GENESIS SECTION TWO SIN ENTERS THE GARDEN, ITS CONSEQUENCES; THE FIRST MESSIANIC PROMISE GENESIS 3:1-24

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1 GENESIS SECTION TWO SIN ENTERS THE GARDEN, ITS CONSEQUENCES; THE FIRST MESSIANIC PROMISE GENESIS 3:1-24 INTRODUCTION: 1. The Bible is a book about sin. a. The first two chapters present man and woman in perfect innocency. b. However, the last 1,187 chapters of the Bible depict man and woman as sinners in need of forgiveness and God s plan to redeem man. 2. Genesis three is tragedy personified for humanity. a. Whenever we read a passage we need to ask, Why was this written for all posterity? (Rom. 15:4) b. In Genesis three we see the devices of Satan (2 Cor. 2:11), man s weakness (Matt. 26:41), as well as God s mercy and fury, His great love, grace, sacrifice and justice. BODY OF THE LESSON: I. THE TEMPTER AND THE TEMPTATION (Verses 1-5). A. An Introduction To Satan 1. This is man s first written introduction to Satan -the first mention of his existence. a. Some would contend that Satan does not exist. b. In our Bible Satan is presented as a rebellious being and man s foe (1 Peter 5:8). 2. Where did Satan come from? a. Some contend that Satan is like God, eternal - but this is a false teaching. (1) However, only God is described as being everlasting (Gen. 21 :33). (2) Psalm 90:2 and 93:2 describe God as being from everlasting to everlasting. (3) Isaiah 63: 16 describes God's name as being from everlasting. (4) In Deut. 33:6 God is described as the eternal God. (5) Satan is never described as eternal. b. Both Isaiah and Ezekiel use Satan as a spring board for discussion concerning rebellious kings. (1) Ezekiel 28: The king oftyrus was compared to the anointed cherub. (2) Isaiah 14: The king of Babylon was compared to Lucifer, son of the morning. (3) These passages describe Satan as a created being. (a) Not created evil, but a servant of the Most High. (b) The Bible describes a fall of God's angels (2 Peter 2:4-5; Jude 6; Matt. (c) 25:41). The aforementioned passages from the prophets describe the pride of Lucifer and his fall from his position (See 1 Tim. 3:6). c. The Bible teaches that God is the creator of all things, this would certainly include Satan and the angels (Col. 1:16-17).

2 B. Satan's Description (Verse 1). 1. He is described as a serpent. a. We are not told how Satan could speak through a serpent, but he did. (1) He has powers granted unto him from God, but is limited in those powers (Job 1:6-19; 2:6-8). (2) God allowed a donkey to speak on one occasion which fit God's purpose (Numbers 21 :22-28). b. On through the rest of the Bible Satan is referred to as the serpent (2 Cor. 11:3; Rev. 12:9; Rev. 20:2). 2. He is described as cunning/subtle. a. This word means shrewd or crafty. b. Satan is a being with intelligence and reason. c. Satan's subtle style of causing apostasy. d. His approach to Eve was intended to stir doubt, dissatisfaction and even resentment in Eve's mind. e. Satan works this same way today - adding or subtracting from God's word. C. The Prohibition Of God Reiterated (Verses 2-3). 1. This prohibition was given to Adam before God created Eve (Gen. 2:16-18). 2. However, in Eve s hearing Satan s implied complaint against God, and she was tempted, but gave no rebuttal against Satan's charge. a. Eve s first mistake was that she conversed with Satan as though he were a person of integrity and honor. b. All who misjudge Satan's motives make the same deadly mistake as Eve. 3. This was man's first test of loyalty - Man was a free moral agent (Calvinism notwishstanding). a. God was not tempting them to do evil (James 1: 13-15). b. However, God was allowing them to be tried by Satan (See Job 1&2). c. This shows it s impossible to define loyalty, faithfulness and love to God apart from obedience to His will (1 Sam. 15:22; Ecc. 12:13 ; John 14:15; 1 John 5:3; 1 John 3:4). 4. Those who reject adherence to God's law need to come back to Genesis three, for they are making the oldest mistake in history in their denial that there is a law and standard to follow. D. Tactics Change On The Part Of Satan (Verse 4). 1. Satan was no longer subtle in his approach, he moved on to say very directly, You shall not surely die! 2. Satan is identified by Jesus as the father of all liars (John 8:44). 3. In this act we can see the terrible folly of altering God's word. a. Israel was told not to add to or take from God's word (Deut. 4:2). b. Solomon said that a man is a fool when he adds to God's word (Prov. 30:6). c. Paul proclaimed a curse on all who would preach "another Gospel" or a different Gospel from that already revealed (Gal. 1:8-9). d. John closed the Revelation with a warning as well (Rev. 22:18-19). E. Satan's Attack On God's Nature, Purity And Motives (Verse 5). 1. Satan attacks God's nature - He calls God a liar. 2. Having made his charge and outrageous accusations, it seem that Satan departed, waiting perhaps to see if he succeeded or failed in his mission of mischief.

3 II. THE INFRACTION AND THE REACTION (Verses 6-11). A. The Plain Charge Of Satan Should Have Been Enough For Eve To Have Seen His Real Motive! 1. Satan plainly contradicted God's law on the matter with his statement! 2. Yet Eve, like many of her counterparts today, gave into the temptation without thinking the consequences through. a. She beheld it and faced every avenue of temptation known to man (1 John 2:15-17). (1) The lust of the eyes - appearance. (2) The lust of the flesh - her hunger for the taste of the forbidden fruit. (3) The pride (or vainglory) of life - Untoward ambition to be like God. b. These were the same three areas of temptation our Lord faced when tempted by Satan (Matt. 4: 1-11). (1) He faced our Lord when Jesus hungered and tempted Him to make the stone' bread - Lust of the flesh. (2) He showed our Lord all the kingdoms of the earth in a moments time - Lust of the eyes. (3) In the pinnacle and offering Jesus all the kingdoms of the world at the same time - these both fall into the pride (or vainglory) of life temptation. c. Thought faced with these, our Lord was victorious (Heb 4: 15). 3. The next thing she did: she "gave also unto her husband with her; and he did eat." a. The core of sin has and always will be selfishness. b. Their motive was to gain some sort of blessing, advantage or prestige beyond that which they had. c. The same is true of sin today! - SEE LUKE 9:23-24; We are to deny ourselves of some things! 4. We today really have no excuse regarding sin: a. We have the written revelation to guide us (2 Tim. 3: 16-17; James 2:25). b. We have examples of sin and the consequences of sin (1 Cor. 10:6). c. We have the assurances God provide protection against temptation and sin. (1) James 4:7 - we are to flee. (2) Matt. 4: Jesus faced temptation with God's word. (See vs. 11). d. We have been told to get out of the sinning business (Rom. 6: 1-2). 5. In This Passage We Can See The Progression Of Sin As Seen In James 1: B. For The First Time Man And Woman's Eyes Were Opened To The Reality Of Transgression And The Shame Associated With It (Verses 7-8). 1. They had lost their innocence. a. Every parent understands this tragedy. b. Adam and Eve knew the difference between right and wrong, righteousness and sin, obedience and disobedience - but they had not yet experience the reality of sin and guilt. 2. The Bible teaches that to the pure all things are pure (Titus 1: 15). 3. The result of their sin was shame, they hid themselves from God! a. They heard the voice of God while they were walking in the garden and hid! b. No man can truly hide themselves from God (Psalm 139; Jonah). c. No hiding the shame of unrepentant sin! (1) See Heb 4:13 (2) See Num. 32:23 (3) 1 John 2:18 Our Sin Has To Be Covered (James 5:20) (4) Rev. 3:18; 16:15 (5) See Ecc. 12:14

4 C. God's Reaction To Man's Infraction Was A Call To Realization Of His Position And Need (Verses 9-11). 1. God's call to Adam was not one of a call for information. a. This is an important question for all men to think about! - "Where Am I?" b. Adam needed to know where he stood spiritually before God. 2. Adam's response was pitiful- He did not confess his transgression, but said he was afraid. 3. God again question's Adam, but does so more in a way to make Adam aware of the awfulness of his disobedience. III. THE MITIGATION - (Verses 12-13). A. The Blame Game 1. We live in a world where no one wants to take the blame for anything that is done anymore. 2. Adam blamed God - "The woman that you gave me... " a. Adam tried to shift the responsibility of his own actions on to another. b. Men and woman still try to do that today. (1) Flip Wilson used to say, "The Devil made me do it." - No, men make choices! (2) Some would like to blame God for the evil in their lives, but just because He allows evil to exist in this world does not mean we have to choose it! (3) James reminds us that we ought never to charge God with encouraging us to do evil (James 1:13). 3. Eve Blamed The Serpent - "The serpent beguiled me, and I did eat" a. God's question was not to gain information but to cause Eve to see the enormity of her sin - as if to say to her; "How could you have done such a thing?" b. Again, it was as if she was blaming God - "You allowed that serpent into the garden, and he beguiled me." c. In both cases, Adam and Eve, they said in effect, "Yes, I ate the fruit you told me not to eat, but it is not my fault!" B. Human Nature Shifts The Blame, But We Are Still Responsible For Our Own Sins! IV. THE DENUNCIATION (Verses 14-19). A. The Characters In This Terrible Drama Receive Judgement For Their Parts In The Transgression. 1. The two fold curse pronounced on the serpent and Satan (14-15). a. The creature apparently had some standing in the animal kingdom before the fall. (1) Now, however, God places a curse upon him for his part in allowing Satan to use his form to beguile mankind. (2) It appears that the serpent was once a legged creature, but would henceforth be forced to slither across the ground. b. The next pronouncement was upon Satan - the Messianic prophecy (Gen. 4:25; 12:1-3; 26:1-4, 24; Gal. 3:16; 4:4; Isa. 7:14; Matt. 1:18ff; Luke 1:26). 2. Eve's punishment (16). a. God said that she would first have great pain in conception, gestation, and childbirth.. b. Second, she was to be in subjection to her husband. (1) Subjection does not imply lesser worth or inferiority. (Employee/employer relationship). (2) The New Testament repeats this placement of roles within the marriage relationship and the Lord's church (Eph. 5 :22-29; Col. 3: 18-19; 1 Peter 1 :3-7).

5 3. Adam's Punishment (17-19). a. God proceeded with His two pronged pronouncement to Adam. (1) The ground from whence he was to gather his and her food would now be cursed (a hint at man's expulsion from the garden). (2) The second part of his sentence was the hint at his mortality because of his sin (3:19b; 2:16-17). (a) This sentence is known as the "law of sin and death" and will not be lifted until time is no more. (See Rom. 6:23; 8:2; Heb 9:27; Ezek 18:4,20-24). (b) This was the hint of pending removal of the tree of life. b. The punishment of Adam has plagued all of mankind, but his sin has not passed upon all men as the Calvinists would foist upon unstudied and suspecting disciples. 4. I believe that we can see in this first temptation and transgression of God's law (1 John 3:4) the fact that sin affects not only the sinner, but all who are associated with them. B. Lessons Learned In This Passage: 1. The Enormity Of, And Horrendous Effects And Consequences Of Sin. 2. That Satan Is The Subtle, Whose Punishment Awaits Him And Those Who Follow Him. 3. Man Is A Free Moral Agent Who Can Reason, And Chose Right Or Wrong, But Wrong Choices Will Carry With It Consequences. 4. The Door Adam And Eve Opened Is One Which Brought Sorrow And Dispar To This World, And Only Through Christ Do We Have The Hope Of Edenic Paradise Once Again (Rev. 2: 7; 22:2,14; 2 Peter 3:3; Rev. 21:1; John 14:1-3; Luke 23:43). 5. The Only Hope For Sin Was Christ Then, And Still Is Today. V. THE IDENTIFICATION AND WISDOM TO GLEAN (Verses 20-21). A. The Mother Of All Living (Verse 20). 1. Eve was renamed! a. She was first named the companion. b. Now she is named the mother of all living - from her would spring forth all other human beings on the earth. 2. In the name mother of all living was also the hope for the seed that would bruise the head of Satan. B. The First Sacrifice For Man's Sin (Verse 21). 1. If it was only a matter of decency, fig leaves certainly could have covered them - or perhaps some other. 2. However, notice that God made coats of skins for them. 3. They were animals that were sacrificed for man - the beginning of the substitutionary sacrifice made for man until that perfect sacrifice could come (Heb 10:1-10). - See Heb 9:22 and Lev. 17:11 4. We are to be clothed in Christ today! (Gal. 3:26-27). VI. THE EXPULSION FROM THE GARDEN (Verses 22-24). A. The Godhead Discuss The Fate Of Man's Existence. 1. It was neither wise nor merciful to allow mankind, as sinners, to live forever upon the earth. 2. Thus, man was forbidden access to the tree of life; consequently man began to die.

6 B. Man Was Driven Out Of The Garden. 1. It seems as though man did not want to leave this beautiful home he had come to know so well, but the enormity of his sin was seen again in his being forced out of this beautiful home and the fellowship he enjoyed with God in it. 2. Man was forced out to till the ground - no longer a tender, he had to till, hoe, plant, weed, and cultivate for his food. 3. Cherubim were placed before the Garden with flaming swords to keep man out. C. The Paradise Of God (Eden) And Tree of Life Is In Heaven Today (Rev. 22:2). - Cf. Rev. 21: 1-7 QUESTIONS OVER THIS SECTION 1. The Bible is a book about. 2. Whenever we read a passage we need to ask what question? (Cf. Rom. 15:4). 3. How do we know that Satan is not eternal? 4. Satan is described here, Second Corinthians 11:3 and Revelation 12:9 as what? 5. Satan was called by Jesus the father of what? (Cf. John 8:44). 6. What are the three main ways Satan tempts man, and in what passage(s) are these demonstrated? 7. At the core of every sin is what? 8. In Luke 9:23-24 we learn that there are some thing we must ourselves. 9. In Titus 1:15 we learn that unto the are all things. 10. Why did God ask Adam, Where are you? 11. In what way did Adam s sin cause him to become hardened and cold? 12. What verse in this passage is Messianic?

7 13. Does Eve being subject to Adam make her inferior to Adam? Why or why not? (Give verses to demonstrate your position). 14. When Adam and Eve sinned they became subject to the penalty of the law of and. (Romans 6:23; 8:2). 15. What was Eve renamed? 16. Who made the first sacrifice for sin? 17. In Whom are we to be clothed today? (Gal. 3:26-27). 18. To keep man from living forever on planet earth, what did the Godhead do? 19. Where is the paradise of God today? 20. What book and chapter of our Bible reveals that the tree of life is in heaven today?