Hope in the Fall

Introduction

Leading up to Christmas I was thinking about those events and then got to thinking what made Christmas and everything that follows necessary. What caused the need for Jesus and was there another way. Most of us here will have a list coming to mind of the events that showed the need. So the next few weeks leading up to advent I thought we would look and the fall of man and the promises of redemption by God . So where to start the beginning seemed the best place. Today we will look at Gen 3 known as the fall. We will look at three aspects the temptation of Adam and Eve and look at how they relate today. The fall or first sin and finally the promise for redemption although its almost a sci over in this chapter and more obvious in passages to come it is there and why this is significant still today

Point 1 The Temptation

So today's scripture starts out by introducing us to crafty creature created by God

I want ted to point that out as it seems significant to remember the serpent was created by God on the 6th day - and it was good and pleasing to Lord

However this word crafty is an interesting one - Some scholars think it is saying that the creature could manipulate things to his will. Others think is it is closely linked to the word prudent as used in proverbs. So this word has a good and bad side

We then go on to discover that the snake could talk - crazy right

Now I always understood that the serpent was the Devil himself

Now I am not saying it wasn’t and references made by new testament authors seem to confirm this.

Match this with the Idea that the Hebrew word used here could relate to - divination or Bronze or copper - which leads to the thought that the word serpent could point to the idea of something that shines luminously - which could relate to what Paul said in 2 Cor 11:14 “Satan himself masquerades as an angel of light” there are some other thoughts connecting him to Satan.

These are some thoughts but what the serpent was we may not know for sure but however we do know it is the instrument of the first temptation .

Back to scripture - This serpent can talk what is stranger to me is that Eve doesn’t even seem to flinch.

Reading through this it was the wording the Serpent used that interested me the most

English Standard Version Chapter 3

He said to the woman, “Did God actually say, ‘You shall not eat of any tree in the garden’?” 2 And the woman said to the serpent, “We may eat of the fruit of the trees in the garden, 3 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.’ ” 4 But the serpent said to the woman, “You will not surely die. 5 For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.”

Here we see the temptation be presented questioning God did he really say that - Like Gods word is subject to our Judgement -

and then challenging what he said and undermining and contradicting Him him and tempting them with equality with God playing into FOMO

Genesis: An Introduction and Commentary Man’s Fall and Expulsion (3:1–24)

So the tempter pits his bare assertion against the word and works of God, presenting divine love as envy, service as servility, and a suicidal plunge as a leap into life, ‘All these things will I give thee …’; the pattern repeats in Christ’s temptations, and in ours

The temptations of today are no different, they have question if God says they are really bad for us - Note the first thing we deny when giving into temptation is Judgement as did Adam and Eve

They have us wanting more than we are, while downplaying the consequences

As we move through scripture Adam and Eve give in to temptation

Williams, W. G. (1999). Genesis: A Commentary for Bible Students (p. 61). Indianapolis, IN: Wesleyan Publishing House.

Point 2 - The first Sin

English Standard Version Chapter 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. 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.

Now that There eyes had been opened to the possibilty of eating this fruit they saw it was Good for Food

So up until now they had payed no real attention to it

Interestingly it the fruit of this tree was not without appeal - God allows the forbidden its full appeal - he does not hide the appeal giving us the full opportunity to choose

Eve listened to the creature not the creator - created

Genesis: An Introduction and Commentary Man’s Fall and Expulsion (3:1–24)

as the woman had been, instead of leading; a curious way to achieve divinity. The man and the woman have been sold a false idea of evil, as something beyond good; of wisdom, as sophistication; and now of greatness, as greed.

Often we talk when looking at this series of events we land at Eve to be the first tempted but it is interesting note that Adam was their the whole time - he could have been the voice of reason - He knew God longer than Eve - he heard the commandment with his own ears he could of corrected Eve when she overstated Gods words

But instead he went right along with it

English Standard Version Chapter 3

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. 9 But the LORD God called to the man and said to him, “Where are you?” 10 And he said, “I heard the sound of you in the garden, and I was afraid, because I was naked, and I hid myself.” 11 He said, “Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten of the tree of which I commanded you not to eat?” 12 The man said, “The woman whom you gave to be with me, she gave me fruit of the tree, and I ate.” 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.”

I love how this next part plays out

First God plays oblivious

Then Adam rather than owning up to his role and choices throws Eve under the bus

Then Eve follows suit and throws the serpent under the bus

Note the serpent did speak its work was done

We do this don’t we - picture of excuses made - we often use the idea of following others to justify our bad choices rather than owning up to it

We need to think for our selves when temptations come - listen to voice of truth if we feel we are justifying the decision before we make it maybe we should hesitate on following through

Use our Judgement

Then the consequences come

Point 3 Consequences and Hope in the fall

So as we come to consequences of Adam and Eves actions we can note a few things I will come back to the judgement of the serpent and look briefly at the consequences of the fall for man

They can be summed up easily

Shame, fear, self-excusing punishment and exclusion from the original paradise

English Standard Version Chapter 3

To the woman he said,

“I will surely multiply your pain in childbearing;

in pain you shall bring forth children.

Your desire shall be contrary to your husband,

but he shall rule over you.”

17 And to Adam he said,

“Because you have listened to the voice of your wife

and have eaten of the tree

of which I commanded you,

‘You shall not eat of it,’

cursed is the ground because of you;

in pain you shall eat of it all the days of your life;

18  thorns and thistles it shall bring forth for you;

and you shall eat the plants of the field.

19  By the sweat of your face

you shall eat bread,

till you return to the ground,

for out of it you were taken;

for you are dust,

and to dust you shall return.”

So they would now feel go through suffering, nothing would come easy anymore

And they would now die - this why they were to leave the Garden in the garden they would of been able to live forever - the tree of life

Now they had knowledge of Good and evil they could no longer live forever

I said hope right but where is the hope in this

English Standard Version Chapter 3

The LORD God said to the serpent,

“Because you have done this,

cursed are you above all livestock

and above all beasts of the field;

on your belly you shall go,

and dust you shall eat

all the days of your life.

15  I will put enmity between you and the woman,

and between your offspring and her offspring;

he shall bruise your head,

and you shall bruise his heel.”

We see an eluding to the Gospel - At this point is is not telling us of our redemption

Instead it is telling the voice behind the Serpent - The deceitful one who we do not learn who he fully is until the new testament

Note God did not reveal the full extent of Satan the OT is reserved in presenting a personal author of evil until he revealed his redeemer

This judgement of the serpent is in fact the Judgement of Satin himself

Christ declared war and then he did fact bruise and crush his head

We can find hope through our sorrow and pain

From the fall God had a plain to bring us back to him

Although he did reveal to us directly here we can see that he always intended to defeat Satin

The Conclusion

We need to be aware of our temptations rather than justifying our actions and desires for superiority -we need to need to be careful to not elevate the power of man instead use our Judgement compare the temptation to what the creator says for us to do

We need to be aware that we are sinful by nature- and this means we need to be more mindful of the choices we make - and not be like Adam and Eve but own our short comings not blame others - it was our choice

Finally all though we live with pain and suffering and very nature is corrupt we find hope that God has conquered the corrupter. Although Adam and Eve condemmed us to death - Through Christ God gave us life we lost access to the first Eden but Gained access to new

So as we close today take to look at the temptations in your life - lay they at Gods feet and ask God to help you to use your judgement and decerment to resist these temptations to resist the inclination to sin and instead draw on the Hope and strength he provides