Getting A Handle On Temptation Series

Intro:

1. Sailhammer, "The centerpiece of the story is the question of the knowledge of the "good." [God alone determined what was good, 1:10,12, 18, 21,25, 31/ 2:9,12,18].

The Serpent then implied by his questions that God was keeping this knowledge from them (3:5). [The truth is, it was there's for the asking!] So Satan's statement through the snake is a direct challenge to the central theme of the narrative of chapters 1 and 2, which declared that God would provide the "good" for human beings if they will only trust and obey Him.

The narrative states that the woman "saw that the tree was good..." (3:6). Up until now that expression "saw that it was good" had been used only of God. Now it is the woman who is determining what is good! They now begin a quest for that which is "good" apart from God. [A quest that can only lead to sorrow and judgment."

2. Oh, if we would only learn that God alone knows what is for our good.

3. Knowledge of good and evil meant, Self, Determining what is good.

Trans: Gen. 3:4-6

I. FIRST, THE PROMISE.

3 but of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God has said, 'You shall not eat it, nor shall you touch it, lest you die.' " 4 Then the serpent said to the woman, "You will not surely die. 5 For God knows that in the day you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil." - Satan is a liar! His promises are all lies!

"You are of your father the devil, and the desires of your father you want to do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own resources, for he is a liar and the father of it." John 8:44 (NKJV)

G.B. Robeson tells of a common thing that people experience in the Rain Forest of Central and South America. A person gets lost out in the jungle. He begins to hears a bell ringing and thus heads in the direction of the sound.

But he only goes deeper into the jungle, becomes more lost, and eventually loses his life. That bell is not the sound of a near village - it is actually made by what is called a Bell Bird. A bird that sounds out a promise of freedom but brings only bondage.

Satan is sounding his bell in the Garden, and is still sounding it today.

"9 Then Saul, who also is called Paul, filled with the Holy Spirit, looked intently at him 10 and said, "O full of all deceit and all fraud, you son of the devil, you enemy of all righteousness, will you not cease perverting the straight ways of the Lord?" Acts 13:9-10 (NKJV)

"9 The coming of the lawless one is according to the working of Satan, with all power, signs, and lying wonders, 10 and with all unrighteous deception among those who perish, because they did not receive the love of the truth, that they might be saved." 2 Thessalonians 2:9-10 (NKJV)

Reminds me of a 42 year old woman from South Bend, Indiana. She called the police after being sold, what she thought was, a flat-screen TV.

She was approached by a man who offered her a great deal on the TV, a new flat-screen TV for only $5oo dollars. She admitted it was a great deal, but did not have the money. So he lowered the price to $300 dollars. She gave him the money.

The set was bubble wrapped; had Wal-Mart stickers on it; came with a remote control - but when she unwrapped it, she discovered it was an oven door!"

Satan has all kinds of good things like that for us, all we have to do is pay the price of disobeying God! Eve rejected God's Word for Satans.

"To the law and to the testimony! If they do not speak according to this word, it is because there is no light in them." Isaiah 8:20 (NKJV)

II. FURTHERMORE THE PRONOUNCEMENT.

When the woman saw that it was good - what arrogance! This is the essence of sin, man determining what is good apart from God.

"There is a way that seems right to a man, But its end is the way of death." Proverbs 14:12 (NKJV)

"There is a way that seems right to a man, But its end is the way of death." Proverbs 16:25 (NKJV)

Most of us can identify with Tony Evans:

"I HAD a speaking engagement once that required about a 45 minute drive. So I got my directions. I left my house with plenty of time to spare, put the directions beside me in the seat, glanced at them, and then got on the freeway headed to the breakfast.