Did God Really Say That?

By Reverend Michael Farias

One of the most well-known conversations in the Bible is a dialog found in Genesis 3:1 that God is not even directly a part of.

Genesis 3:1 states, Now the serpent was more crafty than any other beast of the field that the Lord God had made. He said to the woman, “Did God actually say, ‘You shall not eat of any tree in the garden?’” ESV.

It’s never fun to be misinformed.  It’s even less fun to be confused, and to then make an error in judgment because of our confusion.  The above question was asked of Eve by Satan.  It seems his intent was to cause confusion and doubt.  It really is a simple question, “Did God actually say…?”   As a matter of fact, God actually did say, “but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die.”  (Gen. 2:17 ESV)

The end of the question, “did God actually say…?” could be almost anything - you can fill in your own blank.  Did God actually say ________________________________?  For example, here are some common quotes attributed to God and the Bible:

 “Money is the root of all evil.”

 “Cleanliness is next to Godliness.”

 “All things work together for good.”

These are, indeed, great quotes and they sound really good, but does the Bible really contain them? Did God say really that?

How do you know what the Bible says?   What do you base your assurance on?  Is it because the preacher said so in his sermon, the Sunday School teacher said so in class, or your small group leader said so at the coffee house?  If so, you are a candidate for confusion.

It’s not that I disrespect or distrust hardworking, dedicated preachers, teachers and leaders, but this stuff is so important that I want to know the content for myself.  I want a first hand account.

In verse 4 of Genesis chapter 3, we read how the devil contradicted what God had actually said, But the serpent said to the woman, “You will not surely die.”  That’s just not true. That is a lie, a twist of the truth.  Consequently, Eve was tricked, duped, bamboozled! When she ate of the forbidden fruit, the result was devastating for mankind .

I am without excuse when it comes to not knowing exactly what God has said. His Word, the Bible, is available to me.  It’s not enough to take the word of someone else. I want to know what God has to say to me, and I want to get it directly from Him. Pick up your Bible today and take a look for yourself.

Greater Than Gold Bible studies are here to help you answer the question, “Did God really say that?” as well as so many other common biblical questions. View our full collection of Bible studies here and start diving into His Word today.