WHEN SIN ENTERED IN-II—Genesis 3:1-24
Attention:
“Sin is any personal lack of conformity to the moral character of God, or the law of God. Then sin is a disposition of the heart, it is a bent.”....“It is...any violation of the character or law of God, the moral character or the law of God.”.... “it’s ignoring God’s law, it’s violating God’s law.”
Rom. 14:23 tells us that “...whatever is not from faith is sin.” so that anything that you do that isn’t is not a direct act of faith in God is sin.”
“You study the Bible & you’re going to find out what God commands us to do & not to do, you’re going to find out the essential elements of God’s nature. And whenever we violate those, we sin.”.... “....there is no external cause of sin....It’s just choice.”— John MacArthur & that choice is afforded us & allowed by freewill.
Need:
Genesis 3 explains the human dilemma, the seemingly endless frustrations we face thruout our lives.
“All the problems of the universe have their origin in the events of this historic account....physical problems, spiritual problems, moral problems, social problems, economic problems, political problems, all the problems in the universe have their origin in the events of this historic account.”—John MacArthur
Genesis chapter 3 precisely documented the original appearance of sin.
The original appearance of sin is precisely documented in God’s word.
*What is significant about the entrance of sin?
*How is the entrance of sin to be regarded or how is it significant?
21 considerations regarding the entrance of sin.
Earlier we found that Sin entered in with ...
1—CUNNING(:1a)
2—IMPLICATION(:1b)
3—Self-PROTECTION(:2-3)
4—BLATANT UNDERSTATEMENT(:4)
5— Sin entered in with a...
BLATANT OVERSTATEMENT(:5)
Explanation:(:5) Exaggeration
:5—“For God knows that in the day you eat of it your eyes will be opened, & you will be like God, knowing good & evil.””
In fact, the serpent states, God “knows” that when you both eat from the Tree of the Knowledge of Good & Evil you will both not only “not die” but the eyes of you both “will be opened.”
Having their eyes opened is rightly presented as one of the characteristics of God Himself. It is a quality which He desires to keep to Himself. God also knows that to have such an eye opening experience will seal the downfall of mankind. This truth is kept hidden from the woman(& man) by the serpent.
The serpent has thus lied, keeping something hidden from the woman in the very manner he had accused God of the same. Although it was for two very different reasons—1)the serpent—for personal gain & 2)God—for the betterment of mankind & creation.
The serpent has tried to convince the woman that it would be a good thing if they were “like God(s).” Being like God, for the serpent consisted of having a knowledge of “good & evil.” This is a character which neither the man nor the woman currently possessed. This innocence resulted in their being naked but experiencing no shame(2:25).
However, the serpent did NOT explain the personal & deathly difficulties that a mere knowledge of “good & evil” would bring upon those possessing freewill. Finite creatures with a limited ability for relationship & understanding are totally unable to sustain such ‘god-like’ knowledge over time
.
The woman must have had some concept that both good & evil existed. Either that or she, being very familiar with the good of God’s creation, assumed that its opposite could not be all that bad, seeing as God knew the difference.
“Eyes”—Nye ah’-yin—1) Eye—1a) Eye—1a1) Of physical eye, 1a2) As showing mental qualities, 1a3) Of mental & spiritual faculties (fig.); 2) Spring, fountain.
“Opened”—xqp paw-kakh’—1) To open (the eyes). Strong—To open (the senses, especially the eyes); figuratively, To be observant:-- Open.
“Knows”—edy yaw-dah’—Qal Participle masculine singular absolute—1a) (Qal)—1a1) to know—1a1a) To know, learn to know, 1a1b) To perceive, 1a1c) To perceive & see, find out & discern, 1a1d) To discriminate, distinguish, 1a1e) To know by experience, 1a1f) To recognise, admit, acknowledge, confess, 1a1g) To consider—1a2) To know, be acquainted with, 1a3) To know (a person carnally), 1a4) To know how, be skilful in, 1a5) To have knowledge, be wise.
“Knowing”— edy yaw-dah’—Qal Participle masculine plural construct
“Good”(See :6)—bwj towb—Noun Common Masculine Singular absolute—2) A good thing, benefit, welfare. Strong—Good (as an adjective) in the widest sense; used likewise as a noun, both in the masculine & the feminine, the singular & the plural (Good, a good or good thing, a good man or woman; the good, goods or good things, good men or women), also as an adverb (Well).
“Evil”—er ra`—Adjective Masculine Singular absolute—1) Bad, evil.
Argumentation:
2Cor. 11:3—“But I fear, lest somehow, as the serpent deceived Eve by his craftiness, so your minds may be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ.”
We can only become “like God” or “as gods” in a very limited sense. The serpent did not convey that aspect to the woman. It presented intentionally abbrviated information to her so as to make her believe she could be acheive a similar level as God.
Illustration:
LDS President Lorenzo Snow— "As man is, God once was; as God is, man may become."—A blasphemous BLATANT OVERSTATEMENT of man’s nature , purpose & potential. At the same time it is a Blatant Understatement of God’s nature.
Used car salesman/This car was driven by a little old lady who only drove it to church on Sundays/Conveniently forget about the little old lady’s great grandson who street raced it & drove it off-road every other day of the week!/You’ll have absolutely no problem with this car!/BLATANT OVERSTATEMENT
Application:
?You considered the wages of Sin’s BLATANT OVERSTATEMENT?
?Has Sin Entered In to your life?
6— Sin entered in with ...
RATIONALISM(:6)
Explanation:(:6) Reason from faulty parameters
:6—“So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, that it was pleasant to the eyes, & a tree desirable to make one wise, she took of its fruit & ate. She also gave to her husband with her, & he ate.”
Rationalism—Eng. Def.—1)‘Reliance on reason as the basis for establishment of religious truth.’ 2) ‘a theory that reason is in itself a source of knowledge superior to & independent of sense perceptions.’
The woman took the word of the serpent as opposed to God yet accepted its wisdom above God’s.
*She now views the forbidden fruit differently—
—1)as something edible(Physical appeal),
—2)desirous to look upon(Aesthetic appeal),
—3)as well as something to be desired for giving both herself & the man insight(Sapiential appeal) to those matters kept from her by God. They would then be like God as the serpent had said.
Having surmised such, the woman then “took” & ate “of the fruit” of the tree of the Knowledge of Good& Evil. Covetousness got the best of her from three different angles.
“Saw”—har raw-aw’—Qal Waw Consecutive third feminine singular apocopated—1) To see, look at, inspect, perceive, consider.
“Good”(See :5)—bwj towb—Adj. Masculine Singular absolute—2) Good, pleasant, agreeable. Strong—Good (as an adjective) in the widest sense; used likewise as a noun, both in the masculine & the feminine, the singular & the plural (Good, a good or good thing, a good man or woman; the good, goods or good things, good men or women), also as an adverb (Well).
“Pleasant”—hwat tah-av-aw’—1) Desire—1a) Desire, wish, longings of one’s heart—1a1)Lust, appetite, covetousness (bad sense), 1b) thing desired, object of desire. Strong—A longing; by implication, A delight (subjectively, satisfaction, objectively, a charm):-- Dainty, desire, X exceedingly, X greedily, lust(ing), pleasant.
“Desirable”—dmx khaw-mad’—Verb Nifal Participle masculine singular absolute—1) To desire, covet, take pleasure in, delight in—1b) (Niphal) to be desirable. Strong—To delight in:-- Beauty, greatly beloved, covet, delectable thing, (X great) delight, desire, goodly, lust, (be) pleasant (thing), precious (thing).
“Wise”—lks saw-kal’—Verb Hifil Infinitive Construct—1) To be prudent, be circumspect, wisely understand, prosper—1b) (Hiphil)—1b1) To look at or upon, have insight, 1b2) To give attention to, consider, ponder, be prudent, 1b3) To have insight, have comprehension—1b3a) insight, comprehension (subst), 1b4) To cause to consider, give insight, teach—1b4a) the teachers, the wise, 1b5) To act circumspectly, act prudently, act wisely, 1b6) To prosper, have success, 1b7) To cause to prosper
“Took”(See :22)—xql law-kakh’—Verb Qal Waw Consecutive third feminine singular—1) To take, get, fetch, lay hold of, seize, receive, acquire, buy, bring, marry, take a wife, snatch, take away. Strong—To take (in the widest variety of applications):-- Accept, bring, buy, carry away, drawn, fetch, get, infold, X many, mingle, place, receive(-ing), reserve, seize, send for, take (away, --ing, up), use, win.
“She also gave to her husband with her, & he ate.”
Not only did the woman eat but she also gave the fruit to her husband, who likewise ate.
Adam had directly heard the prohibition come from the mouth of God(2:16-17). Eve had not been created when Adam was forbidden to eat. Thus he himself had relayed the prohibition to his wife. Adam, seeing that his wife was not dead(immediacy) after eating the fruit, thus finding some bit of credence to her words & to those of the serpent at the expense of God. He unknowingly does this to their own expense & demise.
She had been lied to & purposely beguiled but Adam has no such excuse. He is merely following the advice of his new spouse to the exclusion of his God. Simply because we have found a soulmate as it were does not mean their word supplants that of God. The man’s sin is one of acquiescence(:17) for he neither questions nor challenges his wife. Not that his wife is ungodly, but that she is “the weaker vessel.”(1Pet. 3:7)
1Pet. 3:3-7—“Do not let your adornment be merely outward--arranging the hair, wearing gold, or putting on fine apparel-- rather let it be the hidden person of the heart, with the incorruptible beauty of a gentle & quiet spirit, which is very precious in the sight of God. For in this manner, in former times, the holy women who trusted in God also adorned themselves, being submissive to their own husbands, as Sarah obeyed Abraham, calling him lord, whose daughters you are if you do good & are not afraid with any terror. Husbands, likewise, dwell with them with understanding, giving honor to the wife, as to the weaker vessel, & as being heirs together of the grace of life, that your prayers may not be hindered.”
*We must be careful about what or whom we set as authoritative in our lives. We also must weigh any & every decision/determination by God’s revealed will. This must never be taken lightly.
Argumentation:
1Cor. 1:17-29—“For Christ did not send me to baptize, but to preach the gospel, not with wisdom of words, lest the cross of Christ should be made of no effect. For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. For it is written: “I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, And bring to nothing the understanding of the prudent.” Where is the wise? Where is the scribe? Where is the disputer of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of this world? For since, in the wisdom of God, the world through wisdom did not know God, it pleased God through the foolishness of the message preached to save those who believe. For Jews request a sign, & Greeks seek after wisdom; but we preach Christ crucified, to the Jews a stumbling block & to the Greeks foolishness, but to those who are called, both Jews & Greeks, Christ the power of God & the wisdom of God. Because the foolishness of God is wiser than men, & the weakness of God is stronger than men. For you see your calling, brethren, that not many wise according to the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called. But God has chosen the foolish things of the world to put to shame the wise, & God has chosen the weak things of the world to put to shame the things which are mighty; & the base things of the world & the things which are despised God has chosen, & the things which are not, to bring to nothing the things that are, that no flesh should glory in His presence.”
Illustration:
An 80 yr. old saying to a child, “I wish I had your energy!”/If they actually had that kind of energy, they would be in the hospital with broken bones etc.!/Faulty parameters/RATIONALISM
21 yr. old getting a tattoo/Decision made in youthful ignorance—from faulty parameters/Regret it later/RATIONALISM
Hunting/Camouflage/Assume your prey is visually oriented/You wear cologne, shampoo, brush teeth, etc./Though they may not see you, your very presence frightens the prey/RATIONALISM
Application:
?You considered the wages of Sin’s RATIONALISM?
?Has Sin Entered In to your life?
7— Sin entered in with ...
KNOWLEDGE (:7a)
Explanation: (:7a) condemns or frees
:7—“Then the eyes of both of them were opened, & they knew that they were naked; & they sewed fig leaves together & made themselves coverings.”
At the time they ate of the fruit, their eyes were “opened” just as the serpent had said.
However, they simultaneously recognized themselves as being “naked.” Thus they immediately felt the shame(:2:25) attached to their nakedness which they had not experienced before.
Their opened eyes brought them an entirely different & encompassing awareness of their world & their part in it. They were now aware of both “good & evil.” At that moment, they experienced the absence of goodness for the first time but unfortunately not the last time. They had ‘wicked’ thoughts they had never experienced or dealt with before.
The man & the woman felt shame—which is a tied to guilt—which is a tied to the commitment of sin.
Their seemingly inconsequential & simple choice had sealed their future & that of all mankind for all time. We are all of the one man Adam(Rom. 5:12-21).
Rom. 5:12-21—“Therefore, just as through one man sin entered the world, & death through sin, & thus death spread to all men, because all sinned-- (For until the law sin was in the world, but sin is not imputed when there is no law. Nevertheless death reigned from Adam to Moses, even over those who had not sinned according to the likeness of the transgression of Adam, who is a type of Him who was to come. But the free gift is not like the offense. For if by the one man’s offense many died, much more the grace of God & the gift by the grace of the one Man, Jesus Christ, abounded to many. And the gift is not like that which came through the one who sinned. For the judgment which came from one offense resulted in condemnation, but the free gift which came from many offenses resulted in justification. For if by the one man’s offense death reigned through the one, much more those who receive abundance of grace & of the gift of righteousness will reign in life through the One, Jesus Christ.) Therefore, as through one man’s offense judgment came to all men, resulting in condemnation, even so through one Man’s righteous act the free gift came to all men, resulting in justification of life. For as by one man’s disobedience many were made sinners, so also by one Man’s obedience many will be made righteous. Moreover the law entered that the offense might abound. But where sin abounded, grace abounded much more, so that as sin reigned in death, even so grace might reign through righteousness to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.”
Argumentation:
Prov. 1:7—“The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge, But fools despise wisdom & instruction.”
Prov. 3:5-7—“Trust in the LORD with all your heart, And lean not on your own understanding; In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He shall direct your paths. Do not be wise in your own eyes; Fear the LORD & depart from evil.”
Job 42:3-6—“You asked, ‘Who is this who hides counsel without knowledge?’ Therefore I have uttered what I did not understand, Things too wonderful for me, which I did not know. Listen, please, & let me speak; You said, ‘I will question you, & you shall answer Me.’ “I have heard of You by the hearing of the ear, But now my eye sees You. Therefore I abhor myself, And repent in dust & ashes.””
Ac 26:19-25—““Therefore, King Agrippa, I was not disobedient to the heavenly vision, “but declared first to those in Damascus and in Jerusalem, and throughout all the region of Judea, and then to the Gentiles, that they should repent, turn to God, and do works befitting repentance. “For these reasons the Jews seized me in the temple and tried to kill me. Therefore, having obtained help from God, to this day I stand, witnessing both to small and great, saying no other things than those which the prophets and Moses said would come-- that the Christ would suffer, that He would be the first to rise from the dead, and would proclaim light to the Jewish people and to the Gentiles.” Now as he thus made his defense, Festus said with a loud voice, “Paul, you are beside yourself! Much learning is driving you mad!” But he said, “I am not mad, most noble Festus, but speak the words of truth and reason.”
Rom. 7:7-11—“What shall we say then? Is the law sin? Certainly not! On the contrary, I would not have known sin except through the law. For I would not have known covetousness unless the law had said, “You shall not covet.” But sin, taking opportunity by the commandment, produced in me all manner of evil desire. For apart from the law sin was dead. I was alive once without the law, but when the commandment came, sin revived and I died. And the commandment, which was to bring life, I found to bring death. For sin, taking occasion by the commandment, deceived me, and by it killed me.”
Rom. 16:19—“..... I want you to be wise in what is good, and simple concerning evil.”
Illustration:
Pre-med Education/Many are in it for the money/We say “You have just enough knowledge to make you dangerous!”/Eyes are opened to particular aspects but not all the truth/They have don’t consider the commitment it takes To have a true passion for that kind of work, To be on call 24/7, To live at the hospital where you are an intern, To have no social life because of the demands of the job, To really care for people, To give of yourself to help others/KNOWLEDGE
After we’re saved, We immediately change our priorities after we accept the KNOWLEDGE of God’s desire/Guilt & need for forgiveness come full-bore/KNOWLEDGE
As children of God, do we really need to know what goes on inside strip clubs?/KNOWLEDGE can be dangerous!
...Do we really need to know what it means to be drunk other than being filled with the Holy Spirit?/KNOWLEDGE can be dangerous!
Application:
?You considered the wages of Sin’s KNOWLEDGE?
?Has Sin Entered In to your life?
8— Sin entered in with a...
COVER UP(:7b)
Explanation:(:7b) Self-Correction
:7—“Then the eyes of both of them were opened, & they knew that they were naked; & they sewed fig leaves together & made themselves coverings.”
This is the first instance of mankind making anything for himself. Before sin entered in there was no need or there would have arisen a more honorable occasion.
“Sewed together”—rpt taw-far’—1) To sew together.
“Made”(See 2:4, 18)—hse aw-saw’— To do, fashion, accomplish, make. Strong—To do or make, in the broadest sense & widest application.
—Same word used of God’s making the earth & heavens as well as His intention to make the woman(2:4, 18) but not the actual making.(see 2:22).
“Coverings”—hrgx khag-o-raw’—1) Girdle, belt, 2) Girdle, loin-covering, belt, loin-cloth, armor.
Argumentation:
1Kgs. 22:7-8—to Ahab(king of Judah)—“And Jehoshaphat said, “Is there not still a prophet of the LORD here, that we may inquire of Him?” So the king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, “There is still one man, Micaiah the son of Imlah, by whom we may inquire of the LORD; but I hate him, because he does not prophesy good concerning me, but evil.” And Jehoshaphat said, “Let not the king say such things!””
Jn. 3:18-21—““He who believes in Him is not condemned; but he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. And this is the condemnation, that the light has come into the world, & men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. For everyone practicing evil hates the light & does not come to the light, lest his deeds should be exposed. But he who does the truth comes to the light, that his deeds may be clearly seen, that they have been done in God.””
Illustration:
Simple as sweeping the dirt under the rug/Don’t want others to know the truth/COVER-UP
10 yr. old Zhara Baker adopted/She had lost her left leg & hearing in her left ear to cancer/Hickory, NC Oct. 9, 2010 she was reported missing/Reality—Murdered & dismembered/Bone found 2 mi. from her house/Horrendous crime, BUT no one’s confessing/Huge effort on the part of the authorities/Very costly to all/COVER-UP
TV shows—Portray criminals & crime solving shows/Immoral deeds made to look innocent/Masters of COVER-UP/Its what makes criminal elements criminal/COVER-UP
Application:
?You considered the wages of Sin’s COVER UP?
?Has Sin Entered In to your life?
9— Sin entered in with ...
FEAR(:8)
Explanation:(:8)
:8—“And they heard the sound of the LORD God walking in the garden in the cool of the day, & Adam & his wife hid themselves from the presence of the LORD God among the trees of the garden.”
After their sinful endeavors had been completed, the man & the woman “heard” the sound/voice of God as He “walked” in the garden.
God walked in the garden in the breeze of the day. Seeing as this word is associated with vocal sound, YaHoVeH God must have been voicing some kind of identifiable sound to make them know it was Him.
We must imagine what it was like to have God “walk” in our very presence, without the threat of sin...to know God on so close a basis...to experience our Creator on such a familiar basis would be fantastic! It can be had & is promised to & will be received by us in Christ. We now have the guarantee/earnest of the Holy Spirit’s indwelling. He is the promise of such experiential relationship. Here, we walk by faith, but one day our faith will be made sight!
Rather than return to God with their misdeeds, both sought to keep the matter hidden from God.
As a consequence, both Adam & Eve “hid” themselves from God, which was something they had never had cause to do before. They knew that they had disobeyed Him & He would be angry with them. But the more pressing problem was that they knew that they were now naked & ashamed(:10) of being seen by others, including God, even though they had made coverings for themselves. They thus hid from God’s face.
They hid “among the trees” within “the garden” itself.
Verse :10 makes it very clear that the couple’s cover-up did not work for even their own consciences! They hid because, regardless of the fig leaves(their own efforts), they still considered themselves naked & bare.
Argumentation:
Num. 32:23—To Gad & Reuben—““But if you do not do so, then take note, you have sinned against the LORD; & be sure your sin will find you out.”
Anyone who has sinned should FEAR because God is Omniscient.
Ps. 90:8—“You have set our iniquities before You, Our secret sins in the light of Your countenance.”
Isa 59:1-2, 12-15—“Behold, the LORD’S hand is not shortened, That it cannot save; Nor His ear heavy, That it cannot hear. But your iniquities have separated you from your God; And your sins have hidden His face from you, So that He will not hear.”....“For our transgressions are multiplied before You, And our sins testify against us; For our transgressions are with us, And as for our iniquities, we know them: In transgressing & lying against the LORD, And departing from our God, Speaking oppression & revolt, Conceiving & uttering from the heart words of falsehood. Justice is turned back, And righteousness stands afar off; For truth is fallen in the street, And equity cannot enter. So truth fails, And he who departs from evil makes himself a prey. Then the LORD saw it, & it displeased Him That there was no justice.”
2Tim. 1:6-11—“....I remind you to stir up the gift of God which is in you through the laying on of my hands. For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power & of love & of a sound mind. Therefore do not be ashamed of the testimony of our Lord, nor of me His prisoner, but share with me in the sufferings for the gospel according to the power of God, who has saved us & called us with a holy calling, not according to our works, but according to His own purpose & grace which was given to us in Christ Jesus before time began, but has now been revealed by the appearing of our Savior Jesus Christ, who has abolished death & brought life & immortality to light through the gospel, to which I was appointed a preacher, an apostle, & a teacher of the Gentiles.”
Illustration:
Girlfriend & boyfriend at home with no parents/Activity they know is forbidden/Fear of parent’s discovery/FEAR
Toddlers/Pre-schoolers/Parents lie down but their mind immediately goes to the fact that haven’t bought corner protectors for that marble table with the sharp corners that is head-high/FEAR
Application:
?You considered the wages of Sin’s FEAR?
?Has Sin Entered In to your life?
CONCLUSION:
Action:
Sin entered in with ...
5—BLATANT OVERSTATEMENT(:5)
6—RATIONALISM(:6)
7—KNOWLEDGE (:7a)
8—COVER UP(:7b)
9—FEAR(:8)
1—CUNNING(:1a)
2—IMPLICATIONS(:1b)
3—Self-PROTECTION(:2-3)
4—BLATANT UNDERSTATEMENT(:4)
Presented 12/05/2010pm to:
Needmore Baptist Church
1620 Mt. Vernon Rd.
Woodleaf, NC 27054
