1. Introduction

The world has come up with all possible types of explanations to explain the human nature. Is mankind basically good? Human beings can do some of the worse things imaginable. The Bible gives the best explanation to the human nature.

2. The Serpent

We need to go elsewhere in the Bible to find out about the identity of this serpent. Revelation 12:9 and 20:1-2 talk about the ancient serpent who is the Devil/Satan. We read in Ezekiel 28:13 about a being that was in Eden, the garden of God.

If this some sort of metaphor or actual literal narrative? We should take this as it is explained to us. We can’t be 100% sure that Satan appeared as a serpent as we understand it today. There is much that we don’t understand about the world before sin and the flood. We try to understand these things by what we know now.

We come up with pictures in our mind how this might have been. We may not have answers to every question.

The one question from the serpent undermines the integrity and sincerity of God. We can run with something we hear and believe the accusation. The serpent was subtle in the lie that is told to Eve. There was only one tree off limits and serpent gives a contradiction that they will not die. There is a partial truth that drags you into conversation before the lie hits you.

3. Eating the Forbidden Fruit

The man and woman believe the Serpent and take of the forbidden tree. They immediately knew

1. They were naked – they sewed fig tree leaves together. There was no compulsion to do that before they sinned.
2. Their eyes were opened by disobeying God. They were enlightened but it left they ashamed and fearful of God, so they hid from Him.
3. They became self-aware. No one told them they were naked. They had turned from God to self. The focus went from upward and outward to downward and inward. They were now held captive. There is no repentance. It dominates and leads to death. Salvation is free but to be a disciple for Christ will cost you. We need to escape our self. Matthew 16:22-28. We are to follow Jesus and not me. My agenda and my way is the way of the world.
4. Running and hiding from God. We have been doing it ever since! Many people want to keep away from God as much as people. God is still calling out for those to stop hiding and come close.
5. Instead of taking responsibility for his own actions and asking for repentance. Adam blames Eve and Eve blames the Serpent! God asks nothing of Satan. His nature and fate are fixed.

4. The Curses

1. The Serpent – He is cursed to crawl on his belly and there will be enmity between him and the woman and their offspring. There will be a perpetual conflict between the offspring of the woman (all mankind) and the offspring of the Serpent. (Those who reject God’s Kingdom). See John 8:44. Satan was a spiritual father to those who were murderers and liars like him. The conflict was then and is still here today. See 1 John 3:13. We are not to be surprised to learn that the world hates Christians. It is related to this curse. Satan hates the offspring of Eve.
2. Women – The process of giving birth to offspring (children) would become more painful and difficult. It may also be indicating the difficulty in raising children as a result of their sinful nature. Her desires would clash with that of her husband. There will be an ongoing struggle for leadership within the marriage union of the man and the woman. This struggle is a curse of sin. The intention before the fall was a perfect union but this has now been distorted and perverted.  It is dangerous for marriage, and we need to rely on God’s Word to keep it in order. Life has been distorted. God had not intended mankind to experience death. Men can be domineering and controlling but women can seek to rule over their husbands. Love and respect need to control the marriage.
3. Adam – He listened to the voice of his wife in contradiction to what God had said. We should listen to godly advice from our wives. Men need to be godly and gently rebuke their wives if they go against the Word of God. The earth was going to be cursed, and it would require hard work to produce fruit/vegetation and there would be a battle against weeds. He would return to the ground. Death had not come into the world and mankind would return back to the dust that he was formed from by God. There is nothing pretty or acceptable about death. There is nothing orderly or good about death. It is an enemy. It is a result of the curse and that is the way we should see it.

5. The Coverings

Adam and Eve had taken fig leaves after they had sinned to cover their nakedness. Now they cover themselves with animal skins. This can indicate the only two religions in the world. The religion of works and Christianity which is the religion of Grace and salvation by faith without works. It depends on how we are covered.

The fig leaves covering – they take for themselves this covering to try and hid their nakedness. They laboured to make themselves right before God but could only hide from Him.

The skins covering – It is God who labours to provide the animal skins. Some animals had to die. We have this picture of the covering of mankind by God through death. The word atonement means to cover over. The top of the Ark was called the atonement cover. See Galatians 3:13. See 1 Corinthians 15:22.

You are either trying to save yourself or you are being saved by the work of God. You cannot save yourself. It is as embarrassing to try as it was for Adam and Eve to use fig leaves. If you appear before God like that then you will hide from Him. See Hebrews 4:13. The truth is that no one can hide from God. We all must give an account to our creator.

6. Expulsion from the Garden of Eden

It was important that Adam and Eve were denied the opportunity to eat of the Tree of Life if they were ever to be saved. God was protecting them from the fate of living forever as sinners. This allows God to come in the form of a man and taking the curse, bearing our sin and taking our death and rise in victory. This is what Jesus was able to do for us. He was fully man and fully God. See 1 Corinthians 15-49. The first Adam was from the earth, but the second Adam is from heaven. This expulsion allows this opportunity for the promise of crushing the serpent’s head and the salvation of sinful mankind.

Categories: Genesis

Tags: bible, christianity, Genesis, god, jesus