Sermon Tone Analysis

Genesis 3:1-7

5729 Moody’s “Saints” Stayed In Church

At a church where D. L. Moody was invited to preach, he was warned that some of the congregation usually left before the end of the sermon.

When Mr. Moody rose to begin his sermon, he announced, “I am going to speak to two classes of people this morning: first to the sinners, and then to the saints.”

He proceeded to address the “sinners” for awhile, then said they could leave.

For once every member of the congregation stayed to the end of the sermon.

That is built on the previous vv of ch 3…[explain universal condemnation vv9ff]

How did this condition come upon the entirety of the human race?

We have to go back to Genesis 3 to an event that explains the next 1185 chapters of the Bible.

It gives explanation why the humanity is the way it is, why the world is the way it is, why there is evil and suffering, pain and sorrow, disease and death.

It explains the need for reconciliation to the Creator God and why we can’t do that ourselves (why we can’t save ourselves from our condition and the judgment of God), Gen 3 is the introduction into God’s provision for man—what man can’t do for himself God does in marvelous grace…it is the preface to the gospel of God’s grace and previews what will be played out on the stage of redemption, leading to the death and resurrection of LJC.

All of this begins with Gen 3—one of the most important chapters in the Bible (if we can say 1 part of revelation is elevated above the others)…to misunderstand this chapter is the miss the entire message of God’s Word.

We began last time looking at a dialog between the serpent (discovered from NT the identity of this creature is Satan—the Adversary) and Eve—not even named yet.

This is the 1st conversation about God recorded among God’s creation and it did not go well.

This portion of Scripture is very instructive for us today since it reveals the manner in which Satan plays the adversarial role.

How does Satan go about attacking God and God’s people?

What he does in Gen 3, he still does today.

I.

The Tempter

A. His Identity

B. His Rebellion

C. His Character

II.

The Tactic

A. Satan Creates Doubt

The question Satan asks Eve is designed to do just that…and in a very subtle manner He attacks:

The authority of God’s Word—Did “God” really say?

The accuracy of God’s Word— note the wording of Satan’s question any/every

Victor Hamilton observes:

He grossly exaggerates God’s prohibition, claiming that God did not allow them access to any of the orchard trees.

Apart from this claim being unadulterated distortion, it is an attempt to create in the woman’s mind the impression that God is spiteful, mean, obsessively jealous, and self-protective.

Now, Eve quickly takes up the position of defending God’s instruction but in doing so engages in exaggeration of her own.

Eve does 3 things:

Diminished God’s Word—by minimizing the privileges that God had made for the man and woman.

Remember God’s instruction (2:16-17).

“any, freely”

Added to God’s Word— “or touch it...”

(perhaps most serious) Softened God’s Word—God said “you will surely die” Eve simply responded “you will die.”

Ross Allen “That this failure to preserve the exact words of God was at the heart of the temptation is clear from the response of the serpent, for when he heard what she said, he replied, “You won’t die!”

Ross, A., & Oswalt, J. N. (2008).

Cornerstone biblical commentary: Genesis, Exodus (Vol. 1, p. 51).

Tyndale House Publishers.

When Satan seeks to undermine the faith today—this is where he goes—to attack God’s Word, creating doubt in our minds as to the authority and accuracy of what God revealed.

B. Satan Denies God’s Word

Up to now, Satan has simply sown seeds of doubt in Eve’s mind.

He never fully comes out and speaks the lie but begins with half truths which lead to outright denial of God’s Word.

Look at what Satan said to the woman Vs 4

2 ways to translate—not clear: “you will not certainly die” or “you certainly will not die” This is more evidence of his cunning ability.

Either way, there is a denial of what God said… “in the day you eat…you will surely die”

Here’s the tactic of Satan: the prince of death must minimize death.

He has to minimize the consequences of sin if it is to look appetizing.

And how does he do that?

By attacking the very judgment of God.

And yet every death today proves the accuracy and authority of God’s Word and proves Satan to be a liar.

There were only 2 reprieves in human history (Enoch and Elijah).

Even the LJC (God) was subjected to death.

Now, when God says “you will surely die” what did He mean?

There are 3 kinds of death revealed in Scripture:

Spiritual Death

Spiritual death is a state of spiritual alienation from God. Resulting from Adam’s sin all people are born in this condition being spiritually dead:

This condition renders every person unresponsive to spiritual truth and demands divine initiative to awaken this person by means of he miracle of regeneration.

Physical Death

Physical death would become the consequence of transgression (even if not immediate).

When Adam and Eve were removed from the Garden and tree that would be the source of life for them…they would eventually die physically.

Eternal Death

Eternal death is what awaits those who physically die in the condition of being spiritually dead.

In Rev 20:6 this is called the “second death” the state of existence being everlasting ruin, torment and punishment for sin.

We know that what God was speaking about was something other than physical death.

B/c Adam lived 930 years.

So what death?

God was principally concerned with man’s relationship with the Creator.

Adam and Eve enjoyed free, perfect and open communion with the Lord God without hindrances.

Though we don’t know how long this condition lasted (hours, days, weeks?)

We know from the aftermath of the original sin that spiritual death has fallen upon all men.

Even physical death was not certain until God physically removed Adam and Eve from the garden or they could have taken from the tree of life and lived in their fallen condition forever.

God would tell Adam:

Now, what Satan was talking about was not spiritual death but physical death.

So his argument was to some extent vindicated—since they did not die that very day.

How the enemy love half-truths.

They are an effective tactic of the enemy.

C. Satan Denigrates God’s Character

As he denies God’s word, Satan promises that there are no consequences to rebellion/disobedience.

He begins to argue that the reason God has so restricted their liberty is due to an ulterior motive—and in doing so, Satan moves from attacking God’s Word to attacking God’s character.

God is evil, He is selfish, authoritarian, unjust…God is not good and gracious; he is selfish and deceptive, preventing the man and woman from achieving the same position as “Elohim”

Satan attacks God’s truth, then he attacks God’s person.

“God has been so cruelly repressive b/c He knows that if you eat from this tree you will become like him.

At this point Eve should have asked “who are you?”

“where did you come from?” “how do you know about God’s command?”

Last time we saw the rebellion of Satan in Ezekiel and Isaiah and it was the fault inside of himself that Satan thought he was like God.

Then he convinced a 1/3 of the angels that they were like God.

Satan deceives Eve into thinking she too can be—if she would eat and become what God didn’t what to share.

His suggestion was that God doesn’t love you or He wouldn’t place this condition/restriction keeping you from becoming a god yourself.

Of course, Satan was also attacking God’s majesty.

He implied that God could be equaled.

That the glory of God could be shared among those created.

So he impugned the majesty of God’s character and began to sprinkle Eve’s mind with deceptive lies.

Isaiah 42:8 "I am the LORD, that is My name; I will not give My glory to another, Nor My praise to graven images.

Exodus 15:11 "Who is like Thee among the gods, O LORD? Who is like Thee, majestic in holiness, Awesome in praises, working wonders?

Psalm 93:1 The LORD reigns, He is clothed with majesty; The LORD has clothed and girded Himself with strength; Indeed, the world is firmly established, it will not be moved.

This is where the conversation with the serpent ends.