What Can You Learn About the Creator From a Book? - Continue with His Purpose-Your Purpose

Jehovah God, as the producer and director of his creation, gave humans leeway as to how they would accomplish his purpose for the earth and mankind. He was neither excessively demanding nor unduly restrictive.  For example, he gave Adam what would be a zoologist's delight-the assignment to study  and name the animals. After Adam observed   their characteristics, he provided names, many of them being descriptive.  (Genesis 2:19)  This is but one example of hos humans could use their talents and abilities in line with God's purposes. 

Note: Well, from what I have seen, we have screwed up royally and let God down in a big way!  I am so sorry, Jehovah! Please forgive us all, for being disrespectful of all your purposes.   

You can understand that the wise Creator of the entire universe could easily stay in control of any situation on earth, even if humans chose a foolish or harmful course. The historical record informs us that God gave only one limiting command to Adam:  "From every tree of the garden you may eat to satisfaction.  But as for the tree of the knowledge of good and bad you must not eat from it, for in the day you eat from it you will positively die." -Genesis 2:16, 17. 

Note: And he could not even do that, he had to listen to Eve.  I think we could figure why that was. I am not not trying to offend anyone here;  I am after all a woman as well, but we well know that most women do not listen to someone who is telling them what not to do. We are usually more determined to do it. And so there you have it! Eve was intent to do it, one way or another and Adam had to listen.

That command required mankind to recognize God's right to be obeyed. Humans from Adam's  time down to ours have had to accept the law of gravity and live in harmony with it; it would be foolish and harmful to do otherwise. So why should humans reject living in harmony with another law, or command, from the beneficent Creator?  The Creator made clear the consequence of rejecting his law, but he gave Adam and Eve the option to obey him voluntarily. It is not difficult to see in the account of man's early history that the Creator allows humans  freedom of choice.  Yet, he wants his creatures  to be supremely happy, which is a natural result of living in accord with the good laws he gives.

In an earlier chapter, we noted that the Creator produced intelligent creatures that cannot be seen-spirit creatures. The  history of man's start reveals that one of these spirits  became obsessed with the idea of usurping God's position.  (Compare Ezekiel 28:13-15)  He abused the freedom of choice that God grants and enticed the first humans into what we must call an open rebellion.  By a defiant act of disobedience-their eating from "the tree of the knowledge of good and bad"-the first couple  asserted independence from God's rule. But more than that, their course is revealed that they sided with the claim that the Creator was withholding good from man. It was as if Adam and Eve were demanding to decide for themselves what is good and what is bad-no matter what their Maker's evaluation was. 

Next time: What Can You Learn About the Creator From a  Book? - Conclusion of His Purpose-Your Purpose

From the book Is There a Creator That Cares About You?