Introduction:
Genesis is the book of beginnings.
It is the beginning of all things as we know them.
We read of the beginning of light – Genesis 1:3-5
We read of the beginning of the firmament – Genesis 1:6-8
We read of the beginning of the land, seas, and plants – Genesis 1:9-13
We read of the beginning of the lights in the sky; the sun, moon, and the stars – Genesis 1:14-19
We read of the beginning of fish, fowl, beast, and cattle – Genesis 1:20-25
We read of the creation of mankind – Genesis 1:26-28
God was pleased with His creation and concluded and summarized it with these words:
Genesis 1:31
31 And God saw every thing that he had made, and, behold, it was very good. And the evening and the morning were the sixth day.
God placed Adam and Eve in a garden, the Garden of Eden.
This garden was good, or to use the words of God, it was “very good.”
The first recorded prayer is found in Genesis, the first book of God’s Word, in the Garden of Eden.
Prayer is talking with God.
The Bible has many examples of prayer and exhortations.
We read:
Luke 18:1
1 And he spake a parable unto them to this end, that men ought always to pray, and not to faint;
Romans 12:12
12 Rejoicing in hope; patient in tribulation; continuing instant in prayer;
Ephesians 6:18
18 Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints;
Understand:
Talking with God is the most important thing anyone can do before they can do anything else of importance.
With that in mind, we consider in this message The First Prayer of the Bible – A Prayer of Acknowledgement and Accountability
Note:
Sermon Content:
1. THE COMMITMENT OF SIN (GENESIS 3:2-6)
Genesis 3:2-6
2 And the woman said unto the serpent, We may eat of the fruit of the trees of the garden: 3 But of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God hath said, Ye shall not eat of it, neither shall ye touch it, lest ye die. 4 And the serpent said unto the woman, Ye shall not surely die: 5 For God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil. 6 And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make one wise, she took of the fruit thereof, and did eat, and gave also unto her husband with her; and he did eat.
As we begin to consider this, we understand that Eve knew that she wasn’t supposed to eat of the tree in the midst of the garden.
The tempter entices, and then the woman bites at his bait and swallows his line.
She tells Adam, and he, too, falls as they both eat the forbidden fruit.
She could either listen to God or listen to the serpent.
She could either obey or disobey.
We know what happened.
Adam and Eve listened to the serpent and disobeyed God.
There are three areas in which we see Adam and Eve were drawn to sin.
Note 1 John 2:15-16:
1 John 2:15-16
15 Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him. 16 For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world.
Everything that we see in the world or those things that are worldly are these:
The Lust of the Flesh
The Lust of the Eyes
The Pride of Life
We see all of these things in their sin.
The Lust of the Flesh – Doing Something Outside of God’s Will
The Lust of the Eyes – Desiring Something Outside of God’s Will
The Pride of Life – Being Someone Outside of God’s Design
Adam and Eve Took, Tasted and Was Transformed
Genesis 3:6
6 And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make one wise, she took of the fruit thereof, and did eat, and gave also unto her husband with her; and he did eat.
Eve Saw that the Tree Was Good for Food – The Lust of the Flesh
It was Pleasant to the Eyes – The Lust of the Eye
Make One Wise – The Pride of Life
We note not only The Committing of Sin but secondly:
2. THE CONVICTION OF SIN (VS. 7-8)
Genesis 3:7-8
7 And the eyes of them both were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together, and made themselves aprons. 8 And they heard the voice of the LORD God walking in the garden in the cool of the day: and Adam and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the LORD God amongst the trees of the garden.
As soon as Adam and Eve sinned, they sensed their wrong and distance from God, who had been so near before.
This was so unsettling that they sensed their alienation from God even in regard to their bodies He had made.
Their feet had carried them to the "off limits" tree; their eyes were dazzled in disobedient desire.
Their hands had picked, fondled, and lifted the fruit to their mouths; their mouths were filled with the forbidden.
Their stomachs had begun to digest the fruit.
They were aware of the guilt affecting them within and without.
The conviction of sin tainting their entire existence made them feel the consciousness of their sin.
Stung by conviction, they sought a remedy by which they might try to “cover-up” the sin from God.
They tried to seclude themselves in hiding and gathered leaves to make aprons, trying to hide from God's scrutiny.
They were:
Aware (vs. 7)
Their Awareness led them to make:
Apparel
Then followed their:
Attempt to Avoid a reckoning with God.
We have considered the Committing of Sin and the Conviction of Sin.
Note thirdly:
3. THE CONFRONTATION OF SIN (VS. 9-13)
It is this confrontation we find the first recorded prayer in the Bible.
A conversation with God takes place.
In this conversation, we see three questions:
Note:
Where Art Thou (vs. 9)
Genesis 3:9
9 And the LORD God called unto Adam, and said unto him, Where art thou?
God knew where they were; this question is asked to stir them to Accountability and provoke a response.
Their reply is prayer in the aspect of confession.
Genesis 3:10
10 And he said, I heard thy voice in the garden, and I was afraid, because I was naked; and I hid myself.
This conversation was with God and that falls into the definition of prayer.
Adam voices the confession as his own Acknowledgement.
He heard God's approach and felt smitten with fear due to his vulnerability.
He felt naked as he sensed being laid bare before the Lord's scrutiny, so he retreated to stall from the inevitable, the showdown.
What he confesses is, at its roots, what confession is in 1 John 1:9:
1 John 1:9
9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
All that God draws from him is a frank, open admission of the stark truth.
He is convinced that the Lord knows all that has happened.
The second and third question from God was:
Genesis 3:11
11 And he said, Who told thee that thou wast naked? Hast thou eaten of the tree, whereof I commanded thee that thou shouldest not eat?
In Adam’s response, we see his Affirmation.
Genesis 3:12
12 And the man said, The woman whom thou gavest to be with me, she gave me of the tree, and I did eat.
In his affirmation, he tries to blame God.
He, in essence, said, “You’re the One who gave her to me, and yes, I did eat.”
Then God asks one final question to Eve:
Genesis 3:13
13 And the LORD God said unto the woman, What is this that thou hast done? And the woman said, The serpent beguiled me, and I did eat.
Her response included both confession and affirmation.
Eve declares the deception – “The serpent beguiled me.”
She then declares and confesses her guilt.
This leads us to consider lastly:
4. THE CONSEQUENCE OF SIN (VS. 14-19)
Genesis 3:14-19
14 And the LORD God said unto the serpent, Because thou hast done this, thou art cursed above all cattle, and above every beast of the field; upon thy belly shalt thou go, and dust shalt thou eat all the days of thy life: 15 And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel. 16 Unto the woman he said, I will greatly multiply thy sorrow and thy conception; in sorrow thou shalt bring forth children; and thy desire shall be to thy husband, and he shall rule over thee. 17 And unto Adam he said, Because thou hast hearkened unto the voice of thy wife, and hast eaten of the tree, of which I commanded thee, saying, Thou shalt not eat of it: cursed is the ground for thy sake; in sorrow shalt thou eat of it all the days of thy life; 18 Thorns also and thistles shall it bring forth to thee; and thou shalt eat the herb of the field; 19 In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread, till thou return unto the ground; for out of it wast thou taken: for dust thou art, and unto dust shalt thou return.
The Lord has the final in declaring the consequences for each of the guilty parties.
The one He addresses first is the instigator – the serpent.
He is cursed to crawl upon his belly.
God then addresses the woman.
Eve and other women would experience discomfort in childbirth.
Also, part of the curse was submission to her husband.
1 Timothy 2:11-15
11 Let the woman learn in silence with all subjection. 12 But I suffer not a woman to teach, nor to usurp authority over the man, but to be in silence. 13 For Adam was first formed, then Eve. 14 And Adam was not deceived, but the woman being deceived was in the transgression. 15 Notwithstanding she shall be saved in childbearing, if they continue in faith and charity and holiness with sobriety.
The final consequence was issued to Adam.
Genesis 3:17-19
17 And unto Adam he said, Because thou hast hearkened unto the voice of thy wife, and hast eaten of the tree, of which I commanded thee, saying, Thou shalt not eat of it: cursed is the ground for thy sake; in sorrow shalt thou eat of it all the days of thy life; 18 Thorns also and thistles shall it bring forth to thee; and thou shalt eat the herb of the field; 19 In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread, till thou return unto the ground; for out of it wast thou taken: for dust thou art, and unto dust shalt thou return.
God immediately faces him on his personal guilt in sinful irresponsibly, his part in the rebellion.
The Lord makes it clear that what he violated was His word, His will.
Genesis 3:17
17 And unto Adam he said, Because thou hast hearkened unto the voice of thy wife, and hast eaten of the tree, of which I commanded thee, saying, Thou shalt not eat of it: cursed is the ground for thy sake; in sorrow shalt thou eat of it all the days of thy life;
The consequence includes the ground being cursed so that the man will experience toil facing obstacles in making a living.
The ground God cursed would yield weeds, heightening the difficulty of his work, and this would wring sweat out of him in his efforts to furnish food.
Close:
This is the first prayer recorded in the Bible.
It was a prayer of Acknowledgement and Accountability.
In this prayer, we see some principles related to prayer.
1. Confessing Sin is a Step Forward with God
2. When We Confess Our Sins, We Find God will Forgive and Cleanse Us from All Unrighteousness
1 John 1:9
9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
