Genesis 3:1-9: Crisis in Paradise

Introduction

We’ve learned a lot from music over the years.

NKOTB taught us to hang tough.

Milli Vanilli taught us to blame it on the rain because the rain doesn’t care.

Cyndi Lauper taught us that girls just wanna have fun.

Madonna taught us that it’s ok to be a material girl in a material world.

Lady Gaga tried to teach us something about God in “Born this Way.”

“I’m beautiful in my way ‘cause God makes no mistakes. I’m on the right track baby. Don’t hide yourself in regret. Just love yourself and you’re set. I’m on the right track baby. I was born this way.”

Some truth in song - God doesn’t make any mistakes. He has made all of us in His image. God makes no mistakes, but we do. We have all rebelled against God. Lady Gaga teaches us to celebrate who we are - don’t regret your mistakes, your choices, etc. Embrace the way you were born! BUT, the Bible teaches us something completely different. Mourn your sinful choices and repent of them, don’t embrace them.

Genesis 3 - fundamental to understanding the rest of the Bible. One theologian said you can divide the Bible into two parts: Gen. 1-3 and the rest of the Bible.

Genesis 3 = 1. Why our lives seem so hopeless AND 2. Why are lives can be so hopeful.

Genesis 3 = Humanity’s rebellion against God, and God’s amazing plan of rescue.

This morning, part 1 of Genesis 3 - first seven verses answer a fundamental question, why do we sin? Why do we rebel against a good God?

Even if you are not a follower of Jesus, you know you know this world is not right. Gen. 3 explains why. You know that you feel shame and guilt. Gen. 3 explains why: sin.

Three reasons why we fall into sin.

We sin because we fail to trust God’s Word.

God’s Word dominates Gen. 1-2. God creates by His Word, and it is good. Gen. 2 - God speaks to Adam and gives a command: do not eat from tree of knowledge of good and evil, if you do you will die (Gen. 2:17).

In the garden are two trees - one brings life, one brings death.

Question: Will Adam and Eve trust that God’s word is good? Will Adam and Eve trust that God is their good King, or will they reject His Kingship?

Talking snake in garden! Moses doesn’t answer how a snake talks? (See Rev. 20:2). A snake possessed by Satan?

Moses doesn’t answer where Satan came from, or how Satan got into the garden. Satan a great angelic being created by God who rebelled against God and was cast out of heaven (Rev. 12:7-9, Is. 13:12-14, Ez. 28:12-18).

In the garden, all is good. Adam and Eve are naked and unashamed. But, a crafty serpent enters the garden and questions Eve.

Satan: “Did God really say you can’t eat from ANY tree in the garden?” (3:1) Or, “God is SOOO restrictive. God is not fair...” Not what God had said, but plants doubt in Eve’s mind.

Satan doesn’t speak of God with God’s covenant name. Doesn’t want Eve to think about a personal God (2:1).

Eve catches the enemy’s lie. “We can eat of all but one.” But, then Eve says, “We must not eat it or touch it.” God gave one command. Don’t eat the fruit. He didn’t say anything about touching the tree.

Maybe Eve is beginning to think God’s command is unreasonable.

The enemy moves in for the kill. Eve: If we eat, we will die. (God said, “You will certainly die 2:17). The enemy: You will not certainly die. Satan: You can’t trust God. Trust me.

Satan tells Eve what she wants to hear: no consequence for disobedience. And, in a sense, Satan was right. Adam and Eve would not die instantly once they ate from the tree. Physical death would come years later, but spiritual death, would come immediately. Immediately upon eating from the tree, everything changed. Immediately, they would be subject to the judgment of God.

A lie, but enemy causing Eve to doubt. The enemy: “You can’t believe God. Come on. He won’t punish you like that. Isn’t He a loving God? How could a loving God sentence you to death for eating fruit from a beautiful tree?”

Much like us… “Come on… Do you really believe in hell? Do you really believe God will punish sinners? Isn’t God full of love? A good and loving God can’t do something like that. Or, a good God wouldn’t let people suffer.”

Remember Gen. 1? Gen. 1 screams, “Take God’s Word seriously!” Yet we fail to trust God’s Word.

Instead:

We neglect God’s Word. (How many of us have actually read through it? You’ll stand before God and realize you never actually read His Word.)

We attempt to reshape God’s Word. (This is what it means to me. Or, It’s outdated. Culture has changed so much, how can it apply today?)

We dismiss the authority of God’s Word. (Is it good advice, opinions, suggestions, etc. or is it God’s authoritative Word that we must listen to and obey?)

We minimize the consequences of disobeying God’s Word. Everyone sins. No big deal.

The result of any of these will always be rebellion against God.

Your sin demonstrates that you don’t believe God is who He says He is. Your sin is an affront to God’s character.

Who’s word has the most influence in your life? You’re going to listen to the voice of someone, are you listening to the voice of the One who holds life in His hands?

Karate with Tiny Tigers - misunderstanding - you’re sin is not a result of misunderstanding God’s Word but a failure to trust.

We sin because we fail to believe that God is good.

Everything in Gen. 1-2 points to the goodness of God. “It is good” 7 times in Gen. 1. Good life in Eden - good provision, good work, good partnership.

The enemy: “God isn’t that good. He knows that when you eat you will be like God...”

Enemy: “God is holding out on you. He has you caged in this garden. He’s restrictive. He wants you to submit to His restrictive rules. BUT… you don’t have to. You can be the god of your own life. You can have freedom from His rules. God is love? Love doesn’t restricts and limit. Love sets free. Just eat and be free.”

Enemy tells Eve what she will gain by eating, but he doesn’t tell her what she will lose - her life!

When you sin, you think about what you will gain, not lose - you don’t think about the cost of sin.

The enemy paints a picture of God that many believe: Christianity is all about rules. It’s restrictive. Or, if God was good, you wouldn’t suffer. If He was good, your marriage wouldn’t be so hard. Your body wouldn’t be stricken with cancer. Your kids wouldn’t rebel. You wouldn’t struggle so much in school. If God was good and He really loved you, your life would be easier.

Enemy: God has given you commands to restrict your freedom. Truth: God has given commands to protect your freedom.

Before sin Adam and Eve free from worry, fear, need, sin, consequences of sin.

God is a good and loving Father, and a good and loving Father:

Establishes a relationship with His children (LORD God).

Establishes boundaries for His children (because He wants the best for His children.)

Makes great sacrifices for His children (covers their shame with animal clothes - ultimately the cross.)

Shrimp tales in Cinnamon Toast Crunch… Making cereal for years - they can’t always get it right… BUT God can and does… He always does what is good and right in your life. https://www.huffpost.com/entry/cinnamon-toast-crunch-shrimp-tail-claim_n_605a3e8cc5b6cebf58d283fd

It’s not that God isn’t good - it’s that we aren’t good. We are rebellious children who:

Take the blessings of the Father for granted.

Don’t want boundaries. (I am the master of my own life. Who are you to tell me what to do?)

Are easily swayed by unloving influencers. (Culture, media, unbelieving friends and family members, etc. that don’t have your best interest at heart.)

We sin because we fail to live by God’s design.

The temptation was too great… The tree was good for food (but so were the others.) The tree was beautiful, and what it offered was desirable. She took and she ate.

Where’s Adam? With her… He took. He ate. He didn’t try to stop Eve. Adam sinned by eating the fruit, but Adam also sinned by not stepping in and stopping his wife.

vs. 7 - In that moment everything changed.

Vs. 9, “God called out to the man...” Adam held responsible. Romans 5:12: Sin entered through one man: Adam’s transgression.

Adam knew the truth. He was the one who received the command from God, yet he did nothing to protect his wife from the enemy. He was silent. He joined Eve in her sin.

God’s design: accountable relationships: marriage, family, the church. In the garden: Adam and Eve a help to each other. BUT Eve doesn’t help Adam. She listens to the voice of the enemy and offers Adam the forbidden fruit. Adam doesn’t help Eve. He does nothing to stop the fall.

To husbands/fathers: Your marriage is struggling. Your family is struggling, and you are standing by watching instead of stepping in and leading out spiritually. Three questions:

Men, are your spiritually present? Many are spiritually absent. Your kids have never heard you pray. Never seen you read the Bible. Some of you aren’t physically present. Some, physically, but not spiritually. You care more about your child’s athletic achievements than their spiritual growth. You ride them when they miss a ground ball, but don’t encourage them to know Jesus. But, are you spiritually present in your home?

Men, are you spiritually aware? Of your own spiritual condition? Of the spiritual condition of your wife and children? Do you know their struggles? Do you know how to pray for them?

Men, are your speaking truth in your home? Praying with your wife? Praying with your kids? Opening up the Bible and reading it to them? Looking for teachable moments to instruct your kids in things of God. Reality: You are the BIGGEST spiritual influence on your wife and kids. The way you walk with God will either frustrate your wife or bless her. The way you walk with the Lord will shape your kids’ future.

Eve’s sin was not Adam’s fault, but Adam was responsible to be Eve’s help. Your wife’s sin, your kids rebellion is not your fault. They are accountable to God, but you are responsible to help them in their spiritual growth. God has made you the spiritual leader of the home.

Your home may be in spiritual turmoil because you refuse to live by God’s design - taking responsibility for the growth of your family.

Gen. 3 is a tragic story of crisis in the garden. It’s a story of our failure to obey the command of a good and loving God.

BUT… vs. 7 is not the end of the story… There’s grace… (rest of ch. 3) Grace in Gen. 3 that eventually leads to another garden… Garden of Gethsemane.

Garden of Gethsemane - Jesus wrestling with the Word of God. In garden of Eden - Adam and Eve said “yes” to a tree that they thought would give them life but instead that tree brought death to us all.

Adam and Eve said “yes” to a tree and “no” to God. Jesus said “yes” to God by going to a tree of death. Jesus does what Adam doesn’t do - He takes responsibility for the people He loves by going to a cross to die for sinful people.

In the garden of Eden eating of a tree brought death. In Garden of Gethsemane, Jesus wrestled with going to another tree of death. The cross… a tree… A tree of death. (Gal. 3:13-14, Deuteronomy 21:22-23).

On the cross, Jesus experienced death - our death. He experienced the punishment we deserve because of our rebellion. The cross - a tree of death - crucifixion, wrath of God - yet - when we look at the cross, we see a tree of life. The cross is our tree of life!

At the cross Jesus took our death, and three days later, He walked out of the grave defeating death for us.

Grace in the garden! Marvelous grace!

This morning, be honest about your sin, and be honest about your need for a Savior. Give your life to Him.