Genesis 2:16-17 Part 2 Federal Headship
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And the Lord God commanded the man, saying, “You may surely eat of every tree of the garden, but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die.”
Prayer, Mike and Laurel House Membership, Dismiss Kiddos
Welcome back to our journey through the book of Genesis.
Today will be the final message of 2023 on this incredible book and
We will be picking back up in Genesis Chapter 3 later on in January,
Starting next week will be beginning our Advent series called “Expectations.”
Where we will look at the anticipated Messiah as Prophet, Priest, King, and Shepherd.
So I cannot wait to jump into this next week.
I’ve already begun preparing by getting into the Christmas spirit and watching Christmas movies, playing Christmas music,
and talking about Christmas in our men’s telegram group.
Little did I know that this would put us on the verge of a church split.
Apparently, there are some believers, who abhor any talk of Christmas festivities until the day after Thanksgiving.
At the mention of this, I went on the offense and began drafting up my 95 thesis.
I declared, “Here I stand, and I can do no other.” If a reformation was needed, then I would not shy away from my calling.
But, then I realized, that I must take care and caution for my weaker brethren.
Therefore let us not pass judgment on one another any longer, but rather decide never to put a stumbling block or hindrance in the way of a brother.
Though, they are wrong, I, for the sake of unity, decided that I would hold off any speak of Christmas until next week.
Thus, because of my great love for the sheep, I will not call them a scrooge, or take offense to their bahumbugness.
But, instead will relent for a few more days until we can all join in together and embrace the reason for the season.
Which I believe I can make a great case for Jesus being the reason for every season, including this one, but I digress.
Today we continue in the same two verses as last week.
Genesis 2:16-17.
And we see how these two verses set the stage for what is coming in chapter 3 and beyond.
When we first started Genesis I shared that these first 11 chapters set the stage for the rest of the Bible.
If you get these first few chapters wrong, you are in danger of getting the rest of Scripture wrong.
Theologians have stated, “Tell me what you think about Genesis 1-11 and I can tell you what you believe about the Bible.
So, as you can see, this is a very important journey that we are embarking on as we work verse by verse through this book.
Last week our focus was on unpacking the meaning behind just two verses.
Then we spent the rest of our time by looking at a major implication of these two verses.
Mainly, how these two verses introduce us to the very first covenant, also known as the covenant of works.
We then discovered that in order to properly understand our Bible we must understand it based on the covenantal framework.
While there are many aspects we must consider in order to rightly interpret the Bible, the covenants are a very important one.
Depending on which covenant is in effect and how it progresses, determines how we should understand that section of Scripture.
Covenants are just one aspect, we must also understand the style of writing, whether it is historical narrative, poetry, letter, and so forth.
It is important to see if this is a descriptive text or a prescriptive text,
Are we understanding the text in the same way that those who would have first read this text would have understood it.
These are all very important aspects to proper interpretation or hermeneutics, which is the fancy word used to speak of this.
So, here we have a covenant that is given to Adam.
If Adam follows this covenant, there would be joy and blessing.
If Adam rebels against this covenant, there would be death and cursing.
If you missed last week, it would be great for you to go back and watch it on our youtube channel.
Today we continue our understanding in part 2 by looking at another aspect that this verse speaks to.
Today we will be understanding the doctrine of Federal Headship, and how these verses point us to Adam as our Federal Head.
This understanding has also been known as the doctrine of federalism.
How, Adam is our representative, he is standing for and acting on behalf, of all humanity, including you and I.
If Adam does well, future generations will receive the blessing, if Adam fails, future generations will receive the curse.
To say there is a lot riding on Adam and this covenant, would be an understatement.
Let us open our Bibles, or turn them on if that is your preference, perhaps you still have your study journal,
And turn to Genesis Chapter 2 and look at verses 16 and 17.
And the Lord God commanded the man, saying, “You may surely eat of every tree of the garden,
but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die.”
Last week I pointed out that the Lord God or Yahweh Elohim in the Hebrew, began by lavishing blessings upon Adam.
Everything was given to Adam to enjoy.
Every one of Adam’s senses were elevated in a symphony of sound, tastes, sights, smells, and textures.
But, there was one warning and one command that must be adhered to.
Adam must not, eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.
Should Adam disobey God, there would be death and curses instead of joy and blessings.
Now, since we have not entered into chapter 3, we are unaware of what happened.
But, what we can see from this verse, is that Adam would bring blessing to humanity or curses to humanity.
Adam is our representative on earth, he is standing or failing on behalf of his offspring.
The question naturally ask ourselves is this: Will Adam triumph with victory or fail in misery.
There is a quick experiment we can do in order to see how this Adam faired without turning the page.
Two pretty simple questions that could give us insight into what might have happened.
First experimental question.....is Adam alive today on this earth. Has anyone seen him, talked to him lately,
Did anyone recently go to lunch with him? Brad, did he attend your college football get together?
Well, perhaps he hasn’t made His way to America yet.
Second experimental question.....are we still living in a garden paradise?
The New Moana experience at Epcot does not count.
Are we still partaking of the tree of life?
No, Animal Kingdom doesn’t count either.
Then, while I’m still trying to be cautious not to spoil chapter 3 and the rest of the Bible,
It would seem like Adam did not succeed at adhering to the covenant, and it would seem like we would need a new representative.
One that would not fail, one who would succeed, one who would accomplish the covenant....but I think I’m getting ahead of myself.
Today we are going to look at an important doctrine that helps us understand the first Adam,
and why we need, what some would say, a second Adam.
This doctrine gives us the basis and the understanding of how we grasp sin and imputation.
Let me give a definition and then we will seek to understand it biblically.
In it simplest terms, Federal Headship means that Adam was our federal or representative head of the human race.
What Adam would do would be imputed, or put within, or attributed to, the rest of humanity.
The Success of Adam would be credited to us, as well as the crimes of Adam, would be credited to us.
In a sense, it is like we are all on the same team, if Adam wins, we all win, if Adam loses, we all lose.
Recently I learned how one of the players on the Texas Rangers won a world series ring, though He never played in the world series.
Due to an injury he was not able to play, but because he was on the team, he still won when the team won.
It is the same idea.
In the case of the world series, the teams win meant the players win.
In Biblical understanding, Adam’s accomplishment would be our accomplishment.
There is a downside to this, if Adam loses, we all lose.
Based on our experiment, of Adam no longer being here, and us not being in a garden paradise, then it would seem that Adam’s crimes were imputed to us as well.
The consequences are seen all around us.
Sin has penetrated every aspect of this world and every aspect of ourselves.
Shame, guilt, sorrow, sadness, pain, suffering, and more flood every part of our lives.
No matter how hard we try, we are unable to escape the effects around us and the effects within us.
David shares this point specifically in the famous passage of Psalm 51.
Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity, and in sin did my mother conceive me.
Now, this doesn’t mean that David’s mother committed a sin when conceiving David, we know David’s family and that was not the case.
What David is saying is that from birth he was immoral.
From conception, He was in sin.
How could David say such a thing? He can say such a thing based on his sin nature that he had since his conception and leading to birth.
David is not crediting his actions as the reason for this status,
No, there had to have been something else causing this to be the case.
Paul continues David’s thinking in Romans chapter 5.
Therefore, just as sin came into the world through one man, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men because all sinned—
If Adam breaks this covenant, sin would enter the world.
The sin would enter through Adam as the representative, the federal head of the human race.
The result of sin would be death, which we already established must have happened, even without us getting to chapter 3.
But, then we see Paul share the greater consequence than just Adam’s personal sin.
As our representative, Adam’s sin spread to all men and all men now sin, men here meaning humanity and includes both male and female.
One of the first things that usually pops up is this question, maybe some of you are thinking it right now, “how is this fair?”
How is it fair that Adam represented you and I. Why did we not get a chance to represent ourselves?
I didn’t campaign for Adam, I didn’t vote for Adam, I didn’t elect Adam.
If you are thinking this, then you would be right, you did not pick Adam, but God did.
We experience this type of headship in our day in a variety of ways.
When our nation enters into agreements with other nations, then those agreements are binding upon all people in that nation.
As an example, I started working on my passport earlier this week as mine expired in my late 20’s and I never renewed it.
Because of agreements that our government made, as my representative, I now have go through the process of getting a passport.
Our government passes laws and does things all the time that we may or may not agree with.
Sure, this breaks down in the fact that I do have a vote, but unless I get a majority to agree with me, my vote doesn’t matter.
This is only because our government is a democracy.
Many governments are not and their ruler and their king make the decisions for the rest of the nations whether good or bad.
But, how is that fair?
If you are honest with yourself, do you think you would do better?
You think you would have done better? Maybe lasted a few extra days?
You can throw Adam under the bus, but in a moment of clarity, you would realize that you would have done the same.
When Adam broke the covenant of works he made himself and everyone he represents, all of humanity, a sinner.
Which even before your first sin, you were a sinner, and then after your first sin, you were a sinner who is actively sinning.
Adam’s guilt, along with his new found sinful nature, is now imputed to every one who would be born from man and woman.
(Remember that distinction as that will be important here shortly.)
Which brings us to the next question, if God put the tree in the Garden, and knew Adam would fall, why would God have done this.
You didn’t ask for the tree to be there, you didn’t ask to be born in this brokenness, why would this be a good thing?
We would think that it wouldn’t be a good thing and in a sense, it is an awful thing.
Now, if Adam would have succeeded, and we didn’t have to stress about our possible failures,
We would probably be perfectly great with this arrangement.
But, remember, God is the one who placed the tree in the Garden, and God is the one who had a plan before the foundations of the earth.
Before the first star was hung and the first plant would blossom.
Before the first animal would gallop and the first fish would swim.
Before Adam was formed from the dust of the ground, there was a plan and God knew what the results would be.
You see, where the first Adam failed, there would need to be a second Adam, or a second representative.
There would need to be one born, not of sin and death, not of man and woman, but of God.
There would need to be one who could be tempted in every way Adam was, but without sin.
There would need to be one who could represent His people in a way that would bring freedom and life.
Matter of fact, the entire Old Testament, starting in Chapter 3 of Genesis, anticipates this idea of a second Adam.
All of Scripture is anxiously awaiting how something so bad can be turned around and made into good.
It isn’t until the New Testament that this second Adam, this new federal head, this new representative, comes into clearer view.
For as by a man came death, by a man has come also the resurrection of the dead. For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ shall all be made alive.
Do you see what Paul is saying to the Corinthians here!?
That because of Adam and his breaking the covenant as our Federal head, sin and death entered the world.
We experience sin and death all around us and will intimately experience one day.
Though, that is our reality because of Adam, a man has also come that will flip this experience of death completely around!
A second Adam will come, and according to Paul, has come, that is the resurrection of the Dead.
If one Adam brings death, a new Adam will bring life.
Paul continues with greater clarity, for as in Adam, all die.
But in Christ, all will be made alive.
Do you see how our first representative will be “like” our second representative?
Except where our first representative fails, our second will succeed!
Therefore, as one trespass led to condemnation for all men, so one act of righteousness leads to justification and life for all men.
Adam’s representation leads to condemnation of all men.
You and I are condemned, like King David said, from conception.
We also declare this reality in our own personal sin and rebellion against God.
Thus we are legally guilty and justly condemned before God and deserving of punishment and eternal damnation.
Now, this sounds awful and it is, but unless you can follow God and His law perfectly, you like, Adam are condemned.
But, let us keep reading to see the glorious good news.
Just like one trespass led to condemnation, what do we see next but one act of righteousness leads to justification and life!
One leads to sin, death, curse, condemnation, One leads to justification, joy, blessing, life, and life everlasting.
First Adam brings death, Second Adam brings Resurrection. (pause)
Now, we must deal with a wording here that can be very concerning and problematic.
I do not think we find fault with Adam’s sin condemning all men.
We see it in this Scripture and in other places and we see it in reality.
But, what we may find fault in is how Paul words that one act of righteousness leads to justification and life for “all” men.
The problematic word is “all.”
Does this mean because of what Jesus accomplished that all will be saved? That everyone is going to heaven, no matter what?
If everyone is in sin and everyone dies because of Adam, is Paul teaching that everyone lives eternally because of Jesus?
No, that is not what Paul is saying, plus it would be a clear contradiction of many other passages.
This is why Federal headship and representation is so important of a doctrine to grasp and understand.
A wrong understanding would lead to universalism, which we 100% deny and reject.
What this verse is stating is that Adam represents a group, in this case, the Human race, as we have already established.
Jesus represents a group as well, His group is not every single person, but rather all who are His.
If you are not Christ’s then you are not represented by Him and you will be found guilty in Adam and according to your own sin.
But, if you are represented by the second Adam, if you are represented by Jesus and united in Jesus, then He represents you.
It is not saying that everyone is represented by Christ, but everyone who is Christ’s is represented by Him.
I am the good shepherd. I know my own and my own know me, just as the Father knows me and I know the Father; and I lay down my life for the sheep.
Not everyone is in Christ, but everyone is in Adam.
Only those who hear the voice of the Shepherd, who go to the Shepherd, will the Shepherd lay down His life for.
But a question arises, how is it that Jesus can do this, How was Jesus able to not be inputed with Adam’s sin.
Well, this is what Christmas is all about Charlie Brown.
I’m sorry, I’m not allowed to say this yet.
But in all seriousness this is why the virgin birth was so important.
Joseph, was of the line of David, which was very important because the Messiah would come through David and Judah.
This prophecy and Old Testament promise is fulfilled because of Joseph being the legal Father, even if Joseph didn’t Father him.
Joseph would not be able to Father Jesus, in that way at least, due to passing on the sin nature and guilt at conception.
But, in order for Jesus not to have the sinful nature he could not be born of man and woman but of Spirit and woman.
This is why the virgin birth would be necessary and not just prophetic.
Because Jesus, in order to fulfill the prophecy and fulfil the covenant, would need to be without sin just like Adam was before the temptation.
The virgin birth insures this.
And Jesus would need to continue without sin for His life in order to accomplish our Salvation.
Jesus’s resurrection confirms this.
This is exactly what Jesus did and this is exactly why Jesus had to go to the cross.
Not only did Jesus need to accomplish what Adam could not, Jesus also had to fix what Adam destroyed.
Because of Adam’s imputation of sin upon us, we can no longer stand before a holy and just God.
I’m reminded of a wild seen in Isaiah, where the great prophet, who you would think would be accepted and celebrated in God’s eyes,
says these incredible words.
When in the presence of God Isaiah says this:
And I said: “Woe is me! For I am lost; for I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips; for my eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts!”
Isaiah, though a prophet of God and one of great honor, dignity, value, and worth, still before the holy and righteous God became nothing.
Isaiah would not be the new representative for humanity.
Thus we needed one who could purify and redeem.
Thus we needed someone to atone for the sins of man.
Then one of the seraphim flew to me, having in his hand a burning coal that he had taken with tongs from the altar. And he touched my mouth and said: “Behold, this has touched your lips; your guilt is taken away, and your sin atoned for.”
The Apostle John in his Gospel in Chapter 12 declares that Isaiah saw the pre-incarnate Christ.
It would be this Jesus that could atone for Adam’s sin, Isaiah’s sin and our sin.
Ultimately, what was imputed to us through Adam, must be cleansed by Jesus and then a new imputation must occur.
Instead of being imputed with sin, we must be imputed with righteousness.
This is what the cross accomplished.
When Jesus went to the cross, Jesus took the sin of all that are His and placed them on Himself.
Jesus took the sin of Adam, along with the past, present, and future sins of ourselves, and paid the penalty due for them.
Isaiah would later write these incredible and heartbreaking words.
But he was pierced for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with his wounds we are healed.
All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned—every one—to his own way; and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all.
This prophetic Word about the coming Messiah and what He would accomplish was accomplished by Jesus.
What no son of Adam could accomplish, the Son of God would accomplish.
Jesus would leave His throne in heaven and come to earth to rescue redeem ransom and restore.
Where the first Adam failed, the second Adam would accomplish.
Think about this for a second, this is exactly why we could never earn our Salvation, this is why you could never be good enough,
Do enough good, or compare yourself to the rest of humanity and say, well at least I’m not as bad as so and so.
Beloved, this is why we are not saved by works, what is it that our works can accomplish?
This is why we are saved by grace, that which we did not earn, did not deserve, and could never pay back.
That is why we are given the gift of faith to believe.
Because we cannot manufacture this faith on our own based on our sin nature and guilty status.
This is why through grace, we put the faith that has been given to us, upon the only one worthy of this faith.
This is how we are saved, this is how we are imputed with righteousness.
This is why the Gospel is such good news.
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I want to close by answering an earlier question.
You may say......how is Adam’s sin imputed to us, fair.
Why did we not have a say, why do we not have a choice, how is it that we are not given a chance.
Beloved, we do not want fair, this is the wrong question.
Fair would put us right back in the same position of trying to find a way to earn our Salvation through the covenant of works.
Fair would be a continual rotation of trying to be good enough, for long enough, and always awaiting the coming failure.
Fair would mean that we are never safe, never secure, and never truly saved.
As wild as it may sound and counter cultural to say such a phrase, the last thing that we should desire is that which is fair.
What we should desire is grace. Amazing, radical, and complete grace.
Today we have a better and fuller covenant.
A covenant of grace that is found only in the finished work of Christ, not our work.
A work that Jesus accomplished perfectly, not a work that we will eventually fail at.
A work that is accomplished everlastingly, not a work that we only hope to continue temporarily.
Here is the question that we should ask ourselves.
Do you want fair or do you want Christ? (Pause) (Repeat)
I will take Christ every single time without fail.
This week we celebrate Thanksgiving, and next week we will celebrate the coming Messiah, for Advent.
We have so much to be thankful for and so much to anticipate and the expectations will be elevated.
But, may we begin today to be thankful, yes for things, family, and community, but be even more thankful for Christ.
As we anticipate Christmas carols, Christmas movies, and Christmas morning, may we anticipate family, fun, and food,
But may we so much more anticipate Christ.
As we look to the end of this year and the expectations that we have for ourselves.
Yes, see how you did, how did you measure up, what are your hopes and dreams for next year,
But, may our focus be not the expectations of ourselves, but the expectations and anticipations of our prophet, priest, King and shepherd,
This is the doctrine of federal headship, which finds its beginning in Genesis chapter 2 verses 16 and 17.
I can’t wait to see what God has in store for us next.
Amen? Let’s pray.