The Compassion of God in the Crisis of Sin
Genesis 3:20-24
How did it ever happen? He was once a respected leader. Now his hidden scandal is known by everyone. His wife has left him. His children won’t speak with him. When he’s at work, it seems that everyone is talking about him. Conversations stop as soon as he gets near. Why did he do it?
I watched a news program where former SC Govenor Mark Sanford offered his explanation on his year long affair with an Argentine woman. Sanford was considered by many a possible presidential candidate. All destroyed for the pursuit of his own desires.
I’m referring to the moment when we are made aware that we are trapped in sin and about to suffer great consequence because we have been deceived.
DAVID described it in Psalm 51 by writing “my sin is always before me.”
In Luke 15 the Lost son “came to his senses.”
For Adam and Eve, their “eyes were open and they saw that they were naked.”
IN every one of these circumstances, and in similar failures in all of our lives We See GOD’s GRACE in the middle of our sin.
Paul describes God’s grace in Romans 5:8 "But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” We normally refer to this verse to demonstrate the fact that God loved us before we could earn that love through obedience. But there is another truth contained here - It took our sin to allow God’s love to be demonstrated. This most central attribute of God is manifested because we are so sinful.
We see the compassion of God for sinners from the very beginning, from the first sin and its consequences.
The first sign that God has shown us compassion is noticed in the fact that Adam names his wife “Eve.” Genesis 3:20 "Adam named his wife Eve, because she would become the mother of all the living. "
The name “Eve” means “life.” In the Greek Septuagint, the word used is ÆùÞ (Zo ahy) which means life. The name Adam chooses demonstrates that Adam believed God’s promise that future blessing would come through the woman. This is NOT THE END for the man and woman. LIFE would come THROUGH the WOMAN, just as God promised.
The second demonstration of God’s compassion is that He Provides Animal Skins. Genesis 3:21 "The Lord God made garments of skin for Adam and his wife and clothed them. " Their attempt to cover their own sin was inadequate. 3:7 “they sewed fig leaves together to cover their nakedness.” The only hope that they had was if God would do something for them. This is just like us. When we sin, we try to manage the consequences of our sin. We think that if we do enough good, we might outweigh the bad. We try our hand at religion, or good deeds, but it is never enough to meet God’s expectations.
In order to provide these skins to cover their shame, the Lord “made coverings.” Notice that this is the first creative work that the Lord has done since ceasing from his creation.
After creation, God RESTED Genesis 2:2–3 "By the seventh day God had finished the work he had been doing; so on the seventh day he rested from all his work. And God blessed the seventh day and made it holy, because on it he rested from all the work of creating that he had done. "
Now, SIN CAUSES GOD TO CREATE AGAIN. This time, God does not create from nothing, but uses the creation that he made to fashion something else.
The third demonstration of God’s compassion is the fact that God keeps Adam from an ETERNAL DEATH. Genesis 3:22–24 "And the Lord God said, “The man has now become like one of us, knowing good and evil. He must not be allowed to reach out his hand and take also from the tree of life and eat, and live forever.” " "So the Lord God banished him from the Garden of Eden to work the ground from which he had been taken. " "After he drove the man out, he placed on the east side of the Garden of Eden cherubim and a flaming sword flashing back and forth to guard the way to the tree of life. "
By expelling them from the Garden, the Lord prevented them from eating of the fruit of the tree of life and gaining an eternal physical existence while still in an unredeemed mortal body. For Adam and Eve, and for every Old Testament Saint, the redemption would not come until Jesus died and rose again. Had Adam and Eve obtained eternal life without being redeemed, they would live forever in a state of death and separation from God. The Lord did NOT WANT them separated from him forever! He wants their fellowship. This could only happen when the ultimate sacrifice for sin was paid.
The Tree of Life becomes prominent in the book of Revelation. BELIEVERS will eat from the TREE of LIFE in ETERNITY.
1. Rev 2:7“He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To him who overcomes, I will give the right to eat from the tree of life, which is in the paradise of God.
2. Revelation 22:2 "down the middle of the great street of the city. On each side of the river stood the tree of life, bearing twelve crops of fruit, yielding its fruit every month. And the leaves of the tree are for the healing of the nations. "
3. Revelation 22:14 “Blessed are those who wash their robes, that they may have the right to the tree of life and may go through the gates into the city. "
4. Revelation 22:19 And if anyone takes words away from this book of prophecy, God will take away from him his share in the tree of life and in the holy city, which are described in this book.”
The Lord does want to dwell with us forever, and he wants us to partake generously from the tree of life. But it can only be after we are redeemed. This is part of his wonderful plan for you and me.
Finally, let’s look at five Important Lessons about SALVATION from the GARDEN
A. God’s Justice. He punishes the sinner.
1. Genesis 3:19. “For you are dust and to dust you will return.”
2. Ezekiel 18:20 "The soul who sins is the one who will die. The son will not share the guilt of the father, nor will the father share the guilt of the son. The righteousness of the righteous man will be credited to him, and the wickedness of the wicked will be charged against him. "
B. God’s Holiness. He removes the sinner from His presence.
1. Genesis 3:24
2. Habakkuk 1:13 "Your eyes are too pure to look on evil; you cannot tolerate wrong. Why then do you tolerate the treacherous? Why are you silent while the wicked swallow up those more righteous than themselves? "
3. Hebrews 12:14 "Make every effort to live in peace with all men and to be holy; without holiness no one will see the Lord. "
4. Revelation 21:27 "Nothing impure will ever enter it, nor will anyone who does what is shameful or deceitful, but only those whose names are written in the Lamb’s book of life. "
C. Sins Price. Gen 3:21 “the Lord made skins and clothed them...”
1. SIN requires a BLOOD SACRIFICE.
2. Hebrews 9:22 "In fact, the law requires that nearly everything be cleansed with blood, and without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness. "
3. Sacrifice began BEFORE MOSES
a. Adam
b. Abel. Gen 4:3-4
c. Job. Job 1:5
d. Passover. Exodus 12:1-6
D. Redemption through Christ. Thousands of years of sacrifice were to cause God’s people to recognize the One True Sacrifice, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world.
1. The purpose of the Law was NOT to take away sin. Hebrews 9:8–10 "The Holy Spirit was showing by this that the way into the Most Holy Place had not yet been disclosed as long as the first tabernacle was still standing. This is an illustration for the present time, indicating that the gifts and sacrifices being offered were not able to clear the conscience of the worshiper. They are only a matter of food and drink and various ceremonial washings—external regulations applying until the time of the new order. "
2. Blood sacrifice did NOT SAVE ISRAEL. Hebrews 10:11–12 "Day after day every priest stands and performs his religious duties; again and again he offers the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins. " "But when this priest had offered for all time one sacrifice for sins, he sat down at the right hand of God. "
3. The LAW was added to preserve the way for the Messiah. Galatians 3:16–19 "The promises were spoken to Abraham and to his seed. The Scripture does not say “and to seeds,” meaning many people, but “and to your seed,” meaning one person, who is Christ. What I mean is this: The law, introduced 430 years later, does not set aside the covenant previously established by God and thus do away with the promise. For if the inheritance depends on the law, then it no longer depends on a promise; but God in his grace gave it to Abraham through a promise. What, then, was the purpose of the law? It was added because of transgressions until the Seed to whom the promise referred had come. The law was put into effect through angels by a mediator. "
E. Our Only Hope is in God.
1. Only HE can save us
“Remedy,” by David Crowder
He is the one
Who has saved us
He is the one
Who embraced us
He is the one who has come
And is coming again
He's the remedy
Verse 3
Here we are
Bandaged and bruised
Awaiting a cure
Here we are
Verse 4
Here You are
Our beautiful King
Bringing relief
Here You are with us
Chorus 2
He is the one
Who has saved us
He is the one
Who forgave us
He is the one who has come
And is coming again
He's the remedy
Oh I can't comprehend
I can't take it all in
Never understand
Such perfect love come
For the broken and beat
For the wounded and weak
Oh come fall at His feet
He's the remedy
He's the remedy
CCLI Song No. 5013898
CCLI License No. 98444
