Awana Lesson 8

Hamartiology Lesson 8: Sin’s Origin

Genesis 3:6 “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.”

What is the worst thing that has ever happened in the history of the whole world?

New section of Theology, hamartiology. Greek work hamartia which is a generic word for sin in the New Testament. Hamartiology is the study of sin.

Why would we want to study sin?

One of the biggest things we need to know in order to be saved, is that we are all sinners. It says in Romans that everyone is a sinner.

Romans 3:10–12 “as it is written: “None is righteous, no, not one; no one understands; no one seeks for God. All have turned aside; together they have become worthless; no one does good, not even one.””

If we do not know that we are sinners, then how can we know that we need someone to save us?

God created all things very good and without any errors and without sin.

Genesis 1:31 “And God saw everything that he had made, and behold, it was very good. And there was evening and there was morning, the sixth day.”

When God created the whole universe everything was perfect and there was no death.

God gave everything to Adam and Eve that they needed all of the trees and plants were there and grew easily and were good to eat.

They were vegetarians

God also gave Adam and Eve jobs and things to do

Adam’s Job:

Tend the garden

Have dominion over all of creation

Be the leader of his family

Eve’s job

Be a helper to Adam

Submit to Adam’s leadership

God also gave one command, one rule for Adam and Eve to follow

Do not eat of the fruit from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil

If they did there was a punishment

Death, Genesis 2:17 “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.””

God didn’t say maybe or they could die, He said that they shall surely die.

The one thing that God told them not to do they did

Genesis 3:1 “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’?””

We do not know what this serpent looked like before the God cursed it but it probably had legs, could have even had wings.

But this serpent wasn’t just a normal serpent, this was Satan in disguise. We know this for certain as John tells us this in the Book of Revelation. Revelation 12:9 “And the great dragon was thrown down, that ancient serpent, who is called the devil and Satan, the deceiver of the whole world—he was thrown down to the earth, and his angels were thrown down with him.”

The devil, when he was trying to get Eve to do something wrong, or sin, started out by questioning what God said, or he made it sound like God was lying. What did he say? Did God actually say...

If you heard a snake taking to you, would you have a conversation with it? Eve should have known better from the first words out of the snakes mouth and turned and left when she heard the snake question God.

But she did not run away she answered the snake: Genesis 3:2–3 “And the woman said to the serpent, “We may eat of the fruit of the trees in the garden, 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.’ ””

At least what she said back to the snake was true and is what God said, that they were not to eat of the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, and if they did they would die.

Then the snake, the devil, again says that God is lying to them and that He doesn’t want Adam and Eve to be like God. Genesis 3:4–5 “But the serpent said to the woman, “You will not surely die. 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 twice tells Eve that God is a lier and also tells her that God is selfish and does not want them to be like Himself.

So Eve listens to the devil, and is fooled by his lies, instead of obeying what God has said, Genesis 3:6 “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.”

So Eve ate of the fruit and sinned, so why does the bible always say that we have sinned through Adam if it was Eve that was deceived and did what God had said not to?

What was one of Adam’s jobs that God had given him? He was to be the head, or leader of the family right? Adam was there with Eve, if he was right there with her and heard what the devil was saying why didn’t he rebuke, or correct the snake when it said that God was lying and selfish for keeping the fruit away from them? If we was not right there with Eve but just near, then why didn’t Adam rebuke Eve and correct her when she gave him the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil?

It was Adam’s job to protect and lead Eve, but he ate of the fruit willingly, there was no deception on Adam’s part. That is why all of the human race fell through Adam and their sin.

This is the origin of sin, this is how sin entered into all of creation.

As soon as they ate the fruit, they both knew that they had sinned. Genesis 3:7 “Then the eyes of both were opened, and they knew that they were naked. And they sewed fig leaves together and made themselves loincloths.”

They also now wanted to hide from God instead of going to him and wanting to be with God. Genesis 3:8 “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.” If they haven’t done anything wrong, then why did they want to hide from God? They did because they knew that they had sinned. Genesis 3:9–10 “But the Lord God called to the man and said to him, “Where are you?” And he said, “I heard the sound of you in the garden, and I was afraid, because I was naked, and I hid myself.””

God was not surprised that they had sinned. But He gave them a chance to confess.

Genesis 3:11 “He said, “Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten of the tree of which I commanded you not to eat?””

Adam blamed Eve and God, Genesis 3:12 “The man said, “The woman whom you gave to be with me, she gave me fruit of the tree, and I ate.””

Eve blamed the serpent Genesis 3:13 “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.””

Who did they not blame for doing what God told them not to do? They did not blame themselves.