“The Greatest Story ‘Rarely’ Told

Dr. Gary Pederson, BTh, MA, DD. Last Revision: 12/16/2022 9:56:00 AM

If you think the title for this lesson is strange, you’re right. But, regardless, I believe it’s true. The title is a takeoff from the award winning 1965 film titled, “The Greatest Story Ever Told,” by George Stevens. This 3 hour, 19-minute film starring Max Von Sydow chronicles the life of Jesus Christ from His birth through to his resurrection. If you haven’t seen it, you won’t be disappointed.

OUR STORY, HOWEVER, BEGINS IN GENESIS 1

“God gives man dominion over all things.”

NOTE: Notice that the order of events of day 6 in chapter 1 are different than chapter 2. We will discuss those differences when we get there. You should also have the handout with the various Hebrew and Greek words seen in this study. Genesis 1: 1-23 (NASB) gives an overview of the creation from Day 1 through day 5. On day 5 God creates birds an everything in the oceans and the seas. Go to Colossians 1:13-20 to see who created what.

Genesis 1:24-31 (NASB) Then God said, "Let the earth bring forth living creatures after their kind: cattle and creeping things and beasts of the earth after their kind"; and it was so. 25 God made the beasts of the earth after their kind, and the cattle after their kind, and everything that creeps on the ground after its kind; and God saw that it was good.

NOTE: Here, God makes the ANIMALS — BEFORE HE MAKES MAN

26 Then God said, "Let Us make MAN (#120) in Our image, according to Our likeness; and let them rule over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the sky and over the cattle and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth." 27 God created MAN (#120) in His own image, in the image of God He created him; MALE and FEMALE He created them. 28 God blessed them; and God said to them, "Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth, and subdue it; and rule over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the sky and OVER EVERY LIVING THING THAT MOVES ON THE EARTH."

29 Then God said, "Behold, I have given you every plant yielding seed that is on the surface of all the earth, and every tree which has fruit yielding seed; it shall be food for you; 30 and to every beast of the earth and to every bird of the sky and to EVERYTHING THAT MOVES ON THE EARTH WHICH HAS LIFE, I have given every green plant for food"; and it was so. 31 God saw all that He had made, and behold, it was very good. And there was evening and there was morning, the sixth day.

NOTE: The phrase, “which has life,” includes everything from the largest animal down to the smallest single cell organism at 9 nano meters long. NINE NANO METERS is equivalent to 150,000 of them on the head of a human hair and includes every bacterium and virus known to man and others that are not known — at least not yet. All of them were put under man’s authority or dominion. REMEMBER THIS. WE’LL COME BACK TO IT LATER. Also note there were NO POISONOUS GREEN PLANTS. Before continuing, look at a few of the main words from our story taken from the “NASBExhaustive Concordance of the Bible.

MAN: Hebrew NASB Number: (#120) Hebrew Word: ‏אָדָם‎, Transliterated Word: “Adam” (9a), Root: from an unused word; Definition: man, mankind:-- List of English Words and Number of Times Used: any man (2), anyone (4), anyone's (1), being* (1), common sort* (1), human (19), infantry (1), low degree* (1), low* (1), man (363), man's (20), man* (1), mankind (9), men (104), men of low degree* (1), men's (3), en* (4), mortal (1), one (3), people (1), person (5), person* (1), persons (3), population (1), someone (1). An asterisk (*) indicates that at least one other original language word was also translated as this English word. Look up this word in the English NASB concordance for the additional original language word(s).

MALE & female, He created them

MALE: Hebrew NASB Number: (#2145) Hebrew Word: ‏זָכָר‎, Transliterated Word: “zakar” (271b), Root: from 2142; Definition: male:-- List of English Words and Number of Times Used: boy (2), intimately* (3), male (56), males (19), man (4). An asterisk (*) indicates that at least one other original language word was also translated as this English word. Look up this word in the English NASB concordance for the additional original language word(s).

& FEMALE He created them.

FEMALE: Hebrew NASB Number: (#5347) Hebrew Word: ‏נְקֵבָה‎, Transliterated Word: “neqebah” (666c), Root: from 5344a; Definition: a female:-- List of English Words and Number of Times Used: female (20), woman (1), women (1).

God gave them dominion over everything that has LIFE…

LIFE: Hebrew NASB Number: (#5315) “A key word” Hebrew Word: ‏נֶפֶשׁ‎, Transliterated Word: “nephesh” (659b). Root: from an unused word; Definition: a soul, living being, life, self, person, desire, passion, appetite, emotion :- List of English Words and Number of Times Used: any (1), anyone (2), anyone* (1), appetite (7), being (1), beings (3), body (1), breath (1), corpse (2), creature (6), creatures (3), dead (1), dead person (2), deadly (1), death (1), defenseless* (1), desire (12), desire* (2), discontented* (1), endure* (1), feelings (1), fierce* (2), greedy* (1), heart (5), heart's (2), herself (12), Himself (4), himself (19), human (1), human being (1), hunger (1), life (146), life* (1), lifeblood* (2), lives (34), living creature (1), longing* (1), man (4), man's (1), men* (2), mind (2), Myself (3), myself (2), number (1), ones (1), others (1), ourselves (3), own (1), passion* (1), people (2), people* (1), perfume* (1), person (68), person* (1), persons (19), slave (1), some (1), soul (238), soul's (1), souls (12), strength (1), themselves (6), thirst (1), throat (2), will (1), wish (1), wishes (1), yourself (11), yourselves (13). An asterisk (*) indicates that at least one other original language word was also translated as this English word. Look up this word in the English NASB concordance for the additional original language word(s).

DETAILS OF MAN’S CREATION

Genesis 2:1-3 (NASB) Thus the heavens and the earth were completed, and all their hosts. 2 By the seventh day God completed His work which He had done, and He rested on the seventh day from all His work which He had done. 3 Then God blessed the seventh day and sanctified it, because in it He rested from all His work which God had created and made.

NOTE: Next, God briefly goes back over the first 3 days of creation adding specific details such as no rain and earth covered in a mist.

Genesis 2:4-6 (NASB) This is the account of the heavens and the earth when they were created, in the day that the LORD God made earth and heaven. 5 Now no shrub of the field was yet in the earth, and no plant of the field had yet sprouted, for the LORD God had not sent rain upon the earth, and there was no man to cultivate the ground. 6 But a mist used to rise from the earth and water the whole surface of the ground.

Genesis 2:7 (NASB) Then the LORD God formed man (#120) of dust from the ground and breathed (#5301 (naphach,) “to blow”) into his nostrils the breath (#5397 (neshamah) of life (#2425 ); and man became a living (#2416a) being (#5315).

NOTE: The above verse recounts God’s creation of MAN (#120) only in more detail than He gave in chapter 1. God BREATHED (#5301) into his nostrils the BREATH (#5397, from #5315) of LIFE (#2425b); and man became a living BEING (#5315, see LIFE above).

BREATHED: Hebrew NASB Number: (#5301) Hebrew Word: ‏נָפַח‎, Transliterated Word: “naphach” (655d), Root: a prim. root; Definition: to breathe, blow:-- List of English Words and Number of Times Used: blow (3), blows (1), boiling (2), breathe (1), breathed (1), breathing is labored* (1), disdainfully sniff (1), lose (1), unfanned (1). An asterisk (*) indicates that at least one other original language word was also translated as this English word. Look up this word in the English NASB concordance for the additional original language word(s).

Next, “… Breath of LIFE… THIS IS MAN’S HUMAN SPIRIT

BREATH: Hebrew NASB Number: (#5397) “A Key Word” Hebrew Word: ‏נְשָׁמָה‎, Transliterated Word: “neshamah” (675c), Root: from 5395; Definition: breath:-- List of English Words and Number of Times Used: blast (2), breath (15), breathes (1), life (1), persons alive (1), spirit (2), who breathed (3).

Next, “… life.”

LIFE: Hebrew NASB Number: (#2425b) Hebrew Word: ‏חַיִּים‎, Transliterated Word: “chayyim” (313a), Root: from 2421a; Definition: life:-- List of English Words and Number of Times Used: alive (1), life (124), life-giving (1), lifetime (4), live (5), live* (1), lived (2), lived* (1), lives (4), living (1), sustenance (1). An asterisk (*) indicates that at least one other original language word was also translated as this English word. Look up this word in the English NASB concordance for the additional original language word(s).

GOD GIVES OVERVIEW OF THE CREATION OF THE GARDEN OF EDEN AFTER MAKING MAN

Genesis 2:8 (NASB) The LORD God planted a garden toward the east, in Eden; and there He placed the man whom He had formed.

NOTE: Next, we see God giving an overview of what He is about to discuss in verses 9-14. Notice that man was formed OUTSIDE of Eden and THEN placed there in verse 15 because there was nothing in the garden until verse 9.

Genesis 2:9 (NASB) Out of the ground the LORD God caused to grow every tree that is pleasing to the sight and good for food; the tree of life also in the midst of the garden, and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.

NOTE: God caused to grow every tree BEFORE he placed the man in the garden. (See verse 15) This included the tree of life, the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, and even the RIVER. These were all there BEFORE Adam was placed there.

THE RIVER COMING OUT OF EDEN

Genesis 2:10-14 (NASB) Now a river OUT (#3318, see below) of Eden to water the garden; and from there it divided and became four rivers. 11 The name of the first is Pishon (means to spring up or burst forth); it flows around the whole land of Havilah, where there is gold. 12 The gold of that land is good; the bdellium and the onyx stone are there. 13 The name of the second river is Gihon (same as Pishon); it flows around the whole land of Cush. 14 The name of the third river is Tigris; it flows east of Assyria. And the fourth river is the Euphrates.

NOTE: Interesting that God would use five verses of scripture to describe four rivers. The hidden meaning might be in the book of Revelation!

Revelation 22:1-2, Literal Standard Version: And he showed me [the] river of [the] water of life, radiant as crystal, going forth out of (ἐκ) the throne of God and of the Lamb 2 in the midst of its street, and of the river on this side and on that—[the] Tree of Life, producing twelve fruits, yielding its fruit according to each month, and the leaves of the tree [are] for the healing of the nations;

Revelation 22:1-2, Young's Literal Translation: And he shewed me a pure river of water of life, bright as crystal, going forth out of the throne of God and of the Lamb: 2 in the midst of its broad place, and of the river on this side and on that, is a tree of life, yielding twelve fruits, in each several month rendering its fruits, and the leaves of the tree are for the service of the nations;

NOTE: These translations also agree with the Greek Text. The tree of life is on BOTH SIDES OF THE RIVER, and the river of the water of life is flowing through the middle of the street and the tree of life. Look again at Genesis

Genesis 2:10 (NASB) Now a river flowed OUT (#3318, see below) of Eden to water the garden; and from there it divided and became four rivers.

NOTE: We have similar pictures in the Bible of water flowing up out of the ground like a spring.

Other O.T. verses showing the same Hebrew word describing something coming out of something else.

Genesis 1:12 (NASB) The earth brought FORTH (#3318) vegetation, plants yielding seed after their kind, and trees bearing fruit with seed in them, after their kind; and God saw that it was good.

Exodus 17:6 (NASB) "Behold, I will stand before you there on the rock at Horeb; and you shall strike the rock, and water will COME #3318) out of it, that the people may drink." And Moses did so in the sight of the elders of Israel.

Joel 3:18 (NASB) And in that day the mountains will drip with sweet wine, And the hills will flow with milk, And all the brooks of Judah will flow with water; And a spring will GO (#3318) out from the house of the LORD To water the valley of Shittim.

Deuteronomy 8:7 (NASB) "For the LORD your God is bringing you into a good land, a land of brooks of water, of fountains and springs, FLOWING (#3318) FORTH (#3318) in valleys and hills….

1 Samuel 14:11 (NASB) When both of them revealed themselves to the garrison of the Philistines, the Philistines said, "Behold, Hebrews are COMING (#3318) out of the holes where they have hidden themselves."

Why the difference between Genesis and Revelation?

John 4:13-14 (NASB)Jesus answered and said to her, "Everyone who drinks of this water will thirst again; 14 but whoever drinks of the water that I will give him shall never thirst; but the water that I will give him will become IN HIM a well of water springing up to eternal life."

NOTE: Could this be what happened in the Garden of Eden? Could the water have come up out of the ground like a spring right under the Tree of Life and then divided into 4 rivers? If so, it could explain the picture we see in Revelation of the Tree of Life being on both sides of the river. Jesus is explaining a NEW kind of water that will SPRING up to eternal life UNDER the Tree of Life and FROM the Throne of God.

John 7:38 (NASB) “He who believes in Me, as the Scripture said, ‘From his innermost being will flow rivers of living water.’”

OUT/COME/FORTH: Number: (#3318) Hebrew Word: ‏יָצָא‎, Transliteration: “yatsa” Phonetic Pronunciation:yaw-tsaw’Root: a primitive root Cross Reference: TWOT – 893, Part of Speech: v, Vine’s Words: Go Out (To), Go Forth Usage Notes: English Words used in KJV: out 518 forth 411 bring 24 come 24 proceed 16 go 13 depart 10 miscellaneous translations 53 [Total Count: 1069] a primitive root; to go (causatively bring) out, in a great variety of applications, literal and figurative, direct and proximate :- × after, appear, × assuredly, bear out, × begotten, break out, bring forth (out, up), carry out, come (abroad, out, thereat, without), + be condemned, depart (-ing, -ure), draw forth, in the end, escape, exact, fail, fall (out), fetch forth (out), get away (forth, hence, out), (able to, cause to, let) go abroad (forth, on, out), going out, grow, have forth (out), issue out, lay (lie) out, lead out, pluck out, proceed, pull out, put away, be risen, × scarce, send with commandment, shoot forth, spread, spring out, stand out, × still, × surely, take forth (out), at any time, × to [and fro], utter.

GOD PUTS THE MAN IN THE GARDEN

Genesis 2:15 (NASB) Then the LORDGod took the man and put him into the garden of Eden to cultivate it and keep it.

GOD’S FIRST COMMAND TO MAN

Genesis 2:16-17 (NASB) The LORD God commanded the man, saying, “From any tree of the garden you may eat freely; 17 but from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat from it you will surely die.”

NOTE: Notice God commanded the MAN (#120) that HE could EAT from any tree of the garden (even the Tree of Life, which, apparently, he had NOT eaten from yet according to Genesis 3:22). BUT but he was NOT to EAT from the tree of the knowledge of good AND EVIL. “For in the DAY that YOU eat, YOU shall surely DIE (#4191). God, (omniscient = all knowing), already knew He was going to create Eve. Still, He gave the command to Adam instead of waiting to give it to them both.

DIE: Hebrew NASB Number: (#4191) Hebrew Word: ‏מוּת‎, Transliterated Word: “muth”(559b) Root: a prim. Root; Definition: to die:-- List of English Words and Number of Times Used: body (1), bring about my death (1), bring death (1), caused the death (1), certainly die (1), certainly put (1), certainly put me to death (1), corpse (2), dead (104), dead man (1), dead* (2), deadly* (1), death (21), deceased (5), destroy (2), die (214), die shall be put (1), died (167), dies (30), dying (1), kill (13), killed (24), killing (2), kills (4), means kill (2), mortally (3), must die (1), perished* (1), put (4), put her to death (1), put him to death (1), put him to death (20), put his to death (1), put me to death (1), put me to death (3), put my to death (1), put some to death (1), put the to death (3), put their to death (1), put them to death (1), put them to death (8), put to death (62), put us to death (2), put you to death (6), puts him to death (1), putting to death (1), slay (7), surely be put to death (56), surely we will kill (1), surely will die (1), surely die (16), surely* (1), took life (2). An asterisk (*) indicates that at least one other original language word was also translated as this English word. Look up this word in the English NASB concordance for the additional original language word(s).

GOD MAKES ALL THE ANIMALS

Genesis 2:18-19 (NASB): God “DECIDES” to make a helper for Man. Then the LORD God said, “It is not good for the man to be alone; I will make him a helper suitable for him.” VERSE 19. God made all the animals and Adam named them. Out of the ground the LORD God formed every beast of the field and every bird of the sky and brought them to the man to see what he would call them; and whatever the man called a living creature, that was its name.

GOD MAKES EVE

Genesis 2:20-23 (NASB): God saw that Adam needed a helper and made Eve. 20 Man gives names to all the cattle, and to the birds of the sky, and to every beast of the field, but for Adam there was not found a helper suitable for him. 21 So the LORD God caused a deep sleep to fall upon the man, and he slept; then He took one of his ribs and closed up the flesh at that place. 22 The LORD God fashioned into a WOMAN (#802) the rib which He had taken from the man and brought her to the man. 23 The man said, “This is now bone of my bones, And flesh of my flesh; She shall be called WOMAN (#802), Because she was taken out of Man.”

THE FINAL ORDER

NOTE: Although Genesis 1:24-31 seemed to indicate that God made Adam AFTER He made the animals, the order of events according to Genesis 2:18-23, reversed that order. The final order after day three seems to be, God makes; 1). Makes Birds, Fish, mammals in oceans and seas. 2). Makes Man. 3). Plants Garden of Eden. 4). Makes Trees, shrubs, and vegetation plus Tree of Life & Tree of the knowledge of Good and evil. 5). Puts Man in Garden. 6). Commands Man NOT TO EAT of the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil. 7). Makes Animals. 8).Makes Eve. This subject has been the subject of huge debates since long before the New Testament era.

Genesis 2:24-25 (NASB) For this reason a MAN (#120) shall leave his FATHER and his MOTHER and be joined to his WIFE (#802); and they shall become one flesh. 25 And the MAN (#120) and his WIFE (#802) were both naked and were not ashamed.

WOMAN: Hebrew NASB Number: (#802) Hebrew Word: ‏אִשָּׁה‎, Transliterated Word: “ishshah” (61a) Root: from an unused word; Definition: woman, wife, female:-- List of English Words and Number of Times Used adulteress* (2), any woman (1), childbearing* (1), each (3), each one (1), each woman (1), every (1), everyone (1), female (3), girls* (1), harem* (5), harlot’s* (2), harlot* (3), marriage (9), married (3), married* (6), marry* (3), none* (1), one (8), widow (7), wife (274), wife and his wives (2), wife and the wives (1), wife or a woman (1), wife’s (8), wives (100), woman (203), woman of the wives (1), woman’s (6), women (104), women as wives (1). An asterisk (*) indicates that at least one other original language word was also translated as this English word. Look up this word in the English NASB concordance for the additional original language word(s).

THE GREAT FALL OF MAN

Genesis 3:1- (NASB) Now the serpent was more crafty than any beast of the field which the LORD God had made. And he said to the woman, “Indeed, has God said, ‘You shall not eat from ANY tree of the garden’?”

NOTE: According to Revelation 12:9, 20:2, the serpent is referred to as the Devil or SATAN. Notice how he immediately tries to trick Eve by asking, if God said, ANY TREE in the garden.

Genesis 3:2-3 (NASB) The woman said to the serpent, “From the fruit of the trees of the garden we may eat; 3 but from the fruit of the tree, which is in the middle of the garden, God has said, ‘You shall not eat from it OR TOUCH IT, or you will die.’”

NOTE: Eve had NOT been created when God told Adam not to eat of the tree. So, either God repeated the command to both of them, told Eve separately, or Adam told Eve. Since there is no record of God telling Eve at all, we have to assume she heard it from Adam. Therefore, 1). Adam either added the part about not touching it, possibly hoping to discourage her even further, or 2). Forgot exactly what God had told him. (Not likely), or 3). Eve added the “OR TOUCH IT” part, for no particular reason, or 4). Eve made it up, possibly based on logic, “If I don’t touch it, I can’t eat it.” Whatever the case, the serpent (Satan) apparently knew the exact words of God and used them to challenge Eve.

Genesis 3:4-5 (NASB) The serpent said to the woman, “You surely will not die! 5 “For God knows that in the day you eat from it your eyes will be opened, and YOU WILL BE LIKE GOD, KNOWING GOOD AND EVIL.”

NOTE: THIS was NOT — ENTIRELY FALSE. It was, however, a DECEPTION (see 2 Corinthians 11:3, 1 Timothy 2: 14). Gen 3:22 says, “Behold, the man HAS BECOME LIKE ONE OF US, KNOWING GOOD AND EVIL…” This begs the question; how did Satan know that about God BEFORE God even said it? Also, God knows GOOD and EVIL. What was God trying to protect Adam and Eve from? Knowing Good, or knowing about EVIL?

Genesis 3:6 (NASB) When the woman saw that the tree was GOOD FOR FOOD, and that it was A DELIGHT TO THE EYES, and that the tree was DESIRABLE TO MAKE ONE WISE, she took from its fruit and ate; and she gave also to her husband WITH HER, and he ate.

NOTE: We have no record of any other conversation except for a short phrase in VERSE 17 where God says, “Because you have listened to the voice of your wife… implying that Eve verbally convinced Adam, who was RIGHT THERE WITH HER, to eat of the fruit. When Eve saw the tree was (1) GOOD FOR FOOD. (2) was A DELIGHT TO THE EYES, and (3) DESIRABLE TO MAKE ONE WISE, she fell into the trap Satan has been using since the fall.

1 John 2:16 (NASB) For ALL that is in the world, LUST of the FLESH and the LUST of the EYES, and the BOASTFUL PRIDE OF LIFE, is “NOT” from the Father, but is from the world. In other words, these 3 things are the EVIL that God had warned them about. These are also the three things Satan used to tempt Jesus.

Matthew 4:1-11 (NASB) Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. 2 And after He had fasted forty days and forty nights, He then became hungry. 3 And the tempter came and said to Him, "If You are the Son of God, command that these stones become bread." (LUST OF THE FLESH) 4 But He answered and said, "It is written, 'MAN SHALL NOT LIVE ON BREAD ALONE, BUT ON EVERY WORD THAT PROCEEDS OUT OF THE MOUTH OF GOD.'" 5 Then the devil *took Him into the holy city and had Him stand on the pinnacle of the temple, 6 and *said to Him, "If You are the Son of God, throw Yourself down; for it is written, 'HE WILL COMMAND HIS ANGELS CONCERNING YOU'; and 'ON their HANDS THEY WILL BEAR YOU UP, SO THAT YOU WILL NOT STRIKE YOUR FOOT AGAINST A STONE.'" (BOASTFUL PRIDE OF LIFE)

7 Jesus said to him, "On the other hand, it is written, 'YOU SHALL NOT PUT THE LORD YOUR GOD TO THE TEST.'" 8 Again, the devil *took Him to a very high mountain and *showed Him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory; 9 and he said to Him, "All these things I will give You, if You fall down and worship me." (LUST OF THE EYES) 10 Then Jesus *said to him, "Go, Satan! For it is written, 'YOU SHALL WORSHIP THE LORD YOUR GOD, AND SERVE HIM ONLY.'" 11 Then the devil *left Him; and behold, angels came and began to minister to Him.

NOTE: At that moment, they both died. But what did that mean? Adam lived 930 years and probably continued having children so death must mean something else.

EYES WERE OPENED

Genesis 3:7 (NASB) Then the EYES of both of them were opened, and they knew that they were naked, and they sewed fig leaves together and made themselves loin coverings.

NOTE: They, (PROBABLY ADAM) must have known that they would see God at some point and thought their nakedness was evil. The EYES seem to be a major starting point for evil. Therefore, they tried to cover themselves up. A picture of works in order to be pleasing to God.

Genesis 3:8 (NASB) They HEARD the sound of the LORD God walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and the man and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the LORD God among the trees of the garden.

NOTE: Adam and Eve KNEW things was different. Their EYES were opened (The Lust of the Eyes), they knew they were naked, they felt the need to cover themselves. They HEARD the sound of God and hid themselves. FEAR, for the first time in their lives. Fear can be one evidence of PRIDE. (The Boastful Pride of Life).

Genesis 3:9 (NASB) Then the LORD God called to the man, and said to him, "Where are you?"

NOTE: Even in their sin, God still called out to the MAN.

Genesis 3:10 (NASB) He said, "I heard the sound of You in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked; so I hid myself."

NOTE: Man responds by admitting ONLY that he was afraid because he was naked. Basically, he was embarrassed at being caught.

Genesis 3:11 (NASB) And God said, "Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten from the tree of which I commanded you not to eat?"

NOTE: Of course, God already knew what had happened. He was trying to get man to be honest about it. This is what God always does regarding our sin. He simply wants us to admit it. God confronts Adam by asking who told him he was naked. The very concept of evil was not in their minds until they ate of the tree. When man was first created there was no such thing as EVIL. Everything was GOOD (See Genesis 1:4, 10, 12, 18, 21, 25, 31).

Genesis 3:12 (NASB) The man said, "The woman whom You gave to be with me, she gave me from the tree, and I ATE."

NOTE: Adam did not take personal responsibility (remember he was right there with Eve and could have stopped her or refused to eat. But he didn’t, possibly out of love for her or fear of rejection). He did what people have been doing ever since… blaming someone else for THEIRproblems. In this case, he blamed the woman (the one who gave him the fruit). God does not respond right away. Instead, He asks the woman what she did.

Genesis 3:13(NASB) Then the LORD God said to the woman, "What is this you have done?" And the woman said, "The serpent deceived me, and I ATE."

NOTE: She does the same thing, only this time, she blamed the serpent. “The serpent tricked me.” This is the beginning of a basic human reaction — blaming others for our problems.

GOD’S RESPONSE TO SATAN

Genesis 3:14-15 (NASB) The LORD God said to the serpent, "Because you have done this, CURSED are you more than all cattle, And more than every beast of the field; On your belly you will go, And dust you will eat All the days of your life; 15 And I will put enmity between you and the woman, And between your seed and her seed (Jesus); He shall bruise you on the head, And you shall bruise him on the heel."

NOTE: Here we have the classic verse regarding Satan. He is cursed more than every creature on earth. God puts enmity (opposition, open hostility, to be enemies) between Satan and the woman, between Satan’s seed (evil spirits and evil people) and the woman’s seed (Jesus). (Revelation 12:17 shows that this could be referring to a future prophecy between Satan and the Jews, but other possibilities exist.) Satan will bruise the heal of Jesus (a minor injury) but Jesus will bruise Satan’s head (a TERMINAL INJURY).

GOD’S RESPONSE TO EVE (Women in General)

Genesis 3:16 (NASB) To the woman He said, "I will greatly multiply Your pain in childbirth, In pain you will bring forth children; Yet your desire will be for your husband, And he will rule over you."

NOTE: Here begins 2 principles that have lasted down through history until recently. It is in the DNA of women to want to please men. It is also in the DNA of men to rule over women. Down through history we have seen the terrible results of this. Women of all ages have been treated as slaves. ONLY WHEN JESUS CAME, DID HE explain to MEN that they should love their wives as HE LOVES THE CHURCH.

GOD’S RESPONSE TO ADAM (Men in General)

Genesis 3:17-19 (NASB) Then to Adam He said, "Because YOU (ADAM) have listened to the voice of your wife and have eaten from the tree about which I commanded YOU, saying, YOU shall not eat from it'; Cursed is the ground because of YOU ; In toil YOU will eat of it All the days of YOUR life. 18 "Both thorns and thistles it shall grow for YOU ; And YOU will eat the plants of the field; 19 By the sweat of YOUR face YOU will eat bread, Till YOU return to the ground, Because from it YOU were taken; For YOU are dust, And to dust YOU shall return."

NOTE: As said earlier, this shows there must have been some type of discussion between Adam and Eve at the tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil before Adam took the fruit offered by Eve and ate of it. So, does the NT blame Adam for all the sin in man?

SO — WHAT IS THE ORIGIN OF SIN TODAY?

Romans 5:12-21 (NASB) Therefore, just as through one MAN (ADAM) SIN ENTERED INTO THE WORLD, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men, BECAUSE all sinned — 13 for until the Law, sin was in the world,but sin is not imputed when there is no law. 14 Nevertheless death reigned from Adam until Moses, even over those who had not sinned in the likeness of the offense of Adam, who is a type of Him who was to come.

15 But the free gift is not like the transgression. For if by the transgression of the one the many died, much more did the grace of God and the gift by the grace of the one Man, Jesus Christ, abound to the many.

16 The gift is not like that which came through the one who sinned; for on the one hand the judgment arose from one transgression resulting in condemnation, but on the other hand the free gift arose from many transgressions resulting in justification.

17 For if by the transgression of the one, death reigned through the one, much more those who receive the abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness will reign in life through the One, Jesus Christ.

18 So then as through one transgression there resulted in condemnation to all men, even so through one act of righteousness there resulted justification of life to all men.

19 For as through the one man's disobedience the many were made sinners, even so through the obedience of the One the many will be made righteous.

20 The Law came in so that the transgression would increase; but where sin increased, grace abounded all the more,

21 so that, as sin reigned in death, even so grace would reign through righteousness to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.

NOTE: THIS IS THE ANSWER to where we find ourselves in the world, we now live in. ADAM, NOT EVE, is responsible for sin, sickness, disease, and every other ill in the world. (See Romans 5:12-21 above) SIN — DEATH — THE CURSE. All of it is because of Adam’s sin when he ate of the tree of the Knowledge of Good and EVIL. He is the one who disobeyed God. And since EVERYTHING that has life was given to Adam to rule over, everything that has life has fallen under the same curse. Remember — This means every living thing

Luke 4:6-8 (NASB) And the devil said to Him, "I will give You all this domain and its glory; FOR IT HAS BEEN HANDED OVER TO ME, and I give it to whomever I wish.

ALL CREATION WAITS TO BE SET FREE

Romans 8:18-22 (NASB) For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory that is to be revealed to us. 19 For the anxious longing of the creation waits eagerly for the revealing of the sons of God. 20 For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of Him who subjected it, in hope 21 that the creation itself also will be set free from its slavery to corruption into the freedom of the glory of the children of God. 22 For we know that the whole creation groans and suffers the pains of childbirth together until now.

NOTE: When Adam sinned, everything that was GIVEN TO HIM was given to SATAN (i.e., EVERYTHING suffered the same result as Adam.) It is cursed because of him. Now, the whole creation groans and suffers, waiting for the revealing of the sons of God (1 John 3:2). THIS is why we have sickness, disease, death, and every other ill in the world today. As you have seen, even the smallest particles of life are under the curse.

NOTE: Today, science has classified FIVE KINGDOMS OF LIFE: Plants, Animals, Fungi, Protists, and Monerans, are all under the curse of Adam, and all waiting for the revealing of the sons of God when Jesus returns.

HOW SIN TRANSFERS DOWN THROUGH HISTORY

NOTE: Another question is this? How is sin transferred down through history? The answer is simple. The only thing possible is through human reproduction, i.e., through MAN (Romans 5:12-21). Every human being ever born was conceived by male sperm and has sin running through his veins. The ONLY exception is Jesus who was conceived by the Holy Spirit. (Luke 1:26-37), Therefore, Jesus was born WITHOUT SIN. This will be covered in detail in a study of “The New Creation Man.”

Luke 4:5-7 (NASB) And he (Satan) led Him (JESUS) up and showed Him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time. 6 And the devil said to Him, "I will give You all this domain and its glory; for it HAS BEEN HANDED OVER TO ME, and I give it to whomever I wish. 7 "Therefore, if You worship before me, it shall all be Yours."

NOTE: Now we can more fully grasp the significance of Satan’s words to Jesus in the wilderness. He showed Him all the KINGDOMS of the world in a moment of time. Then he said, “I will give this DOMAIN (#1849), major word is authority), to you for it HAS BEEN GIVEN TO ME (When Adam sinned in the garden), and I give it to whomever I wish.” So, the next time you are challenged by an unbeliever or a Christian questioning why God ALLOWS all the pain, sickness, death, crime, and other horrible things to exist in the world, you have an answer. Adam had been given authority over all creation. But when he sinned, EVERYTHING was transferred into SATAN’S authority.

DOMAIN: Greek NASB Number: (#1849) Greek Word: ἐξουσία, Transliterated Word: “exousia”. Root: from 1832; Definition: power to act, authority:-- List of English Words and Number of Times Used authorities (7), authority (65), charge (1), control (1), domain (2), dominion (1), jurisdiction (1), liberty (1), power (11), powers (1), right (11).

BUT GOD INTERVENED WITH BLOOD

NOTE: Although man was responsible for SIN entering the world, God did something to assure Adam would NOT BE FOREVER out of his presence.

Genesis 3:20-24 (NASB) Now the man called his wife's name Eve, because she was the mother of all the living. 21 The LORD God made garments of skin for Adam and his wife and clothed them.

NOTE: God made garments of skin. In other words, God KILLED AN ANIMAL and used its skin to cover the man AND the woman. This is the first reference where the shedding of blood is used as a covering for sin.

Genesis 3:22-23 (NASB) Then the LORD God said, "Behold, the man has become like one of Us, knowing good and evil; and now, he might stretch out his hand, and take also from the tree of life, and eat, and live forever" (IN HIS SIN WITHOUT HOPE) — 23 therefore the LORD God sent him out from the garden of Eden, to cultivate the ground from which he was taken.

NOTE: God said, “The man has become like one of US (a clear reference to the TRI-UNITY of GOD) knowing good and evil.

Genesis 3:24 (NASB) So He drove the man out; and at the east of the garden of Eden He stationed the cherubim and the flaming sword which turned every direction to guard the way TO the tree of life.

NOTE: God set the cherubim and the FLAMING SWORD (Hebrews 4:12 and Ephesians 6:17 show the WORD OF GOD is a SWORD) to guard the way TO the tree of life —NOT TO KEEP MAN AWAY — FOREVER. God’s desire has always been for HIS WORD — JESUS, (John 1:1) to bring us back to His HEAVENLY garden and eat from the TREE OF LIFE. (Jesus is the Way, the Truth, and the LIFE). To accomplish this, God established covenants (A LAST WILL AND TESTAMENT) with man.

THE COVENANTS

NOTE: The word, “Covenant” occurs thirty-two times in the New Testament and 276 times in the Old Testament. The OT comprises about 75% if the Bible, but the usage of the word “Covenant, in the NT is 10.4% compared to the Old Testament at 89.6%. The OT clearly concentrates on the various covenants much more than the NT. However, in the NT, almost half of them mention the New Covenant, and most all of those are in the book of Hebrews. There, the New Covenant, is contrasted with the covenant God established through Moses, which Hebrews 9:15, calls the FIRST COVENANT and implies in Hebrews 8:7, 9:1, and 9:18. In Hebrews 11:19, the writer refers to the resurrection of Christ through the blood of the ETERNALcovenant.

THE ELEMENTS OF THE NEW COVENANT

NOTE: The Apostle’s Creed lists the basics. Here are the key elements. — conceived by the Holy Spirit — born of the Virgin Mary — crucified, died and was buried — descended into hell — third day He rose again from the dead — ascended into heaven — seated at the right hand of God the Father — and will come again to judge the living and the dead. Jesus had NO Sin & Jesus forgave the WORLDS Sins — Forever*

JESUS HAD NO SIN

Hebrews 4:15 (NASB) For we do not have a high priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but One who has been tempted in all things as we are, yet without sin.

2 Corinthians 5:20-21 (NASB) 20 Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were making an appeal through us; we beg you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. 21 He made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.

Hebrews 7:26 (NASB) For it was fitting for us to have such a high priest, holy, innocent, undefiled, separated from sinners and exalted above the heavens;

1 Peter 2:21-22 (NASB) 21 For you have been called for this purpose, since Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example for you to follow in His steps, 22 WHO COMMITTED NO SIN, NOR WAS ANY DECEIT FOUND IN HIS MOUTH;

1 John 3:5 (NASB) You know that He appeared in order to take away sins; and in Him there is no sin.

Acts 3:13-15 (NASB) 13 "The God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, the God of our fathers, has glorified His servant Jesus, the one whom you delivered and disowned in the presence of Pilate, when he had decided to release Him. 14 "But you disowned the Holy and Righteous One and asked for a murderer to be granted to you, 15 but put to death the Prince of life, the one whom God raised from the dead, a fact to which we are witnesses.

JESUS FORGAVE THE WORLDS SINS — FOREVER

Isaiah 43:25 (NASB) "I, even I, am the one who wipes out your transgressions for My own sake, And I WILL NOT REMEMBER YOUR SINS.

John 1:29 (NASB)The next day he *saw Jesus coming to him and *said, "Behold, the Lamb of God who TAKES AWAY THE SIN OF THE WORLD!

Mark 3:28-29 (NASB) 28 "Truly I say to you, ALL SINS shall be forgiven the sons of men, and whatever blasphemies they utter; 29 but whoever blasphemes against the Holy Spirit never has forgiveness, but is guilty of an eternal sin"—

Romans 5:9-10 (NASB)9Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from the wrath of God through Him. 10 For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life.

Romans 6:10 (NASB)For the death that He died, He died to sin ONCE FOR ALL; but the life that He lives, He lives to God.

NOTES: ROMANS 7:14 – 8:39, explains the constant struggle between the Flesh/Sin Nature/Old Man and the Human Spirit & the Soul, which we will talk about when we discuss the New Creation Man.

2 Corinthians 5:18-19 (NASB) Now all these things are from God, who reconciled us to Himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation, 19 NAMELY, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and He has committed to us the word of reconciliation.

Colossians 1:19-20 (NASB) For it was the Father's good pleasure for all the fullness to dwell in Him, 20 and through Him to reconcile all things to Himself, having made peace through the blood of His cross; through Him, I say, whether things on earth or things in heaven.

Colossians 2:13-14 (NASB) When you were dead in your transgressions and the uncircumcision of your flesh, He made you alive together with Him, having forgiven us ALL OUR TRANSGRESSIONS, 14 having canceled out the certificate of debt consisting of decrees against us, which was hostile to us; and He has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross.

Hebrews 2:9 (NASB) But we do see Him who was made for a little while lower than the angels, namely, Jesus, because of the suffering of death crowned with glory and honor, so that by the grace of God He might taste death FOR EVERYONE.

Hebrews 8:12 (NASB) "FOR I WILL BE MERCIFUL TO THEIR INIQUITIES, AND I WILL REMEMBER THEIR SINS NO MORE."

Hebrews 10:18 (NASB) Now where there is forgiveness of these things, there is NO LONGER any offering for sin.

Hebrews 10:11-12 (NASB) Every priest stands daily ministering and offering time after time the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins; 12 but He, having offered one sacrifice for sins FOR ALL TIME, SAT DOWN AT THE RIGHT HAND OF GOD,

1 Peter 3:18 (NASB) For Christ also died for sins ONCE FOR ALL, the just for the unjust, so that He might bring us to God, having been put to death in the flesh, but made alive in the spirit.

1 John 2:1-2 (NASB) My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin. And if anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous; 2 and He Himself is the propitiation for our sins; AND NOT FOR OURS ONLY BUT ALSO FOR THOSE OF THE WHOLE WORLD. (propitiation: #2434, hilasmos, removal of sin, guilt. See the Abridged TDNT, pg. 356)

NOTES: Regarding this verse, Jamieson, Robert, A. R. Fausset, and David Brown. Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible. Oak Harbor, WA: Logos Research Systems, Inc., 1997, says the following: The atonement (at-one-ment), or reconciliation, is the removal of the bar to peace and acceptance with a holy God, which His righteousness interposed against our sin. The first step towards restoring peace between us and God was on God’s side (Jn 3:16). The change therefore now to be affected must be on the part of offending man, God the offended One being already reconciled. It is MAN — NOT GOD, who now needs to be reconciled, and to lay aside HIS enmity against God (Ro 5:10, 11). (“We have received the atonement” [Greek, reconciliation], cannot mean “We have received the laying aside of our own enmity” toward God). Compare Ro 3:24, 25.

WHAT ABOUT THE UNFORGIVEABLE SIN?

John 16:8-11 (NASB) "And He, when He comes, will convict the world concerning sin and righteousness and judgment; 9 concerning sin, because THEYdo not believe in Me; 10 and concerning righteousness, because I go to the Father and you no longer see Me; 11 and concerning judgment, because the ruler of this world has been judged.

Mark 3:28-29 (NASB) "Truly I say to you, all sins shall be forgiven the sons of men, and whatever blasphemies they utter; 29 but whoever blasphemes against the Holy Spirit never has forgiveness, but is guilty of an eternal sin"—

Luke 12:10 (NASB) "And everyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man, it will be forgiven him; but he who blasphemes against the Holy Spirit, it will not be forgiven him.

THE UNFORGIVEABLE SIN IS THE SIN OF ‘UNBELIEF’

NOTE: The Holy Spirits convicts the world of its unbelief. Since eternal life is found only in Jesus Christ, rejecting Jesus is the same thing as rejecting His offer of eternal life. Since God has already forgiven and forgotten all of humanities sins, (Hebrews 8:12 (NASB) "FOR I WILL BE MERCIFUL TO THEIR INIQUITIES, ANDI WILL REMEMBER THEIR SINS NO MORE."), it is man’s own responsibility to call out to God and accept the forgiveness Jesus already paid for. When Christians sin, they need only go to Jesus for forgiveness and then repent. Now, however, we know the Apostle Paul’s own struggle with sin and what God said about it. (Romans 7:14 – 8:3)

Romans 7:25 (NASB) Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, on the one hand I myself with my mind am serving the law of God, but on the other, with my flesh the law of sin.

Romans 8:1-3 (NASB) Therefore there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. 2 For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus (His Death, Burial, Blood on the Altar, and Resurrection, has set you free from the law of sin and of death. 3 For what the Law could not do, weak as it was through the flesh, God did: sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and as an offering for sin, He condemned sin in the flesh,