Transcript
Walking the Old Paths, Episode 16 transcript
Summary
In this episode JP recounts the fall of mankind due to Adam and Eve’s disobedience. This chapter is considered a pivotal moment in the Bible, as it marks the entrance of sin into the world and sets the stage for the rest of the Bible. In this lesson we will discover the attacks Satan uses to deceive us, as well as our weaknesses as men and women to fall for Satan’s devices.
Genesis 3 Outline
1. The Fall of Mankind (3:1-24)
1. The Entrance of Sin (3:1-6)
1. The subtle serpent (3:1-5)
2. The deceived woman (3:1-6)
3. The disobedient man (3:6)
2. The Seeking God (3:7-13)
1. Man’s Sin Concealed (3:7-8)
2. Man’s Sin Revealed (3:9-13)
3. The Penalty of Sin (3:14-19)
1. The serpent sentenced (3:14-15)
2. The woman sentenced (3:16)
3. The man sentenced (3:17-19)
4. The Merciful God (3:20-24)
1. The faith of Adam (3:20)
2. The response of God (3:21-24)
Transcription
All at once, as if a switch was turned on. They saw themselves bare and exposed before all the world, and they knew it wasn’t right. They were husband and wife, but they weren’t alone in that garden. They knew the one who walked there with them. But now something was different. Sin had entered the world, and now they both knew they couldn’t stand before God.
Welcome to the Walking the Old Paths podcast. I’m JP, your host on this journey through the Bible. Each week we embark on a systematic study of the scriptures from Genesis to Revelation.
Hello, friends, and welcome back. Um, I hope you’re excited as we get into today’s study. Um, in Genesis chapter three. And I hope that you have, uh, read this over the last week as you’ve been preparing for this lesson, this, uh, most important chapter in the Bible. It’s a very pivotal chapter because everything that, uh, came before was pure and good. And God saw that it was very good.
But after Genesis chapter three, the world is going to be different. And everything we see in the Bible from here on out is a result of what occurs in Genesis chapter three in the fall of Mankind. And as much as we would like to point the finger at Adam and Eve and blame them for all the miseries of the world because of their sin, we cannot.
Had you or me been in their situation, would it have turned out any different? The man in his state of innocence with no knowledge of good or evil. But one simple instruction to not eat of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, and still failed so miserably.
God only is good, and he only is incapable of sin. Man was placed in the garden with a test that would prove that even in innocence, man tended toward disobedience and sin.
It just took the subtlety of a serpent and a deceived woman to turn man against God, with whom the Bible credits Adam with the entrance of sin into the world.
In Romans 5:12 we read: “Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned.”
That one man being Adam. He was the leader, he was the head, and he is responsible for what happens. And as we will see. Um, even Adam’s helpmeet Eve was really the cause of it. But because Adam is the head over the woman and she is his helpmate, he failed in this. And sin is accredited to Adam.
So we read here in Genesis chapter three and verse one: “Now the serpent was more subtil than any beast of the field which the LORD God had made. And he said unto the woman, Yea, hath God said, Ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden?”
At this point Satan had already been kicked out of heaven and was sent to earth. Now when he should have been a ministering spirit sent to them, that should be heirs of salvation, he became an adversary to man because of his hatred towards God for removing him from his office.
You know, as we talked about last week, we read that in the New Testament that Jesus said, I beheld Satan as lightning fall from heaven. Uh, where did he fall to? He fell to earth, and he made his way into that garden.
Now we notice here in verse one who the focus of Satan’s attack was upon. It was upon the woman. Why the woman? Uh, a question comes to mind is, did the serpent did Satan already tried to deceive Adam and was unable? Or did the serpent observe Adam and Eve and knew that the way to get to him was through her?
In the Proverbs we read, “There be three things which are too wonderful for me, yea, four which I know not: The way of an eagle in the air; the way of a serpent upon a rock; the way of a ship in the midst of the sea; and the way of a man with a maid.” [Proverbs 30:18-19]
You know there’s just a when you are young and in love there’s this wonderful thing, uh, of a man with a maid. And the lengths that he will go to to impress her and, uh, to show his love and shower that upon her. And the Bible recognizes it .
And that maybe that is what Satan recognized as well. He watched, he observed. He was very wise. Remember that word subtle there meant to be wise. And he observed how Adam interacted with Eve, and he probably saw his opportunity to get to Adam, to make him eat of the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil was through Eve.
Now, apparently, as we read these first few verses, Eve was alone at this point with the serpent. Question is, where was Adam when this was happening? Was he neglecting his duty to guard the garden and his wife? Remember God told him, you know, to dress and to keep it, to guard it.
And why, why to guard it in this perfect garden? Well, there was a serpent slithering in that garden that, um, had the potential for causing, um, man to fall into sin through deception and lies.
But maybe Adam was working, you know, in that garden. He was doing his his chores through the day. It was a delightful work. But, Eve, you know, at some point she was wandering around and the serpent saw his opportunity.
Uh, the serpent was aware of the one tree that Adam and Eve were not to eat from. That’s something also we need to recognize. He knew what Adam had to do to sin. It was just a matter of how to get him to do it.
And we see here the first words out of that serpent’s mouth in the Bible, ye hath God said, ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden. Now there are two things two a twofold effect in what the serpent is saying here. The first one is he casts doubt upon God’s Word. “Yea, hath God said” he is causing Eve to doubt what God’s Word is.
We need to recognize our enemy. We need to recognize ourselves first of all, in our faults, our weaknesses. But we also have the ability here in the Scripture to analyze our enemy and his attacks against us. That way we are wise against him, and we are able to use that shield of faith to quench the fiery darts of the devil.
And Eve was caught off guard with this. Um, perhaps they probably did not know of the danger that lurked in that garden. Um. Man had no knowledge of good or evil. He had no reason to, um, think that there was something that could be wrong.
But Adam was to be aware, and he was created particularly intelligent. I mean, in the previous chapter, he names all the animals that God brings before him according to their characteristics. And so it’s not that he is without intelligence, but it is he is without knowledge of good and evil.
But Satan here, his first words was to cast doubt upon God’s Word. And the second thing that we see here is that he also questions the goodness of God. Yea, hath God said, he shall not eat of every tree of the garden.
Eve, did God really tell you can’t eat of every tree of the garden? You know, if God was good, wouldn’t he want you to enjoy freely everything that he has offered to you.
And so we see the woman’s response here in verse two: “And the woman said unto the serpent, We may eat of the fruit of the trees of the garden: 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.”
Now there we need to analyze closely, and this is why it’s important that we slow down when we read the Bible, to really think through what is being said. Every word of God is pure, and at first glance it seems that Eve is pretty much quoting what God had said.
Um, but really, we see in her first in her response, she diminishes the force of what God has said. Now, if we look back in Genesis 2:16 where God instructed Adam, uh, it says, “And the LORD God commanded the man, saying, Of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat.”
Now, something we don’t see here in our English translation, in the Authorized Version is the Hebrew words behind that phrase “thou mayest freely eat”. It is ‘âkal ‘âkal. It’s said twice the same word. It is a primitive root that means to eat. Now what this means when it was repeated, ‘âkal ‘âkal, to eat to eat could be translated “in eating, thou mayest eat”.
Eve here is diminishing the strength and power of what God said. Back in Genesis 2:16, God was giving Adam and Eve full power to eat of all trees wherever they found them and as as much as they want, whenever they want. God was setting before them the first buffet ever recorded and telling them, you have full power to eat as much as you want and whenever you want it, enjoy it, it is yours.
God is telling him, here’s this buffet of trees. I want you to enjoy it wherever you go and whenever you want it. Pick it and eat it. It is for you. That is what the force and the power behind that saying is.
In our English translation we have thou mayest freely eat, but eating thou mayest eat. It is that, uh, he is welcoming them to this buffet that he has set before them in the Garden of Eden.
And then Eve says, “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.”
Now we notice here too, Eve does not call the tree by its name the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, but rather just tree. Was she diminishing its importance because she could not have of it? That is a thought.
But of the fruit of the tree. It’s just a tree. No, it is the one tree that you are not to eat. This is the one thing that God has told you to not eat of. Everything else is there for you to enjoy. All these varieties of trees and of fruits and even trees, for just pure pleasure and beauty to look upon. But there is one tree that you can’t eat of.
And when we diminish the importance of something, we’re going to do what Eve did there, and we’re just going to name it tree. It’s just that there is one tree which is in the midst of the garden that we can’t eat of.
We see that Eve also adds here neither shall ye touch it. God does not say that back in Genesis 2:17 which reads “But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die.”
She said that you can’t even touch it. Well, I don’t know if that was Adam’s words to her to just convince her, you know, don’t even touch it. Don’t even look upon it. Uh, and because you might if you do this, you were sinning. We’re gonna die.
Now, Eve also diminishes here the penalty of eating the fruit. And again, this is one of these things that we can’t see in our English translation. But when I looked at it in the Hebrew, it, it made it more clear. She says, “neither shall ye touch it, lest ye die.”
Now she uses the word “muth” here. It is the Hebrew word meaning to die. But when we look back again, Genesis 2:17, where God said, thou shalt surely die. Once again we see the repetition of the Hebrew word muth. “Muth, muth” means in dying die, or in dying you shall die. There, the strength of what God said back there in Genesis 2:17 is lost in Eve’s response.
God was saying that there is a definite surety that in the day you eat of the fruit from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil dying, you will die.
It also possibly spoke of more than one death. There was physical death that would occur in time. For at that moment they ate of the fruit they became mortal.
But there’s also the spiritual death, which was immediate. Man was no longer innocent before God and was spiritually separated from God. In dying, ye shall die.
In verse three, uh, four now we read: “And the serpent said unto the woman, Ye shall not surely die.” Satan adds one word to God’s word, “not” there. Satan is calling God a liar. Ye shall not surely die. But God told him that. Satan contradicts God.
And kind of the funny thing to here in that verse is Satan correctly quoted that: surely die “muth muth”. He said he shall not muth muth, you shall not dying ye shall die. Whereas Eve just downplayed it.
He says to him, “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.” The word gods there is the word Elohim. Remember our first occurrence of the divine title Elohim, the Creator God. While there are many uses to the word Elohim in the Bible, such as judges, angels, God Himself, or Divine persons in the Godhead, Adam and Eve would have only known Elohim as the divine person of Christ, who walked with them in the garden.
This should be understood in this manner as well, because of what God said concerning them in verse 22. And he says, “Behold, the man is become as one of us, to know good and evil.” Satan tempts, Adam er, Eve here with ye shall be as little gods, little elohim.
So we see Satan’s modus operandi here, how he operates. First, Satan questions and causes doubt: Yea, hath God said. He’s going to, that’s how he’s going to attack us here. Did God really say this? And then he’s going to question the goodness of God, as God is just holding you back from a full and complete life. Uh, he doesn’t want everything good for you. He is hiding something from you. Those are. That’s the first attack of Satan.
Then we see that Satan lies. Ye shall not surely die. By adding one word in here he quotes scripture but adds one word, reversing what it actually means and casting a lie upon God, calling him a liar.
And last we see that Satan deceives here. God doth know that in the day eat thereof then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil. Here he is tempting the woman.
“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.” [Genesis 3:6]
This here must have happened shortly after Eve’s conversation with the serpent. Adam is now with her. And we see here in verse 6 a threefold temptation. And we note this that in the New Testament and 1 John 2:16, it says to us, “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.” The world, the devil is the prince of the power of the air. He is the god of this world, as we have noted.
When it says that here in 1 John 2:16, it’s given us the threefold temptation that faces us: the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life.
Now we note here that Eve saw that the tree was good for food. That is the lust of the flesh. She had all the trees of the garden that she could have from. But there’s one tree. One tree they were forbidden to eat from. That is the one that her eyes fixed upon. And it was good for food. It was the lust of the flesh. I want that tree. I want that fruit.
We next see that Eve saw that it was pleasant to the eyes. That is the lust of the eyes. It looked beautiful. It looked inviting. Why do you think commercials work so well upon us? We look and we lust after it. Oh, look at that juicy burger there that looked so good on TV. I must have one.
And last we see here that Eve saw that it was desired to make one wise. That is the pride of life. She wanted that hidden wisdom, that secret wisdom that she was being withheld from. Oh, Satan has a way of getting to us that he wants us to have this, uh, wisdom that elevates us above others.
And Eve, we see that she had a threefold action in this verse. She saw, she took, and she gave. Eve failed in her responsibility to be a helpmeet to her husband. She wanted to lead instead of being lead. Remember God said, it is not good for that the man should be alone I will make and help meat for him. Eve was made for the man. She was the helpmeet to him. But Eve took the lead here.
Did she come to Adam and discuss this? Well, the serpent, you know, he really he told me some interesting things about this tree here. And, but I don’t know, Adam. What, what is, what does God have to say about it? She didn’t ask. And we don’t see a conversation here with it.
And perhaps Adam, when he was talking with Eve, understood that Eve really was in sin already, and that she was not believing God’s word and that she was desiring lusting after this wisdom that she didn’t have.
And Adam failed in his responsibility to guard and to instruct his wife. He chooses her over obedience to God, probably because he knew what would happen to Eve because of her sin, she would die. She would be taken from Adam. And so he chooses the same fate as her, just as long as he would be with her.
Adam left that perfect relationship he had with God in that garden. He chose his woman over her when he saw her she was beautiful. This is now bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh she shall be called woman because she was taken out of man. He didn’t want to lose her. He didn’t want to give her up.
But Adam, as all of us men, have the same struggles in life today. We struggle with choosing God over, um, our relationships here on earth. We don’t ask God, you know, when we’re young and we’re dating. We tend to look and judge things by outward appearances. Oh, she’s so pretty. But what is her heart like? What is she? What is she a virtuous woman? Do we go to and ask God what he thinks about it? Lord, what do you think about this woman? Should I continue this relationship? Um.
And you don’t always know. You have to date maybe sometimes for a little while to get a to get to know somebody. But when you get to know them and you see these red flags. And this goes for both ways. Uh, women, when you’re dating a guy, are you willing to break it off if God tells you to? If he gives, if he doesn’t give you peace over it, are you willing to cut him loose or cut her loose? When we’re young, we don’t tend to think properly and biblically.
Then most of us and some of us don’t ever get get to that point. But we need to pause and ask God. We need to talk to God. We need to go to him for all these questions. And it’s so important. I counsel our teenagers at church all the time about when you guys start dating. The type of person that you are going to date is that man or that woman going to be a man or woman of character? Do they love the Lord? Are they actively in a relationship with the Lord? Don’t just go off of a profession. Yeah, I, I said a prayer once and I accepted Christ into my heart, but they don’t have any desire for the things of the Lord. They don’t have any desire to go to church and to be involved in a in a local church. They follow after the world and the lust of the world.
We need to be intentional, and we need to come to God and ask him for wisdom that we lack, which we do.
Adam here didn’t consult God. God, there’s a serpent in this garden and he is saying some things to Eve. I held her back from eating that fruit. But I need you to talk with us. I need you to, uh, let us know whether this serpent here is for our benefit. Or is the enemy that you warn me about. Adam failed in that.
But moving on here in verse seven, after Adam and Eve, eight of that fruit is: “and did eat, and gave also unto her husband with her; and he did eat. 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.”
The eyes of them both were open. That is their understanding at that point that they ate of the fruit and it was now open, and they had that knowledge of good and evil.
And what was the first thing that they noticed? It was their nakedness. They felt shame for being naked. All at once, as if a switch was turned on, they saw themselves bare and exposed before all the world, and they knew it wasn’t right. They were husband and wife, but they weren’t alone in that garden. They knew the one who walked there with them. But now something was different. Sin had entered the world, and now they both knew they couldn’t stand before God in their nakedness.
And as I mentioned before, I believe that they were Adam and Eve were clothed with light, as God is clothed with light. But now that light was gone, and even if they weren’t clothed with light prior to the fall, they still would have been naked, but wouldn’t have known it was something to be ashamed of. There was no knowledge of good and evil, and so it wasn’t something to be ashamed of.
But now that they have acquired that which Eve coveted after – knowledge – shame over their current state came over them.
And what did we see that they do here? Adam and Eve, in an attempt to cover their nakedness that is really their sin, sewed fig leaves together and made themselves aprons. This is a picture of man’s attempt at covering over his sin. Just as Adam and Eve attempted to cover over their sin, man tries to cover over his sin by doing good works to earn God’s favor. Man in his sinful state has ever since then tried to come to God his own way, covering over his sin but never able to wash it away.
We do all sorts of things. We go to, uh, our church. A lot of people go to church and they’re not Christians. By the way, just going to church does not make you a Christian.
But people will do these things because they feel that the somehow earns them favor with God. They will do good works and humanitarian aids, and they will give to charities and it will appease their conscience. Oh, look at the good that I did.
We look at celebrities that give millions of dollars to charities, and we think how wonderful they are, but they’re doing it for benefit for tax benefits. Uh, and likewise, we might be doing the same thing we might give to our church as a benefit for taxes with our government. It’s not really because we love the Lord. It’s not because we love the church or our pastor. We’re doing it for selfish desires, for selfish reasons.
And so we see here in verse eight now: “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.”
The LORD God here, we see, apparently had a time each day that he came and walked in the garden and communed with Adam. This was probably the manifestation of the pre incarnate Christ. Adam, who just earlier, as I mentioned earlier, had the wisdom to name all the animals that God brought before him according to their unique characteristics, and who also, when God brought his wife to him, he gave that great oration of marriage upon seeing her. Now we see Adam was lost when it came to knowing the divine characteristics of the Lord God who made him.
Did they think God would not know what happened or where to find them? In a moment of sheer terror that they had eaten of that forbidden tree and were now naked, they lost all sense of rational thought and hid themselves. This is why the lost love the cover of darkness. They believe that they can hide from God.
But Psalms 139:11 and 12 says, “If I say, Surely the darkness shall cover me; even the night shall be light about me. Yea, the darkness hideth not from thee; but the night shineth as the day: the darkness and the light are both alike to thee.”
It does not matter what your, whether you’re doing sin in the darkness or in the light. It is both alike unto God. It does not cover you. It does not hide you. It may, it gives you a false assurance of being hidden from God, and being able to do things that God would not see, but both the darkness and the night, the light are as the day to him.
“And the LORD God called unto Adam, and said unto him, Where art thou?
And he said, I heard thy voice in the garden, and I was afraid, because I was naked; and I hid myself.” [Genesis 3:9-10]
Now we notice here that God is a seeking God, right? He calls out to Adam here. Where art thou? It gives the sense of this calm and loving call to Adam.
God, he was aware of everything that was occurring in that garden. When Eve was talking with the serpent, God saw it. When Eve went to her husband and convinced him to eat of the fruit of the tree with her, he saw it. When they know uh saw that they were naked, and they tried to hide themselves by sowing fig leaves together, God saw it.
When he started walking towards them, as his custom was to do. In the cool of the day. They hid themselves, and God saw it. And he says unto him, where art thou? And notice who he calls out to. He calls out to Adam. Adam is the responsible party here. He is responsible for Eve. He is responsible for the garden. God doesn’t call out to Eve,
But Adam gets his senses back here we see, and he knew it was pointless to hide from God. “And he said, I heard thy voice in the garden, and I was afraid, because I was naked; and I hid myself.”
Now consider before the fall Adam would never have been afraid when he heard the voice of the LORD God walking in the garden, he would have been glad and would have run toward the voice for his daily walk and talk with God. But now everything has changed, and for the first time he hears the voice of the LORD God, he is afraid.
Oh my, how deceitful is sin! It lures us with pleasure, but then it bites us. It promises much, but it never delivers.
And we notice here that Adam blames his fear on being naked. But he had always been naked before the Lord. He was hiding the true cause of his fear. And that was his sin. His sin caused him to fear before God. Because the Bible tells us, “Thou art of purer eyes than to behold evil, and canst not look on iniquity.” [Habakkuk 1:13]
God asked him, “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?”
God asked two questions here of Adam. Of course God knows the answers to both of them, but the purpose of the questions is to bring Adam to a place of confession over his sin. Adam failed in his duty to guard the garden and his wife, Eve. He failed in the one law that was given to him to not eat of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. That was his responsibility. And now he needs to acknowledge his sin and take responsibility for it.
Adam learned that day just exactly what was sin when his understanding was opened to good and evil. First John 3:4: “Whosoever committeth sin transgresseth also the law: for” the “for sin is the transgression of the law.”
It’s kind of interesting in Job chapter 31 Job makes a reference here to Adam and the sin of concealing one’s sins. He says, “If I covered my transgressions as Adam, by hiding mine iniquity in my bosom:” [Job 31:33]
Adam did two things that try to hide his iniquity. One, he sewed fig leaves together, uh, to cover his reproductive parts, those parts that are of shame to us. And and it is not natural to want to show that to the world. The second thing is, is he hid himself from the Lord God in the garden amongst the trees.
“And the man said, The woman whom thou gavest to be with me, she gave me of the tree, and I did eat.” Adam did not admit right away to his sin. He skirts the responsibility for his own actions, and places the blame first on God, then on Eve, before finally acknowledging “and I did eat.”
He says the woman that thou gave us me. It’s your fault really, God, you gave this woman to me. If she would have been a better helpmeet, maybe then we wouldn’t be in this situation. But this is the woman you gave. You’re the one who took my rib. You caused me to go to sleep and take my rib and made this woman okay. It’s your fault. God. Really? Um. And then he blames the woman she gave me to eat a bit.
Adam is skirting his responsibility and oh, how awful that is when we have weak men, uh, that just are unable to lead their families, unable to lead their wives. And, granted, it is tough. It’s hard to be a man to lead your wife and family. There’s going to be conflict that occurs because of it. Because of our natural tendencies in life. The woman wants to lead when she is to be led.
Uh, children cause problems as well because they’re little sinful creatures that have to be trained, have to be corrected. And men, if we’re not prayerful and we’re not intentional about being a godly husband, a biblical husband, as we talked about last week, we sink back, we quiet ourselves when we let things just happen and occur without our, uh, getting involved with them and instructing our families according to the word of God.
Adam was a weak was a weak leader here, and it was the woman who gave him the of the tree. But he didn’t have to eat of it, and he could have stopped her, but he didn’t. And then he finally says, and I did eat.
Finally, Adam gets to acknowledging his part in it. First God it’s your fault, then it’s the woman’s fault. And finally I ate of it, so it’s my fault too. We are always ready to blame others for our own, our own actions. It is because of you that I am this way. Or if you wouldn’t have done this, then I wouldn’t have done that. Or if you would have done this, I wouldn’t have had to do that. The Bible says that if we are to judge ourselves, we should not be judged. But when we are judged, we are chastened of the Lord, though we should not be condemned with the world.
Friend, that’s why it’s so important to be in the Bible, and to have the Word of God work upon our hearts. That we are able to judge ourselves when we read something, and we get that conviction over us. You have a response, you have a choice, really a responsibility of what you’re going to do with that conviction. Am I going to sweep it under the rug, or am I going to admit I’m at fault? I’m a sinner. I have sinned against you, oh, God, please forgive me, wash me and cleanse me. Make me righteous before you.
We need to judge ourselves according to God’s Word. But if we don’t, and sometimes even when we do, we are chastened of the Lord. Why? Because he loves us. He’s a loving father, and he doesn’t want us to continue on in sin. He doesn’t want us to continue to where we’re at, and we need correction.
And we see here verse 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.”
God’s only words that we see recorded here to Eve, uh, so far, is, what is this that thou hast done? Do you realize what you have done? Do you see what great offence you have committed and led your husband to do with you? Don’t you see the great consequence of this sin? That is what God is saying to her. And Eve, like Adam, shifts blame from herself to the serpent before acknowledging her guilt. The serpent beguiled me, she says. She thought the serpent had her best interest at heart. I mean, what a lovely creature. What harm could he ever do? He only wanted the best for me. But what does that say about her view of God? In her deception, she lost sight of the goodness of God and trusted the subtle serpent, only to realize that what she was promised was not what she thought it would be.
And that is what can happen to you and me, is when we lose sight of the goodness of God and we see no God is holding something back from me. We then don’t trust God as being good. We trust the devil or the world as being good. And deception is always like that. It’s it promises something that it never can be.
We’re going to stop and pause here for this week, and we’ll pick up the rest of this chapter here next week. But I want to just make some concluding statements.
First of all, Satan attacks us through the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life. Satan was able to get to Adam through Eve. Number three, Eve was susceptible to the deceivableness of the serpent. And four Adam chose death with Eve instead of life with God.
What other things have you noticed from this chapter? You know, we we’ve made some observations here. We come to our correct interpretation of it through observations. But there is also that aspect remember of Bible study of application. An application of God’s word can be a painful thing.
The Bible says that we are to reprove, rebuke, and exhort with all long suffering and doctrine. Too many churches and pastors have compromised on this, and instead of reproving, rebuking and exhorting, they soften their messages and make soft speeches so no one’s feelings are hurt. But that isn’t helpful, is it?
We need to be reproved when we are wrong. We need to be rebuked for sin and disobedience. And we need good Bible exhortation to do what is right.
I tell you a little story here. About 20 years ago, I told you my wife, she’s from the island of Trinidad that’s down in the bottom of the Caribbean off the coast of Venezuela. And 20 years ago, when we were courting, I was visiting her and we were at her church. And her pastor, Don Douglas, is his name. He’s the one who married us down there. And I remember still to this day, 20 years later, probably this message he gave on Proverbs chapter six, These six things doth the LORD hate: yea, seven are an abomination unto him.
And if you’ve ever been in a Pentecostal church, uh, you know it’s high energy, right? I have never been in a service where it was so quiet that pastor pastor Don Douglas, he laid that message out there. It was convicting. You could feel the Holy Spirit just moving and working on hearts. Um, it was working on mine. And it was so quiet you could hear a pin drop. Besides his powerful, booming voice that he had as he reproved and rebuked and exhorted with all longsuffering and doctrine. I was so impressed with that message I have never forgot it.
And every time I come to Proverbs chapter six and I read those verses in there, These six things doth the LORD hate: yea, seven are an abomination unto him. I always remember that message.
And even in my own, with my own pastor, you know when he is moving and preaching with conviction, the hard messages that are to give that are approving, rebuking the the people of God, I always try to make a practice of coming up to him and thanking him for those messages afterwards. You know, pastors need encouragement for that because so many people are so sensitive today about being convicted of and being told that they’re wrong in doing something.
We don’t want the Holy Spirit convicting us, and we sear our consciences with us with a hot iron. So that way we don’t feel it. Or the many churches like here in America, they just they preach such lovely messages all about the love of Jesus. But they never talk about the wrath and the judgment, things that can offend.
And you, my brothers and sisters that listen to this podcast. Hopefully you are one of those that enjoys being reproved and rebuked when you’re wrong and exhorted in all long suffering and doctrine. A wise man will hear and will increase learning we’re told in the Proverbs.
Well, there are things that we’re going to tackle when we come up to them in the Bible. And this is one of them, I think, here that, um, many people might get offended by.
But I want to give you a few applications here. One is that without Christ, we can’t overcome the temptation of the world. In Hebrews chapter four, we see “Seeing then that we have a great high priest, that is passed into the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our profession. For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin. Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.” [Hebrews 4:14-16]
In the scriptures, when Jesus was tempted in the wilderness, you can read it in Matthew chapter four. We see that Jesus was tempted the same way we are through the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life. And yet he was, even though he was tempted in all points, like as we, yet he was without sin.
We cannot get through this temptation on our own. We need Christ. We need the power of His Spirit to help us. Let us go on to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need. Friends, there are times where you are going to need God’s grace. You’re going to need his mercy, and you’re going to need his help because you are going to be under attack of this, of Satan, of the serpent.
First of all, you have to recognize it. Then second of all, you need to deal with it biblically, right?
Second, here, men, we need to recognize our need to be a biblical husband, father, and leader in our home. Additionally, we need to be aware that Satan will try and attack us in our home through our wife, just as Adam was through Eve. Keep diligent to guard your garden against the enemy that slithers about.
Ladies, I know this is a tough lesson. There are hard hitting things here for you because it was Eve who was deceived by the serpent, not Adam. And I know you want to believe that you are strong and tough. And in many ways you are. But you need to recognize also your limitations and also your weaknesses, and that also Satan is going to come after you. He knows that he can deceive you and he will try to do so. You need to always be ready with the shield of faith to defend against the fiery darts of the devil. Your husband is not your enemy. He is your friend and protector against the cunning and crafty enemy. Your submission unto him will put a hedge of protection around you.
I want to bring up a hot button topic here, but it will illustrate well what we have learned today. Remember how Satan attacked Eve with distrust in the Word of God? The goodness of God, and then lying about God’s Word and finally through the promise of knowledge. We have a similar lie that Satan has convinced many women to follow.
In the New Testament in the book of First Timothy. It’s called a pastoral epistle. It gives instructions for pastors. And Paul says there in first Timothy, “Let the woman learn in silence with all subjection. But I suffer not a woman to teach, nor to usurp authority over the man, but to be in silence. For Adam was first formed, then Eve. And Adam was not deceived, but the woman being deceived was in the transgression.” [1 Timothy 2:11-14]
We connect this account here in Genesis chapter three with instructions here for pastors in the New Testament. Satan has convinced women today that they can be pastors. Satan has convinced women that they are being held back from that role, that it is not just for men. That what Paul said here was not the Word of God for us today, but was just applicable to that period, or only to that church, or that Paul didn’t like women.
None of these are true, of course. It is Satan’s lies and deception. He is casting doubt upon the Word of God. Yea, hath God really said you shall not be a pastor? Paul gave two reasons that women are not to hold the position of a pastor teacher in the church. The first one is that Adam was first formed. He was the head, the one to whom the woman was to submit. And the second is that Adam was not deceived by the serpent. It was Eve who was deceived in the transgression.
Now, when we take in context, um, what is being said right after Paul gave this, uh, these verses here in verses 11 through 14. In chapter three and verses one through seven, we read of the qualifications of a pastor. And you can read those. And the first thing is, is that it is to be a man, a husband of one wife. We do not read of a woman pastor. You do not see of a woman pastor, and you can’t look to the Old Testament and say that there was female prophet prophetess. Okay. It is a different role and in in a different dispensation. And plus when we look at those we will see is because there is a lack of male leadership at the time.
But the pastor teacher today is to be a man, and Satan is getting his people into the churches here today, uh, through this lie: “yea, hath God said?” I mean, what do you do with this, those scriptures, you have to somehow explain them away. You can’t take them literally. If you were to take them literally, you will know the answer and surely it must bother them. They have to sear their conscience. I’m sure of it. They have to explain it away, and then they break the rules of interpretation in order to do so.
And they sit in judgment upon the word of God as to what is the Word of God? Did holy men of God speak as they were moved by the Holy Ghost? Is not all Scripture given to us by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction and righteousness?
The subtle serpent wants you to disregard God’s Word just as he did in the Garden of Eden. Remember disobedience, no matter what your intention is still sin.
Ladies, I know this is hard. Uh, it needs to be brought up. It needs to be said, you know, this podcast, it’s theme verse “Stand ye in the ways, and see, and ask for the old paths, where is the good way, and walk therein….” God has set before us a path. Will you walk in it? That’s the question. It’s the good way. Will you believe him, or are you going to let yourself to be deceived by Satan, by the world, the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes and the pride of life?
God wants so much more for us. If only we would listen to His word. If only we would trust him. If only we would believe him. If only when we stood in those ways that were, uh, that conflicted us, we would ask him for the good way. And when he reveals that good way. Now you have the choice. But walk therein.
But remember the last part of our theme verse in Jeremiah 6:16, “But they said, We will not walk therein.” You have a choice to walk in God’s Word or to reject it. It is your choice.
Well, brethren, I know this was a, it’s a eye opening chapter for sure. So much in it, so much good doctrine. Uh, it gives us insight into ourselves. It gives us insight into who the serpent is and his attacks upon us. Things that we can carry with us throughout the Scripture. As God brings light to the Scripture to us, and we have to make a choice in a decision whether we will walk in it or not.
Brethren, um, read up in chapter the rest of chapter three. Um, we’ll see how far I get in my studies, whether we’ll make it into chapter four or not. But you can you can read through the end of chapter three and into start reading chapter four in preparation for that study.
And as always, just be faithful, uh, to getting into your up to your local church and supporting your pastor and missionaries, doing what you can to help get the Word of God out.
Um, please share this podcast with others on your social media platforms or in person, and help others to get the Word of God.
We want to strengthen believers. That’s the vision, and the goal of this ministry is to strengthen Christians in our most holy faith, and to reach the lost with the gospel.
And if you’re a lost person that is listening today, you you don’t know if you were saved. I just want to encourage you to get into the Word of God and seek him, you know, because when you seek him, you will find him, he says. Uh, do you recognize that you are a sinner, that you have been separated from God? That is our natural state and condition since the fall.
When we are born in this world, we are born separated from him. We need to be born again. That is what the Bible says. Be made a new creature. There is something that happens within a person when they get saved, when they believe in the Lord Jesus Christ for their salvation, that they have admitted that they are sinners, that they are lost and separated from God, but that God’s sent his only begotten son, Jesus Christ, into this world, to to die and take your punishment for your sin. And he rose again. He’s alive today.
When you trust him with all your heart, mind, soul, and strength, then you are saved and something happens inside of you. You are changed. The Bible says, made a new creature a new creation in Christ.
And God has wants to work in your heart to make you more like him. He wants to use you, um, to reach others with this gospel message. And it begins with studying your Bible and talking to him with prayer. And that’s something that you need to keep up your whole life. Never give up that first love of reading the Word of God and talking to God in prayer.
God has so much for us Christians, and we need to keep our focus and attention upon him. Be very careful of this world and the lust of it. It will try to draw you away. Satan knows exactly what to do to make Christians, um, incapable of serving God, and all he has to do is take their focus off of him. Um, but he deceives us, as we said, through lying to us, deceiving us, causing us to question the Word of God and the goodness of God.
Finally, brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might. Put on the whole armor of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places. Wherefore take unto you the whole armor of God, that ye may able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. Stand there for having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness, and your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace. Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked, and take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the spirit, which is the Word of God.