The Paradox of Prohibition: When ‘No’ Means ‘I Love You’

Introduction

Imagine you're a new employee at a manufacturing plant. Your supervisor takes you on a tour of the facility, showing you the various machines and processes. As you walk, you notice a large, red button on the wall with a sign that reads, "Do Not Press." Your curiosity is piqued. What would happen if you pressed it? Why is it there if you're not supposed to use it?

Later, you learn that the button is an emergency stop switch. If pressed, it would halt the entire production line, causing delays and potential damage to the equipment. The "Do Not Press" sign isn't there to limit your freedom or to make your job less exciting. It's there to protect you, your coworkers, and the company's assets.

In a similar way, God's "no's" in our lives are not there to restrict us or to make our lives less fulfilling. They serve a purpose, often protecting us from unseen dangers or guiding us towards a better path.

Just as an employee needs to trust their supervisor's instructions, even when they don't fully understand the reasons behind them, we need to trust God's guidance in our lives. We may not always comprehend the full implications of His "no's," but we can trust that they come from a place of love and wisdom.

As we navigate our careers and our lives, we'll encounter many "Do Not Press" buttons - temptations, choices, and paths that seem appealing but may ultimately lead us astray. But if we trust in God's guidance and respect the boundaries He sets, we'll find that His "no's" are actually leading us towards a more fulfilling, purposeful life - one that aligns with His plan for us.

If you have your Bibles, or on your devices, would you turn to Genesis 2:15-17. If you are able and willing, would you stand with me as I read God’s word this morning.

This is the word of the Lord. Let us pray. Amen. Please be seated.

Work is good

As Pastor Josh shared with us last week that we are in the location of Eden. It’s a place that we are not sure of where it was. But within Eden there is a garden. In this garden is where we find that God brings the Man.

Bible nerd alert: The first man we’ve called Adam. God never gives him a name but he’s always called the one from the dirt. In Hebrew when we see him, it’s ha-adam… which literally means “dirtling” … it’s a poetic play on words from the word adamah which means ground or dirt. There is a separate name for man as there is for woman which we’ll see a little later. I’m great with calling him Adam, because ha-adam sounds a lot like Adam. But it is a real person who we see has a real wife and they are the first people that God makes.

There is a fun new podcast out called Curiously Kaitlyn, hosted by Kaitlyn Scheiss. She takes questions asked by children in her church and discusses them with theologians to find some answers. It’s pretty great.

But back to our text…

God takes the man, places him in the garden to work it and take care of it.

Work is a pre-fall commandment. Work is not a part of the curse. It can seem like it sometimes, but God has given us work as a part of what it means to be a blessable covenant partner with Him.

-When God ceased from creating, He did not cease from working. No, in fact by His power and by His word He holds all things together.

Colossians 1:17 “He is before all things, and in him all things hold together.”

God is giving Adam this mandate. He invites us into this mandate as we follow Him.

As we work we partner with God in maintaining order and the ongoing task of subverting chaos and disorder.

When we think of it agriculturally, the farmer needs to plow the field, remove the weeds and rocks, plant the seeds in order for the crop to grow, to harvest, and then produce food that is good to eat.

Think about the work you do. How much of it is it to bring order… Peter B is a project manager that is helping his company fix issues that threaten the success of the services that they provide.

Jesse A. is a painter who makes things look fresh and good with new coat of paint.

You who all worked on this sanctuary, you created a space where we worship God, people want to get married here, and it’s bright and vibrant.

You who work in social services… lives are upended and tossed into chaos and you help bring services and opportunities that bring balance and peace.

Customer service: Your interactions with people that you have no idea what’s happening in their lives, that when you bring a smile, a kind word, or go above and beyond when they are ungrateful or snippy… you can sew peace and order in an otherwise chaotic time for someone.

Tending is also part of the role. Creation care by many has been given a bad rap. But it is commanded by God to take care of His creation.

We in evangelicalism have adopted an “eject policy” theology or end times strategy. I used to say, “it’s all gonna burn”. Or God is going to take us out of here anyway, why should I care.

No, in fact Jesus continues to encourage us in the gospels that we are to bring the Kingdom down, here on Earth as it is in heaven. I’m not saying we’re going to usher in the Kingdom. That’s God’s job. But in that we are able and have the opportunity, we are to tend to the Earth, the resources, and use them responsibly. We are to take care and tend the garden.

AJ Swaboda, a theologian, challenged me the other day in thinking through that creation care is actually a great and tangible way to love our neighbors. That the things we consume, discard, use, or purchase affect people, places, and the environment in ways that can be harmful.

The extreme would be to become neurotic and question every action we ever do and wonder the ramifications in the world. But if we are reasonable in our choices, consumption, and pay attention to our choices, we can lovingly steward the resources around us so as to not affect people negatively.

Tending and working is also used in the Bible alongside the work that the tribe of Levi did (priestly class)

Numbers 8:15 ““After you have purified the Levites and presented them as a wave offering, they are to come to do their work at the tent of meeting.”

Numbers 3:8–9 “They are to take care of all the furnishings of the tent of meeting, fulfilling the obligations of the Israelites by doing the work of the tabernacle. Give the Levites to Aaron and his sons; they are the Israelites who are to be given wholly to him.”

To conclude, then, (1) since there are a couple of contexts in which tend is used for Levitical service along with work (e.g., Num. 3:8–9), (2) since the contextual use of tend here favors sacred service, (3) since work is as likely to refer to sacred service as to agricultural tasks, and (4) since there are other indications that the garden is being portrayed as sacred space, it is likely that the tasks given to Adam are of a priestly nature—that is, caring for sacred space. In ancient thinking, caring for sacred space was a way of upholding creation. By preserving order, chaos was held at bay. Walton, J. H. (2001). Genesis (p. 173). Zondervan.

Watch this… 1 Peter 2:9 “But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.”

We see ourselves here in Genesis 2:15… so good.

When work is neglected, temptation enters (??)

Boundaries are good

“No” is good word. God says do not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. We know the tree is part of the creation that is very good. It’s not a “magical tree”. It stands to reason that if the tree of life imparts life, that the tree of the knowledge of good and evil imparts wisdom.

God wants us to be wise. He wants to know and have wisdom. We’re to bind it around our necks, hide it in our hearts, take it and learn from it.

So why not take it from the tree?

We’ll break this down a little later in chapter 3. But part of the temptation is going to be “God created it, it’s right there, it looks good, it’s going to get me what I want faster…” But God said “no”.

What that tells us is that in that the day we take that which God says is forbidden, or no to, we are putting ourselves in His place to determine for ourselves what is good and what is not. What is right and what is wrong, what is beautiful and true. But we know that HE is the Way, the Truth, and the Life.

We war against “no”.

In transgressing, in disobedience, we miss the mark of perfection. In missing the mark of holiness and perfection, we call that sin.

I heard a quote the other day that says, “Rules are for those who are immature”. As I was pondering this statement, it made me think of 1 Timothy 1:8–11 “We know that the law is good if one uses it properly. We also know that the law is made not for the righteous but for lawbreakers and rebels, the ungodly and sinful, the unholy and irreligious, for those who kill their fathers or mothers, for murderers, for the sexually immoral, for those practicing homosexuality, for slave traders and liars and perjurers—and for whatever else is contrary to the sound doctrine that conforms to the gospel concerning the glory of the blessed God, which he entrusted to me.”

Those who give themselves to good and holy things don’t need to be told to do that. But how many of us always tend into that direction? Hopefully as we mature we do, but we’re not all there.

I’d like to think that I’m righteous, but upon critical self examination, I still need the grace, forgiveness, and empowerment by the Spirit of God.

I need the ‘no’. I would venture you and I need the ‘no’.

I’ve shared that I’ve lived longer of my life thinking the 10 commandments were a drag than I have realizing and understanding that the 10 commandments are really really good news.

God says, “here is the way to flourish in this life… walk in this way”… and you know what, He’s right!

He’s right in giving this commandment to Adam and eventually Eve.

The resulting paraphrase of Genesis 2:17 then is: “When you eat of it, you will be sentenced to death and therefore doomed to die.” Consequently, death will be a certainty.

There is some debate amongst scholars as to what “you shall surely die” means.

Some think it meant the physical and literal death. Though they didn’t die immediately from eating the fruit, death was imminent as they would be barred from the tree of life.

Some think it just means spiritual death, separation from God. This happened as they were kicked out of the garden (not trying to get to far ahead of ourselves).

Some scholars see both, this is what I see.

A physical death will ensue: Genesis 5:3 “When Adam had lived 130 years, he had a son in his own likeness, in his own image; and he named him Seth.”

A spiritual death: Ephesians 2:1–5 “As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins, in which you used to live when you followed the ways of this world and of the ruler of the kingdom of the air, the spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient. All of us also lived among them at one time, gratifying the cravings of our flesh and following its desires and thoughts. Like the rest, we were by nature deserving of wrath. But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved.”

Sin leads to separation

Sin leads to broken relationship. When we live according to our own selfish desires, we consume for our own pleasure and benefit. This breaks relationship with God and with others.

Romans 3:23 “for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,”

Romans 7:7–12 “What shall we say, then? Is the law sinful? Certainly not! Nevertheless, I would not have known what sin was had it not been for the law. For I would not have known what coveting really was if the law had not said, “You shall not covet.” But sin, seizing the opportunity afforded by the commandment, produced in me every kind of coveting. For apart from the law, sin was dead. Once I was alive apart from the law; but when the commandment came, sin sprang to life and I died. I found that the very commandment that was intended to bring life actually brought death. For sin, seizing the opportunity afforded by the commandment, deceived me, and through the commandment put me to death. So then, the law is holy, and the commandment is holy, righteous and good.”

We are living into a Kingdom allegiance.

2 Corinthians 5:7 “For we live by faith, not by sight.”

This word ‘faith’ in the Greek is pistis. The intellectual awareness that sometimes we mean in our culture today in the word faith, like “I believe”, is not what the follower of Jesus would have understood. It was more of an allegiance. An action or life that was driven by a belief.

They would live in a time where allegiance to Caesar was expected. Jesus was subversive where He called His people into allegiance to Him.

In our pursuit of faithfulness to the life, commitment, and way of Jesus, we discover that God has strategically placed us in various spaces to cultivate and nurture. These spaces encompass the intimate realms of our homes, where we interact with our families or chosen families, the professional environments of our workplaces, and the recreational settings where we find joy and respite. Each of these spheres presents a unique opportunity for us to embody and manifest the presence of God.

As we navigate these diverse contexts, we are called to be stewards of God's grace, love, and truth. We are entrusted with the sacred task of sewing the seeds of His shalom—His perfect peace, wholeness, and righteousness—into the very fabric of our daily lives. By actively living out our faith in these spaces, we participate in the beautiful work of bringing Heaven down to Earth, aligning our reality with the Kingdom promises revealed in Scripture.

In our homes, we have the privilege of creating an atmosphere that reflects the love, patience, and kindness of Christ. Through our interactions with our loved ones, we demonstrate the transformative power of grace and forgiveness, building relationships that honor God and inspire others to seek Him.

In our workplaces, we are called to be diligent, ethical, and compassionate, reflecting the character of our Heavenly Father in all our dealings. By approaching our work as an act of worship and service, we infuse these spaces with the presence of God, bearing witness to His goodness and inviting others to experience His love.

Even in our play places, where we seek rest and renewal, we have the opportunity to carry the light of Christ. By engaging in activities that bring us joy and cultivate community, we celebrate the abundant life that Jesus promised and create avenues for others to encounter His peace.

As we faithfully tend to the spaces God has entrusted to us, we become conduits of His grace, love, and restoration. Through our obedience and dedication, we partner with Him in the ongoing work of redemption, witnessing the gradual transformation of our world into a reflection of His eternal Kingdom.

Conclusion

As we navigate this post-fall world, let us remember that we are not alone in our struggle against temptation and sin. We have been given the ultimate example in Jesus Christ, who lived a life of perfect obedience and allegiance to the Father. Through His death and resurrection, we have been granted the opportunity to live in the freedom and joy that comes from walking in God's loving boundaries. As we seek to follow His path, let us embrace the paradox of prohibition, understanding that His "no" is ultimately a resounding "yes" to a life of abundance, purpose, and intimate connection with Him. In a world that often seeks to blur the lines between good and evil, let us stand firm in our commitment to God's truth, trusting that His ways lead to life, peace, and flourishing. As we go forth from this place, may we be filled with the courage and strength to tend the gardens of our lives with diligence, wisdom, and unwavering faith, knowing that in doing so, we are partnering with God in the redemptive work of bringing His Kingdom to Earth. Let us find rest and assurance in the knowledge that, as we abide in Christ and walk in obedience, we will experience the true freedom and abundant life that He has promised us.