Gods Curse~Alienation

I find the results of alienation astounding~it is no longer a wonderment that people do not recognize Gods presence and authority.  It's seems as though this is part of the curse, continued rebellion against the One who made us. Estrangement from the rest of creation is fascinating...I picture gentle rain, perhaps thunder and pretty lightning but it NEVER strikes, is never a danger to humans.  I see playing with wild animals and never feeling threatened by them, that this was Gods design, his plan for us and instead, it's like natures gentleness turned into a snarl and man must live cowering from it, rather than reigning with God over it.  Unity, alignment with God, one another, nature, these are skewed.  God does not leave us here though, his plan is magnificent, until next time in the Bible. 

God Isn't Mean

The result of the first rebellion against Gods will is that evil was implanted in human hearts. Genesis explains that the worlds evil does not come from some defect in Gods creation, it comes from mans rejection of Gods plan for his created beings. If God were an umbrella and his children wanted to stay dry, it would behoove them to stay under the protective covering~instead, Adam and Eve decided to go against Gods advisement and in so doing, they and we as direct descendants, have had to brave the storm so to speak, ever since. Consequence is a natural law, cause and effect exists and we have all experienced the "if I do this, that will happen" in life and this law holds true in relationship with God. His offering was parental, protective, a covering and a supplying of all good things for human pleasure and liveliness.  Man and woman chose, using freedom of will, to reject Gods offer in favour of something else...would you and I have done the same?  Results and effects?  Humans no longer recognize Gods presence, his authority; there is shame, fractured relationships with God and other humans; estrangement from the rest of creation and death.  The gifts were rescinded, not because God is mean, but because man didn't recognize a good thing when he saw it, felt it, had it already...Until next time in the Bible.

Rest Blessed

The introduction to Genesis speaks about "God desires to bless his people but he will not tolerate rebellion and unbelief". In Hebrews this sentiment is echoed "Without faith, it is impossible to please him".  The first five books of the Bible are written for clarity, for the sake of teaching Israel that the world was created, ordered, populated by the one true God, not the created by humans gods of the surrounding nations. In Genesis, God blessed animals, humans, and the Sabbath, his seventh day, the one of rest.  The Bible states that man is made in Gods own image to enjoy sovereign dominance over creatures and participate in Sabbath rest.  God modelled rest, and our current calendar is a direct reflection of Gods sovereign design, with weeks being apportioned to 7 days each.  It is the Israelites that followed Gods lead...fascinating, isn't it, that our time is marked and counted in this way? God created order, a plan to follow with rest built into the plan and more significantly, God blessed rest...Until next time in the Bible.