01-17 The Fall of Man

Genesis 3:1-7

To open our Bibles this morning is truly one of the great treasures and blessings we are afforded. This is God’s Word...

It is Truthful and requires great diligence and care in our study of it:

Encyclopedia of 7700 Illustrations 400 Martin Luther’s Method

Martin Luther said, “I study my Bible as I gather apples. First, I shake the whole tree that the ripest might fall. Then I shake each limb, and when I have shaken each limb, I shake each branch and every twig. Then I look under every leaf.

“I search the Bible as a whole like shaking the whole tree. Then I shake every limb—study book after book. Then I shake every branch, giving attention to the chapters when they do not break the sense. Then I shake every twig, or a careful study of the paragraphs and sentences and words and their meanings.”

It is Trustworthy

Encyclopedia of 7700 Illustrations 391 Bible and Archaeological Testings

Dr. Robert Dick Wilson, former professor of Semitic philology at Princeton Theological Seminary, said, “After forty-five years of scholarly research in biblical textual studies and in language study, I have come now to the conviction that no man knows enough to assail the truthfulness of the Old Testament. Where there is sufficient documentary evidence to make an investigation, the statements of the Bible, in the original text, have stood the test.”

And the noted Dr. J. O. Kinnaman said: “Of the hundreds of thousands of artifacts found by the archaeologists, not one has ever been discovered that contradicts or denies one word, phrase, clause, or sentence of the Bible, but always confirms and verifies the facts of the Biblical record.”

You can trust your Bible. You can trust what God has revealed about His creation of the world in 6, 24-hour days. There are many who doubt that and try to harmonize the baseless and godless ideologies of modern secular science with what the Scriptures and when they do that, they will always bend Scripture to match what is in their hearts.

To that person I would simply ask—where will you begin to believe the Bible? If you reject Gen 1-2, will you start believing chapter 3? Or maybe chapter 10, 12?

How you approach the Bible is going to be governed by your perspective of the Bible. If you believe it is the infallible Word of God, with absolute authority over your life, and it reveals the problem of your estrangement from the Creator and the solution to that problem—you will submit to all that God’s Word—His self-revelation, reveals and rather than try to bend Scripture to your beliefs, you will put yourself under the authority of God and His Word, and cherish the instruction He gives—even when it is uncomfortable.

Having said that, Gen 3 is a critical chapter in the whole of the Bible. It is foundational to what we understand in the rest of Scripture. We have to keep coming back to Gen 3 to understand why we are the way we are, why the world is the way it is, why there are problems in life, why there is evil in the world, why there is death, hardship, hurt, pain and suffering—The “beginnings” of these things are all revealed in Gen 3.

Arthur W. Pink Gleanings in Genesis

The third chapter in Genesis is one of the most important in all the Word of God…it is the “seed-plot of the Bible.” Here are the foundations upon which rest many of the cardinal doctrines of our faith. Here we trace back to their source many of the rivers of divine truth. Here commences the great drama which is being enacted on the stage of human history, and which well-nigh six thousand years has not yet completed. Here we find the Divine explanation of the present fallen and ruined condition of our race. Here we learn of the subtle devices of our enemy, the Devil. Here we behold the utter powerlessness of man to walk in the path of righteousness when divine grace is withheld from him. Here we discover the spiritual effects of sin—man seeking to flee from God. Here we discern the attitude of God toward the guilty sinner. Here we mark the universal tendency of human nature to cover its own moral shame by a device of man's own handiwork. Here we are taught of the gracious provision which God has made to meet our great need. Here begins that marvelous stream of prophecy which runs all through the Holy Scriptures.”

Up to this point, we see Adam and Eve living in the Paradise created by God and prepared for them to be their home. Everything necessary for them was there—including the tree of life that would sustain life perpetually for them. They were united in matrimony and shared the most intimate relationship that has ever been known. In fact, the depth of their unity has still never been experienced since each of us blessed by marriage enter into that union as sinners with sinners. They also had an intimate fellowship with God and had a very simple responsibility to worship and obey God.

There was nothing out of place and that is confirmed in Gen 1:31. Between that statement of God’s pleasure over the condition of His creation and the event recorded in Gen 3 there was a rebellion in the heavens—led by the creature who has become the archenemy of God—Satan.

From there, we begin chapter 3…the 2nd major event (of 4 Creation, Fall, Flood, Babel) in Gen 1-11. Now, what is described here is more than a simple act of disobedience, it is more than eating a piece of forbidden fruit. Kenneth Mathews explains that there is a:

Genesis 1–11:26 (3) The Man’s Companion, the First Woman (2:18–25)

hierarchy of creation: God, the man, woman, and animal (serpent). But this was reversed in the fall: the woman listens to the serpent, the man listens to the woman, and no one listens to God.

Before the fall the only one they listened to was God and there was truly an innocence attributed to their guiltlessness. Everything was as it was supposed to be. Three features are prominent in this major event: The Tempter, The Tactic and the Tragedy (I wish I could say we’ll fly thru this section—but it is so important to your understanding of the rest of Scripture and the very message of the gospel of God’s grace—we’re not going to do injustice to what God has revealed—in other words, your Bibles might just begin to automatically open to Gen 3 from here on out).

The Tempter

Satan is not explicitly referred to here but the serpent who appears very suddenly and unexpectedly—especially for Eve.

His Identity

The serpent is the picture of an unclean animal—often the agent of judgment of God against His people. It was feared b/c of its hissing, sudden attacks and dangerous bite and poison.

There are differing ideas regarding the identity of this serpent. Some have taken the position that the serpent is a mythological character with magical powers. There seems to be an aura of mystery that surrounds serpents…they are feared but often infatuating—I know they gross some of you out…but they are prominent in the narrative of the OT:

Moses’ rod turns into a serpent (Ex 4:3). During the wilderness wanderings the Lord sent “fiery serpents” among the people (Num 21:6-9) and the remedy was the bronze serpent Moses erected (picture of Jesus: Jn 3:14). It appears that this bronze serpent had become a relic—a religious fetish that people wanted to worship.

2 Kings 18:1-4 (Hezekiah)

Serpents are understood to move by stealth

Ecclesiastes 10:8 NASB95

8 He who digs a pit may fall into it, and a serpent may bite him who breaks through a wall.

Ecclesiastes 10:11 NASB95

11 If the serpent bites before being charmed, there is no profit for the charmer.

Proverbs 30:18–20 (NASB95) climbing ability???

18 There are three things which are too wonderful for me, Four which I do not understand: 19 The way of an eagle in the sky, The way of a serpent on a rock, The way of a ship in the middle of the sea, And the way of a man with a maid. 20 This is the way of an adulterous woman: She eats and wipes her mouth, And says, “I have done no wrong.”

You can see from its mysterious movements how it could be held as a mythological character. This also leads to the perspective that Gen 3 is a fable or myth. It would be in the similar genre of Aesop’s Fables—stories of animals that act like humans (with moral teaching behind it).

Others have taught that the serpent represents human curiosity and the the voice of the snake is really Eve’s inner person/thoughts.

Because Moses connects the serpent to the other beasts of the field, it is best to see this as an actual serpent…the direct creation of God (which on day 6 was “very good”). So this is a literal serpent. Though the OT does not connect the serpent to Satan, the NT does.

Rev 12:9, 20:2;

2 Cor 11:3, 14;

Paul does not want the Corinthians to be under the sway (deceived) of false teachers. He points back to the time in the Garden when Eve was tempted…and in vs 14 connects the tempter with Satan who disguises himself in many ways. This is just like his character since Satan is the “father of lies” (Jn 8:44) and stands actively opposed to the Word of God—even Satan’s emissaries will follow their leader and craftily introduce teaching that would lead God’s saints away from the simplicity of devotion to the Lord.

The name Satan is Heb for “adversary.” In the 3 passages the name appears in OT this individual takes the adversarial role against God and God’s people:

1 Chronicles 21:1 NASB95

1 Then Satan stood up against Israel and moved David to number Israel.

Zechariah 3:1–2 NASB95

1 Then he showed me Joshua the high priest standing before the angel of the Lord, and Satan standing at his right hand to accuse him. 2 The Lord said to Satan, “The Lord rebuke you, Satan! Indeed, the Lord who has chosen Jerusalem rebuke you! Is this not a brand plucked from the fire?”

Then the extensive role he played while attacking Job. Satan either disguises himself as a serpent or he takes possession of the serpent using it for the purpose of bringing temptation before mankind.

Before looking at his character, I think it is important to consider his rebellion in the heavens which took place prior to Gen 3.

His Rebellion

There are a couple of passages that have been understood thruout church history to refer to the fall of Satan. The first is in Ezekiel 28. This is a prophecy directed against the king of Tyre—important ancient city on Mediterranean coast. It is clear from the context that this is an actual human ruler who acted as though he were a god (vs 2). The extended context shows however that the message reaches beyond the earthly king and points to the supernatural source of his wickedness and pride. This is YHWH’s message ultimately to Satan...

Ezek 28:11-19;

Ezekiel 28:13 says, “You were in Eden, the garden of God.” We are told that Satan was an “anointed guardian cherub … on the holy mountain of God” (Ezek. 28:14). The reference to “cherub” means that Satan was an angel in God’s presence. Ezekiel 28:15 then states, “You were blameless in your ways from the day you were created, till unrighteousness was found in you.” So Satan went from “blameless” to “unrighteousness.” How? God did not make Satan evil—God is not the chargeable cause of sin/evil. He created Satan capable of rebellion (along with the angels who followed him in that rebellion). God of course permitted Satan to fall (as He did Adam also). But Satan’s fall was the result of his own choice and not the result of something forced upon him—it was always b/c of the fault that arose within himself.

There is a 2nd passage that speaks of Satan’s prideful, arrogant desires. Like Ezekiel this is addressing a human king (Babylon) but also looks beyond the mere human king. Jesus seems to link these passages together:

Luke 10:18 NASB95

18 And He said to them, “I was watching Satan fall from heaven like lightning.

Isaiah 14:12-15;

You see the 5-fold repetition of “I will…” The final “I will” expresses the heights to which Lucifer (shining one) wanted to take his rebellious ambition. Donald Grey Barnhouse (pastor of 10th Presbyterian Church in Philadelphia) explains in his book The Invisible War:

In the story of Abram we have the record of an incident revealing the inwardness of the name 'the Most High.' Abram was returning home after the battle with the kings and the deliverance of Lot. We read that 'Melchizedek, king of Salem, brought forth bread and wine [the communion elements]; and he was the priest of the most high God. And he blessed him, and said, Blessed be Abram of the most high God, possessor of heaven and earth. . .' (Gen. 14:18, 19). Here is the key to the pride of Satan. God is revealed as El Elyon, the Most High God, and in this character he is 'the possessor of heaven and earth.' This is what Lucifer wanted to be. His rebellion was not a request for God to move over so that he might share God's throne. It was a thrust at God himself. It was an attempt to put God out so that Satan might take his place as possessor of the heavens and the earth.

When Satan choose rebellion and fell, he took with him 1/3 of the angelic hosts (angels created by God) (Rev 12:4). These are the demonic hosts that carry out Satan’s agenda and their end is secured.

Matthew 25:41 NASB95

41 “Then He will also say to those on His left, ‘Depart from Me, accursed ones, into the eternal fire which has been prepared for the devil and his angels;

In the mean time, Satan has been given permission to carry out those adversarial purposes (why God didn’t destroy in hell immediately is not explained directly—though thru the introduction of wickedness and evil into God’s perfect creation He is able to show forth grace and mercy in His plan of redemption as He saves those who trust in this provision).

The bottom line is that Satan rebelled, he fell, and he has the desire to bring as many down with him as possible which explains the nature of his wickedness and extent of his evil influence. While God is not the chargeable cause of evil and sin—He did permit it to make known the riches of His glory (Rom 9:23).

Back to Genesis, the serpent is Satan—a created being who fell (after day 6) and Scripture reveals the cause of his fall—his rebellion and pride.

His Character

“more crafty...” (cunning, subtle) Heb ʾarum. It does not imply evil, by itself not an evil characteristic (can be both positive and negative)

The book of Proverbs is designed to train people toward this characteristic:

Proverbs 1:4 NASB95

4 To give prudence to the naive, To the youth knowledge and discretion,

Proverbs 12:16 NASB95

16 A fool’s anger is known at once, But a prudent man conceals dishonor.

Proverbs 12:23 NASB95

23 A prudent man conceals knowledge, But the heart of fools proclaims folly.

Proverbs 13:16 NASB95

16 Every prudent man acts with knowledge, But a fool displays folly.

Proverbs 14:15 NASB95

15 The naive believes everything, But the sensible man considers his steps.

Proverbs 27:12 NASB95

12 A prudent man sees evil and hides himself, The naive proceed and pay the penalty.

Allen Ross “The word denotes wariness, knowing where the traps and pitfalls are. Jesus instructed his disciples that in this world they needed to be as shrewd as serpents, but as harmless as doves (Matt 10:16). Satan was not harmless.”

Ross, A., & Oswalt, J. N. (2008). Cornerstone biblical commentary: Genesis, Exodus (Vol. 1, p. 51). Tyndale House Publishers.

This word when translated into the Gk and used in the NT has the idea of a “readiness to do anything” to accomplish one’s purpose. It conveys the idea of trickery and cunning behavior--

Luke 20:23 (NASB95) scribes and chief priests—lawful to pay taxes to Caesar

23 But He detected their trickery and said to them,

Ephesians 4:14 NASB95

14 As a result, we are no longer to be children, tossed here and there by waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, by craftiness in deceitful scheming;

Moses’ point is that the serpent (the devil) is able to say the right thing at the right time to get the desired results. You see his craftiness in the manner of his attack. He attacked the weakest link, speaking with Eve rather than Adam. It was a subtle (but effective) attack against the created order b/t man and woman.

The Tactic

What God reveals thru Moses about Satan speaks directly to the modus operandi the way Satan does things. This is very important for us—b/c what Satan did in the garden is what he currently does toward the people of God today. This hasn’t changed.

Doubt

Doubt has proven to be a very effective strategy in his attacks. The question appears to be innocent but the question was designed to create doubt. He introduced the idea that God’s Word is subject to our judgment—that it lies within us to determine the veracity of the God’s Word and His authority to command.

“Indeed” or “really” (furthermore already in conversation) Satan insinuates that God either did not speak, He did not reveal Himself to Adam and Eve or that that they misunderstood what He said.

Notice in their dialog Satan and Eve do not use the personal covenant name of God that has been part of the revelation since ch 2—YHWH Elohim. They are talking about a god Gordon Wenham describes as:

“The god they are talking about is malevolent, secretive, and concerned to restrict man: his character is so different from that of Yahweh Elohim that the narrative pointedly avoids the name in the dialogue.”

Even today, Satan’s strategy is to create doubt and the surest way for him to succeed is to attack the foundation of God’s Word. So Satan begins his conversation with the woman by attacking 2 aspects of God’s Word:

Attacked the authority of God’s Word. did God really say

It is the age old assault on the authority of God’s Word. Every attempt is made to attack the authority of the Bible, and its divine inspiration. Satan knows that if he can cause someone to doubt the authority of it, they’ll ignore it.

Lutheran theologian Edward Koehler said the authority of God’s Word “calls for instant and unqualified acceptance of every statement of the Bible on the part of man.” He’s right. He goes on “to ignore, disregard, or reject any doctrine of the Bible is rebellions against God’s authority, and will not go unpunished.”

The basis of the authority of God’s Word is God Himself. God is the creator of man and all things are subjected to God, specifically the LJC.

Hebrews 2:8 Thou hast put all things in subjection under his feet." For in subjecting all things to him, He left nothing that is not subject to him.

Many in Scripture have denied the authority of God’s Word:

Exodus 5:2 But Pharaoh said, "Who is the LORD that I should obey His voice to let Israel go? I do not know the LORD, and besides, I will not let Israel go."

Attacked the accuracy of God’s Word. “Did God say you shall not eat from any [every] tree of the garden?

Eve, are you sure you got this right? Satan is doing 2 things here to sow seeds of doubt in Eve’s mind. First, is this really what He said? Perhaps God misspoke, or perhaps Adam miscommunicated to you what God told him. Secondly, did God place this restriction on your liberty? Would God place such an unreasonable limitation on your freedom?

Gen 2:16—what did God say?

How does Eve respond? “no He didn’t say we couldn’t eat from every tree. “from the fruit…”

Kent Hughes:

Genesis—Beginning and Blessing The Dialogue of Descent (vv. 1–5)

Instead, as Moses carefully records, she descended to her own revisions of God’s word in three sad instances in which she first diminished God’s word, then added to his word, and then softened his word.9

God had said in 2:16, “You may surely eat of every tree of the garden” (italics added), but now Eve leaves out the “every,” simply saying, “We may eat of the fruit of the trees in the garden” (3:2). Thus she minimized the provision of the Lord. Her inexact, unenthusiastic rendition of God’s word discounted his generosity. She was in tacit agreement with the serpent. Something bad was happening in her heart.

Eve’s subtle shift in heart was further revealed in her telltale addition to God’s word: “But God [Elohim] said, ‘You shall not eat of the fruit of the tree that is in the midst of the garden, neither shall you touch it’ ” (v. 3a, italics added). God never said, “neither shall you touch it”! Eve magnified God’s strictness—“Just touch the tree, and zap!—you’re dead!” Her comment suggested that God is so harsh that an inadvertent slip would bring death.

She didn’t say the same thing God said. When Jesus was tempted in the wilderness by Satan, using many of the same strategies here, Jesus immediately went to the authority of the spoken word to fight off the attack of the devil. Eve watered down the truth by adding to God’s Word. That weakened her ability to discern what God really said from all other error.

In this 2 pronged attack Satan insinuates that God had not spoken this limitation and that we need to submit to no higher authority than ourselves.

Do you ever wonder why the Scriptures are under constant attack today? And those who attack are swift to promote their own self-indulgence. There’s a principle that we need to be mindful of—denying authority will glorify lust. If you reject God’s absolute authority, you will exalt self-centered, self-gratifying lusts. If you reject the accuracy of God’s truth, you will descend into prideful judgment ad begin to rationalize every sort of sin directed against the holiness and righteousness of Yahweh God.

Satan is on the prowl...

1 Peter 5:8 NASB95

8 Be of sober spirit, be on the alert. Your adversary, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.

Cultivate in your hearts a high view of God’s Word. It is truthful and trustworthy and able to do its work of sanctifying you—conforming you into the image of LJC. Be lovers of the truth and hold fast to it—even when it hurts to do so.