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Joel Richards

66 sermons

October 2009

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I Never Did Like Snakes

Gen 3:1–7

Heloise’s Hints
Someone wrote in and asked how to get a coffee stain out of a silk blouse.  I thought the answer might be,”Stop drinking coffee.”  However, she said, take a pair of scissors and cut around the spot.
In other words:  There are some stains you don’t get out.
 
Mustard
The time I tried to squirt mustard under the door of Tim Goble’s bathroom and the container split apart and the mustard went all over his new carpet. 
Isn’t it best not to do stupid stuff?  Why not do what is right in the first place?
Isn’t it best not to sin in the first place?
 
The stain cannot be removed
Jesus – blood of the Cross
Will be eradicated and a new heaven and earth 
We look at where this stain began
 
Imagine though, living in the perfect environment.  Imagine not having a fallen flesh or nature.
Having life and no death
Enjoying pleasure without pain
Having abundance without having to toil for a meager sustenance 
Enjoying perfect harmony with God and with others
Why would you risk losing that?  Why would you go against the instruction of the benevolent creator to succumb to the evil temptations of the serpent?
Good question?
The answer:  The craftiness of the tempter and the ultimate compromise on two things:  the goodness of God and the truthfulness of His word
 
Genesis 3 – Four observations regarding our study
Obvious Lessons:
Ø  Perfect test case for the subject of temptation for the disobedience cannot be blamed on the environment and certainly not on heredity.
 
Ø  This story teaches us not to be ignorant of Satan’s devices – 2 Cor 2:11
Anyone whom you forgive, I also forgive. Indeed, what I have forgiven, if I have forgiven anything, has been for your sake in the presence of Christ, *11* so that we would not be outwitted by Satan; for we are not ignorant of his designs. 
 
Ø  Accordingly, the people of God may learn to resist the Tempter
 
Ø  Another issue to be developed in the giving of the law or in the obeying of the law is the truth that his laws are good for his people.  An appreciation of the goodness of God is essential to the keeping of the law.
 
1)    God’s Word is Questioned
 
a)    The Tempter
 
i)     The New Testament identifies the serpent as the devil
      Devil
*9* And the great dragon was thrown down, 
That ancient serpent,
  . . . who is called the devil Διάβολος *(slanderer)*
And Satan,   *(adversary – one who opposes another)*
The deceiver of the whole world—  (*to cause to stray)*
He was thrown down to the earth, and his angels were thrown down with him.
ii)    He comes to steal – kill – destroy
In the preceding chapter the Word of the Lord brought life and order
The word of Satan brings death and chaos
 
 
b)    His Question
“Has God said, ‘You shall not eat from every tree of the garden or from any tree of the garden?’”
A seemly innocent question
Here Eve has the potential of shining.
 
c)    Eve’s Answer
Paraphrase
She minimizes the provision of the Lord
Eve - From the fruit of the trees of the garden we may eat
God – From any tree of the garden you may eat freely
*Paraphrase is, in and of itself, not a problem or a violation.  However, if the original commandment is weakened then the appeal to sin grows stronger.*
 
She added to the prohibition
Eve – You shall not eat from the fruit of the tree which is in the middle of the garden and you shall not touch it
God – but from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat
 
She weakened the penalty for sin
Eve – or you will die – lest you die
God – very clearly he said, “You will surely die.”
*The word of God is questioned*
 
2)    Questioning God’s Integrity
*Here we move into whether or not we believe God is good*
 
a)    The tempter’s denial of God’s word
*This is the lie that has allured the human race from the beginning; there is no punishment for disobedience*
 
b)    The tempter’s explanation of God’s motive
*This is the lie that has allured the human race from the beginning; there is no punishment for disobedience – besides He wants to keep you from something*
He wants to keep something from you
Alcohol – drunkenness, death, cirrhosis of the liver
Partying – immorality, drugs, sex
Sex – brokenness, living like an animal, from disease, hurting yourself and others
Gossip – lack of friends, infliction of pain on others
Cheating – Lying – Stealing – jail, from disrespecting others rights
Coveting – being consumed by what you don’t have – never enjoying what you do
Anger – ulcers, murder, dangerous behavior
 
*What think ye of the goodness of God as revealed I His will?*
 
3)    God’s Word is Broken
 
a)    He gets her to look!
The appeal of the forbidden fruit
Lust of the flesh                   Practical: It was good for food
Lust of the Eyes                   Aesthetic:  It was pleasing to look at
Pride of Life              Spiritual:  It would make one wise
Natural desires for food, beauty and knowledge are gifts from God but they must be used with restriction
 
b)    She took – she ate – she gave – he ate
 
c)    Aftermath:
They knew more – but the promise of enlightenment did not come about
            They knew more – but the additional knowledge is evil
            They saw more – but what they now saw they spoiled by seeing
Mistrust and alienation replaced the security and intimacy they had enjoyed
 
Where Adam and Eve:
Had life they will now have death
Had pleasure they will now have pain
Had abundance they will now have meager sustenance and by toil
Enjoyed perfect harmony with God and with each other there will now be alienation and conflict

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