Scripture

Our verse for today comes from Genesis 3:6, ” So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree desirable to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate. She also gave to her husband with her, and he ate. “

Background

The truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth, so help you God. We’re very familiar with these words of oath as uttered in courtrooms all across our country. They are intended to limit the speaker to telling only the verifiable facts known to them as a witness, but also to compel them to tell all of those same facts. Nothing should be added, and nothing is to be omitted. In the setting of the courts, we know this to be a sham. How else could you explain the scenarios where the defense attorney draws out from his witness certain points that paint the picture he desires, while the prosecution addresses the same witness and gets a more complete story, or one that leaves an entirely different impression? In cases such as these, truth appears to be relative.

Application

Eve tried her hand at telling a version of the truth. She had been deceived by the deceiver, and so truth for her had been reshaped. She had been convinced that God told part of the truth, and Satan had filled in the gaps. And now, the tree that was declared off limits by her Maker was not so forbidden. In fact, the truth was, the tree was good for food. Her truth saw fruit hanging there and knew that it would satisfy her hunger. Indeed, it was fully edible and tasty, but her truth no longer included the fact of eternal hunger that it would bring to her soul. Now, her truth saw the fruit as pleasant to the eyes. It wasn’t rotten or infested with bugs or worms, and she didn’t suffer from food poisoning afterwards. But her truth ignored the fact of ultimate death and separation that was to come. Now, her truth said that the tree would complete her learning process, that she would more aptly share in God’s wisdom and truth. But she did not consider how wisdom begins with the fear of the Lord, and there was no good in knowing evil. And so she ate. And man’s truth has never been the same since. That’s why we must cling to God’s whole truth. There’s no place for believing or uttering anything more, or less.

Charge

As we seek Him today, consider whether you are believing God’s whole truth, and whether anything other than that comes from your lips.