In Genesis 1 and 2, God made man and gave him a beautiful home, job, and wife. Everything seemed so perfect, what could possibly go wrong? In this Sunday’s sermon we shall study Genesis 3 and learn how sinful it is to desire God’s blessings more than God’s presence.
- The Con (3:1-6). In this section we are introduced to a crafty serpent (Satan in disguise: Rev. 20:2) intent on turning man against God. God told Adam that anyone who ate from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil would “surely die” (Gen 2:17). Satan deceived Eve by saying “you will not surely die” (4). Eve obeyed Satan rather than God and tempted Adam to rebel against God. Adam chose to obey Eve instead of God and thus chose a relationship with Eve rather than God.
- The Concealment (3:7-11). Adam and Eve desired the blessings of God more than God and ate the fruit. The result of this action proved God’s truthfulness because when they ate “the eyes of both were opened, and they knew that they were naked.” This knowledge came from sin destroying their innocence and producing in them guilt & shame. Their response was not repentance, but concealment. They tried to conceal their sin by sewing fig leaves and hiding in the garden.
- The Confession (3:12-13). When Adam and Eve were confronted by God about their sin, they did not respond properly but selfishly. True confession is a threefold acknowledgment of: 1) your guilt from the sin, 2) the evil of the particular sin(s), and 3) the plea for forgiveness. Adam responded selfishly by blaming Eve and God. Eve responded selfishly by blaming the serpent. Neither one acknowledged their guilt, the evil of their sin, or asked for forgiveness.
- The Curse (3:14-19, 22-24). Sin has consequences. God humiliated the crafty serpent by cursing it to crawl on its belly. God disciplined Eve by making childbearing painful and revealed that sin will lead to ongoing conflict between her and her husband. God disciplined Adam by cursing the ground. This curse was difficult for Adam because he was told “to work it and keep it” (Gen 2:15). Also, Adam & Eve were expelled from the garden in order to keep them from the tree of life.
- The Comfort (3:15, 20-21). In verse 21, God comforted Adam and Eve by forgiving their sin. God sacrificed an animal and used the skin to cover their nakedness and shame. There was still consequences for their sin, but their sin was forgiven. One consequence of Adam’s sin is that we are all born sinners (Rom 5). Verse 15 is very important because it reveals the ultimate comfort for man through the punishment of Satan. God promised that a descendant of the woman (Jesus) would crush the head of the serpent. 1 John 3:8 says, “The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the works of the devil” (1 John 3:8). Jesus defeated the devil and death when He sacrificed Himself on the cross. He now provides forgiveness for all our sins. With Jesus, instead of being clothed with animal skins, we now are clothed with white robes (Rev 3:18). Jesus is our Comfort.
Let us not seek to conceal our sin, but to confess it to God. Let us entrust ourselves to God and allow Him to heal us. Turn to Jesus and be reconciled to God.