Genesis 3 is one of the saddest chapters in all of Scripture. Scripture begins with “In the beginning God …” creating this glorious world, including mankind described as “made in His image.” [1:27]
Before we get very far in, we see the failure of Adam and Eve, sin and its curse death, and mankind driven from the garden. [3:14-24]
The serpent invaded the garden, deceived the woman to eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. She then convinced her husband to eat. When God found them trying to cover their nakedness (which had never been a problem before) the “Blame Game” began.
The woman blamed the serpent for deceiving her. Adam first blamed the woman but then blamed God. “Then the man said, ‘The woman whom You gave to be with me, she gave me of the tree, and I ate.’” [3:12 HCSB]
Now lest we think Adam stands alone in placing the blame on God for troubles, we often do the same thing. We approach God and ask Him to do something. Instead of responding to us by giving what we want, He gives us something different, or perhaps does not appear to respond at all. (Remember Paul and his thorn in the flesh. God denied his request for healing three times and then gave grace to endure instead. [2 Corinthians 12:7-9])
When we blame God, it shows our wrong thinking. It shows that we believe God is in our debt. It shows we believe that He must do everything we ask.
Truly, correct thinking is the exact opposite. We are in His debt. First by sinning against Him and creating a debt so great we can never eliminate it. And second, we have a debt of thanksgiving for the sacrifice of His Precious Son and the salvation offered (eliminating that debt we could not pay.)
Today, I stand in repentance, asking God to forgive me for all the times I blamed Him for what I thought was His silence. And today, I stand in thankfulness to Him for taking away the debt I could not pay.
