Seduced!
But I am afraid that, as the serpent deceived Eve by his craftiness, your minds will be led astray from the simplicity and purity of devotion to Christ. 2 Corinthians 11:3 NASB
Led astray – “Everyone’s human. I just made a mistake!” That might be the conclusion we draw from the translation “led astray.” After all, no one’s perfect. We all get distracted. We all take detours. What does it really matter?
Unfortunately, the Greek verb isn’t quite so accommodating. Phtheiro really means, “to destroy, to corrupt, to perish.” Its Hebrew equivalent is shahat, “to destroy” (e.g. Jeremiah 48:18). According to Paul’s Greek and the LXX Hebrew, we aren’t being distracted. We are being destroyed!
Consider the implications. Did you think that the “all-forgiving” God would just overlook that small indiscretion? Did you think your brief moral vacation really didn’t make much difference? Did you think that as long as no one else is hurt what you do by yourself it really doesn’t matter? As Gandalf says, “I have found it is the small things; every day deeds of ordinary folk that keeps the darkness at bay. Simple acts of kindness and love.”[1] And as its opposite, tiny acts of rebellion, slivers of malicious intent, fragments of selfishness encourage the darkness. Disorder, confusion, chaos in any form produce lawlessness, the opposite of godly instruction. “Led astray”? No, I don’t think so. Only the wiles of the yetzer ha’ra could convince us that we were led astray when we ourselves were giving the directions.
Paul has reason to be concerned, to be afraid. Seduction is a matter of inner justification. Havvah sins before she ever touched the fruit of the tree. She sinned as soon as she decided it was acceptable for her. She sinned the instant she determined to listen to her own ethical justification rather than follow the directions of the words of YHWH. We are no less seduced in the same moment; that moment we determine that this act, this thought, this intention is beneficial for me in spite of the fact that it is not God’s direction. The craftiness of the one who walks, talks and has a hidden agenda is not unknown to us. In fact, we are ourselves the less-than-transparent seducers of our own souls. That serpent in the Garden is a lot more like me than any snake I have ever known.
Paul longs for followers to experience “simplicity and purity.” The NASB adds “of devotion,” perhaps because they think the ideas aren’t clear enough. haplotes and hagnotes summarize conformity to His character. The first describes a person without an ulterior motive; a person like Adam before he adopted the camouflage of the serpent. The second (hagnotes) is a word that originally describes “what inspires awe,” but came to mean inner moral and ritual purity. It is putting into practice the revealed word of the Master. I am not sure “devotion” offers much clarification.
To be, or not to be—the serpent, that is the question. To be one who submits and follows or to be one who directs the outcomes. Which one are you? Skin or scales?
Topical Index: led astray, destroy, phtheiro, shahat, serpent, hagnotes, haplotes, 2 Corinthians 11:3
Ok, just a question.
If the Hebraic understanding of faith encompasses not simply hearing God’s instructions (Torah) but also doing them, how is it that thinking about sinning constitutes sinning as mentioned above when “She sinned as soon as she decided it was acceptable for her. She sinned the instant she determined to listen to her own ethical justification rather than follow the directions of the words of YHWH,” rather than when she actually partook of the fruit?
Is it that the thinking of the sin, as in rolling it around and embracing the substance of the act mentally and inwardly, is somehow different than a deliberate (and inward) exercise to put energy in to it and carrying out the action? If so, it seems this is a very slippery and difficult proposition to manage within our ability to size up a situation in an attempt to grasp and understand the particular instruction. After all, it seems Havvah juggled the ramifications and came to the conclusion, falsely, that she was interpreting his instructions correctly and it would result in benefiting her mate, thus profiting her man.
Somehow I perceive I am stuck in my previous theological thinking paradigm because I easily embraced the concept that it was a cinch to “just overlook that small indiscretion” and move on nary perturbed nor distressed. God is, after all, a gracious and forgiving one. No real BIG deal!
This feels like getting mucked up in technicalities, however, I truly have sifted through repeated conversations with myself in this regard. Is evaluating a sin, a sin? Is vividly contemplating consequences of a sin, a sin? Are my mental and moral capacities simply too undisciplined to think about and then act appropriately?
Basically, I sense that my troubles in this regard originate from a simple ignorance of the totality of his instructions in a real way. I have cloaked his clear instructions with a cloud of hearsay and opinion bereft of truth. I justify because I am ignorant that I am even doing it! I’m so engulfed in a manner of thinking that I am ignorantly inexperienced in handling his words correctly, thus, deciding wrongfully, sinfully.
I have allowed it all to become too complicated, too concocted, too religious. I desire to shake all that off and to walk in the simplicity and purity Shaul alludes to.
Michael! So super great to see that kind face! How are things?
“Basically, I sense that my troubles in this regard originate from a simple ignorance of the totality of his instructions in a real way. I have cloaked his clear instructions with a cloud of hearsay and opinion bereft of truth.”
Yep, Exactly. However, while we are shaking off the cloud of hearsay and purposeful manipulation of YHVH’s REAL instructions for living, let us not turn to a checklist of tasks. Let us crave, reach out to, dream of pleasing our Father Who loves us indescribably. Thrive on relationship with Him. Bask in His presence, His Hand of tender guidance.
From the calendar’s point, Passover is almost here… but from God’s Viewpoint, He passed over us who serve ONLY Him with His plagues of dying and death about ? 3000 years or so ago.
PRAISE YHVH. I pray that all here celebrate the Feast of Passover with joy and thanksgiving… not with drudgery of this and that task. Getting the leaven out is a lifetime process.
True regarding the upcoming feast. Thx, Daria.
Hi Michael!
I think the difference between contemplating sin and contemplating righteous has to do with intent. Simply allowing our minds to proceed in a direction that we know is away from Torah is already an “act” of defiance. Even if the mind “accidentally” drifts into thinking about wrong things, there is a moment of decision that sears the conscience if you allow the drift to continue, thereby making the next drift a little easier.
Torah makes provision for sin of ignorance but there is no provision for intentional sin. So if one is weighing the consequences of getting off the path, clearly the choice has already been fueled by intention — that is, it’s not happening by accident, is it?
To contemplate His commands though is to think on what is true, honorable, right and pure; and as it says somewhere “against these things there is no law”.
IT’S ABOUT THE FRUIT YOU PICK!
God knew exactly what He was creating when man
appeared on earth.
Created man would be so taken with how incredibly
created he was, that he could easily see no reason
to look beyond himself for information, guidance or
decision making.
WHAT A DELICIOUS LOOKING APPLE! HMMM . . .
How easily man misses “the power at work within him
that is able to accomplish abundantly far more than all
he could ask or imagine.” Eph 3:20 (paraphrased)
When man misses the eternal, he misses everything
and sees nothing. “Whoever has no rules over his spirit
is like a city broken down without walls.” Prov 25:28
BUT, OH, THE RIGHT FRUIT!
“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace,
longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness
gentleness, self-control.” Gal 5: 22-23
Bingo! Self-control.
It’s all in the fruit you pick!!!
Thanks for this, Rich.
Something excellent for me to “chew on” today!
The Passion Within
~ But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed ~ (James 1.14)
Here they come..!! More Questions. Questions for Adam and for Eve. May we proceed?
(With 20/20 hindsight) -Adam, are you smarter than a fifth grader? Are you, Adam, smarter than God? All you and the Mrs. had to do was obey God. You had all the other fruit to enjoy and you lived in Paradise, a perfect environment. You had each other and you had an intimate relationship with your Creator, who walked with you in the cool of the evening.. and yet.. – your “desire,” your “passion” was for more.. The “age-old” universal desire for more.. Yes Adam, we all desire “more..” We just can’t seem to get enough.. But enough “what?”
Passion is certainly “God-given”, but to be passionate or strongly desire the “wrong” things is… (well..)- “wrong.” Ahh, but wrong according to “who?” Who says, this, that or the other thing is “wrong?” Yes, Adam, – “Who” sets the standard? Say.. “Whose Law is this, anyway?”
Now, I know, Mr. Adam, by the time Mr. Pharaoh came along you had turned to dust, but he did ask a very good question.. ~ Who is the LORD that I should obey Him? ~ Adam.. – I’m still talking to you! “Who is the LORD that you (Adam) should obey Him?’ And Adam, what happens when you disobey the direct, clear and concise instructions of your Maker? Yes, you and the Mrs. remember this all too well. Not only remembrance, but regret! “Why did we not obey His simple instruction?” Disobedience (sin) is foolish!
If we ‘fast-forward’ several millennia to David (and Adam’s) greater Son, our LORD Jesus (who is the) Christ, we might ask our own selves, – “Who is the most obedient Man ever to have lived? Who never sinned or transgressed the Torah of YHWH, – no, not once? Who was the only “perfect” Man ever to have lived?
You would think that, by now, we would know.. (the word of God is eternally true)- “the wages of sin is death”. “Sin will take you farther than you want to go, keep you longer than you want to stay and cost you more than you want to pay.” Are there any besides Adam (or Abraham, or Moses, or David) who might testify as to the damning consequences of willingly, willfully, wrongfully disobeying God?
What we (all) need is a new “want-to.” We need (simply) to choose and to refuse. To willingly, knowingly choose the good and to willingly, knowingly refuse the evil and to keep on keeping on doing, – day after day, this very thing.
Simple? Very. Obey your Father. Obey the LORD. ~ Whatever He says unto you- “do it!’ ~ (John 2.5)
And to end this simple story with a simple question: Is God pleased with our obedience?
~ What do the scriptures say?
~ Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to hearken (shema!) than the fat of rams ~ (1 Samuel 15.22)
Friends, – what are the consequences of obedience? May His words be our testimony- and may this also be our own heart’s desire: ~ I always do the things that are pleasing to Him ~ (John 8.29)