In the Beginning, God - Part 11

His deception took root, and Eve succumbed to the temptation. A vale of separation falls on mankind as sin enters the previously perfect world. Genesis 3:6 tells the story. “And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it waspleasant 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.”

I would guess that most of the time when we fall into sin, we follow the same pattern Eve did. First of all, she saw. It all began with a look. This was followed by a deep desire. Then she took. And finally, she gave to her husband. So often, when we fall into sin, we want to share it with others. Be sensitive to this four-step downhill fall in your life.

Remember that Adam’s purpose was to protect his garden, his wife. Is it possible that Adam wanted the fruit as much as Eve? We are told in I Timothy 2:14 that Eve was deceived. She was tricked, but it also mentions Adam was not deceived. He was a willing participant. Either way, on that day, sin entered the world. It was the duty of Adam to protect his wife. It is still the duty of the man today. Husbands, step up and fulfill your God-given obligation.

Jesus gives His primary purpose, passion, and mission in Luke 19:10, “ . . . to seek and to save that which was lost.”

This should be a high-priority purpose for us as well. We should be seeking out those that are hurting, those that are suffering, those that are self-righteous, those that think they have no need of Jesus, those that are lost and hopeless without Him.

Jesus came seeking the lost. The lost generally do not seek Jesus. It is He who takes the first step to bring His lost creation back to Himself. We see Him with the woman at the well in John 4 We see Him ministering to those at a wedding in John 2. We see Him preaching in the synagogue and on the streets in the Gospels. We see Him seeking Adam and Eve in the cool of the day in Genesis 3.

It was God who first came seeking the first family as he called out, “Where art thou?” He came to rescue the very ones who defied Him, who turned their backs on Him in rebellion. He came for you and me.

But sin causes many emotions and actions we wouldn’t normally have or do. Genesis 3 lists some of them. In verse 7, we see the first couple suffered shame as they sought to cover their naked bodies with fig leaves. Quite often, the apple is pictured as the forbidden fruit in the garden. I wonder if maybe it was a fig. Scripture does not tell us.

As God calls for them in verse 8, Adam and Eve did exactly as we do so many times. They hid from God among the trees in the garden. They were now dressed in guilt.

Sin can cause deep emotions such as fear. That is what we find in the life of these two in verse 10. Shifting the blame is nothing new. It started in the garden some 6,000 years ago. In verse 12, Adam blames Eve for his choice to sin. Verse 13 takes us to see Eve blaming the serpent. The serpent – nothing left to do except crawl away.

That brings us to verse 15 and that precious promise of a redeemer. Theologically, it is known as the Proto Evangelium, the first hint of a redeemer Messiah to come. We read, “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.”

God is speaking to the serpent which had become satan-possessed. The Old-English word, enmity, means hostility and/or hatred. This hostility and hatred between mankind and satan will exist until God wins the final battle, and satan is locked away in the coming Lake of Fire.

While studying this topic, I came across the following statement from The Biblical Illustrator. It reads as follows: “This enmity, while it will inflict injury, is subject to the ultimate conquest of man."

We need to remember the writings of man are not inspired in the same way Scripture is. They are not necessarily from God. While human authors may, from time to time, present good thoughts, they are often prone to error, especially in matters concerning Scripture. God’s word is final.

That being said, the final conquest belongs God, not man. To believe man will overcome is sheer pride and arrogance. God and God alone will be the victor.

Another deep doctrine has its roots in Genesis 3:15. Notice the enmity will be between satan and the seed of the woman. This is also the first reference to the virgin birth. It is the man that carries the seed, but here the seed is of the woman. Ultimately, we trace that seed to Jesus Christ.

We are told in Luke 1:35, “The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the Highest shall overshadow thee: therefore also that holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God.”

Satan stung the heel of Jesus and torments the human race, but the God-man, Jesus Christ will serve a death blow to satan and crush his head. It looked as though satan had won as they led Jesus through the streets of Jerusalem and nailed Him to a Roman cross – but the sting was not deadly. Three days and three nights later, Jesus rose from the dead, conquering death once for all.

That’s why the Apostle Paul could write in I Corinthians 15:54 and 55, “ . . . then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory. O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory?”

He continues in verse 57, “But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.”

Sin can be defined as anything that is in opposition to God or His will. Adam and Eve both reacted to God’s instruction concerning the forbidden fruit in direct rebellion. They opposed God and placed their misguided logic above His great wisdom. Sin entered the world.

Before we examine the consequences of sin, let us look at the road to sin. All sin begins in the root of unbelief. If the unbelief continues to exist, it will lead to disobedience. Disobedience brings corruption. Now it becomes necessary to entertain self-excusing. Finally, in the end, we meet with a curse and expulsion from the garden.

So what was the curse?

For the woman, it meant the physical pain of childbirth. It meant a worrisome sorrow for her children as they grow. It meant a longing (desire) for her husband in the sense of security. Since the fall, woman’s basic need is for security from her husband. Adam failed, leaving Eve and at risk for attack and unprotected.

For the man, the curse meant hard, physical labor – by the sweat of his brow. Realize work was not something new. The second chapter of Genesis tells us in verse 15, “And the LORD God took the man, and put him into the garden of Eden to dress it and to keep it. The word dress actually has to do with the idea of work. Adam worked before the fall tilling the garden and caring for it, but now, work would become laborious. Thorns and thistles filled the ground where once beautiful plants thrived. If he was to eat, the weeds needed to be removed.

Life would never be easy again as the man was not only responsible for himself but also his lifelong partner. I Timothy 5:8 tells us, “But if any provide not for his own, and specially for those of his own house, he hath denied the faith, and is worse than an infidel.” How many men have failed in this area?

The love of God for his fallen creation shows forth in Genesis 3:21 – “Unto Adam also and to his wife did the LORD God make coats of skins, and clothed them.” Coats of skin – the blood of an innocent animal had to be shed to provide a proper covering for Adam and Eve. The Lamb of God, Jesus Christ, shed His innocent blood for a proper covering of our sin.

To the one who comes to Christ for forgiveness, He does more than just cover our sin. John 1:29 says, “…Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world.” Jesus completely removes our sin. He forgets about them. “He hath not dealt with us after our sins; nor rewarded us according to our iniquities. For as the heaven is high above the earth, so great is his mercy toward them that fear him. As far as the east is from the west, so far hath he removed our transgressions from us (Psalm 103:10-12).

The love of God and the longsuffering of God are unparalleled. He deserves all the honor and glory for a life pulled out of the fire.

Finally, chapter 3 ends in expulsion. Adam and Eve were sent from Eden away from the garden. They forfeited their forever paradise. This was not a punishment. It was protection. Had the couple continued in the garden and ate of the tree of life, eternal death would have resulted. “And the LORD God said, Behold, the man is become as one of us, to know good and evil: and now, lest he put forth his hand, and take also of the tree of life, and eat, and live for ever” (Genesis 3:22). The couple would have lived forever, but they would have lived forever in sin, separated from the loving God who first gave them life.