Genesis 3
Genesis 3:8-15
8 Then Adam & Eve heard the Lord God walking in the garden during the cool part of the day. The man and his wife hid from the Lord God among the trees in the garden.
9 But the Lord God called to the man and said, "Where are you?"
10 The man answered, "I heard you walking in the garden, and I was afraid and I hid, because I was naked."
11 God asked, "Who told you that you were naked? ?Did you eat fruit from that tree, I commanded you: Don't eat?"
12 The man said, "You know that woman You gave me? She gave-me fruit from the tree. Then I ate."
13 The Lord God said to the woman, "You did what!?"
The woman answered, "That snake fooled me, then I ate."
14 The Lord God said to the snake,
"Because you did that,
you will have a curse worse than all the animals,
farm and wild.
You will slide on your stomach,
and you will eat dirt all during your life.
15 I will make you and the woman enemies.
Your future children and her future children
will become enemies.
Her future Son will crush your head,
and you will bite His heel."
8 Then Adam & Eve heard the Lord God walking in the garden during the cool part of the day. The man and his wife hid from the Lord God among the trees in the garden.
9 But the Lord God called to the man and said, "Where are you?"
10 The man answered, "I heard you walking in the garden, and I was afraid and I hid, because I was naked."
11 God asked, "Who told you that you were naked? ?Did you eat fruit from that tree, I commanded you: Don't eat?"
12 The man said, "You know that woman You gave me? She gave-me fruit from the tree. Then I ate."
13 The Lord God said to the woman, "You did what!?"
The woman answered, "That snake fooled me, then I ate."
14 The Lord God said to the snake,
"Because you did that,
you will have a curse worse than all the animals,
farm and wild.
You will slide on your stomach,
and you will eat dirt all during your life.
15 I will make you and the woman enemies.
Your future children and her future children
will become enemies.
Her future Son will crush your head,
and you will bite His heel."
One day our after-school deaf Bible class was settling down for a lesson about Adam & Eve.
Three girls sitting in back decided
that day was too beautiful for sitting in church.
We will name those girls Susan, Jenny, and April.
That room had a side door.
When the girls thought the teachers weren't looking,
together they ran through that door to play outside.
The girls were not fast enough.
All the adults and half the students saw them go.
We waited while a helper went outside
and shepherded the girls back into class.
Susan came in first. She saw everyone looking at her.
She said, "Not my fault! Jenny told me!"
Next Jenny came in. "Not my fault! April told me!"
Then April came in. She smiled and shrugged ["Oh well..."].
I told them, "Sit down girls. You will enjoy our story today."
I began explaining
about Eve and the snake, and their conversation.
Eve took the fruit, and ate.
She gave it to Adam, and he ate.
Then they both felt terrible. Why????
All the students sat quiet, except one girl: Susan.
She raised her hand, and signed, "I know! I know! I know!"
I waited, but no other students wanted to answer.
"OK Susan. After Adam and Eve ate the fruit, why did they feel bad?"
Susan answered, spelling: "G - E - R - M - S!"
Susan had learned her health lessons in school.
I explained to the class
Adam & Eve felt ashamed, because they knew
they did something very, very wrong.
God gave them a clear command,
and they didn't obey Him.
Adam & Eve were guilty, and they knew that.
So they tried to hide from God.
God called them out from their hiding place,
and He asked them... what happened?
"Adam! Did you eat that fruit?"
Adam answered, "Not my fault! Eve told me!"
Eve?
"Not my fault! The snake told me!"
Snake?
"[Shrug]."
(Three girls in class sat shocked, mouths open.)
When we do something wrong, and we know that,
what do we do?
Same as Adam & Eve, we try to hide our crime,
and cover the evidence.
If we get caught, what do we do?
Same as Adam & Eve, we blame other people.
We quickly notice things they do wrong.
Or we continue the Devil's lie,
and tell "good reasons" for the things we did.
And while we work to avoid responsibility,
we make our mess worse-and-worse.
Yes, we excuse ourselves, but blame other people.
First Adam blames God:
"You gave me that woman. God, that's Your fault!"
(Maybe Adam forgot where God got that woman.)
Then Adam blames Eve:
"She gave me that fruit. Her fault!"
But Adam knew that he was doing wrong,
and he proceeded doing that, anyway.
Here we see Adam and Eve have their first family argument.
Sin always has CONSEQUENCE.
Here we see sin destroy
the unity that God planned for marriage.
Genesis chapter 2 tells us that husband and wife are
two become one.
Now we see husband and wife divided
back to two again, no more as one.
God proceed to talk to each of the three guilty persons.
First...
Three girls sitting in back decided
that day was too beautiful for sitting in church.
We will name those girls Susan, Jenny, and April.
That room had a side door.
When the girls thought the teachers weren't looking,
together they ran through that door to play outside.
The girls were not fast enough.
All the adults and half the students saw them go.
We waited while a helper went outside
and shepherded the girls back into class.
Susan came in first. She saw everyone looking at her.
She said, "Not my fault! Jenny told me!"
Next Jenny came in. "Not my fault! April told me!"
Then April came in. She smiled and shrugged ["Oh well..."].
I told them, "Sit down girls. You will enjoy our story today."
I began explaining
about Eve and the snake, and their conversation.
Eve took the fruit, and ate.
She gave it to Adam, and he ate.
Then they both felt terrible. Why????
All the students sat quiet, except one girl: Susan.
She raised her hand, and signed, "I know! I know! I know!"
I waited, but no other students wanted to answer.
"OK Susan. After Adam and Eve ate the fruit, why did they feel bad?"
Susan answered, spelling: "G - E - R - M - S!"
Susan had learned her health lessons in school.
I explained to the class
Adam & Eve felt ashamed, because they knew
they did something very, very wrong.
God gave them a clear command,
and they didn't obey Him.
Adam & Eve were guilty, and they knew that.
So they tried to hide from God.
God called them out from their hiding place,
and He asked them... what happened?
"Adam! Did you eat that fruit?"
Adam answered, "Not my fault! Eve told me!"
Eve?
"Not my fault! The snake told me!"
Snake?
"[Shrug]."
(Three girls in class sat shocked, mouths open.)
When we do something wrong, and we know that,
what do we do?
Same as Adam & Eve, we try to hide our crime,
and cover the evidence.
If we get caught, what do we do?
Same as Adam & Eve, we blame other people.
We quickly notice things they do wrong.
Or we continue the Devil's lie,
and tell "good reasons" for the things we did.
And while we work to avoid responsibility,
we make our mess worse-and-worse.
Yes, we excuse ourselves, but blame other people.
First Adam blames God:
"You gave me that woman. God, that's Your fault!"
(Maybe Adam forgot where God got that woman.)
Then Adam blames Eve:
"She gave me that fruit. Her fault!"
But Adam knew that he was doing wrong,
and he proceeded doing that, anyway.
Here we see Adam and Eve have their first family argument.
Sin always has CONSEQUENCE.
Here we see sin destroy
the unity that God planned for marriage.
Genesis chapter 2 tells us that husband and wife are
two become one.
Now we see husband and wife divided
back to two again, no more as one.
God proceed to talk to each of the three guilty persons.
First...
The Lord God said to the snake,
"Because you did that,
you will have a curse worse than all the animals, farm and wild.
You will slide on your stomach,
and you will eat dirt all during your life.
I will make you and the woman enemies.
Your future children and her future children will become enemies.
Her future Son will crush your head,
and you will bite His heel." (Genesis 3:14,15)
What is God talking about here?
If we had nothing more before or after this story,
we can guess that God is describing
the natural struggle between people and snakes.
But that seems strange --
God punishing snakes for what the Devil did.
And we wonder --
Before this happened, could snakes walk???
One week ago we learned that the tempter here
was NOT an animal, but the Devil himself.
Clever.
Beautiful.
But now wild in rebellion against God.
We can read about
who the Devil is,
and why he came to earth,
in the last book in the Bible, Revelation chapter 12
If we had nothing more before or after this story,
we can guess that God is describing
the natural struggle between people and snakes.
But that seems strange --
God punishing snakes for what the Devil did.
And we wonder --
Before this happened, could snakes walk???
One week ago we learned that the tempter here
was NOT an animal, but the Devil himself.
Clever.
Beautiful.
But now wild in rebellion against God.
We can read about
who the Devil is,
and why he came to earth,
in the last book in the Bible, Revelation chapter 12
"In heaven a war happened.
The good angel named Michael
and his other holy angels together
fought against the Dragon,
and the Dragon and his evil angels fought back.
But the Dragon was not strong enough.
He and his angels lost their place in heaven.
That great Dragon, he was-thrown-down
out from heaven.
He is that old snake called the devil or Satan.
Now he tricks the whole world.
That Dragon with his angels
was-thrown down to earth." (Revelation 12:7-9)
Now we see
God uses that same picture for the snake
in Revelation chapter 12
in His description for the Devil's punishment
in Genesis chapter 3.
We see that God isn't talking about animal snakes,
No, He is-talking about THE great Snake from hell,
the Devil.
But also in Genesis chapter 3,
we notice that God talks about the descendants,
future children, from the woman.
And we see that God isn't talking about
any and every human child.
No, God describes how THE one special CHILD
will one day fight against the Devil.
That Special Son from the woman will
"crush the Devil's head"
while the Devil "bites His heel."
And Who is that special Son from the woman?
Yes! Jesus!
Again we see,
God still uses the picture language for a snake.
God predicts that
Jesus and the Devil will fight.
Jesus will get crucified (The Devil's bite).
But in Jesus' death,
the Devil will lose his legal-right to own us.
Jesus wins!
Here in the Garden of Eden we see
God's first promise for sending His Son,
our Savior Jesus Christ.
Sin began with Adam & Eve in that Garden.
But God already had a plan in Jesus Christ for saving us
from the eternal consequences for our sin.
The Bible says that the "first Adam" gave us sin and death,
But the "second Adam" - Jesus Christ -
forgives our sin and gives us life forever.
Now, that story about war in heaven,
we recently read from Revelation 12.
That story continues:
God uses that same picture for the snake
in Revelation chapter 12
in His description for the Devil's punishment
in Genesis chapter 3.
We see that God isn't talking about animal snakes,
No, He is-talking about THE great Snake from hell,
the Devil.
But also in Genesis chapter 3,
we notice that God talks about the descendants,
future children, from the woman.
And we see that God isn't talking about
any and every human child.
No, God describes how THE one special CHILD
will one day fight against the Devil.
That Special Son from the woman will
"crush the Devil's head"
while the Devil "bites His heel."
And Who is that special Son from the woman?
Yes! Jesus!
Again we see,
God still uses the picture language for a snake.
God predicts that
Jesus and the Devil will fight.
Jesus will get crucified (The Devil's bite).
But in Jesus' death,
the Devil will lose his legal-right to own us.
Jesus wins!
Here in the Garden of Eden we see
God's first promise for sending His Son,
our Savior Jesus Christ.
Sin began with Adam & Eve in that Garden.
But God already had a plan in Jesus Christ for saving us
from the eternal consequences for our sin.
The Bible says that the "first Adam" gave us sin and death,
But the "second Adam" - Jesus Christ -
forgives our sin and gives us life forever.
Now, that story about war in heaven,
we recently read from Revelation 12.
That story continues:
That great Dragon... with his angels
was-thrown down to the earth."
Then I heard a loud voice in heaven saying:
"Salvation and power and the kingdom of our God
and the authority of His Christ
have now come.
All day and all night in front of our God
the Devil accuses our brothers and sisters.
The Devil has been thrown down.
And our brothers and sisters defeated the Devil
through the blood of the Lamb - Jesus.
And they defeat the Devil
through the message they preached.
They were not afraid to die for Christ.
Now rejoice, everyone living in heaven!
But terrible for the earth and the sea,
because the devil has come down to you!
The Devil is filled with anger,
because he knows he does not have much time." (Revelation 12:9-12)
That explains why our world is still filled
with much hurt and hate.
That explains why we also continue to struggle
against temptation.
Christ on the cross defeated the Devil, yes.
But the Devil still has a little bit more time for his dirty work.
The Bible says that day will come
when the Devil and his followers
will-be locked in hell forever,
no more able to bother,
no more able to lie, tempt, and hurt us.
Until that Day, let us all continue holding on to Christ in faith.
Amen!
with much hurt and hate.
That explains why we also continue to struggle
against temptation.
Christ on the cross defeated the Devil, yes.
But the Devil still has a little bit more time for his dirty work.
The Bible says that day will come
when the Devil and his followers
will-be locked in hell forever,
no more able to bother,
no more able to lie, tempt, and hurt us.
Until that Day, let us all continue holding on to Christ in faith.
Amen!