Noah's Wife Day 2: Family Values

After the fall, humanity experience an enormous population boom but continued on a rapid moral decline. The depravity reached such depths that God regretted creating humans... It seems contradictory to think that a perfect God would repent of anything. However, the true meaning of repent helps us to understand God's frame of mind...How tragic that God's crowning glory became His greatest regret. That we could be a disappointment to God is sobering, for God intended humans to be his greatest joy...

Today's scripture is from Genesis 6:5-10.

1. Describe what the Lord saw.

He saw humans who were only involved in wickedness and evil instead of being in a relationship with Him. Noah, however, was the exception!

2. How did the Lord feel about this?

He regretted creating humankind, and it hurt His heart that humans were so evil.

3. What did He decide to do about this and why?

He decided to destroy man and all the animals on earth, sea, and air, for he was sorry that he had made them.

4. Who caught the Lord's attention and why?

Noah caught the Lord's attention, because he was a just man who walked with God. He was 'perfect in his generations'--those who came after him were also righteous.

5.a. What four phrases describe Noah's character?

just, perfect, walked with God, found grace in the eyes of the Lord

b. Which of these phrases would you most like to describe you? Why?

I would most like people to describe me as walking with the Lord. If they did, this would mean that it was evident in the way that I live my life that I am a follower of Christ.

6. List Noah's sons. If you know the story of Noah and the flood, explain why they become important later.

Noah's sons were Shem, Ham, and Japeth. They would be responsible for repopulating the earth after the flood.

7. God's description of humanity's depravity is devastating. Read 1 Timothy 1:8-10 to discover some of the sins that antediluvians (people living before the flood) were engaged in. Using the word EVIL as an acronym, list some of the ways you see people sinning today.

E: Excess, not Exercising restraint, lack of Empathy, Eating too much, Extending themselves beyond their means, Extolling themselves as their own gods.

V: Violence, Victim mentality, Vetoing God's role in their life, Very selfish, Vanity, Vile language, Violating God's law, Violating children

I: Irresponsible, Irreverent, Ignoring God's law, Ignoring society's laws, self Importance, Implying to others that God isn't needed

L: Lazy, Lack of responsibility, Lack of empathy, Lacidasical in work, Lonely for God's love, Loveless, Living beyond their means, Lying

8. We've discovered that our sin caused God to grieve. Use Ephesians 4:29-31 as a template to write a personal prayer asking God to forgive you for the ways you have brought Him sorrow.

Lord, I'm so sorry for gossiping and not using my mouth and words only to lift others up, especially those I love and that I am charged to be a role model for. I have done this far too many times. I have been blessed by you in more ways than I can even recall, and I too often take you for granted. I have denied my need to spend time in Your word. I've put other things before spending time with You. I've used ugly speech, including cursing, more times than I should. In fact, I NEVER should! Please forgive me for this, Lord, and I desire your help to change my ways. Help me to not judge others and look down upon them. Help me to treat others with the grace and the unconditional love that You have shown me--over and over and over.

9. Noah's qualities foreshadowed the steps to salvation. In the space provided, talk about a time when you've walked in Noah's footsteps to faith:

I found grace in God's eyes when...(Ephesians 2:8)

...He gave me chances over and over, especially when I made poor choices. He forgave me before I even asked!

I knew I was justified when...(Romans 5:1)

...even when I was mad at Him and upset for Him 'letting' me be treated badly when I had made poor choices, but my faith in Him stood strong, and He led me to forgiveness.

I knew God saw me as perfect when...(James 1:4)

...I loved people despite their poor treatment of me.

I walk with God when...(Ephesians 4:1-3)

People take notice of the gifts that He has bestowed upon me with which I can serve Him!

One person's negativity can influence the atmosphere...sin is highly contagious.

And to end this lesson, a quote by Albert Einstein:

Evil is the real problem in the hearts and minds of men. It is not a problem of physics but of ethics. It is easier to denature plutonium than to denature the evil spirit of man.

Week 2: Noah's Wife

Day 1: Girls Behaving Badly
Quote from Lord Thomas Dewar:

The road to success is filled with women pushing their husbands along.

Mrs. Noah is mentioned 5 times in Genesis. She had to have been a righteous woman to have entered the ark. We can safely assume that she was also a godly mother and mentor.

Girls were behaving badly as they crossbred with men of suspicious backgrounds. As humanity spiraled out of control, God was compelled to intervene....While the rest of society was raunchy, they were righteous....Imagine how difficult it must have been for Mr. and Mrs. Noah to raise their children in a society bent on sin...We can learn much from their example as we teach our children to be in this world but not of it.

Today's Bible reading is Genesis 6:1-4.

1. The word now places us at a point in time. Read Genesis 5:30-32, and describe when this story takes place.

Noah was born when his father Lamech was 182 years old. By the time he was 500 years old he had three sons: Shem, Ham, and Japeth. The Message interpretation adds that Lamech said that having Noah would give them a break from the hard work of farming the ground that God cursed.

2.a. What does the text say about "the sons of God"?

It says that "the sons of God" saw that the daughters of men were beautiful, and took them as wives.


b. What is your reaction to this account of "the sons of God" and "the daughters of men"?

This is a bit confusing to me. Were these people that God created in addition to the original creation of Adam and Eve? Where did they come from? Were they created in sin when Adam and Eve had to leave the Garden?
According to some commentary, (both in my devotion book and in what I'm looking up online) says that angels, possibly fallen angels, marrying human women. From these marriages could have come the giants to which are referred. Another interpretation is simply that godly men joined in an unequally yoked marriage with ungodly women.

It is distressing that it was the ungodly women who seemed to corrupt the godly men, but at the same time, the men chose them of their own free will....

This intrigues me, and is something I'm going to look into further!

3. What did the Lord decree and why?

The Lord decreed that men/people would not continue to live forever. He would limit their life span to 120 years. As to why--thanks again to the side notes, God was going to strive with, as opposed to judge, men for 120 years. That would give Noah time to build the ark and for sinners to repent before the flood.

4. Describe the giants--what they were like and how they came into being.

The giants were there around the same time and after the sons of God and daughters of men married. The humans saw them as men of renown, though they were not of God.

5. Read Numbers 13:32-33, and describe the inhabitants of the land of Canaan many centuries later.

The inhabitants were described as giants who made them look like grasshoppers. They were huge!

6. What does the presence of these "giants" tell you about the world in which Noah and his wife lived?

They certainly weren't the only people around, and seemed to be different in that they were living a righteous life instead of a sinful one. This refutes the thought that I have always had that the world was populated a little bit at a time strictly through the lineage of Adam and Eve. This speaks more like other people were also around, but their specific stories weren't told. However, reading some of the commentary online, it also could be that these were the offspring of different persons mentioned thus far in the Bible, too.

7.a. We've looked back as far as Noah's father and sons. Let's climb a little higher in his family tree. Read Genesis 5:21-29. What repeated phrase describes Enoch's (Noah's great-grandfather) unusual departure?

Enoch walked with God. In The Message, it says that he walked steadily with God

b. What record does Methuselah (Noah's grandfather) hold, and how old was Methuselah when he died?

Methuselah was one of the oldest, if not the oldest, mentioned man in the Bible. He was 969 years old when he died.

c. Why did Lamech (Noah's father) give Noah his name?

He named him Noah, meaning this one will give us a break from farming the ground God cursed according to The Message. In the NIV, it says that "He will comfort us in the labor and painful toil of our hands caused by the ground the LORD has cursed."

8. God's Spirit strove with the population in Noah's day, hoping they would repent and be saved from teh coming judgement. Isaiah said,"Woe to him who strives with his Maker!" (Isaiah 45:9)
a. Describe a situation in which you argued with God.

That's 'easy' to answer--the first thing that comes to mind is when the Lord was telling me to step back from assisting with the youth. I didn't want to do so, for several reasons: I knew Brenda and Dale needed the help and that they would want us to continue working with them, I felt guilty for stepping back, and didn't know who would pick up the slack. God kept telling me, though. I was unhappy working with them. It was a burden instead of a joy. I wasn't giving them what they needed because it wasn't my niche at that point in my life. It took me quite some time to vocalize this, however. God kept at me until I did!

b. How did the argument end?

God won out! He kept at me until I saw that His way was the only way I was going to get any peace. The peace that He gives is far better than anything I could say as to why my way was better!

c. What did I learn?

God isn't going to give up. He's going to keep at me until I do what He knows I need to do. Sometimes He needs us to trust Him enough to let go, even though all our human senses say it is the wrong thing to do, or even though it is difficult.

9. Today we've seen various theories regarding the giants. The fact is that all of us face giants of one sort or another. Journal a prayer asking God to help you conquer any "giant" that you face.

Dear Heavenly Father,
I've faced giants for years now, with Your help. Whether it be depression, anxiety, or the most recent 'heading' of fibromyalgia, I know that You are bigger than anything that satan can throw at this earthly body. If I trust in You and listen to the cues you give me, I know I will walk through any fire that comes my way. I am so blessed by you every day, Lord, in all my abilities and gifts that you've given me. Thank you especially today for my wonderful husband and our sons. You are so good to me!!

As you observe our society, it's logical to assume that God will not strive with us much longer. We will all face a day of reckoning. The Bible has thrown you a lifeline--take hold of it before it's too late.

This ends with a quote by Billy Graham:

If God doesn't judge America for its immorality, then He owes Sodom and Gomorrah an apology.

Please overlook: Technorati stuff

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Day 5: East of Eden

Partaking of forbidden fruit not only changes us, but it also leads to a change of location. Prodigals inevitably find themselves leaving Eden behind.

Had Adam and Eve refused to eat of the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil, they would have remained unrobed and unembarrassed. But once their eyes were opened, they saw themselves differently--what once appeared normal was now perceived as naughty....Honestly, none of us has any reason to be proud of our wardrobe even if it's full of designer labels. Instead, our clothing can serve as a reminder of sin and a warning to avoid disobeying God's commands.

Scripture reading today was from Genesis 3:20-24.

1. What do you learn about the first couple's relationship based on the name Adam gave his wife?
It tells me that he held her up in high esteem as the mother of all living.

2. What clothing did God provide for the couple, and how does this compare to the clothing they chose?

God provided clothing made from animal hides. Adam and Eve chose plants to cover themselves. This represents that in their sin, the couple harmed other living creatures as well as themselves. When Adam and Eve chose clothing, they did so in a way that would not be permanently damaging to anything living.


3. God used the pronoun "Us" to refer to Himself. What does this tell you about His character?

This, I'm not sure about! Is He referring to the angels in Heaven? Who made up the angels, if they were not humans who had passed on to that realm? Did he create angels before Adam and Eve to keep himself company? I'm gonna have to look up commentary on this!

I read a sidenote in the Bible study that answers my question! It says that it points to the Trinity. Though the Trinity is not explicitly stated in the Old Testament, it is implied.

4. Which aspect of the curse did God repeat and why?

He repeated the part about Adam working to till the earth from whence he came. I assume that He repeated this to again restate the change that had to take place...that Adam would no longer get his food without hard work.


5. How did God ensure that the first couple would never be able to eat from the Tree of Life?

He banished them from the Garden, and set cherubim as guards east of Eden. He also placed a flaming sword that turned in all directions so that they might not be able to reach the Tree.


6. Why do you think God prevented the first couple from partaking of the Tree of Life?

It was the major part of their punishment. Before they sinned, they would have been able to live forever in communion with the Lord. But when they ate of the Tree of Life, they were cursed to die. If they were still able to eat the fruit, they would be able to live forever, and this was not to be so.

7. We've seen that Adam's wife was known by three different names, the last of which was Eve. List some of the names or nicknames that you have been given. Who gave them to you and what do they mean?

Christine: child of Christ
Christi: shortened form of my given name
Chris: what my family shortened my name even further to--as did close friends before I married a Chris!
Mouse: a boyfriend of Suzy's called me this, after he saw me in my Chris Mouse pajamas. Then I called myself that in 5th grade just as a nickname, too!
PK: short for Preacher's Kid. The Williams brothers called me that when we lived in Big Stone Gap, and then again when we reconnected at Emory & Henry. In fact, they've referred to me as PK on Facebook recently!
Big Stone: a fella in high school called me that after I said that I thought that he was someone calling from Big Stone on the phone one time!
Gidget: Kevin Stone called me that....I don't really remember why!
Barney: Mike Stansbury called me this in Concert Choir...again, I don't remember exactly why!
Musketeer: my pledge name in college, given to me because I was the third Copeland sister to become a K Phi
Diti: Brenda and Suzy's children called me this before they could pronounce Christi. Ked actually was the first one! Maria still calls me Diti sometimes!
Mrs. Stapleton: my 'school name', given to me by students.
Mommy: given to me by my sons when I gave birth to them.

8. The couple literally clothed themselves in fig leaves, while God dressed them in tunics of skin, offering the first blood sacrifice. Paul uses the analogy of "putting on" clothing to show that we can wear spiritual attributes much as we would wear beautiful garments. Below, list some of your favorite attire and how it makes you feel physically; then read Colossians 3:12, and list the characteristics you'd like to wear spiritually.

From my closet: From God's Word:
pajamas: make me comfy kindness makes others comfy
fancy dress: makes me feel beautiful peace of Christ makes me look beautiful in Him
Slinky brand outfit: feels smooth even tempered, because it acts in a smooth way
tank tops: feels cool humility is acting in a cool instead of hot way

9. God sent Adam and Eve out of the garden of Eden, and an angel prevented them from ever returning. Journal about a time you had to leave someplace. How did it make you feel? Where did you go?

As a PK, I had to leave several places! The hardest was leaving Big Stone Gap. I as well established, had friends and a 'position', and was comfortable in my little cocoon. Moving to Rossville felt very naked and exposed in a way. But I realized after struggles that God was with me and would make me feel comfortable and loved no matter where I was. He gave me my loving family to be with me and care about me no matter where I lived.

Day 4: Judgement Pronounced

Because God is omniscient, He was completely aware that there was something wrong in the Garden of Eden.

omniscient: definition from Merriam-Webster Dictionary.com: 1 : having infinite awareness, understanding, and insight 2 : possessed of universal or complete knowledge

You might say that when God sought the disobedient couple in the garden, He was prepared to hold a trial....First, he pursued him as an officer of the court to bring them to justice. Next, He questioned the about their behavior as a prosecuting attorney would do. Now we'll see Him address them and Satan, their co-defendant, as the divine Judge, pronouncing His sentence on them. As the One who created all three of the defendants, God had every right to judge them.

1. Describe how God cursed the Serpent physically.

He told the snake that it would always be on its belly, and it would eat the dust of the earth. He also said that it would be cursed beyond all cattle and more than any beast of the field.

2.a. How did He curse the Serpent spiritually?

There would be war between the woman and the snake, and between the offspring of the serpent and the woman.

b. How do you think this speaks prophetically of Satan's battle with Jesus?

Jesus and Satan always battle against each other, for generations. They battle over the souls of people.


3.a. Next God pronounced His judgment on the woman. How did He punish her concerning childbirth?

He told her that her pain during childbirth would be multiplied.


b. What did He pronounce concerning her marriage?

He decreed that she will want to please her husband and that he would always lord that desire over her.

4.a. God next turned His attention to Adam. Explain why He pronounced a judgment on Adam.

He judged Adam because he listened to his wife and ate from the tree that he was commanded not to eat from.


b. How did God judge Adam concerning his work?

He told Adam that the very ground would be cursed because of him, and that getting food from the ground would be as painful to him as childbirth would be to Eve. He told Adam that he would have to work in pain his entire life, fighting against thorns and weeds that the ground sprouted to get food from the earth.

c. What would the ultimate punishment be for eating from the tree?

That he would return to the ground, dead and buried, and eventually turn into dust, just as he started life.

5.a. What key phrase did God use to remind Adam of his status as a created being?

He told Adam that out of dust he was created and to dust he would return.

b. How would this make you feel if God talked to you in this manner?

It would make me feel about as low as the dust to which He is referring!

6.a. God put enmity between the seed of the woman (Christ) and Satan. Read Galatians 3:16. What is one interpretation of who the seed represents?

According to this verse, it is seed singular, referring to Christ, instead of seeds plural, referring to many people.

b. Based on what you know of history and Scripture, how did Satan "bruise" the heel of the seed of the woman?

Satan brought sin into the world, which led, ultimately, to the crucifixion of Christ...where his feet were nailed to the cross.

c. Paul says, "Remember that Jesus Christ, of the seed of David, was raised from the dead" (2 Timothy 2:8). How do you think this fulfills the prophecy of the seed of woman (Eve) bruising or crushing Satan's head?

Satan could no longer hurt people, for Christ died for our sins and was resurrected from the dead!

7. God's punishment for Eve's disobedience was that there would be pain in childbearing and implied pain in child rearing. Yet Scripture considers motherhood a high calling.

(I've never thought about it like that! I am called to be a mother, and God considers that important!)

a. Read the following passages and draw a line to connect them with how mothers are to be treated.

Exodus 20:12-----Honor your mother

Exodus 21:15-17--Do not physically or verbally abuse her

Proverbs 1:8-----Follow your mother's instructions

Proverbs 23:22---Help your mother in her old age

Proverbs 23:25---Make your mother proud

b. Talk about how you've either experienced some of the pain involved in being a mom, or how you have treated your mom.

Amazingly, I remember more of the pain I've caused my mom---and still feel bad for it---than she seems to remember or keep account of. Isn't that how unconditional love is, though? I caused her much pain and worry when I ran away, when I attempted to take my own life, when I was skipping school...when I lied to her, when I behaved in ways that I knew she would not approve, when I did not greet her with the respect and regard that she deserved. Just the other day, she was commenting that she was glad that my sisters and I didn't 'lose our minds' temporarily and do increasingly foolish things. While I think how I must have added grey hair to her head, she looks upon me as a blessing. SHE is a true blessing to me, and I have learned a great deal from her! I will gladly care for her in her old age!

Warren Wiersbe said,"This submission isn't identified as a part of a curse or as a mandate for husbands to have sovereign power over their wives. The New Testament makes it clear that husbands and wives who love each other and are filled with the Spirit will be mutually submissive (Ephesians 5:18ff; 1 Corinthians 7:1-7).

God reestablished relational order not to put women down but to promote harmony in the home. Don't be deceived when the world tells you submission is slavery--you are showing the world a picture of salvation through Christ: "Just as the church is subject to Christ, so let the wives be to their own husbands in everything" (Ephesians 5:24).

Day 3: Hiding Out

At this point the first couple knew only good, not evil. But after one bite, they became intimately acquainted with evil. If Satan had said,"For God knows that when you eat of it...you will be like me, knowing good and evil," he would have been telling the whole truth. Too late they became aware that God's word was good and that the Serpents word was evil; they saw the goodness of God's image deformed by the wickedness of sin; and they felt the closeness of God's presence replace with a fearful sense of dread. Sadly, there are some things that once done can never be undone. Thankfully, God still pursues people by name, calling out,"Where are you?"

Today's lesson is based upon Genesis 3:7-13.

1.a. Based on their actions, what type of insight did Adam and Eve develop?

They realized that they were naked.

b. How do you think this experience differed from Satan's promise in verse 5?

Satan didn't describe this action as having any negative connotations. He didn't describe such things as guilt that they would experience. They found out that knowing good and evil comes with good and bad consequences.


2. What did Adam and Eve hear, and how did they respond to the source of this sound?

They heard God in the garden, and became afraid--knowing what they had done--and hid.

Why did Adam and Eve hide from God? Most commentators agree that sin develops guilt, and guilt leads to fear. For the first time in their lives they were afraid of God. In a futile attempt they sought to hide from an all-knowing God. Fellowship was broken. Communion was replaced with confusion.

3. How did God respond to Adam's absence? What does this tell you about His character?

God came looking for Adam and called for him. This tells me that even if I don't come to Him, He is going to actively seek me!

4.a. Describe Adam's emotional state.

Adam is afraid! He knows what he has done is wrong, so he feels guilty. He might even feel angry at Eve for giving him the fruit. He is afraid of what God will do/say, too.

b. Why do you think he felt this way?

He knows he went against God's command, and that this was wrong.


5. Underline the word naked, which is repeated three times in this text. Define what you think it means in this story.

It means literal nakedness in the physical form, but it can also mean laid bare with all our weaknesses and sins exposed.


6.a. Who did Adam blame, and who did Eve blame?

Adam blamed Eve. Eve blamed the serpent.


b. Explain their reasons for blaming someone else.

Like all of us, they didn't want to be responsible for their own sinful behavior.

7. What do you think motivates us as humans to become blame shifters? How do you think we could break this pattern?

We want the attention to be off us, and want to have someone else to be responsible for what we do. It doesn't feel 'good' to take the blame. With practice and God's help, we can humble ourselves and say that yes, we are wrong.

8. Eve's and Adam's eyes were opened so that they developed a conscience. As Christian women, our conscience and spiritual discernment enable us to fight against the works of the flesh. Read the following passage, and describe which fruit(s) of the Spirit can conquer which works of the flesh. (Example: love conquers hatred.)

Now the works of the flesh are evident, which are: adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lewdness, idolatry, sorcery, hatred, contentions, jealousies, outbursts of wrath, selfish ambitions, dissensions, heresies, envy, murders, drunkenness, revelries...But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law. Galatians 5:19-23.

Love conquers hatred, joy conquers outbursts of wrath, kindness conquers dissensions, goodness conquers jealousies, faithfulness conquers adultery, gentleness conquers murders, self-control conquers fornication, lewdness, uncleanness, drunkenness, and revelries.

9. We've seen the downward spiral Adam's and Eve's sin caused: They were afraid, they became ashamed, and they hid themselves. Use these three sentences to describe a time you fell into the same downward cycle.

I felt afraid when...
I was discovered somewhere that I wasn't sure I should be.


I was ashamed when...
Others knew I was where I wasn't comfortable being alone.


I tried to hide by...
Covering up my cleavage, which made it look like I had nothing on, and made it worse.


10.a. We know that the first couple tried to shift the blame for their sin. Adam accused Eve, and Eve blamed the Serpent. Psalm 51 records David's confession of sin with Bathsheba after being rebuked by the prophet Nathan. Read the psalm, and describe the view of God that David expresses.

David views God as forgiving even though He doesn't have to be.

b. What does David request?

to be washed clean of his sin and be able to start anew.


c. Ultimately who has he sinned against?

God

d. What does God require of the sinner?

He requires confession and a change in behavior, and a desire to improve and walk with Him.

e. If there's something you've been trying to hide or shift the blame about, confess it to God right now an experience the relief felt by King David and others through the ages.

The day's lesson ends with a quote from Angelus Silesius:
Silence, O sinner, stop! Accuse not Eve and Adam.
Without that incident, its you who would have done it.

Day 2: Innocence Lost

It's interesting to note that Adam gave his wife this endearing name (Eve) after the fall. He could have called her "Temptress" or "She-devil." Instead he prophesied concerning her future rather than pronouncing judgment on her past...From this point on, people are born in sin (with a tainted bloodline) and born to sin (possessing a wicked nature.)Before being too harsh with Eve, try walking in her bare feet. She didn't have a Bible, a pastor, a mother, or a friend to instruct her. God had not warned her to avoid talking snakes.

Today's lesson is based on Genesis 3:1-6.

1. Describe the Serpent in your own words.

The Serpent was Satan in disguise. It must not have been scary--of course, Eve had never felt fear--but it must not have been something uncommon or unappealing to see, as Eve did not flee from it.

2. Explain who initiated the conversation, and recount what was said.

The Serpent initiated the conversation. He asked Eve if God had forbade them to eat from any tree of the garden. Eve answered that God had given them permission to eat from any tree EXCEPT the one in the middle of the garden. She explained that if they ate from that tree or even touched it, they would die. The serpent then told her that they would NOT die, but that their eyes would be opened and they would be like God.


3. Compare the woman's response with God's original command given in Genesis 2:16-17.

The original command was not to eat from the tree, or they would die. Eve went farther than the original command and added that they were also not to touch the tree.


a. To whom was that command given?

the man


b. What phrase did Eve omit?

the tree of the knowledge of good and evil


c. What phrase did Eve insert?

She added that were not even to touch the tree


d. What does this tell you about Eve's view of God?

She thinks that she can change the commands of God to fit her will. She views God as there to give her what she wants.

4. List four things the Serpent promised would happen if Eve ate of the fruit.

--your eyes will be opened
--you will be like God
--you will know good
--you will know evil

5. What three things motivated Eve to partake of the forbidden fruit?

She saw that the tree was good for food, that it was pleasing to the eyes, and she desired to be made wise.


6.a. What final action did Eve make?

She then gave it to her husband

b. Why do you think she did it?

She wanted to share the good fruit and the wisdom with Adam.

7. There is a difference between asking God questions and questioning God. In the appropriate columns list some of the times you've asked God sincere questions as well as the times you've questioned God's sovereignty.

I looked up the meaning of sovereignty just to be sure what it meant: surpreme excellence.
ASKED GOD QUESTIONED GOD
to lead me to a Godly husband to make a particular man love me
for someone to be healed as God saw fit to heal a person's physical body only
to help me fight temptation asking why someone died

8. Because our battle with the Enemy begins in the mind, God has given us many safeguards. Fill in the following chart to discover how to fortify your thought life. Explain what you think each instruction means.

Romans 12:2: fix your attention on God, and He will change you from the inside out. Recognize what he is wanting and be quick to do it.

Ephesians 4:23: Be willing to change your attitude for the better
Philippians 4:6-7 Pray instead of worrying. Petition God instead of worrying about them. A peace that everything will come together will then cover you, and Christ will displace worry at the center of your life.

Colossians 3:2: Think about the Lord instead of things happening here on earth.

1 Peter 1:13: Ready your mind for the gift that is coming when Jesus arrives.

9.a. We learned that Eve spread her sin to Adam. Read 1 Timothy 2:11-14. Why do you think Paul cited the order of creation here?

I think he was reminding us that men should be in charge since they were created first.

b. Explain who was deceived and how this led to the fall. Who do you think bears the greater burden for the fall and why?

Eve was deceived, and rationalized her actions, then drew Adam into this deception. I think Eve does bear the greater burden, for she not only disobeyed herself, but also coerced Adam into disobedience.

The sin that Eve ultimately committed was covetousness--she wanted what she couldn't have.

Today's lesson ends with this quote from Max Lucado:
The snake pulled back the curtain to the throne room and invited Eve to take a seat. Put on the crown. Pick up the scepter. Put on the cape. See how it feels to have power. See how it feels to have a name. See how it feels to be in control! Eve swallowed the hook. The temptation to be like God eclipsed her view of God.