Original Sin - Genesis 3

Review

Over the past couple of weeks, we have been looking at the creation account in Genesis

Last week, we discussed that Man was made in the image of God. We compared how the characteristics of God were reflected in the creation of man. For example:

God is omnipresent - from this we can see that God is relational and has made Man a social being

God is perfect - from this God has made Man to be a moral being

God is omniscient - from this God has created Man to be a rational being

God is provider - He made Man to be a practical being

God is spirit - He made Man to be a spiritual being

God is creator - He made Man to be a natural being with the ability to be creative

This week we see that God’s crowning creation, Man, is going to break the unrestricted, uninhibited, and perfect relationship he has with God to pursue selfish lusts. In effect, this pursuit leaves them as broken natural, moral, rational, practical, social and spiritual beings

Conflict in Paradise

Read Genesis 3:1-6

Genesis 3:1–6 (CSB)

1 Now the serpent was the most cunning of all the wild animals that the Lord God had made. He said to the woman, “Did God really say, ‘You can’t eat from any tree in the garden’?”

2 The woman said to the serpent, “We may eat the fruit from the trees in the garden. 3 But about the fruit of the tree in the middle of the garden, God said, ‘You must not eat it or touch it, or you will die.’ ”

4 “No! You will certainly not die,” the serpent said to the woman. 5 “In fact, God knows that when you eat it your eyes will be opened and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.” 6 The woman saw that the tree was good for food and delightful to look at, and that it was desirable for obtaining wisdom. So she took some of its fruit and ate it; she also gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate it.

The serpent is introduced for the first time. He is not called Satan, and most likely Satan was just using this animal. The Hebrew word for serpent here is nahas (pronounced nah-KHASH). However, John while on the Isle of Patmos said this about the serpent - Revelation 12:9 “9 So the great dragon was thrown out—the ancient serpent, who is called the devil and Satan, the one who deceives the whole world. He was thrown to earth, and his angels with him.”

This word is used for snake or sea monster (leviathan) and could be slithering, flying or swimming. One other thing that is interesting here is that the serpent could communicate / speak with Eve. It is described as most cunning of all the wild (or plain, territorial, or field) animals. In Proverbs the word used for cunning here is often translated as prudent , i.e., the pertaining to shrewdness or wisdom in the management of affairs (according to Strongs).

In this passage we see the word of God is questioned in the serpent’s question, but one can also see that it is a sneering editorial of God being too restrictive - a kill joy. How do we perceive God’s word when we are being tempted?

What does the woman’s response actually say about God? God was indeed a very gracious provider. “We may eat the fruit from the trees in the garden.” God has graciously provided for our needs from every tree with no feeling of restriction or deprivation.

God gave the command about the tree in the middle of the garden in Genesis 2:17 “17 but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for on the day you eat from it, you will certainly die.”” She quotes this but adds to it what? “Touch it.” Why do you think that she added this? It could be a protection that Adam shared with Eve…knowing that if we don’t touch it we certainly won’t eat it. Or perhaps it was a misunderstanding as to the direction they were given. Reminds me of the story about the rich man looking to hire a chauffeur and the question he asks him.....

Seeing an opportunity then with the misunderstanding, the serpent is now able to flatly contradict what God had said. His response, “No! You will certainly not die,” has been translated as “You shall not die utterly,” or “You shall not die immediately.”

But it is here that we see the progression that sin takes in our lives. Compare this to James 1:14-15

James 1:14–15 CSB

14 But each person is tempted when he is drawn away and enticed by his own evil desire. 15 Then after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin, and when sin is fully grown, it gives birth to death.

How is the woman drawn away? v.6, “The woman saw.” She turned and looked at the tree.

How do we know she is enticed by her own desire? “She saw that the tree was good for food and delightful to look at.” She is now looking at the tree in a different light. No longer is something that is forbidden but something that is desirable.

By what action was birth given to sin? v. 6, “So she took some of its fruit [not a sin] and ate it [this was the moment of disobedience].”

Sin is seldom an isolated event. Here we see that both the man and the woman sin. Sin oftentimes involves and impacts others in its wake.

What are the consequences of this action?

Consequence of Sin

Read Gen. 3:8-19

Genesis 3:8–19 CSB

8 Then the man and his wife heard the sound of the Lord God walking in the garden at the time of the evening breeze, and they hid from the Lord God among the trees of the garden. 9 So the Lord God called out to the man and said to him, “Where are you?” 10 And he said, “I heard you in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked, so I hid.” 11 Then he asked, “Who told you that you were naked? Did you eat from the tree that I commanded you not to eat from?” 12 The man replied, “The woman you gave to be with me—she gave me some fruit from the tree, and I ate.” 13 So the Lord God asked the woman, “What have you done?” And the woman said, “The serpent deceived me, and I ate.” 14 So the Lord God said to the serpent: Because you have done this, you are cursed more than any livestock and more than any wild animal. You will move on your belly and eat dust all the days of your life. 15 I will put hostility between you and the woman, and between your offspring and her offspring. He will strike your head, and you will strike his heel. 16 He said to the woman: I will intensify your labor pains; you will bear children with painful effort. Your desire will be for your husband, yet he will rule over you. 17 And he said to the man, “Because you listened to your wife and ate from the tree about which I commanded you, ‘Do not eat from it’: The ground is cursed because of you. You will eat from it by means of painful labor all the days of your life. 18 It will produce thorns and thistles for you, and you will eat the plants of the field. 19 You will eat bread by the sweat of your brow until you return to the ground, since you were taken from it. For you are dust, and you will return to dust.”

Notice the immediacy of the consequence

The Preacher’s Commentary Series, Volume 1: Genesis The Conflict in Eden

In one brief, swift action three of mankind’s perennial problems, shame, and fear—had been introduced into what had been a place of delight and peace.

Impact to the serpent

Impact to all of creation

Impact to all of humanity

Separated from God

Separated from Eternal Life

Increased Pain in Childbirth

Work becomes much harder

Experience physical death

1 Corinthians 15:22 CSB

22 For just as in Adam all die, so also in Christ all will be made alive.

Romans 5:12–19 CSB

12 Therefore, just as sin entered the world through one man, and death through sin, in this way death spread to all people, because all sinned. 13 In fact, sin was in the world before the law, but sin is not charged to a person’s account when there is no law. 14 Nevertheless, death reigned from Adam to Moses, even over those who did not sin in the likeness of Adam’s transgression. He is a type of the Coming One. 15 But the gift is not like the trespass. For if by the one man’s trespass the many died, how much more have the grace of God and the gift which comes through the grace of the one man Jesus Christ overflowed to the many. 16 And the gift is not like the one man’s sin, because from one sin came the judgment, resulting in condemnation, but from many trespasses came the gift, resulting in justification. 17 If by the one man’s trespass, death reigned through that one man, how much more will those who receive the overflow of grace and the gift of righteousness reign in life through the one man, Jesus Christ. 18 So then, as through one trespass there is condemnation for everyone, so also through one righteous act there is justification leading to life for everyone. 19 For just as through one man’s disobedience the many were made sinners, so also through the one man’s obedience the many will be made righteous.

Course to a Redemptive Path

Read Gen. 3:20-24

Genesis 3:20–24 CSB

20 The man named his wife Eve because she was the mother of all the living. 21 The Lord God made clothing from skins for the man and his wife, and he clothed them. 22 The Lord God said, “Since the man has become like one of us, knowing good and evil, he must not reach out, take from the tree of life, eat, and live forever.” 23 So the Lord God sent him away from the garden of Eden to work the ground from which he was taken. 24 He drove the man out and stationed the cherubim and the flaming, whirling sword east of the garden of Eden to guard the way to the tree of life.

Based upon the separation which occurred between God and man, we see here that God, in His great mercy and love, is making a path or redemption for mankind. First we see that God made a covering for Adam and Eve. This is the first physical death we see in Scripture. For God to make clothing from skins, He had to have animals sacrifice their life for this process. Thus setting the stage for the need for an animal sacrifice to make provision of removing the sin from man.

In verse 22, we see God’s great mercy for us. His driving out man from the garden so that they could not eat from the Tree of Life was making a path for redemption for all man. For had He not done this, man would have been able to live a life of perpetual sin in an unredeemed condition.

Because of our fallen condition, our flesh, like Adam’s and Eve’s, wars against God’s Spirit and will constantly. God made a provision for this through Christ. Read Romans 8:1-8

Romans 8:1–8 CSB

1 Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those in Christ Jesus, 2 because the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set you free from the law of sin and death. 3 For what the law could not do since it was weakened by the flesh, God did. He condemned sin in the flesh by sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh as a sin offering, 4 in order that the law’s requirement would be fulfilled in us who do not walk according to the flesh but according to the Spirit. 5 For those who live according to the flesh have their minds set on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit have their minds set on the things of the Spirit. 6 Now the mindset of the flesh is death, but the mindset of the Spirit is life and peace. 7 The mindset of the flesh is hostile to God because it does not submit to God’s law. Indeed, it is unable to do so. 8 Those who are in the flesh cannot please God.

God’s provision is enough, but we also need God’s Spirit to continue to work in us so that our flesh and our sin do not have their way in our life. This will be an ongoing struggle and conflict for those in Christ. Paul states in his letter to the Romans that: Romans 7:19 “19 For I do not do the good that I want to do, but I practice the evil that I do not want to do.” Paul goes on to say in Romans 8:13 “13 because if you live according to the flesh, you are going to die. But if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live.” Daily we must put to death the deeds of the body. John Owen calls this the mortification of sin. Only a life lived in the Spirit will be able to do this.

Sin has costly effects. We deceive ourselves when we think that our sin only affects us. Our challenge since our first parents’ actions is to respond to the call to the redemptive path, to walk in obedience and to put to death the deeds of the body.