Sin and a Promised Savior.

Good morning.

Last week we looked at Genesis 1 and saw how God made everything. Just a couple questions.

How many days did God make everything in?

What did God make on the sixth day?

What did God say each day after He made everything?

It was good. And it was good. This meant that there was no sin. Everything was perfect. Well, this morning we are going to see what happens next. Everything was perfect, but sadly, man sinned. God made everything good. And God made Adam and Eve. He gave them dominion. But He also gave them a command. After creating them, God told them they could eat the fruit of any tree in the garden, except one. There was one tree that they must not eat from. It was called the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.

So Adam and Eve were in the garden and one day something happened.

Genesis 3 3 Now the serpent was more crafty than any other beast of the field that the LORD God had made.

He said to the woman, “Did God actually say, ‘You shall not eat of any tree in the garden’?”

There was a serpent. And this was no ordinary snake. This was the Devil. The Bible calls Satan a serpent or a dragon. So this slimy old dragon came and asked Eve a question. He crawled up to her and asked her “Did God really say…?” He is trying to lie and play a trick on her. He is trying to get Eve to question God. But Eve answers the dragon.

2 And the woman said to the serpent, “We may eat of the fruit of the trees in the garden, 3 but God said, ‘You shall not eat of the fruit of the tree that is in the midst of the garden, neither shall you touch it, lest you die.’ ”

Eve was listening to God’s command. God said not to eat of that tree.

4 But the serpent said to the woman, “You will not surely die. 5 For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.”

Satan that slimy old dragon is tempting Eve to disobey God. He lies by only telling her half the story. He says she will know good and evil. What he means is that if she eats of that fruit, she will know what sin is. But he is lying to her and telling her that she can be like God. She could become just like God is she would only disobey. And the sad part of this story is that she does disobey.

6 So 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 to be desired to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate, and she also gave some to her husband who was with her, and he ate. 7 Then the eyes of both were opened, and they knew that they were naked. And they sewed fig leaves together and made themselves loincloths.

And now we see one of the saddest parts of this story. Adam was there with her. And they both disobeyed God. And they were instantly ashamed. They had sinned. And in doing this, the whole world was plunged into sin and death. Listen to this next part.

8 And 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. 9 But the LORD God called to the man and said to him, “Where are you?” 10 And he said, “I heard the sound of you in the garden, and I was afraid, because I was naked, and I hid myself.” 11 He said, “Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten of the tree of which I commanded you not to eat?” 12 The man said, “The woman whom you gave to be with me, she gave me fruit of the tree, and I ate.” 13 Then the LORD God said to the woman, “What is this that you have done?” The woman said, “The serpent deceived me, and I ate.”

God came to walk with them. But they hid. And then they start trying to pass the blame. Have you ever blamed your sibling for something you did? That is what they are doing here. They sinned, and now they keep on sinning. But God answers.

14 The LORD God said to the serpent,

“Because you have done this,

cursed are you above all livestock

and above all beasts of the field;

on your belly you shall go,

and dust you shall eat

all the days of your life.

15  I will put enmity between you and the woman,

and between your offspring and her offspring;

he shall bruise your head,

and you shall bruise his heel.”

16 To the woman he said,

“I will surely multiply your pain in childbearing;

in pain you shall bring forth children.

Your desire shall be contrary to your husband,

but he shall rule over you.”

17 And to Adam he said,

“Because you have listened to the voice of your wife

and have eaten of the tree

of which I commanded you,

‘You shall not eat of it,’

cursed is the ground because of you;

in pain you shall eat of it all the days of your life;

18  thorns and thistles it shall bring forth for you;

and you shall eat the plants of the field.

19  By the sweat of your face

you shall eat bread,

till you return to the ground,

for out of it you were taken;

for you are dust,

and to dust you shall return.”

20 The man called his wife’s name Eve, because she was the mother of all living. 21 And the LORD God made for Adam and for his wife garments of skins and clothed them.

You see, when they sinned there were consequences. When God created everything, it was perfect and good. And now, it is cursed by sin. Even the ground is cursed. But God had mercy on them. He promised that one day, He would send a savior who would crush the head of the serpent. This savior would destroy that dragon of old and would even begin to undo the curse, someday undoing it completely. God then clothes Adam and Eve, covering their shame and sends them out of the garden.

But this is the good news. That promised savior did come. God Himself is that savior. Jesus came and died the death we deserve for our sin. And anyone who believes in Him can be saved. He has crushed that old dragon and now, anyone who trusts in Him can be saved. That means that if you confess to Him that you are a sinner, He will save you. That is good news. So even though this is a sad story, really it is part of a much bigger story that is very happy. Let’s pray.