Genesis 3:1 Now the serpent was more crafty than any of the wild animals the Lord God had made. He said to the woman, “Did God really say, ‘You must not eat from any tree in the garden’?”
Sometimes little things can make a big difference! When I am grading a math test kids miss problems because of little mistakes. They don’t reduce, or forget if an answer is negative not positive, or have the inequality sign facing the wrong direction. (If you don’t remember what that is, don’t worry. You have gotten this far in life without it.) These little mistakes can be the difference between a B and an A, or sadly an F or a D.
When we study the Bible the same is true. Sometimes we miss some of the small but very important parts. I want to look at one such example “in the beginning.” It is a part of the beginning that most probably know about, the fall of man, when satan tempted Adam and Eve in the garden. Reread the verse above and see if you can find any little difference in it.
Did you see it? A little dropping of the word Lord. We first read “the Lord God” but when Satan speaks to Eve he simple says “God.” It doesn’t seem like much and if you are like me you probably never noticed it before. After learning about this small difference I did some study of the two words and went and looked back at what was used during the first two chapters of Genesis. In chapter 1 I saw the word God used 31 times during the six days of creation. Chapter 2 begins with 2 cases of the word God used when God resting is discussed. Then the focus switches over to Adam and Eve and the rest of the chapter we see Lord God used, 11 times.
Again this may not seem like much until you look at what those words mean. The word God used in each of the situations is the Hebrew word “Elohim.” It is used in scripture when God is referred to as “Creator.” So it makes sense that during the seven days of creation and rest that this Elohim would be used. When we start to read Lord God the change comes from the addition of the greek word “Yahweh.” Yahweh master, absolute ruler. So in chapter 2 when we read about Adam and Eve we see Yahweh Elohim, or Lord God. The master of Adam and Eve and the Creator. The Lord God has authority over Adam and Eve.
Now that you understand the words and their meaning go back and reread Genesis 3:1. Do you start to see what satan did? One of satan’s greatest tools is deception. To deceive means “to give a mistaken impression.” Satan removed the name Lord removing his title of master and ruler. It doesn’t seem like much, but it was his way of trying to reduce God’s authority. It is also interesting to note in verses 2-3 when Eve responds to satan she says, “We may eat fruit from the trees in the garden, but God did say, …“ Eve responds with the same title satan used in referring to God. She does not acknowledge him as her Lord and master.
All of this to say, is God your God or your Lord God? He is your creator, He made you. However, can you honestly say He is your Lord? Is He the Master of your life? Does He have authority over you? For certain if you have never been saved and accepted His gift of salvation then He is not your Lord God. If you have been saved, I would still ask you, is he your Master? A simple way to describe a master is , someone who has people working for him. So if God is your Lord God you are to be working for Him!
Let that sink in, you are to be working for your Lord God! He is your masters, or at least he should be! Sadly we often don’t make Him the Lord of our life. We work for ourselves or for someone or something else. People who strive to be successful work for for themselves to get to a certain point that always keeps moving. People who struggle with addiction are mastered by the addiction and work to do what needs to be done so they can get that next drink or next hit. People can be mastered by so many different things, those things are anything that people work for.
Don’t jump on the phone and call your boss and tell him you quit! I am not saying not to work hard and do your best, but I am saying that do what you do so that Lord God is glorified and not so that you are. Enjoy the blessings in life that God has given you, but don’t let them become your master.
Do what you do in a way that glorifies God. Work for His glory, work for His will, work for His kingdom. Pay attention to the little things and don’t let them sneak in and strip away the Lordship from your God.