The Fall

Introduction:

P.O.V. - Examining Scriptural truth from the POV of diff. OT characters/arcs

Idea is: breathe new life into stories may be very familiar with.

Reveal God’s char. & best prac. through: Adam & Eve, Moses, David, Jonah, & Daniel

Draw the challenge to Jesus as perfect fulfillment & locus of our worship!

TODAY; look at Eden which an Isr.’te reader would recognize as >>

A Garden Temple

YHWH set up good world w/ all properties needed 2 prod'ce life. (Gen1)

Gen 1 records a poetic, orderly, & symmetrical univ: all given for pinnacle of creat.: humankind (ha-adam)

Gen 2 implies that humans taken from a diff't place & put in a special area of creation called “Eden”.

Genesis 2:8-9 “Now the Lord God had planted a garden in the east, in Eden; and there he put the man he had formed. The Lord God made all kinds of trees grow out of the ground—trees that were pleasing to the eye and good for food. In the middle of the garden were the tree of life and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.”

Look closely: actually lays out 3 areas of creation (Eden, Garden, center of Garden)

An astute ancient reader would be familiar with this 3-zone design : a temple!

Even discover (ch.2) that Eden sits on a high elevation bc streams flow from it. All temple assumptions — hard for us to see 2day.

Later Tabernacle & Temple would reflect this same design; lots of near parallels (don’t have time for today)!

TBP has good videos on this.

Genesis 2-3 hi'lights the decision A&E end up making in garden.

A clever serpent (Spir’l being) lures Eve & Adam into disobe'g G’s ONE prohib.!

We can be bummed out they failed/fell, frustrated; but if we don’t give ‘selves too much credit, can see that:

This garden encounter with a snake is relatable. >>

We all Need Wisdom

Struggle not confined to G'en of Eden; it's a daily choice we face.

For ancient Israel, Wisdom was about the best way that something works together: relationships, technology, faith, etc.

How many U’d love 2know:

how to addr. spouse when grumpy? Who gets prior. at 5-way stop sign? Optimal day/airline to order tix? Lotto tix? How have healthy work/life bal? Engaged parent, lov’g spouse, motiv'd leadr, gener’s giver, & healthy physique?!

Each of us would pay any amt. to get to bottom of those things - and we do!

Self-help books, courses, coaching, progr.: spent ~$13B in ‘22.

Solomon wisely penned this universal advice:

Proverbs 3:5–6 “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight.”

You see, he fully believed that there was an answer - best way to do those very things ment’d above (‘cept didnt know Lotto)

He wrote— insp. by HS —that trusting God’s Way, making what He values what you value, will lead to fulfillment in life.

YH will give u good dir. & swift path to feeling complete; satisf’d.

Make no mistake; we all need God’s insight to help us >>

Make the Wise Choice

Comb through Genesis 3; all about making this wise choice.

In fact, that choice theme is repeated all OVER the OT.

The couple’s: decision NOT about innocence vs. knowledge

As plays out, not really about life vs. death (tho an approp. contrast)

The central conflict is:

Eve decides: “Will I choose to listen to God’s wisdom or the serpent’s?”

U & I know outcome. But, when it comes to choices, underst. >>

Wisdom requires Trusting God

Our Old Testament make a bold declaration:

Proverbs 1:7 “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge… ”

Fearing God means respecting Him & His rules or boundaries.

Sounds like an oppressive thing to our post-mod. W’ern hearts; but God’s char. should dispell this!

Need to trust God has our best interest in mind; His plan/Ways.

Respect isn’t just a verbal thing - “Jesus is m Lord” then we don’t live like it.

Isn’t JUST a prayer for salvation - looks like life transf’n!

Solomon (and the OT) boldly claims that we can’t begin to know truth until we honor YHWH’s ultimate authority as Creator.

If we try to pursue truth, still believe that the cosmos is accident… Decide what’s rigiht, believe some1 disagree w/ has no worth… Seek what is best, still believe cheating or violence is great… Attempt to forgive, don’t understand Jesus’ cross example…

Will not find any peace. Will be clouded by princi. of world!

In his lifelong struggle against God’s auth/will, >>

Our Enemy promotes Suspicion toward God

Genesis 3:1 “Now the serpent was more crafty than any of the wild animals the Lord God had made. He said to the woman, “Did God really say, ‘You must not eat from any tree in the garden’?””

At his 1st introd, crafty being seeds doubt toward God’s cmds.

“Did God really say?”

Not outright contradiction, but leaves space for distort God’s words

Leads the humans to question the one prohib. placed on them.

Our enemy has never ceased this endeavor - bc it works!

He makes us see our choices as the best way & even think God’s princip. are harmful!

We try to justify our own actions/choices by weaseling esc. hatch or loophole in God’s perfect law.

Not only that, Enemy tries to get us to question God’s character!

Even if we disagree with His laws or get wrong impres’n of their purp. >>

Wisdom comes from Knowing God

This is prob. most frustrating part about A&E’s fall…

After the couple sins, G comes to check in, paints a pic. of a normal day in Eden:

Genesis 3:8 “Then the man and his wife heard the sound of the LORD God as he was walking in the garden in the cool of the day…”

See, had prob. taken walks at this same time every day; talk w/ YH, got to know Him, heard his heart, gotten instruc. on best ways to pasture animals, cultiv. plants.

EVEN if His rules felt restrictive (serpent), should have KNOWN God’s char bc they hung out with him daily.

We learn who God is by watching those who love Him, reading about Him & speaking with Him.

A good way we decide what the right choice is, even if not spel’d out in script., is by relating God’s priror. or char. to the situation.

When the satan question Eve, she modified his rule:

Genesis 3:2–3 “The woman said to the serpent, “We may eat fruit from the trees in the garden, but God did say, ‘You must not eat fruit from the tree that is in the middle of the garden, and you must not touch it, or you will die.’ ””

The woman made YH out to be even more strict than He said.

How well did she really know God/cmds? Why would she add that ‘touching’ bit in?

Some say she was emph. the serious’ss of the choice, but I think that would have made her stay far away.

Likely, she was already nearby, seeing its beauty from the start.

Eve’s putting words in God’s mouth reveals a knowledge gap.

Not just talking about head knowledge (PART of it), experiencing, understanding God.

See, God’s restriction was NOT the epitome of His char (as displayed in the garden).

God’s first cmd? Gen2: “Eat from every tree in the garden.”

Before that, read of purp for mank: to rule & subdue creation!

God is exceedingly generous - just had to look around!

Also, we given great auth. over His gen’us creation/creatures.

YH has our best interest in mind. Eve should have gotten that out of their prev. interactions!

Gaining Godly wisdom requires trusting & knowing God more. Also >>

Wisdom rejects Self-Reliance

Despite all of the auth. & autonomy given to the humans, NEVER supposed to operate outside of G’s watchful eye.

First couple painted as being infantile, learning, needing guide.

They were to subdue & create life & cultiv. & flourish garden proj — under God’s watchful eye; with His prior. in mind.

So, serpent’s final temptation is significant:

Genesis 3:4–5 ““You will not certainly die,” the serpent said to the woman. “For God knows that when you eat from it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.””

The serpent final blow: the allure of independence! “You can make the rules!”

Deep dwn, all just want to be our own gods, accountable to no one.

We want to be free to do what we want, however we want it, with no consequences or restrictions.

Prob: we tend to choose things that elevate us and hurt or disregard others.

Work for my success/pleas… at expense of some1 else.

Not char. of God

From start, God didn’t create univ. just for himself — didn’t need anything! He created it for the joy of the creatures within!

God made us, His img, to be outward focused, giving, others-seeking.

At creation, isolation was the only thing declared ‘bad’ by God: Genesis 2:18.

Genesis 2:18 “The LORD God said, “It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper suitable for him.””

To know G, underst. His prior. means to share life with others: to love & be loved; to know & be known!

BTW, happens in Godly community, too. Not just restricted to marr. relats!

We NEED God & NEED others who know better; been gifted diff.; see world diff; to fulfill G’s good design for creation.

God’s wisdom comes when we trust Him, know Him, & rely on others

Today, want you to commit: >>

“I Will Choose God’s Way”.

The satan is just as wily today and wants to sidetrack or slow down God’s plan (after all, he knows His ultimate end).

He makes it difficult to choose G’s Way (Jesus’ Way)!

Always whispering in our ear, making foolish or distracting things sound REAL appealing.

We humanity loves to give into His words.

C.S. Lewis - “Screwtape Letters”

How can we discern the difference between God’s voice and the serpent’s lies in our lives?

Know God’s Voice:

View culture & our lives through the lenses of: scripture, The Spirit’s guidance, & Godly counsel in our lives.

The more we read/ study Bible, the better we will understand Him

Important that we trust our Bible bc through only this doc do we underst. G’s char.

& Lifelong process. Won’t get it all on first read-thru!

Speak to God in prayer & be listening for the Spirit’s voice.

The more you pray & honestly seek to hear from Him,

the better you’ll sense His voice speaking or guiding or bringing up areas 4 change

Seek godly counsel from others who know God.

Submit to God's authority by denying self and appealing to His wisdom.

Understand The Consequences :

Genesis 3:23–24 “So the Lord God banished him from the Garden of Eden to work the ground from which he had been taken. After he drove the man out, he placed on the east side of the Garden of Eden cherubim and a flaming sword flashing back and forth to guard the way to the tree of life.”

Read the rest of Gen 3 for more context, but

When we deny/ ignore God’s char & Way, we sever the close relat’p He desires to have with us

The fruit of choosing worldly wisdom: Disappointment, emptiness, and separation from God.

The fruit of choosing God's wisdom: Peace, joy, and eternal life.