Heb 11:1-3

Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.

For by it the men of old gained approval.

By faith we understand that the worlds were prepared by the word of God, so that what is seen was not made out of things which are visible.

It is by faith that we understand that God prepared the worlds (I’m still intrigued by the plural) by His Word.
It is by faith that we understand that what is made is made out of things not seen.

We have seen the creation account in Genesis 1 and 2.

We do well to finish the account by a quick reading of Genesis 3.

Repeatedly it has be asked: “what could go wrong”?

Here it is…

Gen 3:1-3

Now the serpent was more crafty than any beast of the field which the LORD God had made. And he said to the woman, “Indeed, has God said, ‘You shall not eat from any tree of the garden’?”

The woman said to the serpent, “From the fruit of the trees of the garden we may eat;

but from the fruit of the tree which is in the middle of the garden, God has said, ‘You shall not eat from it or touch it, or you will die.’”

The serpent was crafty.
He was used by the evil one to “setup” the woman.
The serpent inquired of the woman.
“You shall not eat from any tree of the garden?” He knew what the command of the Lord was.
He was challenging her.

How did she respond?

On the surface the response looks good.
But…!

Yes the Lord said “do not eat” of the tree in the middle of the garden.
But, the woman added something…”or touch it”.

We have no account of the Lord saying that.
Perhaps God did say it and we are informed here.
Perhaps God told the Man and he informed Woman incorrectly.
Perhaps the Woman added to the Word of the Lord.

I suspect the later.

It is easy to add to and go beyond the Word of the Lord.
People do so all the time.

We must not.

Too often…in the preaching/teaching area especially…it is done in the attempt to “make a point”, “be relevant”, “to communicate.”
I see it on a weekly basis.
Man simply gets “twice-too-cute”.

The bottom line is this - the Lord does not need our addendum to His Word.
He needs our abiding obedience.

Simply speak the Word of the Lord.
No subtraction.
No addition.

Remember this from an especially enigmatic character…

Num 22:18
And Balaam answered and said unto the servants of Balak, If Balak would give me his house full of silver and gold, I cannot go beyond the word of the LORD my God, to do less or more.

Num 24:13
If Balak would give me his house full of silver and gold, I cannot go beyond the commandment of the LORD, to do either good or bad of mine own mind; but what the LORD saith, that will I speak?

Do not go beyond the Word of the Lord to do more or less.
Speak what the Lord says.