Genesis 7
Last week we talked about how the Lord provided a partner for the man. A woman who would complete him and together they would reflect the image of God. They were perfect, their home was perfect, and their relationship was also perfect. Sinless in every way.
We’re not really sure how long this lasted, but we do know that this perfect, human existence came to an end right there in the garden. A place that was so complete, so beautiful, so bright with the glory of God, would soon become a place where the memories of perfection would be overshadowed with the ugliness of sin. Man would forfeit all that God had given him for something so seemingly insignificant – a piece of fruit.
Now before we jump head first into the deep end of the pool we need to do some background checking on this ‘serpent’ that’s introduced here in Genesis chapter three. Because this is the first place that satan himself shows up in the Scriptures.
[Read Genesis 3:1.]
Satan embodies the serpent whom God had created as the most crafty or cunning of all the other animals. Satan is also referred to as the serpent during the end times.
[Read Revelation 12:7-9.]
But lets step back a little bit – when exactly was satan created? Was he a part of the six day creation? Well, no he wasn’t. You see, satan originally was an angel, and we know from the Scriptures that angels were in existence before the earth was created.
[Read Job 38:4-7.]
It’s as if the angels were watching and praising the Lord as He created the universe. Satan was probably right there with them as the high angel lucifer.
But something happened. Lucifer somewhere along the way decided that he wanted to take over and be God himself. And I happen to think it was sometime either during or soon after God’s creation was complete.
In the book of Ezekiel satan is shown through a prophecy of the king of Tyre. (The king was full of evil and exalted himself as a god, just like satan did in the garden. This king, like satan, would suffer the same consequences. Therefore the power and motivation behind this king was obviously satan.)
Now in this passage, satan’s pictured as being in the Garden of Eden in his perfect state. But would soon decide that he wanted more!
[Read Ezekiel 28:11-19.]
God placed satan in the garden. God. Try to wrap your mind around that one. Talk about adding gas to the fire. What was God thinking? Didn’t He know what was going to happen?
Of course He knew what was going to happen. But again, He wanted a relationship with us. Not a relationship with a bunch of mindless drones who have no other choice. But a relationship with intelligent beings who willfully choose to love Him in return for His love. He knew what satan was going to do, yet He placed him in the garden anyway.
A garden that had only one prohibition – don’t eat from that tree!
[Read Genesis 2:15-17.]
So now the stage is set for us to better understand the context of the fall of man itself. And the first thing we’re going to see is:
I. Man rejects God’s authority
[Read Genesis 3:1-6.]
This truly is the saddest day in human history. More sad then 911. More sad than the Hiroshima bomb. Even more sad then the day our Lord died. Because on this day all men died.
[Read Romans 5:12, 3:23.]
The first humans rejected God’s authority and they have passed on that rebellious attitude, that sinful nature to all their offspring. It’s built into our DNA and we’re all born to sin.
Satan, obviously wanting to take over the earth and God’s creation, went to the woman to deceive her into rebellion. He misrepresented what God meant when he lied to the woman and said that she wouldn’t die if she ate from the tree. And the woman listened, and reasoned, and justified rejecting what God had told them. Look at verse six again.
[Read Genesis 3:6.]
The woman justified her rebellion for three reasons. The tree was good for:
- Food
- Beautiful
- Wisdom
And we’ve been following that pattern of sin ever since.
[Read I John 2:15-17.]
- Lust of the flesh
- Lust of the eyes
- Pride of life
All sin can be traced back to these three categories. As I read a list of common sins
today, think about what category they come from: The lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes or the pride of life.
- Overeating - Materialism - Gossip
- Alcoholism, drug use - Ego - Murder
- Pornography - Lying - Laziness
- Adultery - Stealing - List could go on…
All sin can be traced back to its roots in the garden with Adam and Eve.
Oh and by the way, what in the world was Adam doing this whole time? He was right
there with her the whole time Eve was talking with satan. Why didn’t he stop her? Why didn’t he correct satan? He knew what God had said and didn’t say. Why didn’t he step up and be the leader of the household that God had made him to be?
Maybe for the same reasons many men won’t be the household leader they need to be today - it’s hard. It takes a lot of work and sacrifice.
But at any rate, the woman was deceived into eating the fruit, and the man knowingly rejected God’s commands. Both were wrong, both were sin. The woman should have consulted with her husband on such a big decision and the man should been a leader. But both failed.
I can’t help but think that as these events unfolded the Lord Himself felt sorrow and deep pain because His greatest creation was turning against Him. He knew the consequences of this. He knew how hard life would now be for His children. I think tears fell from the face of God as He watched His children sin. Have you ever felt like that as a parent?
[Listening to my kids fight story.]
Well, God had watched His children fall away from Him. So He went to the garden to confront them for what they’d done. Now in this next passage we’re going to read about God asking Adam and Eve questions as if He didn’t know the answers. But they’re not those kinds of questions. They’re simply Him giving them opportunities to take ownership of what they had done and repent. So with that in mind, let’s look at:
II. Man’s reaction to knowing good and evil
[Read Genesis 3:7-8.]
Their first reaction to knowing good and evil, understanding what they had done was wrong, was shame. They immediately knew they were naked and started to get embarrassed. Their perfect, innocent, sinless relationship was now tainted and they were embarrassed by each others and their own bodies.
Not only were they embarrassed in front of each other, but were embarrassed in front of God. They heard Him coming and went to hide.
Sounds familiar doesn’t it? When we realize we’ve done something wrong we feel shame; we feel embarrassment; we feel guilt; and we want to hide from it. But we just can’t hide can we? Especially from God! So God confronts them and do they own up to what they had done?
No way! They get caught with their hand in the cookie jar and out come a plethora of excuses. As a parent we can really relate to what’s going on here. How many times have your kids done the same exact thing? See if these sound familiar.
- “He hit me first.” - “You never said…”
- “I forgot.” - “Why do they get to.”
- “I didn’t mean to.” - “Well, if you wouldn’t have…”
Look at all the excuses they had. The man first.
[Read Genesis 3:9-12.]
- Naked
- Woman
- You
Then the Lord turned His attention to the woman.
[Read Genesis 3:13.]
- Serpent
Neither the man or the woman wanted to take responsibility. Instead of admitting to
what they’d done, they tried to blame-shift and even justify their actions. This truly is the height of pride.
I wonder if they’d admitted and repented of their sin if some of the consequences of their sin wouldn’t have been so severe? I guess well never know. What we do know is there are consequences for sin. So let’s look at:
III. The results of the fall.
1. Satan’s consequences
[Read Genesis 3:14-15.]
- Serpent would crawl; humbled, reminder today of the fall
- Death by the woman’s seed, (Jesus)
2. Woman’s consequences
[Read Genesis 3:16.]
- Pain in childbirth
- Submission towards husband
3. Man’s consequences
[Read Genesis 3:17-19a.]
- Hard, life-long work
4. Mankind’s consequences
[Read Genesis 3:19b.]
- Physical death
- Spiritual death was a result that would be explained later
So many severe and far-reaching consequences for their rejection of God’s authority in
their lives.
- Satan brought death to humanity, he would now suffer death
- Eve influenced her husband into sin, she would now live in submission to him
- Adam ate from the forbidden tree, he now has to work hard all his life just to eat
In a moment the world was turned upside down.
- What God had created satan was trying to destroy.
- God brought the earth order, but satan brought disorder.
- God gave life. Satan gave death.
- God speaks Truth. Satan speaks lies.
And again, has anything really changed over the last few thousand years? Look at your
own life. A life that God created. A life that God brought order to. A life that God breathed new-life into. A life set free by God’s Truth!
But satan wants to destroy your life. He wants to bring disorder into it. He wants to bring death into it. And he’ll lie to you every time as he tries to tempt you into sin.
Don’t eat the apple. Don’t reject God’s authority. There are consequences for sin.
Next week we’ll look at the rest of this sad story as God actually restores fellowship with the ones who turned away from Him.
[Pray.]
