Creation and new Creation
Notes
Transcript
7-year-old, Jessica, is a deep thinker when it comes to theological questions. Recently she was discussing with her Mum why bad things happen sometimes, so they re-read the story of Adam and Eve and how sin came into the world.
Later that week, Jessica was ill and had to stay home from school. Feeling miserable, she said to her Mum: "If only Adam and Even hadn't eaten the fruit, I wouldn't be sick."
Before her Mum could answer, she added: "Of course, if they didn't eat it, we'd be sitting here naked."
Genesis Chapters 1-3
Genesis Chapters 1-3
Well, I’m not sure how you are feeling as we come to the last of our series on Genesis chapters 1 to 3, but I hope that you have gained some new insights into this book of beginnings.
We set out on the 7th of February to explore the first 3 chapters of our Scriptures and today brings that journey to a close - for now at least.
It was Simon who first encouraged us to consider the Indescribable and awesome Creator God, that would set the scene for future weeks with those four words “In the beginning...God”. Four words that would set the context for all that followed.
As we continued, Sharley would help us explore the purpose of God in creating the earth and all that resided in it. That in creating humanity, God also gave us responsibilities.
We would see in week 3 how God created, conformed and commissioned Adam as we opened up the second creation narrative and considered things from a different perspective.
Darren would focus on God’s provision, particularly as we considered how God recognised how it was ‘not good’ for man to be alone.
But as we entered March, we started to reflect on how something was wrong in the garden and how sin entered God’s good creation, how God would temper His response with Grace and how Adam and Eve’s sin would lead to curses and blessings.
In our final instalment we bring chapter 3 to a close on this Sunday before Easter - the Sunday which can have one of two focuses. We often choose the Palm Sunday, but this Sunday it is the Passion of Christ that creates our focus, as we listen in to God’s concluding words to the man and woman and how the narrative of humanity’s fall comes to it’s climax.
Today we’re going to break down the text into three short sections:
1. God’s judgement on Adam
++2. The naming of Eve
++3. Adam and Eve are cast out with no way back
God’s judgement on Adam
God’s judgement on Adam
So let’s pick up our text from verse 17 and see if we can notice a couple of things together.
First, God clearly says that what follows is because of Adam’s disobedience.
Second, like Eve before him, do you notice that it’s not Adam that’s cursed - there’s no doubt that God passes judgement and Adam must face certain consequences.
But it’s the ground that is cursed, as the serpent was when God also addressed Eve earlier.
This might seem insignificant, but as with all parts of scripture it’s helpful to consider why this account has been recorded and preserved here.
Of course, originally, the account would have been told in oral form, a part of history that was passed through the generations. We need to remember that God’s people would have read back over their history searching for meaning and understanding - God’s people we know would undergo much suffering and suffering leads to a loss of hope.
All that follows the fall of humanity is dotted with fragments of hope, within judgement you will always find glimmers of God’s grace and the fact that man and woman are not cursed is significant as it means that hope is still available to them.
No matter what may befall them, no matter what may come next - they are not the cursed of God.
Instead, the consequence of disobedience is that they would no longer have access to an abundance of fruit - instead the ground on which they would need to survive would produce thorns and thistles - Adam would need to live by the sweat of his brow and .... there is an end decreed.
Not an end that brings release - but disaster. The total dissolution of man - death itself, which would see him go back to the ground from which he came.
We are meant to notice the huge contrast from Genesis 1 & 2 to Genesis 3. God’s people Israel, as they recalled the events in the garden, would feel the awful disaster that has taken place.
Then, as if from nowhere we read Genesis 3:20
20 Adam named his wife Eve, because she would become the mother of all the living.
The naming of Eve
The naming of Eve
Notice that this is Adam’s name for his wife - not God’s.
No where in fact will you find God calling woman Eve.
She’s referred to as female (1:27), a helper (2:18), woman (2:22,23) and wife (2:24,25; 3.8); all generic terms - not by a name.
Why is that and... why here, why now?
It’s important to say that in reading that Adam gave her a name - we might better say that he gives her a title. As a title Eve literally means ‘life’, but ‘mother’ also works well because of what this title refers to.
It’s really interesting when you consider a couple of things - We read in Genesis 4 that Adam and Eve conceive their first child after they are banished from the garden - so at this point Eve hasn’t conceived Cain, he might not even be, a twinkle in his mother’s eye.
Remember just five verses earlier Adam has heard the judgement of God against Satan.
15 And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and hers; he will crush your head, and you will strike his heel.”
God had said that the punishment for sin was death and yet here, in what some call the protevangelium, or first gospel, there is hope of an offspring that would come in the future.
Again - we see glimmers of hope and also faith on Adam’s part as he names Eve in anticipation of what is to come.
So in spite of the pain of childbirth, God’s blessing of procreation would remain. Birth pangs are both a reminder of the consequences of Adam and Eve’s disobedience, but also a sign of God’s grace - I know, don’t try telling that to a woman in the throws of labour! But at one level, it’s true!
And then the final blow comes...
Adam & Eve cast out - no way back
Adam & Eve cast out - no way back
What can we say about this final judgement from verses 22 to the end of chapter 3?
Well a few things.
It provides a stark reminder that:
++1. Sin keeps us from life.
++2. Sin keeps us from God.
I wonder as I read this if Adam and Eve really understood the significance of their banishment at this point?
I wonder if they had really thought through the implications of being prevented from taking from the tree of life? Cut off from the source of life - God Himself?
As American Author Irving Kristol writes:
“Being frustrated is disagreeable, but often the real disasters of life begin when you get what you want."
Perhaps you too have gone after something, only to look back and ask the question - “was it worth it?”
Of course, as we sit here today on the eve of Holy Week - we know that Genesis chapter 3:24 is not the end of the matter.
We are about to embark of an intense week of reflection as we consider again the journey of Jesus to the cross of Calvary.
As the apostle Paul highlights in his letter to the Romans
12 Therefore, just as sin entered the world through one man, and death through sin, and in this way death came to all men, because all sinned—
18 Consequently, just as the result of one trespass was condemnation for all men, so also the result of one act of righteousness was justification that brings life for all men.
Whilst we reflect on God’s mercy towards Adam and Eve, the greatest act of mercy is seen in God the Son taking the full curse of punishment for sin on Himself.
That’s why God doesn’t curse Adam and Eve - for He knew that the curse required for their sin would have to be borne by His perfect Son, the second Adam, Jesus.
If sin brought pain in childbirth - can it be compared to the pain that Jesus endured in order that He might bring the children of God to glory?
If sin brought conflict - can it be compared to the conflict Jesus would endure for our salvation?
It’s interesting that thorns came as the consequence of sin and yet it would be thorns that would crown the head of our King of Kings.
2 The soldiers twisted together a crown of thorns and put it on his head. They clothed him in a purple robe
Sweat too gets a mention in Genesis 3 - we read in Luke’s account that Jesus’ would sweat drops of blood.
44 And being in anguish, he prayed more earnestly, and his sweat was like drops of blood falling to the ground.
Sin would surely bring Adam and Eve sorrow, yet Jesus would take on the ultimate title of the man of sorrows.
3 He was despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows, and familiar with suffering. Like one from whom men hide their faces he was despised, and we esteemed him not.
And though death entered the world through sin, Jesus would taste death for everyone once and for all.
9 But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels, now crowned with glory and honour because he suffered death, so that by the grace of God he might taste death for everyone.
Friends, Jesus took the curse upon himself, that should have rightfully been placed squarely on Adam and Eve.
13 Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us, for it is written: “Cursed is everyone who is hung on a tree.”
He became a curse, so that we might be set free to live to God through Him.
And He did this despite His equality with God - In Paul’s letter to the Philippians we read that Jesus would journey from the highest position in the universe down to His death on the cross - there is a significance to the coming week that perhaps we miss in our rush to Easter Sunday.
Did you know 2/5ths of Matthew’s gospel is taken up with Jesus’ final week in Jerusalem. Mark devotes 3/5ths to it, Luke 1/3rd, John almost 1/2.
And it has to be said that the cross casts a shadow over Jesus’ life well before the gospels get to the text that covers His final week.
He died to remove the effects of sin and to satisfy the justice of a holy God, but he also died to reveal God’s love for you and for me.
Friends, God’s love is not blind. It is a love that sees things as they are and yet it is a love that moves forward, to put right that which has gone wrong.
Brothers and sisters, does that truth amaze you? (Pause)
Can I encourage us all in the week ahead to look to the cross and marvel once again at the extent of God’s love. If you aren’t using the Radical Reconciler as part of your Lent devotions, why not consider joining us for Morning Prayer on Teams - speak to Darren or Iain to find out how you can do that.
You may wish to pick up a gospel - Mark is a short and punchy one - read again the full extent of Jesus life and ministry that leads to His death and resurrection.
Perhaps you are uncertain of salvation - can I encourage you to look to the cross and find there all that God in Christ has done to free us from sin and death once and for all.
If you are discouraged, look to the cross an see their the height and depth of God’s love for you.
If you are apart from Jesus and do not yet believe, look to the cross and find there one who has died to remove your sin and the demands of God’s justice forever.
Don’t leave things this Easter as just another week of reflection. Whether we have accepted God’s free gift of grace or not - we often don’t fully embrace all that means for us.
May we look to the grace of God - for our eternal future with God
and may that same grace move us to give our whole lives to the One who gives life and life in all its fullness.