Com Out, Come Out, Wherever You Are!

I suppose we all have played hide and seek. Some of you – or us – still look for a hiding place when our wives make a list of some major tasks – for us – like vacuuming the carpet, or emptying the dishwasher, or taking out the trash, or picking up socks or putting our clean things in the drawers.

Adam and Eve were not just playing games when they took a dive into the bushes to hide themselves. They were hiding in fear and bitter shame. But I run ahead. Let’s check out the account:

“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 said to the woman, ‘You surely will not die! For God knows that in the day you eat from it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.’ When the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was desirable to make one wise, she took from its fruit and ate; and she gave also to her husband with her, and he ate. Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together and made themselves loin coverings. They heard the sound of the LORD God walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and the man and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the LORD God among the trees of the garden. Then the LORD God called to the man, and said to him, ‘Where are you?’ He said, ‘I heard the sound of You in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked; so I hid myself.’ And He said, ‘Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten from the tree of which I commanded you not to eat?’ The man said, ‘The woman whom You gave to be with me, she gave me from the tree, and I ate.’ Then the LORD God said to the woman, ‘What is this you have done?’ And the woman said, ‘The serpent deceived me, and I ate.’” Genesis 3:1-13 (NASB). Follow along with the narrative:

I. THE DECEITFUL DESIGN:

A. “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 said to the woman, ‘You surely will not die! For God knows that in the day you eat from it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.’”

1. He created a doubt about what God said and why He said it. If God didn’t say it, there was no prohibition.

2. He had no interest in, or concern for, their betterment. He wanted first and foremost to hurt God by wrecking the innocence of His first children.

3. He is the master of deceit, the father of lies and a schemer.

B. There are, 3 universal factors of temptation and deceit all of which were at play in Eden. John sums up those factors in this way. "For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh and the lust of the eyes and the boastful pride of life, is not from the Father, but is from the world." 1 John 2:15-16 (NASB). :

1. The lust of the flesh – that is, the sensuous, illicit, uncontrolled desires of our bodies.

2. The lust of the eyes – that is, wanting everything we see.

3. The boastful pride of life – that is vainly and with conceit showing off to be the center of attention and to be admired.

4. Using those desires, Satan tries to deceive and score on us. He will tell you:

a. “Just a little won’t hurt you!” Yes, it will!

b. “Everybody does it.” No, they don’t!

c. “You can quit whenever you choose to.” No you can’t!