Sunday School lesson Genesis 3:1-14

Today we’re looking at what we can say is at least top one of the top 5 most important moments in the history of the world.

Problably #1 Jesus Death/ Ressurection

# 2 His birth

#3 The creation of the world

# 4 And probably #4 would be the fall of mankind

#5 The first time Micheal Jackson moonwalked on stage

There are many theories about Genesis much too many to name, but I would I expect that most of everybody here believes this really happened. This is not a parable, or some poem, but an accurate historical account about some of the earliest days in the history of the world. I say this is one of the most important moments in history because this explains so much about the world that we’re living in.

Why is there so much pain? Why do people go into malls and just shoot up people they don’t even know? Why do we live in a world that still has so much racism? Why is it that as we get older our bodies, break down, we literally decay, and they die? Why does the earthshake, and tsunamis surge the coastline? Why is there famine in the world

This is the inciting incident as it’s call in movies that changes the trajection of our entire world. And the reprecussions we experience moment by moment.

We thank God that he himself came as a man, and died and rose again to reverse the damage down way back in the garden. But until he returns in His full glory our lives our still effected by the repercussions we’re about to look at.

This is why this is so important for us to study even now. What happened to Adam and Eve is still happening to us now, the choices they made are ones we are still choosing even now, and if we’re not alert we can face harsh consequences just as they did then.

Let’s look at the text:

Genesis 3:1-14

Genesis 3:1–13 NIV

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’?” 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.’ ” “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.” When the woman saw that the fruit of the tree was good for food and pleasing to the eye, and also desirable for gaining wisdom, she took some and ate it. She also gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate it. Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they realized they were naked; so they sewed fig leaves together and made coverings for themselves. 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, and they hid from the Lord God among the trees of the garden. But the Lord God called to the man, “Where are you?” He answered, “I heard you in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked; so I hid.” And he said, “Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten from the tree that I commanded you not to eat from?” The man said, “The woman you put here with me—she gave me some fruit from the tree, and I ate it.” Then the Lord God said to the woman, “What is this you have done?” The woman said, “The serpent deceived me, and I ate.”

In verse #1 The word used to describe the serpent comes from the hebrew Arum. It’s one of those words that is also translated cunning, shrewedist, crafty, but also subtle. I like the translation of the subtle because it tells us a lot about our even Satan.

If you waiting for a red man, with horns and pitchfork to show up at your door you’ll never see him coming. Satan is subtle in the way that he works.

Hebrews says some have entertained angels unaware. Well demons are angels too, fallen ones, but angels as well. How many of us have entertained demons unaware?

This isn’t to have you paranoid tonight we it gets dark. But Peter tells us to be alert, But our enemy Satan roams about like a lion looking for whom he can devour.

In this story Satan is licking his chops, ready to devour Adam and Eve, but he doesn’t look like a lion, or anything frightening. We can tell because of the response of Eve. This serpent walks up talking and she answers.

Ladies today, if a serpent came up talking how many of yall how would answer a question?

I know my wife well enough to know that Terra wouldn’t. She’ll hear something in the house and after I discover it was no big deal she’ll say “ I was about to be gone!”

There’s life story my family tells often where my aunt came to visit my grandma’s house it was just her and my infant cousin in the house and she heard something that she thought was a ghost and she ran out the house and left my cousin in his crib. My uncle came back Heated that she’d left there son on the bed but she refused to go back in there until someone went with her.

The point here is that the serpent didn’t come in a way that frighten Eve. And the devil won’t approach you like that.

Look at the way he phrases his question to Eve. Did God really say?

Again here’s an old trick that Satan still uses today. Did God really say? If you don’t know your word well then you won’t know what God really said. And in her response we can see that she didn’t really know what exactly God said on the subject.

Today even the ones that used to seen most obvious are questioned? Did God really say homosexaulity is a sin? Did God really say sex is for only for one man, with one woman in marrriage?

But most of you, at least I hope know what they say about that. But again Satan is subtle and if he know you believe that firmly.

But what did God really say about pride, about boasting in one’s own strength, or accomplishments?

What did God really say about lust? Is it okay if I look, if I don’t touch?

What did God say about having plenty of something, but being consumed with gaining even more possessions?

This one hits close to come for me, What has God said about not being content with your current place in life, about wanting the success that you see others around you have?

These are the subtle ways that if you and I don’t know what God’s word says about it, meditate on it, and then believe it. That you are likely to fallen into the temptation of.

And we can see in her response that she probably knew what God said at one point, but not that well. Had she mediatated on it. And we find find out that when the temptation was in her face she didn’t really believe it.

She leaves out 2 keys parts to God’s commands, and adds her own rule to it.

#1 God said they could freely eat

#2 God said they would certainly die.

Eve, minimizes I believe unintentionally the freedom that God had given them and, minimized the consequences for disobedience.

This is our nature still today, and the goal of our enemy. If we go back to the account of creation of the garden Eden was a pretty great place.

To quote Shirley Caesar they had greens, beans, potatoes, tomoatoes, U NAME IT.... There wasn’t any lamb, ramThey had it all. I know many of us are brisket eaters but this was some spread. They had the hookup. To eat of freely. Which meant as much of as you want.

There are so many things that God has given us to freely enjoy. Through Jesus Christ relationship with him which is truely the sweetest thing possible. We can freely enjoy so much. But we run into danger when we focus on the things we can’t have. Many of us have been given spouses to freely enjoy, Marriages run into trouble when you start focusing on the things that you shouldn’t have.

A second part of this shouldn’t be missed either. She added a rule that God didn’t give them. Religion at times has had this problem