tongue will sing aloud of your righteousness.
O Lord, open my lips,
and my mouth will declare your praise.
For you will not delight in sacrifice, or I would give it;
you will not be pleased with a burnt offering.
The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit;
a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise.” Psalm 51:1-17 ESV
Do you see the stark contrast between Adam and David? David received the mercy of God, but Adam—representing all humanity—still struggles to own his sin, confess his sin, and glorify God . . . cont’d ///