Story 3: God Guides Man

[Song] “Sing them over again to me, wonderful words of life.  Let me more of their beauty see, wonderful words of life.”

Hello, I’m Mrs. B!  Welcome to Lifeline English, the podcast that helps you know God and know English.

You can read the written script for today’s lesson online at lifelineenglish.com.

Today I want to teach you three words.

The first word is “must”.  Can you say it?  It rhymes with “just” and “dust”.  Must.  Must.  Must is a helping verb.  It is used with other verbs.  For example, “You must eat”.  The main verb is “eat”.  When we say simply, “You eat” we describe your action.  When we say, “You must eat” we describe your obligation.  It means you will eat.  It is not an option. 



The next word is “may”.  It rhymes with “play” and “say”.  May.  May.  May, like must, is a helping verb.  For example, “You may eat now.”  Here, may means “have permission to” or “are allowed to”.  “You are allowed to eat now.”  It does not mean you MUST eat now.  But you may eat if you want.  Eating now is an option.  If I said, “You may not go outside now”, it means you do not have permission to go outside now.  You must stay inside.  Going outside now is not an option.  We also use “may” to talk about future possibilities.  For example, “I may lose my job.”

The last word is command.  Repeat after me.  Command.  Command.  A command is a law or rule.   Commands are used to guide or direct. A command is not a suggestion or a recommendation.  “To command” means to tell someone what they must do.  If a mother commands her daughter to clean her room, the daughter must obey and clean her room.  

Okay, now let’s hear a story that uses our new words.  This story is called, “God Guides Man.”  When I ask a question, I will leave a space.  You can answer my question.  Then I will say the answer.  You can compare your answer with my answer. 

The Lord God put the man in the garden of Eden to tend and watch over it.
Did the man find the garden by himself?  No, God put the man in the garden.
Who did the Lord put in the garden?  The Lord put the man, Adam, in the garden.
Did God put the man in a desert?  No, God put the man in a garden.
Where did the Lord God put the man?  The Lord God put the man in the garden of Eden.
Why did God put the man in the garden?  God put the man in the garden to tend and watch over it. 
What was the man’s job?  The man’s job was to tend and watch over the garden.
Did the animals watch over the garden?  No, the animals did not watch over the garden.  The man watched over the garden.

The Lord God commanded the man, “You may eat the fruit from any tree in the garden.
Where did the fruit grow?  The fruit grew on trees.
Where were the fruit trees?  The fruit trees were in the garden. 
Who did God command?  God commanded the man, Adam.
Did the birds command the man?  No, God commanded the man. 
Did God give a suggestion to the man?  No, God gave a command to the man.
May Adam eat the fruit of only one tree?  No, Adam may eat the fruit of any tree.

But you must not eat the fruit from the tree which gives the knowledge of good and evil.
“But” is a word we use to connect things that contrast, things that are different.  Most of the trees were good to eat from.  But there was one different, dangerous tree in the garden.  So God made an exception to His command. 
What did this tree give?  This tree gave knowledge.
Did this tree give life?  No, this tree gave knowledge.
What kind of knowledge did this tree give?  This tree gave the knowledge of good and evil.
Did this tree give knowledge of God?  No, this tree gave knowledge of good and evil.
Was the man allowed to eat the fruit of this tree?  No, the man was not allowed to eat it.
Who told the man not to eat this fruit?  God told the man not to eat this fruit.
Did God say not to touch the fruit?  No, God did not say not to touch the fruit.  God said not to eat the fruit.
Did God tell the man not to eat fruit from any tree?  No, God told the man not to eat fruit from this tree.  God allowed the man to eat fruit from any other tree.
What fruit was the man not allowed to eat?  The man was not allowed to eat fruit from the tree that gave knowledge of good and evil. 

If you eat fruit from that tree, you will die the same day!”
What tree is “that” tree?  “That” tree is the tree that gives the knowledge of good and evil.
What will happen if Adam eats fruit from that tree?  He will die.  If Adam eats fruit from that tree, he will die. 
Will Adam die if he sees the fruit?  No, Adam will not die if he sees the fruit.  He will die if he eats the fruit. 
When will Adam die?  He will die on the same day that he eats the fruit.
Will Adam die if he eats the fruit from the other trees?  No, he will not die if he eats the fruit from the other trees.  He will die if he eats the fruit from the tree that gives the knowledge of good and evil.

Let’s listen to the whole story together.

The Lord God put the man in the garden of Eden to tend and watch over it. The Lord God commanded the man, “You may eat the fruit from any tree in the garden. But you must not eat the fruit from the tree which gives the knowledge of good and evil. If you eat fruit from that tree, you will die the same day!”

This story gives a direct quotation from God.  It tells the exact words God said to the man.  But the story could have also used an indirect quotation.  Here’s how the story would sound with an indirect quotation.  

The Lord God put the man in the garden of Eden to tend and watch over it. The Lord God commanded the man saying that he might eat the fruit from any tree in the garden. But God said that the man must not eat the fruit from the tree which gives the knowledge of good and evil. God said that if the man ate fruit from that tree, he would die the same day!

Do you have questions?  You can write me.  Go to our website, lifelineenglish.com

Until next time, may Jesus help you know Him and know English.  Good bye!

[Song] “Jesus only savior, sanctify forever, beautiful words, wonderful words, wonderful words of life.  Beautiful words, wonderful words, wonderful words of life.”