Arbitrary Apples

Micah was fascinated by fire. Every morning, as he watched his father light the stove he was confident that he too, could start the fire responsibly. Micah's father told him that he was not yet old enough, but on Micah's next birthday, he promised that Micah would finally have the experience of building the fire. One day, while his parents were busy Micah decided to practice. His hand shook as he stared at the flickering match. He felt pain as the flame suddenly burned his finger.Startled, Micah dropped the match at his feet. First a little piece of newspaper flared up, then a piece of kindling next to it caught fire.

In his inexperience, Micah was unprepared to deal with the consequences. In shock, he stared at the flames around his feet. Lucky for Micah, his father was near by and stomped out the flames with his work boots. Large disasters often happen because of small choices. Paradise collapsed when Adam and Eve ate a piece of fruit. At first this seems a little arbitrary. Hadn't God given them all the plants for food? Oh! Just not that one tree! Well, if God is so kind, why would He make an arbitrary apple law? 

According to Webster's, the word arbitrary means: random, illogical and uninformed. But God was not acting in a random, illogical and uninformed manner:
 
1. God is definitely not uninformed.
He knew He had an enemy. Satan plotted to use Adam and Eve and the entire human race in His political rebellion against God. 

2. God never acts in a random manner.
The Bible tells us that Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today and forever and that God is love. But there can be no love without freedom, 
so Adam and Eve's ability to disobey was proof of God's loving and non-controlling nature.

3. There is nothing illogical about God's plan.
He wanted to prevent the human race from suffering the consequences of sin. He tried to warn Adam and Eve to stay away from the temptation area. Despite His warnings, God knew they might disobey, thus the Father and His Son Jesus sat down together made a plan to rescue earth's residents from Satan's cruelty. 

Can you think of parental rules that might seem arbitrary to children? "Don't play in the street", "Don't run with scissors" and "Leave the matches alone." These are just a few examples. Little children are often unaware of the danger around them. Loving parents often must use external force to maintain boundaries to keep their children safe.  Adam and Eve hadn't realized it yet, but sin has its own intrinsic results. God is the life-giver, while sin is the life-taker. God didn't create war, decay, or cancer. These are all the results of a world separated from God. God had provided a way for Adam and Eve to avoid all the misery that comes with sin. If only they would have trusted Him;we would all be sitting in paradise right now. It's a good thing God had a plan B!

People often misunderstand the boundaries that God has outlined for our safety. The people of Israel wandered in circles for forty years. Then they died before even reaching the promised land. Their misunderstandings about God had caused them to fear and disobey Him. The message that God is arbitrary is one of Satan's biggest lies. Today, we need God's guidance more than ever to protect us from the dangers of sin. God never desires forced obedience from fear or coercion. He didn't stop Satan from talking about Him in heaven or Eve from disobeying Him at creation and He won't stop us today. The only thing God wants from us is our own love, born out of freedom. God is still waiting patiently today. As each person chooses to trust their heavenly Father, all heaven rejoices, because someday, we will all finally be safe from sin and ready to enjoy paradise with God once again.

©2008 Cherilyn Christen Clough