Notes on the Book of Genesis. Charles Henry Mackintosh

Lord God[5] was obedience, based on implicit confidence in the One who had set him in his position of dignity—confidence in his truth—confidence in his love. He could obey only while he confided. We shall see the truth and force of this more fully when we come to examine the next chapter.

I would here suggest to my reader the remarkable contrast between the testimony set up in Eden, and that which is set up now. Then, when all around was life, God spoke of death; now, on the contrary, when all around is death, God speaks of life: then the word was, "in the day thou eatest thou shalt die;" now the word is, "believe and live." And, as in Eden, the enemy sought to make void God's testimony, as to the result of eating the fruit, so now, he seeks to make void God's testimony as to the result of believing the gospel. God had said, "In the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die." But the serpent said, "Ye shall not surely die." And now, when God's word plainly declares that "he that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life," (John iii. 36,) the same serpent seeks to persuade people that they have not everlasting life, nor should they presume to think of such a thing, until they have, first, done, felt, and experienced all manner of things.

      My beloved reader, if you have not yet heartily believed the divine record, let me beseech you to allow "the voice of the Lord" to prevail above the hiss of the serpent. "He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life." (John v. 24.)