5 Destruction of Perfection

Genesis chapter 3 In today's story is a story that is known. I imagine to everyone virtually everyone the world is probably some understanding of what happens with the fall of Man in Genesis chapter 3 clearly the English-speaking world, it is widely known. Even by those who maybe never read the Bible they at least none the basic outline of a story serpent talks to a woman than a man and they end up getting kicked out of paradise. Today we're going to look a little closer at the story and maybe see some things that a little differently then then we would have before it one of the chief things when we come to the Bible. The primary objective is to try to understand the story as best we can as the original hearers would have heard the story. So in the synagogue or the church or the case of this story maybe Moses is teaching the people out in the desert their hearing the story for the first time in their understanding it from their context. And sometimes we understand their context a little better. we can understand the true meaning of the story. Cuz he I'm not sure that we really crashed the full fullness of the story without looking at at least one area of context. We understand the context and we can apply the lessons of the story to ourselves.

Genesis chapter 3 starting in verse 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. First Look the story the first word that jumps out is we have a serpent and that serpent that was made by God is craftier, wiser in some translations then all the beasts of the field. And then he said that's the serpent said something to the woman starts talkin. Now that is surely should floor us because only twice in the Bible do we have animal like creatures talking what is this serpent talking? And then one time we have a donkey that talks to a prophet Balaam. So it's not normal and I don't want you to come away thinking well did all the animals in the garden talked that clearly is not what is intended by the story. I believe that this Is meant to give us an understanding of who the serpent really is when we think of snakes. We usually think of something like this picture I have here are if you're if you're watching by video green snake. Looks kind of evil kind of scary snakes have become symbolic for for evil in in Western culture, especially. But you know wasn't always like that. In fact in Egyptian culture where Moses and his ancestors were for 400 years. They saw serpents a little differently than we do. Here's a drawing of a serpent that is part of the myth. The religions of Egypt. This is a serpent has four wings.

Or two Wings on each side for it for total for winged serpent. There's other images of serpents in Egyptian religion. And often times are depicted as they are in this graphics. In the center is the god. And around on each side. Are the Serpent's this point they kind of look like cobras, but they're guarding the God. They're the gods army or the gods Guardian their supernatural creatures. They're not regular Serpent's their Supernatural and they are protecting the god. Here's another example of it and that is in this is from a wall in the temple in Karnak and you'll see that there is in the midst of the picture a beetle like creature in a uniform. It's kind of a cylinder kind of oval a very big paper clip like oval and in that is the name of the Pharaoh and then on each side what's guarding the Pharaoh are serpents.

Serpents work. It's seen as the Guardians of the Gods and the Guardians of the pharaoh's curse of the Pharaohs were viewed as living God and I wanted to show you a picture. I couldn't find a non copyrighted. When if you will use your imagination, maybe you recall of the golden mask that was found with King Tut in the middle of his forehead coming out of that golden mask is a golden carving of a serpent protecting the crown of the Pharaoh serpents were seen as Guardians of the Gods. And I think we're supposed to understand here that this serpent that is appearing in Genesis chapter 3 verse 1 is not a normal snake. He's smarter than all the creatures of the field craft and that he talks and that he is a guardian of God or at least he wasn't one time but he was a Kevin Lee creature are at this point maybe even still is

But his actions will see are contrary to god. Let's read that verse again keep going. Now. The serpent was more crafty than any other Beast the field that the Lord has made and the serpent. He said to the woman did God actually say you shall not eat of any tree in the garden and the woman said to the Circuit 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 show you touch it the last you die.

And the Lord God commanded it says in Chapter 2. We actually can find where God says to the man Adam. What are the rules of the garden it's in chapter 2 verse 16 and 17 and the Lord God commanded the man saying you make Shirley 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 will surely die. 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. So the Serpent's lying here is that the woman is kind of first fault. She's been put upon because she can't eat of any of the Trees of the garden but she straightened that out know I can either of what of all of them but this one but didn't disturb and kind of goes why can't you eat at this one? You're not going to die if when you eat of it, you're going to become like God knowing Good and Evil And The Temptations starts that way with the serpent saying you're going to be like God, which is really the route. The bowls and I'm going to stray from the for the text just for a minute. The root of all sin is that we want to be like God it is the Defiance in our hearts that we don't want to conform into the image of God. We want to make our own decisions whatever sent it is that is listed in the Bible not some of those made up since I'll talk about that another lesson, but those things are actually in the Bible when we violate them. We're violating them because we're saying we should be able to decide for ourselves what to do.

The serpent says when you eat of the tree your eyes will be opened and you will be like God and that is what we want to be. We want to be our own Gods. First 6th. 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 desire to make one wise she took of its fruit and ate she also gave some to her husband who was with her and he ate most interesting part of the passage here. She takes the tree. She sees it's good for food. She sees that it looks pretty she sees it is going to make her wise. She eats of it and she handed to her husband is right there who takes it needs it to he hasn't asked any questions. He was the one who actually heard God give the Commandment not to eat from this tree. He knows he's eating from the tree, but he just as following would his wife. is suggesting that he do he takes it and he needs to

Verse seven in the eyes of both were open and they knew that they were naked and they sewed fig leaves together and made themselves loin cloths and interesting. Very interesting phrase used to hear there you recognize their nakedness what they're seeing is not that there. Body, is any different what's happened is? They now. Recognize their guilt and their sin. They are no longer covered by Holiness. They are sinful creatures and they want to cover up.

The private parts, they sew fig leaves together make themselves loincloth around their waist.

The Innocents the Purity the Holiness is gone their eyes have been open and they see. What they become. Sin has consequences. Let's see what the consequences of these sins are now generally you would think that Consequences are only for the man of the woman by will tell you there's consequences for all three characters in the story The Serpent the woman and the man first round 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 among the Trees of the garden, but the Lord got 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 hit myself. First 11. He said who told you that you were naked. Have you eaten of the tree of which I commanded you not to eat. The man said the woman who you gave to be with me. She gave me fruit of the tree and I ate the Lord said to the woman. What is this that you have done? The woman said the serpent deceived me and I ate

the Lord God said the serpent because you have done this curse that are you above all livestock and above all beast of the field on your belly should go and the dust you shall eat all the days of your life. I will put enmity between you and the woman in between your Offspring and her Offspring. He shall bruise your head and you shall bruise his heel. Here is I think really destroy that clearly defines the fall of Satan. We don't really have a clear story in the Bible of the fall of Satan. I think there's no doubt that this is he has destroyed God's creation by his temptation of Adam and Eve and he's been lowered from his lofty position as a throne Guardian to an animal that's going to crawl on his belly now Satan. I think we were talking about some symbology here. He is Ben from His Highest 8. He is sung to a very low one. And it said the first 15 that got going to put in to see between the woman and her offspring.

And her Offspring will bruise the head of The Serpent and the head and the serpent will bruise his heel Nessun translation says that the offspring of this woman will crush the Serpent's head and he will bruise his heel. We understand this passage very is very unique situation in the writings of Moses in that it talks about austreng coming from a woman. Normally we think of Offspring coming from a man. We don't hear phrases about for example, Rebecca's children, their Isaac's children the sons of Abraham sons of Isaac Jacob not the wisdom of the women we know but they're not seen as exclusive The Offspring from them and that's partially because of the way the Bible is seized at the role of sexuality at this time. It's really predominantly the man who is the progenitor of Offspring but here it's talking about there's going to be a woman who has Offspring and that woman Offspring is going to crush or bruised the head of the snake many of us. See, this is the first prophecy about the coming of Jesus Christ. A prophecy that says God's Got A Plan even the midst of the sin and the situation with the state and has destroyed the creation to redeem the creation to destroy Satan and to bring everything back into its right balance. First $0.16 I will surely multiply your pain and childbearing and pain you shall bring forth children your desire shall be contrary to your husband, but he shall rule over you. So we have the punishment for the women woman and therefore in a sentence for all women afterwards is this pain in childbirth and her desires for husband seemed to be contrary to her husband's desires is eternal struggle in the family, but that the man is the ruler over the woman that's not how we were created and Adam and Eve was created Eve came from the rib from the side of man to walk with him and decided to be as hell but sin is destroyed that it is destroyed the purity of what was desired in the garden. And it had to be said because you have listened to the voice of your wife and of eating of the tree of which I commanded you you shall not eat of it curse. It is the ground because of you in pain. You should eat of it all the days of your life thorns and thistles it shall bring forth for you and you shall eat other plants of the fields by the sweat of your face. You shall eat bread till you return to the ground for outer that you were taken for your dust and to dust you shall return here. We see that man is really harshly spoken to when we see that he listened to the voice of his wife instead of listening to the voice of God. And when he did that he did send. The consequences is that he's going to work all those days of his life just to survive that the Earth that in the Garden of Eden was so lost and so food everywhere in food everywhere. There's no limit to know needs and everything was perfect has been totally destroyed for him. Now. He's going to have to just work it till he died just for bread and when he dies, he will return to the dust and that wasn't God's original plan Adam and Eve were to live forever. They're eating that fruit from the tree of life and they would never die. But now because of the consequence of sin death has come in to their lives. The man called his wife's name is e because she was the mother of all living and the Lord God Made For Adam and for his wife garments of skins and close them. Then the Lord God said behold the man has become like one of us and knowing good and evil now. Let's see reach out his hand and take also the tree of life and eat and live forever. Therefore the Lord God sent him out from the Garden of Eden to work the ground from which he was taken. He drove out the man and at the east of the Garden of Eden he placed the cherubim with a flaming sword that turned every way to guard the way to the tree of life. So the tree of life is a cherubim. This is another Angelic beings. You got to understand the first readers understood. The world in a different way than we did probably I would say the right way. They saw that God had a whole Army of Heavenly Creatures and this particular one a chair event, which is over 90 x a cheer events are referred to in the Old Testament another guardian of God on part of his army. They are pictured especially on the top of the Ark of the Covenant with 10-foot tall when they are seen as these characters that guard protects until one is placed here to guard the way to the tree of life so that Adam and Eve not return and eat at the free of life because if they did they would live forever in their sins and there be no hope This is a story that is in many ways. Very depressing because we we lead eating. We have received the knowledge of evil and we as human beings are living with the consequences even to this day as we struggle and fight for this took man out of the paradise where they would be no sickness and no sorrow and placed him in a world where there is sickness disease death war pestilence racism all kinds of evil.

It all started because we want to be our own God. you will be like God serpent said and Eve and Adam took it.

The truth is the solution for the Garden of Eden scene for they're getting kicked out of paradise is Jesus Christ who will come is in the story died on the cross his sins takes away.

The curse and then when he comes the second time and we enter into the fullness of his kingdom. There is a new Heaven and a new Earth of the first heaven in the first Earth will pass away.

And the City of God the Throne of God is with men. There is a new tree of life New River of Life. Then they'll be no more sorrow, they'll be no more pain. They'll be no more sickness. They'll be no more cancer. They'll be no more hate. They'll be no more crying. They'll be eternal love. We return to the garden. The story is depressing but it also gives us great. Hope to know there is a going to be a new garden and that we will go there someday. I want to thank you for listening to the podcast and I ask that you consider subscribing on your favorite podcast catcher. If it's Apple podcast, Google Podcast, Spotify, iHeartRadio. You can find the Talking about the Bible Podcast in all of these and virtually all podcast apps. Also you could check out our website RevBobWood.com or at our Youtube page youtube.com/revbobwood I hope you enjoyed the Bible study and I would love to hear from you. You can write me at my email bob@revbobwood.com