Grace In The Curse Series

Genesis (Pt. 9) (Grace in the Curse)

Text: Genesis 3:9 - 24

By: Ken McKinley

(Read Text)

Now last week we talked about how sin is lawlessness, how it is deceptive and how it always brings shame and guilt. This week we’re going to look at the result of Adam’s sin but also how God showed Adam and Eve grace, despite their sin.

Now in our text here, it begins with God calling out to Adam saying, “Where are you?” Now God is omniscient; that means that He knows everything. He knew that Adam was hiding behind the trees. This call from God, asking where Adam was, was more like a cry of grief than it was a question. The relationship and fellowship between God and Adam had been broken. Now I just reminded ya’ll how sin is lawlessness, how it is deceptive and how it brings shame. But this is the worst result of sin… it brings separation between God and His creation.

In verses 10 – 13 we see Adam shift the blame to Eve, and Eve shifts the blame to the serpent, and then judgment is pronounced. Every covenant has blessings and curses. Blessings for obedience and curses for disobedience; and the 1st covenant between God and man is no different. And in verses 14 – 19 we are going to see the terrible curse that results from Adam’s disobedience. But what I want us to focus on today is the grace that is also found in those verses; because whether we realize it or not, this is also actually the first step in the covenant of grace.

Look at vss. 14 & 15 (Read); So God deals with those who have rebelled against Him in the order that they did it. First He deals with the serpent, then He deals with Eve, and then… we’ll get to it in a second, He deals with Adam. And you notice God didn’t ask Satan, “Who led you to rebellion?” Or, “Who tricked you?” Satan knew exactly what he was doing. Now this is interesting, because God doesn’t offer any hope of pardon to Satan for his rebellion. He doesn’t offer any hope of redemption or salvation. Some people say that the reason for that is because he knew what he was doing, but Adam and Eve were deceived… but that’s not exactly what Scripture teaches. Turn with me to 1st Timothy 2:12-14 (Read). You see; Adam knew the command of God to not eat of the fruit, but he was spineless. And we see the same thing happening today. There is nothing new under the sun. We see pastors today, who rather than stand up and stand firm on the truth of God’s Word, will capitulate and waffle on things like the inerrancy of Scripture, or same sex marriage, or abortion. They say their being tolerant and open minded, but I think they’re so open minded their brains have fallen out. It’s the same thing Adam did. They know better than that, but the empty promises of fame, or fortune, or even a full church, causes them to capitulate; and down the path of error they go.

But back to my point… Adam rebelled, knowing that he was rebelling. And yet God offered redemption to man, but not to Satan. And I think this is a clear example of God’s sovereignty in election being displayed. There was no reason for God to promise Adam and Eve redemption and salvation, other than His free choice to have mercy and grace upon us.

So God pronounces His judgment. His first judgment is directed in essence at Satan, but the actual serpent suffers as well. I like how Matthew Henry – the great Presbyterian minister explained it. He said, “The devils instruments must share in the devils punishments.” In Exodus 21:28-29 we read about how if an ox or bull gores someone and they die, then that animal is to be stoned to death. They were to suffer the same punishment as a person who committed murder. God takes sin very seriously. So the serpent is cursed. And some people say that this reference to “eating dust” is talking about Satan being cast out of heaven. But I’m not ashamed to tell you… I don’t know if that’s what it is or not. I think that might be reading something into Scripture that isn’t there. Regardless; God curses the serpent, but then He gives a glimpse of the grace that is to come. In verse 15 He says, “I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your seed and her seed. He shall bruise your head, and you will bruise his heel.” Now we know that the “seed” of the woman is ultimately Christ… but what about the seed of the serpent? Well in John chapter 8 Jesus called the Pharisees children of the devil. We also see a pattern developed in the OT; we see the blessings of the covenant go from Abraham to Isaac, not to Ishmael, and from Isaac to Jacob, not to Esau, until ultimately it leads down through history to Jesus Himself. The promised seed of both Eve and Abraham. So the history of redemption is also a history of spiritual warfare that began right here in Genesis.