Intro:
1. Vance Havner, "Some things are for us to know, some things are not for us to know. Blessed is the man who learns early which is which. Most of our unhappiness is caused by not knowing what we should know and by trying to know what we are not to know."
2. Not all knowlege is good for us, mankind was never meant to decide for himself what is good and what is evil. He was meant to depend upon God wisdom.
3. Knowing Good and Evil.
Trans: Gen. 3:1-
I want to repeat a quote by Watchman Knee, because it is vital to understand just what is going on in man’s Fall.
"The knowledge of good and evil, though forbidden to Adam, want not wrong in itself. Without it however, Adam is in a sense limited in that he cannot decide for hmself on moral issues. Judgment of right and wrong resides not in him but in God, and Adam’s only course when faced with any question is to refer it to the Lord. Thus you have a life in the garden which is totally dependent upon God.
The ’tree of life’ is God Himself, for God is life. He is the highest form of life, and He is also the source and goal of life. And the fruit: what is that? It is our Lord Jesus Christ. You cannot eat the tree but you can eat the fruit. No one is able to receive God as God, but we can receive the Lord Jesus. The fruit is the edible part, the receivable part of the tree. So - may I say it reverently? The Lord Jesus is really God in a receivable form.
If Adam should take the tree of life, he would partake of the life of God. But if instead Adam should turn the other way, and take of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, then he would develop his own manhood along natural lines apart from God. As a self-sufficient being, he would possess in himself the power to form indepent judgment, bu the would have no life from God."
I. FIRST, KNOWING GOOD AND EVIL WAS DISOBEDIENCE. 3:1-3a
A. First, the Deception. 3:1
By working through a beautifully deceptive animal...
1. First, we are introduced to an Animal.
Now the serpent - nachash Hebrew Pronunciation[nah KHASH]
Used in Genesis - 6 times; Used in the OT - 31 times;
This word, na-chash, is used 8 OT terms for a snake:
"So the LORD sent fiery serpents among the people, and they bit the people; and many of the people of Israel died." Numbers 21:6 (NKJV)
"who led you through that great and terrible wilderness, in which were fiery serpents and scorpions and thirsty land where there was no water; who brought water for you out of the flinty rock;" Deuteronomy 8:15 (NKJV)
"31 Do not look on the wine when it is red, When it sparkles in the cup, When it swirls around smoothly; 32 At the last it bites like a serpent, And stings like a viper." Proverbs 23:31-32 (NKJV)
In our passage the serpent is a literal animal, one which apparently did not crawl on its belly before the Fall, and since this is before the Fall it was "good" like all other animals which the Lord had made.
2. Next, it was Remarkable.
was more cunning than any beast of the field which the Lord God had made - cumming is a-rum which appears no where else in Genesis but is used often in the book of Proverbs where it speaks of prudence, being shrewd or clever.
It is contrasted with the fool or simpleton:
"A fool’s wrath is known at once, But a prudent man covers shame." Proverbs 12:16
"A prudent man conceals knowledge, But the heart of fools proclaims foolishness." Proverbs 12:23 (NKJV) etc.
Leupold, "It is rendered "more cunning" because the Hebrew is a superlative which literally says, "more clever than all beasts."
This is not sinful or negative but indicating that this was one of the wisest animals that God created.
Ryrie, "Apparently a beautiful creature, in its uncursed state, that Satan used in the temptation. more crafty. I.e., clever, not in a degrading sense at this point."
She never dreamed that the one behind this beautiful intelligent animal was a wicked hedious fallen rebellious angel.
In a classic Twilight Zone episode from 1960, an American on a walking trip through central Europe gets caught in a raging storm. Staggering through the blinding rain, he chances upon an imposing medieval castle. It is a hermitage for a brotherhood of monks. The reclusive monks reluctantly take him in.
Later that night, the American discovers a cell with a man locked inside. An ancient wooden staff bolts the door. The prisoner claims he’s being held captive by the "insane" head monk, Brother Jerome. He pleads for the American to release him.
The prisoner’s kindly face and gentle voice win him over. The American confronts Brother Jerome, who declares that the prisoner is actually none other than Satan, "the father of lies," held captive by the Staff of Truth, the one barrier he cannot pass.
This incredible claim convinces the American that Jerome is indeed mad. As soon as he gets the chance, he releases the prisoner—who immediately transforms into a hideous, horned demon and vanishes in a puff of smoke!
The stunned American is horrified at the realization of what he has done. Jerome responds sympathetically. "I’m sorry for you, my son. All your life you will remember this night and whom you have turned loose upon the world."
"I didn’t believe you," the American replies. "I saw him and didn’t recognize him"—to which Jerome solemnly observes, "That is man’s weakness... and Satan’s strength."
3. He was Vocal.
and he said - since this does not seem to be usual to Eve, perhaps animals could talk before the Fall?
4. He was a Channel.
Our passage does not mentioned Satan, but other scriptures reveal that Satan was working through this animal.
"So the great dragon was cast out, that serpent of old, called the Devil and Satan, who deceives the whole world; he was cast to the earth, and his angels were cast out with him." Revelation 12:9 (NKJV)
We do not know when, but sometime before this Lucifer rebelled against God and is thus now called Satan, Devil, etc. and those who joined him in his rebellion are called demons.
Satan fell and wanted man to join him in rebellion against God...
5. This channel was Acceptable.
God had already given Adam and Eve dominion over the animals. Eve could have rebuked the channel and ended the temptation victorious.
God did not allow Satan to come to Eve will ful force so as to force her to sin; he had to come through something that Eve had authority over. Satan did not make Eve sin - she choose to sin!
Trans:So Satan works through deception, he works through one of the most beautiful and intelligent animals in the garden. Reminds me of a book called "The Beautiful side of Evil."
"13 For such are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into apostles of Christ. 14 And no wonder! For Satan himself transforms himself into an angel of light." 2 Corinthians 11:13-14 (NKJV)
During the Christmas season of 1996, a bizarre story came over the news about a hair-eating doll. The main feature of the doll in question, according to the Associated Press, was a mechanical mouth that chewed on plastic carrots and french fries. Unfortunately the doll couldn’t tell the difference between plastic vegetables and children’s hair. During the first five months the doll was on the market, the Consumer Product Safety Commission received thirty-five complaints from parents whose children had their hair caught in the mouth of the doll. One woman in Campbell, Ohio, had to cut off a shank of her daughter’s hair after it became snarled in gears in the doll’s throat.
B. Furthermore, the Doubt.
And he said to the woman, "Has God indeed said, ’You shall not eat of every tree of the garden’?"
1. His Motive - if only God knows whats good for Adam and Eve, then if Satan is going to get them to take of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, he has to convice them that God doesnt really know what is good for them.
Crabb, "Scripture tells us that the crafty serpent tempted Eve to sin by first deceiving her. He deceived her by inviting her to question the motives behind God’s prohibition. "Did God really say, "Your must not eat from any tree in the garden?" Embodied in that question is the idea: "I can’t believe it! God really told you not to do that? That’s like a mother telling her child not to play with a wonderful toy."
Each of us learns to reason like this: "If God’s so good, then how come He let that happen, or this person got sick, or that tragedy take place. Then we become convinced that we must make up for God’s deficient involved in our lives by taking care of a few things on our own. Sin may be thought of as our effort to supplement what we think are limits to God’s goodness. It is trusting our self instead of trusting God."
"You are good, and do good; Teach me Your statutes." Psalms 119:68 (NKJV)
God alone is good, and God alone knows what is for our good!
"17 Now as He was going out on the road, one came running, knelt before Him, and asked Him, "Good Teacher, what shall I do that I may inherit eternal life?" 18 So Jesus said to him, "Why do you call Me good? No one is good but One, that is, God." Mark 10:17-18 (NKJV)
"13 Let no one say when he is tempted, "I am tempted by God"; for God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does He Himself tempt anyone. 14 But each one is tempted when he is drawn away by his own desires and enticed. 15 Then, when desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, brings forth death. 16 Do not be deceived, my beloved brethren. 17 Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning." James 1:13-17
It’s like the grandkids, they do know what is good for them! They don’t want things like vegtables and fruit but want what they figure is good - chips, cookies, and candy! IT IS GOOD, BUT NOT GOOD FOR THEM. We are all like that in like, we want what we perceive to be good; but only God really knows what’s good for us.
2. Her Mistakes.
a. A Substraction from God’s Word. 2:16 with 3:2
She was not focused on God’s goodness - seen in the words "every" and "freely."
b. An Addition to God’s Word. "or touch it"
Trans:We need to be careful about adding or subtracting from God’s Word: "5 Every word of God is pure; He is a shield to those who put their trust in Him. 6 Do not add to His words, Lest He rebuke you, and you be found a liar." Proverbs 30:5-6 (NKJV)
"18 For I testify to everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book: If anyone adds to these things, God will add to him the plagues that are written in this book; 19 and if anyone takes away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part from the Book of Life, from the holy city, and from the things which are written in this book." Revelation 22:18-19 (NKJV)
c. An Alteration of God’s word.
She softens the command, compare 2:17 with 3:3, notice the word "surely" is replaced by "will." not quite as strong a term. Never allow Satan to cause us to doubt God’s goodness!
One wrote, "Restoration to rich confidence in God’s goodness requires a bloody revolution that introduces a level of pain that doesnt always feel worth it. But four conditions must be met: (1) We must be willing to endure internal suffering without knowing when it will end and without the ability to arrange for its relief. We must endure what will seem like the loss of life. (2) We must enter that suffering to an unendurable level where every pleasure that earlier brought relief and comfort no longer does so. The pleasure of sin must lose thier power to relieve our pain.
(3) We must plead with God’s Spirit to answer our cry for mercy by exposing our fallen structure as dangerously evil.
(4) We msut plead with God’s Spirit to reveal the sheer beauty of the Character of Christ until knowing Him becomes the stabilizing anchor during lifes toughest storms."
C. The clear Disobedience.
God has said you shall not eat from it - God will and word was super clear! It is not good for you to decide what is good for you!
They cannot blame Satan, the bottom line they disobeyed God, that is our problem also. Living in disobedience to God Word is our basic problem.
The Liberated Woman’s Appointment Calendar and Field Manual, compiled by two New York women journalists, is a compendium of feminist history, humor, sayings and survival lore.
For the week of Leap Year day, the calendar has tips on feminists wedding ceremonies—omit the word "obey" from the traditional vows, write your own marriage ritual: "We promise to love, cherish, and groove on each other and all living things. We promise to smash the alienated family unit...We promise these things until choice do us part.
Eve became the first liberated woman, she omitted the word "obey" from her relationship with God. It was a deliberate choice on her part! The result as we will see was devastating.
Con;
1. Father Knows Best was the classic wholesome family situation comedy. It was set in the typical Midwestern community of Springfield, where Jim Anderson was an agent for the General Insurance Company. Every evening he would come home from work, take off his sport jacket, put on his comfortable sweater, and deal with the everyday problems of a growing family. When a family crisis arose, Jim would clam the waters with a warm smile and some sensible advice.
2. Let’s learn an important truth - Our heavenly Father always and alone, knows best - knows what is good.
Johnny Palmer Jr.
StrugglingThruScriptures.ning.com
