Gênesis 3
Leon Morris · Citado em PreceptAustin
Gênesis 3
Morris - The Defender's Study Bible (BORROW) - serpent. The "serpent" was not merely a talking snake, but was Satan himself (Revelation 12:9; 20:2) possessing and using the serpent's body to deceive Eve. Satan had been originally "created" (see notes on Ezekiel 28:14,15) as the highest of all angels, the anointed cherub covering the very throne of God in heaven. He, along with all the angels, had been created to be "ministering spirits, sent forth to minister for them who shall be heirs of salvation" (Hebrews 1:14). Not content with a role inferior in two important respects to man (angels were not created in God's image, nor could they reproduce after their kind, there being no female angels), Satan led a third of the angels (Revelation 12:4,9) to rebel against God, seeking to become God himself. Evidently, he did not really believe that God was the omnipotent Creator, but rather that all had evolved from the primeval chaos (probably the explanation for the widespread ancient pagan belief that the world began in a state of watery chaos). God, therefore, "cast thee to the ground" (Ezekiel 28:17), allowing Satan to tempt the very ones he had been created to serve. Crafty - The physical serpent was clever, and possibly originally able to stand upright, eye-to-eye with man, (the Hebrew word is nachash, possibly originally meaning a shining, upright creature). he said. Some of the animals may have originally been able to communicate on an elementary level with their human masters, an ability later removed by the Curse. More likely, God allowed Satan to use the serpent's throat (as He later allowed Balaam's ass to speak--Numbers 22:28) and Eve was, in her innocence, not yet aware of the strangeness of it. hath God said. The root of all sin is doubting God's Word. Satan was successful in this approach even with one who had never sinned before and who had no sin-nature inclining her to sin. Satan merely implanted a slight doubt concerning God's veracity and His sovereign goodness. The approach so successful in this case has provided the pattern for his temptations ever since. NET NOTE on crafty - There is a wordplay in Hebrew between the words “naked” (עֲרוּמִּים, ’arummim) in Ge 2:25 and “shrewd” (עָרוּם, ’arum) in Ge 3:1. The point seems to be that the integrity of the man and the woman is the focus of the serpent’s craftiness. At the beginning they are naked and he is shrewd; afterward, they will be covered and he will be cursed. Allen Ross has some interesting comments - Genesis 3:1 is connected with Ge 2:25 by a Hebrew wordplay: Adam and Eve were "naked" (arom); and the serpent was more crafty (arum, "shrewd") than all. Their nakedness represented the fact that they were oblivious to evil, not knowing where the traps lay, whereas Satan did and would use his craftiness to take advantage of their integrity. That quality of shrewdness or subtleness is not evil in itself (indeed, one of the purposes of the Bible is to make believers so, according to Prov. 1:4, where ʿārmâh shrewdness, is trans. "prudence"). But it was used here for an evil purpose....The tempter was a serpent (Satan in the form of a snake), thus suggesting that temptation comes in disguise, quite unexpectedly, and that it often comes from a subordinate (someone over whom one should have exercised dominion; cf. Gen. 1:28). Also there may well be a polemical element here, for the serpent was worshiped by pagans. Their symbol of life was in fact the cause of death. Divinity is not achieved (the promise of Satan here; Ge 3:5) by following pagan beliefs and symbols. That is the way of death, not of life. Eve either did not know God's command very well or did not want to remember it. By contrast, Christ gained victory over Satan by His precise knowledge of God's Word (Matt. 4:4, 7, 10). Eve disparaged the privileges, added to the prohibition, and weakened the penalty—all seen by contrasting her words (Gen. 3:3) with God's original commands (2:16-17). After Satan heard this, he blatantly negated the penalty of death that God had given (3:4). Satan is a liar from the beginning (John 8:44), and this is his lie: one can sin and get away with it. But death is the penalty for sin (Gen. 2:17). (See context in The Bible Knowledge Commentary) And he said to the woman - She was the object of his attack, being the weaker one and needing the protection of her husband. He found her alone and (apparently) unguarded by Adam. Though sinless, Eve clearly was susceptible to temptation and seduction. Satan succeeded in deceiving Eve to doubt the truthfulness of God’s word and the goodness of His motives. Satan (along with his workers) operates through deception and disguise. In fact, we are told in 2 Co 11:14+ that he disguises himself as an angel of light. When dealing with an enemy who doesn’t deal in truth, one must be especially careful to not take anything at face value. Eve should have let God’s words be her authority, but as soon as Satan tricked her into calling what God said into question, it was only a matter of time before she went her own independent way. When we make ourselves the judge of whether God’s words are true, transgression is inevitable. Indeed, has God said, ‘You shall not eat from any tree of the garden’ - Note he avoids using the name LORD God by which he was created! See note on a talking serpent. In effect Satan said, “Is it true that He has restricted you from the delights of this place? This is not like one who is truly good and kind. There must be some mistake.” So he questions God's goodness. He questions God's Word. He uses the subtle power of suggestion in his deceitful maneuver. He is planing doubts in her mind about God's goodness, truthfulness & the sufficiency. He appeared as an angel of light (2Co 11:14) to lead her to the supposed true interpretation of what God had said. And Eve received him without fear or surprise, but as some credible messenger from heaven with the true understanding, because of his cunning. If you don't want the fruits of sin Stay out of the devil's orchard! NET NOTE on God - The serpent does not use the expression “Yahweh God” [LORD God] because there is no covenant relationship involved between God and the serpent. He only speaks of “God.” In the process the serpent draws the woman into his manner of speech so that she too only speaks of “God.” Crafty (06175)(arum from arom = to be shrewd or crafty) means crafty, shrewd, sensible and can be positive (prudent) or negative (shrewd, crafty Ge 3:1, Job 5:12; 15:5). By far most uses are in Proverbs were we see the description of a prudent individual = takes no offense at an insult (Pr 12:16), does not flaunt knowledge (Pr 12:23) gives careful thought of his ways (Pr. 14:8); takes careful thought before action (Pr 14:15); is crowned with knowledge (Pr 14:18); sees and avoids danger (Pr 22:3; 27:12). Gilbrant - The Hebrew adjective ʿārûm, "clever," "crafty" or "shrewd," is derived from the verbal root ʿāram, "to be clever," "to be crafty" or "to be shrewd." The first occurrence of ʿārûm is in a description of the deceiver in the Garden of Eden, "Now the serpent was more crafty than any of the wild animals the Lord God had made" (Gen. 3:1, NIV). The serpent's cleverness stood against obedience to God, thus making such craftiness sin. The Book of Job uses this same term to depict those whom God rejects because of their self-serving intentions and irreverent attitudes. Job 5:12 declares, "He thwarts the plans of the crafty, so that their hands achieve no success" (NIV; cf. Job 15:5). The Book of Proverbs, however, uses ʿārûm positively with the sense of "sensible" or "prudent." The adjective occurs in the NIV in such phrases as, "a prudent man overlooks an insult" (Pr 12:16); "a prudent man keeps his knowledge to himself" (Pr 12:23); "every prudent man acts out of knowledge" (Pr 13:16) and "a prudent man sees danger and takes refuge" (Pr 22:3). Arum - 11x in 11v - crafty(2), prudent(2), prudent man(3), sensible(2), sensible man(1), shrewd(1). Gen. 3:1; Job 5:12; Job 15:5; Prov. 12:16; Prov. 12:23; Prov. 13:16; Prov. 14:8; Prov. 14:15; Prov. 14:18; Prov. 22:3; Prov. 27:12
Gênesis 3
Morris - Eve, in her developing resentment against God, fell into Satan's trap, both taking away from God's Word and adding to it. God had said they could "freely eat" of "every tree" (Genesis 2:16); Eve quoted him as saying they could eat of the trees. God had said they should not eat of the fruit of one tree; Eve added the statement that they should not even touch it. These are the very sins God warned about after His written Word was finally completed (Revelation 22:18,19). Doubting God's Word, augmenting, then diluting, and finally rejecting God's Word--this was Satan's temptation and Eve's sin, and this is the common sequence of apostasy even today. NET NOTE on you will die - The Hebrew construction is פֶּן (pen) with the imperfect tense, which conveys a negative purpose: “lest you die” = “in order that you not die.” By stating the warning in this way, the woman omits the emphatic infinitive used by God (“you shall surely die,” see 2:17). The Choice Read: Genesis 2:16-17; 3:1-8 | Of every tree of the garden you may freely eat; but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat. —Genesis 2:16-17 I watched as a young mother tried to get her 2-year-old child to make a choice. “You can have fish or chicken,” she told him. She limited his choice to just two because he was too young to understand beyond that. Choice often allows a wider variety of options, and it also must allow the person to reject the choices. Adam and Eve were in the best possible environment. God had given them freedom to eat of all the trees in Eden. He drew the boundary lines around only one tree! They had a choice, and it should have been a no-brainer to choose wisely. But their choice was tragic. Some blame God for what they see as His restrictions. They may even accuse Him of trying to control their lives. But God gives us a choice, just as He did Adam and Eve. Yes, God draws boundary lines, but they are for our protection. David understood this. He wrote, “You, through Your commandments, make me wiser than my enemies . . . . I understand more than the ancients, because I keep Your precepts. I have restrained my feet from every evil way, that I may keep Your Word” (Ps. 119:98-101). God cares so much about us that He gives us boundary lines so that we will choose what is right. Lord, help us to obey Your Word, To heed Your still, small voice; And may we not be swayed by men, But make Your will our choice. —D. De Haan God’s commandments were given to fulfill us, not to frustrate us. Genesis 3:4 The serpent said to the woman, “You surely will not die! Serpent: Joh 8:44 You: Ge 3:13 De 29:19 2Ki 1:4,6,16 8:10 Ps 10:11 2Co 2:11 11:3 1Ti 2:14 Genesis 3 Resources - Multiple Sermons and Commentaries War on the Word audio by Steven Lawson - excellent exposition of Genesis 3 Related Passages: Rev 12:9+ (SATAN'S ALIASES) And the great dragon was thrown down, the serpent of old (Genesis 3) who is called the devil and Satan, who deceives (planao in the present tense = this is the devil's non-stop modus operandi, cp "schemes" [methodeia] in Eph 6:11-note) the whole world; he was thrown down to the earth, and his angels were thrown down with him SATAN ADDS TO THE SCRIPTURE The serpent (nachash) said to the woman, “You surely will not die! - He is a liar and the father of lies (Jn 8:44). Note the arrogant irony as Satan in essence is calling God a liar! He adds to the Scripture and directly counters God's Word. THOUGHT - As an aside, note God's clear warnings against adding to or taking away from Scripture (Pr 30:6, Dt 4:2+ Dt 12:32+ Rev 22:18-19+) Jesus addressing Jews who had bought the lie in Jn 8:30 that "profession" of Jesus [mental acquiescence] is synonymous with "possession" of Jesus or genuine Spirit wrought new birth Jn 3:3, 5+) You are of your father the devil, and you want to do the desires of your father. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth because there is no truth in him. Whenever he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own nature, for he is a liar and the father of lies. (John 8:44) Ryrie - Satan was planting in Eve’s mind the idea that there should be no restrictions in the perfect plan of a good God. (Borrow the Ryrie Study Bible) NET NOTE on You surely will not die - The response of the serpent includes the infinitive absolute with a blatant negation equal to saying: “Not – you will surely die” (לֹא מוֹת תִּמֻתען, lo’ mot témutun). The construction makes this emphatic because normally the negative particle precedes the finite verb. The serpent is a liar, denying that there is a penalty for sin (see John 8:44). Surely you will not die. Here the serpent is more aware of what the LORD God said than the woman was; he simply adds a blatant negation to what God said. In the account of Jesus’ temptation Jesus is victorious because he knows the scripture better than Satan (Matt 4:1–11+, Luke 4:1-13+). Moses warned Israel not to "tamper with" the pure Word of God... You shall not add to the word which I am commanding you, nor take away from it, that (PURPOSE) you may keep the commandments of the LORD your God which I command you. (Deut 4:2+) Satan also questions the love of God and the goodness of God: “If God is good, why did He put this restriction down?” The serpent implies that God is not righteous (and just) when he says, “You will not die.” Why? Because God's word is immutable, and Satan knew God MUST kill Adam and Eve or otherwise He would break His Own Word. Satan directly contradicts God. God had warned of death; Satan subtly hissed “That’s a lie!” Now two opposing views stood in sharp contrast, and a choice had to be made. Beware! Satan will flood you with truth to float one lie! One of Satan’s most effective tactics down through the ages has been deception. (Rev 20:8,10+) He is a master at making things appear what they are not. Remember that deceive means to cause someone to believe an untruth. The best defense against this deception is to know the Word of Truth as if your life depended on it (because it does! cp Mt 4:4+, Lk 4:4+) A mixture of truth and error seems to serve his purposes much better than total error. If he walked in with a red suit, horns and a pitchfork and began speaking, very few folks (hopefully) would be deceived! Henry Morris - The Defender's Study Bible (BORROW) - It is interesting that two clay seals found in the archaeological digs at Nineveh may reflect the story of the fall of Adam and Eve. One seems to show the man and woman being tempted by the serpent, the other their expulsion from the garden. ILLUSTRATION - Donald Grey Barnhouse illustrated this forcefully with the following story: “Duveen, the famous English art connoisseur, took his little daughter to the beach one day, but could not get her to go into the chilly water. After persuasion failed, he borrowed a tea kettle, built a fire, and heated a little water until it steamed beautifully. With much flourish, he poured it into the ocean. Greatly impressed, his daughter went in without a murmur.” Barnhouse then made this application: Satan “dilutes an ocean of unbelief with a steaming tea kettle of Christian ethics, and people go wading in, self-satisfied, but unaware that they are bathing in unbelief.” The adversary is delighted when a person turns over a new leaf or engages in good works, just as long as he continues to reject the provision of God’s grace in salvation. Somehow the sinner completely ignores the fatal error or not trusting Christ because his life as been tempered with a teakettle of wholesome resolves. Our Lord’s words are very clear: “...he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God” (Jn 3:18). Don’t be deceived by Satan’s clever ploy. You cannot dilute an ocean of cold unbelief with a little warm water of religiosity or good human endeavor. (P. R. Van Gorder) The devil in his subtle way Will chloroform your soul, If you don’t quickly turn to Christ, Whose blood can make you whole - Lyle Griffith-Thomas - Observe its success. The stages of the woman's attitude have often been pointed out: (a) She heeded the temptation, and listened to Satan's questioning of God's Word and his new interpretation of that Divine utterance. In her reply to his question, she perverted and misquoted three times the divine law to which she and Adam were subject: (1) She disparaged her privileges by misquoting the terms of the Divine permission as to the other trees. (2) She overstated the restrictions by misquoting the Divine prohibition. (3) She underrated her obligations by misquoting the Divine penalty. And thus she was easily exposed to the temptation to question, doubt, and deny God. (b) Her curiosity was roused, perhaps, by Satan demonstrating before her the apparent futility of heeding God, for we are told that she saw that the tree was good for food as well as pleasant to the eyes. (c) Then sprang up physical craving, and she desired to disobey, with the result that (d) she took and ate, and 'gave also unto her husband and he did eat.' Her fall was consequently due to dalliance with temptation. She did not repel, but yielded to it. Had she resisted at the very outset she would not have fallen; for it is a universal law that if we resist the devil, he will flee from us. Nothing is more remarkable in the whole history of man's moral life than the powerlessness of the devil to overcome us apart from our own assent and consent. If we resist, he flees; if we yield, he wins. It is this simple fact that constitutes man's ultimate responsibility for his actions. He never can say, 'I was overpowered in spite of myself.' All that he can say is, 'I was overpowered because of myself. (Genesis 3 The Fall) My Sin Read: Genesis 3:1-6 | When desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, brings forth death. —James 1:15 Eve explained the rules to the tempter. She and Adam could eat the fruit of any tree in the Garden of Eden, except for the special one in the middle. Just touching it, she said, would bring death. I can imagine Satan throwing back his head and with mocking laughter saying, “You will not surely die” (Genesis 3:4). He then suggested that God was holding back something good from her (Ge 3:5). For thousands of years the enemy has repeated that strategy. He doesn’t care if you believe in the authority of the Bible, as long as he can get you to disbelieve that the one thing standing between you and God is sin. “You will not surely die,” we are told. That is the theme of so many modern novels. The hero and heroine live in disobedience to God but suffer no consequences. In TV shows and movies the characters rebel against the moral laws of God but live happily ever after. There is even a perfume called “My Sin.” It’s a fragrance “so alluring, so charming, so exciting,” the ads tell us, “we could only call it ‘My Sin.'” You would never guess that sin is a stench in the nostrils of God. In the temptations you face, will you believe Satan’s lie? Or will you obey God’s warning? Personal Reflection How has sin damaged the lives of people I know? How has disobedience to God harmed me? Have I experienced God's forgiveness? (1 John 1:9-10). One bite of sin leaves a bitter aftertaste. Satan's Pattern Genesis 3:4 - John Butler "And the serpent said unto the woman, You shall not surely die" (Genesis 3:4). Satan has a pattern that he follows to try and trip up people. We will do better at defeating Satan when we know the pattern which Scripture reveals. There are three features in our text that reveal this pattern. FIRST—THE DEVIL "The serpent." Satan uses that which is the best tool for his evil. The snake was a very beautiful creature, very coordinated, and also very "subtil" (Genesis 3:1) / crafty. Satan used the serpent readily for his evil work. Satan still follows this pattern today. Scripture says Paul was not ignorant of Satan's devices (I Corinthians 2:11), but many are because they do not study the Bible as they should. He uses the beautiful (Hollywood actress), the skilled (the athlete) and the crafty (charismatic personalities) to advocate his evil. They look and sound so innocent and are so attractive. But what they advocate is vile wickedness. The outcome is that which allows Satan to use them will become cursed by God as was the snake who was cursed to slithering upon the ground and to being repulsive to mankind (Genesis 3:14, 15). The most attractive of people and things becomes repulsive to the victims. SECOND—THE DAME "Said unto the woman." Why did not Satan attack the man? The answer is the woman was more vulnerable. (I Timothy 2:14). We have noticed that at church when a new officer is elected he is quickly approached by the church dissidents to air their cantankerous contentions. They do not try to air them to the veteran officers, for they know they will not win the argument. But let a new person (such as a new deacon or pastor) come on the scene and the dissidents attack them to gain their support. The principle in this pattern of attack is to attack the most vulnerable. Hence our weakest link will be subjected to the devil's attack more that any other area. THIRD—THE DENIAL "You shall not surely die." Satan especially likes to deny the negative of sin. True Adam and Eve did not die immediately, but eventually they died. That is the lethal aspect of his lie. When man sins and does not suffer immediately for it, man has a tendency to think he got away with his sin and that sin will not punish him. So the smoker, drinker and immoral person may go for some time before the ill effects of their evil gets them. If you take away the certainty of judgment, you only encourage evil. The leniency of our courts only encourages evil, it does not stop it. Satan does not hesitate to lie about the negative results of evil. Many tell us pornography will not hurt us, that violence on TV cannot be blamed for crime, that AIDS must not be related to homosexualism, that booze does not hurt and promotes fun. We hear and read such arguments 24/7. But they are all lies and contrary to the facts. Adam and Eve died, Satan lied. Sin will curse you. (Sermon Starters) Genesis 3:5 “For God knows that in the day you eat from it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.” God: Ex 20:7 1Ki 22:6 Jer 14:13,14 28:2,3 Eze 13:2-6,22 2Co 11:3 2Co 11:13-15 your: Ge 3:7,10 Mt 6:23 Ac 26:18 like God: Ex 5:2 2Ch 32:15 Ps 12:4 Eze 28:2,9 29:3 Da 4:30 6:7 Ac 12:22,23 2Co 4:4 2Th 2:4 Rev 13:4,14 knowing: Ge 3:22 2:17 Genesis 3 Resources - Multiple Sermons and Commentaries War on the Word audio by Steven Lawson - excellent exposition of Genesis 3 SATAN'S SEDUCTION CONTINUES For God knows (yada) that in the day you eat from it your eyes will be opened: The Deceiver brought into question God's goodness, implying He would withhold something good from us. This lie actually led her and Adam to spiritual death (separation from God). So, Satan is called a liar and murderer from the beginning (Jn 8:44). His lies always promise great benefits (Ge 3:5). Eve experienced this result—she and Adam did know good and evil (Ge 3:22) but by personal corruption, they did not know as God knows in perfect holiness. J I Packer said that "Original sin was a lust after self-sufficient knowledge, a craving to shake off all external authority and work things out for himself." The significance of this statement can hardly be overemphasized. All through the ages Satan has attempted to portray God as a begrudging giver who only provides when He must. Satan desires to deceive those who trust in God, and wants them to believe they are lacking and deprived of the good things in life. This is the picture Satan tried to paint in suggesting that God had withheld the fruit of every tree of the garden from Adam and Eve. God is also portrayed as a begrudging giver in the temptation of our Lord (Mt 4:1-11) and in the warning of Paul concerning the doctrine of demons (1 Ti 4:1-4). And you will be like God, knowing (yada) good and evil: “You will be like God” is his master lie (Isa 14:12-14; Ro 1:21-25), and people still believe it. This ancient lie is again being perpetrated by the modern New Age movement.(Shirley Maclaine's "spirit guides informed her that each individual is God.") ESV Study Bible on be like God - "The irony of the serpent’s remarks should not be overlooked. The couple, unlike the serpent, has been made in the image of God (Ge 1:26-27+). In this way they are already like God. Moreover, being in the image of God, they are expected to exercise authority over all the beasts of the field, which includes the serpent. By obeying the serpent, however, they betray the trust placed in them by God. This is not merely an act of disobedience; it is an act of treachery. Those who were meant to govern the earth on God’s behalf instead rebel against their divine King and obey one of his creatures. It is sometimes claimed that the serpent is correct when he says these things to the couple, for they do not “die”; Adam lives to be 930 years old (Ge 5:5). Further, their eyes are opened (Ge 3:7) and God acknowledges in Ge 3:22 that “the man has become like one of us in knowing good and evil.” Yet the serpent speaks half-truths, promising much but delivering little. Their eyes are indeed opened, and they come to know something, but it is only that they are naked. They know good and evil by experience, but their sense of guilt makes them afraid to meet God; they have become slaves to evil. And while they do not cease to exist physically, they are expelled from the garden-sanctuary and God’s presence. Cut off from the source of life and the tree of life, they are in the realm of the dead. What they experience outside of Eden is not life as God intended, but spiritual death. (See context in ESV Study Bible or see online version). Allen Ross - The tempter also cast doubt over God's character, suggesting that God was jealous, holding them back from their destiny (3:5). They would become like God when they ate—and God knew that, according to Satan. So Satan held out to them the promise of divinity—knowing good and evil. (See context in The Bible Knowledge Commentary) NET NOTE - You will be like divine beings who know good and evil. The serpent raises doubts about the integrity of God. He implies that the only reason for the prohibition was that God was protecting the divine domain. If the man and woman were to eat, they would enter into that domain. The temptation is to overstep divinely established boundaries. (See D. E. Gowan, When Man Becomes God [PTMS], 25.) Satan focused Eve’s attention on desirable ends, a common device of what has been called “situation ethics.” Never mind the fact that the means to an end involves disobedience to God. Act only on examination of the supposed results. Satan's deceptions are always most effective when they have some truth in them. Through eating the forbidden fruit, Adam and Eve would indeed come to "know good and evil," but not "as gods." Satan will flood you with truth to float one lie! As long as the mind holds to God’s truth, Satan cannot win (Jas 4:7 Ep 4:27 Eph 6:11-13,14); but once the mind doubts God’s Word, there is room for the devil’s lies to move in. Satan questioned God’s Word (Ge 3:1), denied God’s Word (Ge 3:4), and then substituted his own lies (Ge 3:5). Note that Satan seeks to undermine our faith in the goodness of God—he suggested to Eve that God was “holding out on them” by keeping them from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. When we question God’s goodness and doubt His love, we are playing right into the hands of Satan. Satan made the temptation sound wonderful by making an offer: “You will be like God!” Satan himself had wanted to be “like the Most High” (Isa 14:14), and centuries later he offered Christ “all the kingdoms of the world” if He would worship him (Mt 4:8, Luke 4:5-7+). The phrase is translated by the KJV as “ye shall be as gods,” is not only not consistent on the part of the translators but also quite misleading. The use of the word ”gods” in the plural and without a capital letter suggests, to some minds a reference to the angels who are in certain instances, they believe, designated as ”sons of God” (cf. Ge 6:4; Job 1:6; 2:1). But the thought is not restricted to the angels (cf. Isa 43:6). Again, the word ”gods” might be thought to refer to heathen gods; but since there were no heathen at the time Satan appeared in Eden, nor had the notion of ”gods many” occurred to any one’s mind, such an interpretation is impossible. The original word which is translated gods is none other than Elohim. The plural would be justified if it were at all the practice of the translators elsewhere; which it is not. The omission of the initial capital letter is without excuse. Satan who had said, “I will be like the most High” (Isa 14:14), said to Adam and Eve, “Ye shall be as Elohim.” The word Elohim occurs twice in Ge 3:5 and there is no more reason for translating it gods in one case than in the other. Henry Morris - The Defender's Study Bible (BORROW) - Satan's sin led him to desire to be as God, and this was the desire he placed in Eve's mind (see notes on Isaiah 14:13,14). In fact, when one questions or changes the Word of God, he is, for all practical purposes, making himself to be "god." Satan's deceptions are always most effective when they have some truth in them. Through eating the forbidden fruit, Adam and Eve would indeed come to "know good and evil," but not "as gods." (be as gods). Satan's deceptions are always most effective when they have some truth in them. Through eating the forbidden fruit, Adam and Eve would indeed come to "know good and evil," but not "as gods." David
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Morris has an interesting thought noting that "from Genesis 3:8 onward, the writer (presumably Adam himself, originally) uses the name “Lord God” (Jehovah Elohim). God is still the omnipotent uni-plural God of creation; but He is also the eternal, unchanging Lord of grace and mercy, and, through these experiences, Adam and Eve were coming to know Him in that way also." (Borrow the The Genesis Record) Their intimate fellowship with God was broken. Suddenly there was hiding and covering up...not only from God but now between man and woman. And there was no longer OPENNESS (transparency, walking in the light for as John wrote centuries later "If we say that we have fellowship with Him and yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth." = 1 Jn 1:6-note) as BEFORE the Devil (diabolos [Mt 4:1, Lk 4:2-note]) & SIN ENTERED perfect harmony! Guilt produces fear, and fear makes us want to run and hide. Ordinarily, Adam and Eve would have run to meet God, but they had become sinners (Ro 3:10-12). Sinners cannot cover their sins by their own works, nor can they hide from God. Related Resources on Fear: How To Handle Fear (1) How to Handle Fear (2) How To Handle Fear (3) How to Handle Fear (4) QUESTION - Did God literally and visibly walk in the garden (Genesis 3:8)? ANSWER - Genesis 3:8 says, “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.” We know that God is spirit (John 4:24), so how exactly could He be “walking” in the garden? First, it is clear from Genesis 3:8 that God’s approach in the garden was heralded by a “sound” or a “voice.” The verse begins by stating, “They heard the sound” of the Lord God. Whatever form God took, it certainly allowed for the physical production of sound. His walk was audible; He was making noise. The verse also mentions the “presence” of God “among the trees” of the garden. It was a presence that Adam and Eve acknowledged and thought they could hide from. So, God’s garden walk included both sound and some sort of presence among the trees. Even given these two statements, interpretations differ greatly. Some emphasize the fact that God the Father is invisible and cannot be seen by humans. According to this view, God did not appear in the flesh; rather, He took on a symbolic, incorporeal appearance, such as a cloud, much like He did with the Israelites in the desert with Moses (Deuteronomy 31:15). Others suggest that the idea of God “walking” refers to a theophany—an appearance of God in a tangible, human form. Theologians who hold this view point to a parallel in Genesis 18, where God appears as one of three (seemingly human) visitors to Abraham. Another theory is based on the Hebrew phrase translated “the cool of the day.” This could be literally translated “the wind of that day.” Some think this might refer to a strong wind. If so, Adam and Eve’s reaction makes more sense. They heard God’s approach as a terrible wind that lashed the trees of the garden, and they took cover. God called (using a Hebrew word that also means “to summon”) Adam to face judgment. Acts 2 records an interesting parallel: the coming of the Holy Spirit was accompanied by “a sound like the blowing of a violent wind” (verse 2). Also, God spoke to Job “out of the whirlwind” (Job 38:1). Regardless of whether God appeared in human form or in a cloud, or whether He made His presence known by a windstorm, it is clear God Himself confronted the sinners and issued judgment. To the praise of His grace, this judgment also included the promise of a future Redeemer (Genesis 3:15). Thus began a great saga that ultimately led to Jesus Christ, the perfect sacrifice for sin and substitute for sin’s judgment. Through Christ, those who believe are forgiven of sin and receive eternal life (John 3:16).GotQuestions.org C H
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Morris - The Defender's Study Bible (BORROW) - - The threefold temptation, appealing to body ("good for food"), soul ("pleasant to the eyes") and spirit ("make one wise"), was the same by which Satan appealed to Christ in the wilderness (Luke 4:1-12+), and against which Christians are warned in 1 John 2:16+ ("the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life"). (make one wise) She took from its fruit and ate - She looked and she took. Watch that first look!!! Make sure it is only a glance and not a gaze! NET NOTE - "The critical word now discloses the disobedience: “[she] ate.” Since the LORD God had said, “You shall not eat,” the main point of the divine inquisition will be, “Did you eat,” meaning, “did you disobey the command?” The woman ate, being deceived by the serpent (1 Tim 2:14), but then the man ate, apparently willingly when the woman gave him the fruit (see Ro 5:12, 17–19+)." And she gave also to her husband with her, and he ate - See why is Adam blamed? Note that Adam is not off picking blueberries, but is on the "scene of the crime" in close proximity to Eve, close enough that she was able to hand him some fruit. Adam could have refused but he acquiesced. ESV Study Note - The fact that Adam was “with her” and that he knowingly ate what God had forbidden indicates that Adam’s sin was both an act of conscious rebellion against God and a failure to carry out his divinely ordained responsibility to guard or “keep” (Gen. 2:15) both the garden and the woman that God had created as “a helper fit for him” (Ge 2:18, 20). (See context in ESV Study Bible or see online copy of ESV Study Bible) David
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Morris - The Defender's Study Bible (BORROW) - - "It was at this point that "by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin" (Romans 5:12). There could have been no death in the world before man brought sin into the world. Thus, the fossils in the earth's crust cannot be a record of the evolution of life leading up to man but must be a record of death after man. In the evolutionary scenario, struggle and death in the animal kingdom eventually, after a billion years, brought man into the world. The truth is, however, that man brought death into his whole dominion by his sin." (he did eat) Ryrie adds that "Adam ate knowingly (cf. 1 Ti 2:14). Their sin was more than merely eating forbidden fruit; it was disobeying the revealed word of God, believing the lie of Satan, and placing their own wills above God's. Sin, with all its dreadful consequences, now entered the human race and the world in general. See note on Rom. 5:12+." (Borrow the Ryrie Study Bible) Believer's Study Bible - The method of temptation used by Satan established a pattern according to which he would deal with man: (1) Questioning God, i.e., distorting or casting doubt on the word of God, is the beginning of every temptation. Satan is powerless without man's assent and consent (Ge 3:1). (2) Contradicting God, i.e. denying His word outright, is the inevitable result of questioning it (Ge 3:4). (3) Surpassing God is that satanic device in which some imaginary good is sought, above and beyond what God has offered (Ge 3:5). (4) Disobeying God is the final result (Ge 3:6). The areas of testing were threefold: (1) appetite, (2) beauty, and (3) ambition or pride (cf. 1 John 2:16+). Every temptation by Satan falls into one of these three areas. Temptation is primarily an attempt to get one to act independently of God by implanting a desire for self-assertion or a determination to go one's own way (cf. Pr 14:12; Isa. 53:6+). Delight (08378)(taavah from avah = to incline, to be beautiful, to be desirable) indicating a longing, a desire. It indicates an intense hunger for something. In Numbers 11:4 the KJV says they "fell a-lusting." Compare other negative desires (Ge 3:6, Ps 10:3, Ps 106:14, Ps 112:10, Pr 18:1, Pr 21:25, 26). Positive desires (Ps 10:17, Ps 21:2, Ps 38:9, Pr 10:24, Pr 11:23, Pr 13:19, Pr 19:22) Isaiah 26:8 gives the supreme positive desire - "Indeed, while following the way of Your judgments, O LORD, We have waited for You eagerly; Your name, even Your memory, is the desire of our souls." Taavah - 19v - delight(1), desire(14), desires*(1), favorite(1), greedy(1), intensely(1), what is desirable(1). Gen. 3:6; Num. 11:4; Job 33:20; Ps. 10:3; Ps. 10:17; Ps. 21:2; Ps. 38:9; Ps. 78:29; Ps. 78:30; Ps. 106:14; Ps. 112:10; Prov. 10:24; Prov. 11:23; Prov. 13:12; Prov. 13:19; Prov. 18:1; Prov. 19:22; Prov. 21:25; Isa. 26:8 Gilbrant's note on taavah - Meaning "desire," "longing," "appetite," "lust," taʾăwāh is derived from the root ʾāwāh (HED #181), "to be beautiful," "to be desirable." Desire can be good and just: "Lord, you have heard the desire of the humble" (Ps. 10:17); and "You have given him his heart's desire" (21:2). Good desire fulfilled is a "tree of life" (Prov. 13:12) and "sweet to the soul" (v. 19). Desire can also be wicked: "The wicked will see it [the good deeds of the righteous], and be grieved; he will gnash with his teeth, and melt away: the desire of the wicked will perish" (Ps. 112:10). Taʾăwāh also means "lust" in the bad sense. In the desert wilderness, the children of Israel on their way to Canaan complained about their journeys. They remembered the food of Egypt and rejected the provision the Lord had given them: "The mixed multitude that was among them fell a-lusting: and the children of Israel also wept again, and said, Who will give us flesh to eat?" (Num. 11:4). They lusted a lust (cf. Ps. 78:29f). The result of this attitude was disciplinary punishment: "While the flesh was yet between their teeth, before it was chewed, the wrath of the Lord was kindled against the people, and the Lord smote the people with a very great plague. And he called the name of that place Kibroth-hattaavah [the graves of lust]: because there they buried the people that lusted" (Num. 11:33f). The object of desire is also one of the uses of taʾăwāh. Elihu contended that when a man is sick and despairs of life, he "abhors bread, and his soul [rejects] dainty meat [the food of delight]" (Job 33:20). The same phrase, "the food of delight," appears in the narrative that describes the events of the Fall: "And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make one wise, she took of the fruit thereof, and ate" (Gen. 3:6). The notions of honor and ornament are associated with taʾăwāh and appear in the proverb: "The desire of a man is his [honor]: and a poor man is better than a liar" (Prov. 19:22); also, "The blessings of your father have prevailed above the blessings of my progenitors unto the utmost bound of the everlasting hills" (Gen. 49:26). This describes some of the blessings imparted to Joseph's descendants, prophesied by Jacob. (Complete Biblical Library Hebrew-English Dictionary) QUESTION - Why is Adam blamed for the fall of humanity when Eve sinned first? ANSWER - It is true that, chronologically, Eve sinned before Adam. She was tempted, picked the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, and ate. After that, she gave the fruit to her husband, and he ate (Genesis 3:1–6). Yet the Bible places the blame on Adam as the one responsible for the fall of mankind. In Romans 5, Adam is held culpable, with no mention of Eve: “Sin entered the world through one man, and death through sin, and in this way death came to all people” (verse 12). “Death reigned from the time of Adam . . . even over those who did not sin by breaking a command, as did Adam” (verse 14). “Many died by the trespass of the one man” (verse 15). “By the trespass of the one man, death reigned through that one man” (verse 17). “Through the disobedience of the one man the many were made sinners” (verse 19). This “one man” Paul refers to is Adam, as Romans 5:14 makes clear. Scripture presents that it was Adam, not Eve, who sinned against God and brought alienation from God and death to all mankind. Adam tried to blame Eve, indirectly (Genesis 3:12), but Adam is the one credited with sin’s entrance into the world. There are several reasons why Adam is to blame for the fall of humanity. Adam was created first, and his wife was created to be a “suitable helper” (Genesis 2:18, BSB). God held Adam responsible for his family, as seen in the fact that God sought out Adam specifically (Genesis 3:9). Also, in His conversation with Adam and Eve, God questioned Adam first (Genesis 3:9-13), even though Eve sinned before Adam. Adam, as the leader of the family, was held responsible for what happened in his family. Also, the original command to not eat of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil was given to Adam, before Eve was created (Genesis 2:17). Eve knew of the restriction (Genesis 3:2–3)—Adam had obviously informed her—but it was Adam who heard it straight from God’s mouth. In 1 Timothy 2:14, Paul makes a subtle distinction between the sin of Adam from the sin of Eve: “Adam was not the one deceived; it was the woman who was deceived and became a sinner.” Eve fell into sin because of a deception; however, Adam was not deceived, which means he chose to sin. When Adam took the fruit from his wife, he knew full well what he was doing. He was not misinformed or misled; he simply decided to rebel against God’s command. He chose to listen to his wife instead of to God (Genesis 3:17). The New Testament teaches that, as the first man, Adam represented all mankind. He was the head of the human race, and “everyone dies because we all belong to Adam” (1 Corinthians 15:22NLT). The suffering and death that resulted from Adam’s sin emphasizes our need for a Savior—whom Scripture refers to as the “last Adam” (1 Corinthians 15:45). That title for Christ, and the multiple comparisons of Adam to Christ, would make no sense if original sin had come through Eve. Although Eve was the first to sin, the solution to sin came through “her Seed” (Genesis 3:15NKJV). The Seed, Jesus Christ, was born of a virgin named Mary (Matthew 1:18–25). He paid the price for sin and will redeem those who receive the salvation He offers (John 3:16). So, just as sin and death came through one man, Adam, it is also through one man, Jesus Christ, that grace and righteousness are given as free gifts to believing sinners. Through Adam we received a curse, but through Jesus we receive a blessing.GotQuestions.org QUESTION - Was Adam with Eve when she spoke to the serpent (Genesis 3:6)? ANSWER - The Bible notes that Eve was the first to eat the fruit from the tree after being deceived by the serpent. Where was Adam during that time? Was he with Eve when she and the serpent were conversing? Genesis 3:6 says, “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.” The key phrase, in consideration of our question, is “who was with her.” Traditional Jewish interpretation takes this phrase to mean that Adam was with Eve the whole time she was being tempted and that he heard the whole conversation. This understanding helps to explain the emphasis on “Adam’s sin” in the New Testament (Romans 5:12). Adam was created first and placed in the Garden of Eden to care for it along with Eve. Adam then actively participated in breaking the one prohibition God had given him. If Adam had not been present when Eve spoke with the serpent, it would be more difficult to understand why the first sin is emphasized as being Adam’s. Another view is that the phrase “who was with her” simply means that Adam was with Eve when she offered him the fruit. In other words, Eve heard the serpent’s lies, believed they were the truth, and ate the fruit. Then she found her husband, and once she had him “with her,” she gave him the fruit, too. This understanding would explain why Adam did not intervene in the serpent’s deception of Eve and why the New Testament insists that Eve was “deceived” but Adam was not (1 Timothy 2:14). The fact that death came through Adam’s sin instead of Eve’s is explained by the idea that the federal headship of mankind was vested in Adam, as the one first created (1 Timothy 2:13). Of course, there is a third view, that Adam was in the vicinity of the tree while Eve was being tempted. He was near enough to still be considered “with” his wife, yet far enough away not to hear the conversation.GotQuestions.org Steps To Sin Genesis 3:6 John Butler "When the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make one wise, she took of the fruit thereof and did eat, and gave also unto her husband with her; and he did eat" (Genesis 3:6). This text shows us the steps to the great fall of Adam and Eve. They show the steps of man in yielding to sin. We note a few of the steps from our text. FIRST—THE PERCEPTION OF SIN "The woman saw that the tree was good for food." Experts tell us that 85% of what we learn comes through the eye gate. The vile effects of movies, TV, DVDs and such things as pornography produce much evil. Hollywood has led many into the pit of hell via the eye gate. If you do not protect the eye gate you will defile and damn yourself. SECOND—THE PASSION IN THE SIN "Was good for food." The physical appetite is often a factor in leading men and women to ruin. Here it was the appetite for food, sometimes it is the appetite for such things as sex. Control your appetites or they will control you. THIRD—THE PLEASURE IN THE SIN "Pleasant to the eye." Sin is advertised as great pleasure. It does not tell you that the pleasure is short (Hebrews 11:25), and after the pleasure comes the eternal pain. Sin simply advertises itself as being a lot of fun. The Bible speaks first of holiness, for it produces happiness. The world wants happiness apart from holiness. It does not work that way however. FOURTH—THE PRIDE IN THE SIN "Desired to make one wise." Sin appeals to the pride of man. Today we cleverly speak of 'self-esteem' which is nothing but pride decorated up to make it look acceptable. FIFTH—THE PARTAKING OF THE SIN "She took of the fruit thereof and did eat." Let your eyes dwell upon sin long enough and let your affections be captured by sin and you will soon be a victim of sin. The partaking tells us that sin is not a spur-of-the-moment deed. We sin because we have prepared our heart and lives to sin by actions and thoughts prior to our sin. SIXTH—THE PROSELYTING OF THE SIN "Gave also to her husband with her, and he did eat." Sin proselytes. It is not content to sin alone but seeks to get others to sin. Getting others to sin helps the sinner's conscience obviously, for sin likes company. That is why those who would be holy will often be alone (Jeremiah 15:17). Sin is popular, but holiness is not. If you would fraternize with the crowd you will not fraternize with holiness, for the crowd is often very corrupt. Sin is aggressive. Sin seems more successful in proselyting than righteousness does, but that does not change the character of sin. (Sermon Starters) THE START OF SIN Genesis 3:1–17 Sin started in the Garden of Eden. It really started in heaven with Lucifer—Isaiah 14:12–15. Sin started on earth with Adam and Eve. 1. THE PLAN OF SIN—vv. 1–5 2. THE POWER OF SIN—vv. 6–13 3. THE PAY OF SIN—vv. 16–17 You cannot sin without paying for it! The wages of sin is death, or separation from God—Romans 6:23. What you sow you will some day reap—Galatians 6:7, 8. Your sins may not “catch up” with you for years, but someday you pay for them. If not on earth, they will be revealed at the last judgment—Revelation 20:11–15. (Croft Pentz) Will We Pass The Test? Read: Genesis 3-5 | When the woman saw that the tree was good for food, that it was pleasant to the eyes, . . . she took of its fruit and ate. —Genesis 3:6 Coyotes can’t resist a tasty sheep dinner. That’s why a number of years ago researchers experimented with about 500 different chemicals to develop a solution to spray on sheep that would make them “coyote proof.” A compound that tasted like spicy hot sauce offered the most promise. Scientists theorized that if the tests were successful, coyotes might lose their taste for sheep. If that were to happen, the temptation that makes coyotes a public nuisance in sheep country would be gone, and man would become the wild dog’s best friend. Sometimes I wonder why God didn’t do something like that in the Garden of Eden. Why didn’t He make the tree of the knowledge of good and evil bear ugly fruit? Why didn’t He surround it with a chain-link fence with barbed wire at the top? Why did God even create the tree in the first place? Part of the answer, I believe, is that temptation to do evil brought Adam and Eve face to face with the ultimate moral question: Would they show confidence in their Creator and lovingly obey Him with all their heart? We face a similar test every day. What are we going to do? Will we flunk the test? Or will we trust God completely and obey His commands? Along life's road are obstacles— Our choice becomes a test; Help us, O Lord, to know Your way That we may choose what's best. —D. De Haan Every temptation is an opportunity to trust God. Humpty Dumpty A favorite nursery rhyme is the familiar tale of an egg that takes an unfortunate tumble: HUMPTY DUMPTY SAT ON A WALL HUMPTY DUMPTY HAD A GREAT FALL. ALL THE KING’S HORSES AND ALL THE KING’S MEN COULDN’T PUT HUMPTY TOGETHER AGAIN. According to those who know about such things, this piece of wisdom is a relic thousands of years old. Versions have appeared in eight European languages. In its primitive stages, however, Humpty Dumpty was a riddle. It asked the question: what, when broken, can never be repaired, not even by strong or wise individuals? As any child knows, an egg. Regardless of how hard we try, a broken egg can never be put back together again. We simply have to learn to live with the mess. There is a Humpty Dumpty story in the Bible. We call it the Fall. Adam and Eve eat the forbidden fruit. They claim they posses the necessary wisdom to be like God. When the dust settles, Adam and Eve are not perched on a lofty plane. They have fallen. Regardless of how hard we try, things can never be put back together again. Our contemporary fall is seen in the feeling that things just don’t work anymore. Our lives appear out of control. Changes come faster than our ability to cope. Broken eggs are an appropriate symbol. Wherever we step we hear the crunch of fragile shells beneath our feet. - Brent Philip Waters Appeal Of The Forbidden Read: Genesis 2:15-17; 3:1-6 | When the woman saw that the tree . . . was pleasant to the eyes, . . . she took of its fruit. —Genesis 3:6 The story is told about a young boy who was being cared for by a nanny. He saw a beautiful vase in the china cabinet, and he wanted it. When he was refused, he began screaming, kicking, and crying. His mother, hearing the fuss, came into the room to find out what the problem was. Picking up the child, she said to him, “What do you want, darling?” He pointed to the vase, so she gave it to him. But that didn’t satisfy him and soon he began crying again. “Now what does my little darling want?” the mother asked. “I want . . . I want,” said the boy between sobs, and then he blurted out, “I want what I can’t have!” The desire for what is off-limits is not confined to spoiled children. It reflects a tendency in all of us that goes back to the beginning of human history. The fruit of the “tree of the knowledge of good and evil” was forbidden (Genesis 2:17), a fact that very likely enhanced its appeal. The Bible teaches us that many practices and attitudes in today’s society are forbidden. But that often fuels the flame of desire. So it’s important that we know God’s will, identify evil allurements, and resist temptation. We must beware of the appeal of the forbidden! Enticement to evil is often strong, To sin and engage in all that's wrong; But we must resist temptation's plea And yield to the Christ of Calvary. —Fitzhugh Don't keep one eye on the temptation while praying not to be led into it. Genesis 3:7 Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together and made themselves loin coverings. Then the eyes of both of them were opened,: Ge 3:5 De 28:34 2Ki 6:20 Lu 16:23 and they knew that they were naked: Ge 3:10,11 2:25 and they sewed fig leaves together Job 9:29-31 Isa 28:20 59:6 Genesis 3 Resources - Multiple Sermons and Commentaries War on the Word audio by Steven Lawson - excellent exposition of Genesis 3 EYES OPENED TO GOOD AND EVIL LEADS TO GUILT AND SHAME Then - note time phrase (see expression of time). When? The moment they ate. Eyes opened. Knew naked. Sewed fig leaves. A keen sense of guilt immediately followed the act of sinning. Shame is the appropriate emotional attitude for those who have deliberately violated God's commands and ignored His purposes. Mankind inevitably discovers that divine wrath and retribution come in the wake of such a response to God's goodness. Adam was the federal head of the human race, and it was "through the offense of one many be dead" (Ro5:15). The eyes of both of them were opened (paqach), and they knew (yada) that they were naked (erom) : After the fall of Adam and Eve to the tempter, they did become "like God, knowing good and evil" (Ge 3:5). They had fallen prey to Satan's temptation to doubt God, perverting a "good" for their own selfish ends. To keep from falling prey, keep praying to the Lord! The Hebrew word for opened is paqach which is translated in the Septuagint by the verb dianoigo (also used in Lxx of Ge 3:5 "your eyes will be opened") which means opened thoroughly (what had been closed). How fascinating the very word that reflected their sin against God would one day be used to open the eyes of a sinner's soul to the saving Gospel and the Savior Jesus, referring to the regeneration of Lydia in Acts 16:14+! Allen Ross -The results, of course, were anticlimactic. The promise of divine enlightenment did not come about. They both ate and saw, but they were spoiled by so doing. They were ill at ease with one another (mistrust and alienation) and they were ill at ease with God (fearful and hiding from Him). Satan's promises never come true. Wisdom is never attained by disobeying God's Word. Instead the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom (Prov. 1:7). (See context in The Bible Knowledge Commentary) Barnhouse - “It is more than probable that they were clothed in light before the fall, and when they sinned the light went out.”
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Morris - The Defender's Study Bible (BORROW) - on naked - The sudden recognition of their nakedness indicates the realization that their descendants, as well as themselves, would suffer the effects of this original sin. The ability and instruction to be fruitful, given by God as a unique blessing, now would also convey the Curse of sin and death. Adam was the federal head of the human race, and it was "through the offense of one many be dead" (Romans 5:15). THEIR FUTILE ATTEMPT TO COVER THEIR SIN They sewed fig leaves together and made themselves loin coverings (chagorah) -- The innocence noted in Ge 2:25 had been replaced by guilt and shame (Ge 3:8-10), and from then on they had to rely on their conscience (see Conscience = suneidesis) to distinguish between good and their newly acquired capacity to see and know evil. In a sense by sewing themselves coverings, Adam and Eve provided a "template" for every false religion in the world, for all subsequent attempts by unholy men at reconciliation with the Holy God would be by human works calculated to merit salvation. In short, every world religion ever invented by fallen men preaches the mantra of "DO" but only the Gospel of grace proclaims "DONE" and now that Good News simply needs to be believed (Ro 1:16-note). When Jesus died on the Cross, in John 19:30-note He uttered the most wonderful word ever spoken "Tetelestai!" which means "It is finished" or "Paid in full!" The price to redeem men from their bondage to sin and Satan was paid in full by the precious blood of the Lamb of God (Jn 1:29, 1 Pe 1:18,19-note) some 2000 years ago. In sum, only Christianity is a religion of DONE! As Paul said “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved" (Acts 16:31-note)
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Morris - The Defender's Study Bible (BORROW) - on fig leaves - The hasty fabrication of fig leaf aprons might conceal their procreative organs from each other, but could hardly hide their sin from God. Neither will the "filthy rags" of self-made "righteousnesses" (Isaiah 64:6) cover sinful hearts today. The "garments of salvation" and the "robe of righteousness" (Isaiah 61:10) can be provided only by God, just as God provided "coats of skins" for Adam and Eve (Genesis 3:21). The story that the consequences of Genesis 3 have as much to do with how Adam and Eve responded to their failure as they do the failure itself. As we see in the difference between king David and king Saul, having a heart after God's heart is not the absence of failure, but the willingness to deal with failure in a biblical way. Today we want to examine more closely the problems with how Adam and Eve dealt with their failure. One of the main reasons for the consequences of sin is not the sin itself, but our unwillingness to deal with that sin God's way! We see in Ge 3:7 that Adam and Eve start by hiding from each other. They try to cover their nakedness with fig leaves. Next, in Ge 3:8, they try to hide from God among the trees of the Garden (where they should have stayed in the first place). It is our natural flesh response to try to hide when we sin. Pride never wants to be found out. Humility, on the other hand, is quick to take responsibility for failure. In Adam and Eve we see our own tendency to hide when we sin. It is this very tendency that alienates us from other believers (our spouses, our children, etc) and from God, and which gets in the way of putting the sin behind us. Immediately there came a loss of innocence and glory and a sense of guilt and shame. They tried to cover their nakedness with their own works, garments that God did not accept (Ge 3:21). Further, we see a loss of desire for fellowship with God. When they heard God approaching, they hid! Guilt, fear, and shame broke the fellowship with God that they had enjoyed before their disobedience (cp 1 John 1:6-7-note). Note too that there was a growing attitude of self-defense! The man blamed the woman and the woman blamed the serpent. We see here the tragic internal effects of sin. Believer's Study Notes: The immediate effects of the Fall are fourfold: (1) the discovery that something is wrong with oneself; (2) the effort to hide shame with a self-provided cover; (3) the fear of God which prompts one to hide (Ge 3:8, 9); and (4) the persistence in excusing instead of confessing (Ge 3:10-13). Adam and Eve were not ashamed of their nakedness at first (Ge 2:25). However, after their disobedience, they became ashamed. The explanation for this radical change in attitude is not to be charged to some sexual sin or to sexuality as such. Nakedness in the ancient Near East was considered exceedingly shameful and therefore is an appropriate expression for the shame they experienced. According to 1 Cor. 15:22, Adam's sin had devastating effects on the entire race. In Adam, all of his posterity became subject to sin and death. Consequently, the primordial parents of the race became ashamed of those organs which would perpetuate the memory of their sin, even as they perpetuated the race itself. Opened (06491)(paqach) means to open (as one's eyes). Baker summarizes paqach "It refers figuratively to one's eyes being opened to wisdom, understanding, reality (Ge 3:5, 7); or to some physical object not noticed before (Gen. 21:19); or even of normally unseen spiritual forces (2 Ki. 6:17, 20). Opening the eyes is a sign of life (2 Ki. 4:35). To open one's eyes is an idiom meaning to pay attention, to be watchful, to notice what is going on (2 Ki. 19:16; Dan. 9:18; Zech. 12:4); or to bring judgment on someone (Job 14:3). It also is used to mean to be diligent, industrious, not lazy (Prov. 20:13). It is used in a proverb to indicate the shortness of life or the possession of riches (Job 27:19). God is able to heal the blind, open their eyes (Ps. 146:8).(Complete Word Study Dictionary- Old Testament ) Knew (03045) yada to know, to learn, to perceive, to discern, to experience, to confess, to consider, to know people relationally, to know how, to be skillful, to be made known, to make oneself known, to make to known. Used as a description of intimate relations is Ge 4:1, Ge 4:17, Ge 4:25, Ge 38:26, Jdg 11:39, 1Sa 1:19). Knowing God means knowing Him on the spiritual level in the closest personal way. Yada in Genesis - Gen. 3:5; Gen. 3:7; Gen. 3:22; Gen. 4:1; Gen. 4:9; Gen. 4:17; Gen. 4:25; Gen. 8:11; Gen. 9:24; Gen. 12:11; Gen. 15:8; Gen. 15:13; Gen. 18:19; Gen. 18:21; Gen. 19:5; Gen. 19:8; Gen. 19:33; Gen. 19:35; Gen. 20:6; Gen. 20:7; Gen. 21:26; Gen. 22:12; Gen. 24:14; Gen. 24:16; Gen. 24:21; Gen. 25:27; Gen. 27:2; Gen. 28:16; Gen. 29:5; Gen. 30:26; Gen. 30:29; Gen. 31:6; Gen. 31:32; Gen. 33:13; Gen. 38:9; Gen. 38:16; Gen. 38:26; Gen. 39:6; Gen. 39:8; Gen. 41:21; Gen. 41:31; Gen. 41:39; Gen. 42:23; Gen. 42:33; Gen. 42:34; Gen. 43:7; Gen. 43:22; Gen. 44:15; Gen. 44:27; Gen. 45:1; Gen. 47:6; Gen. 48:19 Naked (05903)(erom) adjective describing something as naked, without clothing (Ge 3:7, 10, 11). Erom can describe a state of scarcity (Dt. 28:48; Ezek 16:39; 23:29). In Ezek 16:7 it has the sense of being in a state of innocence and in Ezek 16:22 a state of infancy used figuratively of Israel. Gilbrant - This word occurs ten times in the Bible, as an adjective meaning "naked," or as a substantive meaning "nakedness." It is derived from the verb ʿāram. Adam and Eve knew they were naked after they ate of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil (Gen. 3:7, 10f). The word is also used in a figurative, theological and prophetic sense. Figuratively, in the parable of Israel's beginning, God describes the nation as being spiritually naked (Ezek. 16:7, 22), and He warns that she will be physically naked in time of judgment (v. 39). Theologically, covering the naked with clothes is evidence of righteousness (Ezek. 18:7, 16). Prophetically, nakedness was part of the judgment that would come to Israel for sin and disobedience (Deut. 28:48; Ezek. 23:29). Erom - 10x/10v - naked(9), nakedness(1).Gen. 3:7; Gen. 3:10; Gen. 3:11; Deut. 28:48; Ezek. 16:7; Ezek. 16:22; Ezek. 16:39; Ezek. 18:7; Ezek. 18:16; Ezek. 23:29 Loin coverings (02290)(chagorah from chagar - to gird on) a sash, a belt, a girdle, a loincloth, loin coverings. It refers to a loincloth of fig leaves as the first covering of humankind (Gen. 3:7). It was a regular feature of Israelite clothing (Isa. 3:24). It was a valuable and desirable part of a soldier's military uniform (2 Sam. 18:11). To stain or to put the blood of battle on one's belt was to be guilty of violent bloodshed (1 Ki. 2:5). To put on a military belt was to prepare for war (2 Ki. 3:21).(Complete Word Study Dictionary- Old Testament ) Ed Young - The cḥăgôrâ as worn by women was not an undergarment, as the word "girdle" connotes in modern usage, but a valuable ornamented belt or sash like the Japanese obi (Isaiah 3:24; Proverbs 31:24). With men the ḥăgôrâ (ḥăgôr) was the accoutrement on which the sword was hung (1 Samuel 18:4). The phrase designating young men fit for military service is "all who were able to put on the cḥăgôrâ (2 Kings 3:21; KJV armour, NEB "arms"). This military belt was highly prized as a trophy of war (2 Samuel 18:11); Cyrus Gordon believes that this verse reflects a tradition of belt wrestling. ( link to the TWOT ) Chagorah - 5x/5v - Gen. 3:7; 2 Sam. 18:11; 1 Ki. 2:5; 2 Ki. 3:21; Isa. 3:24 QUESTION - Why didn’t Adam and Eve immediately die for their sin (Genesis 3)? ANSWER - God commanded Adam not to eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil: “Of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die” (Genesis 2:17). However, Adam and Eve ate of the tree and lived to tell about it. How can we reconcile God’s warning with their continued existence? Interpreters typically answer this question in one of two ways. First, many note that Adam and Eve did die, though not immediately. The Hebrew phrase translated “in the day” in Genesis 2:17 is sometimes used to mean “for certain” (e.g., Exodus 10:28; 1 Kings 2:37, 42). So, Adam and Eve “certainly” died; it’s just that their death took place much later (Genesis 5:5). This view is also supported by Genesis 3:22, in which God determines to bar man from the tree of life to prevent him from living forever. Adam and Eve lost eternal life, were expelled from the Garden of Eden, and eventually experienced physical death. The second way to view the warning of Genesis 2:17 is that “death” refers to spiritual death. When Adam and Eve ate of the forbidden fruit, they experienced a separation from God, a loss of relationship due to their sin. Their first actions after sinning were to cover themselves up and hide from God (Genesis 3:7-8). This alienation from the Source of Life can be viewed as spiritual death. A third approach understands that both physical and spiritual death were with the result of original sin. The moment Adam and Eve sinned against God, their souls were separated from God, and their bodies began to die. Their spiritual deadness and susceptibility to physical death have been passed on to all humanity (Romans 5:12). Praise the Lord, He did not abandon Adam and Eve. He provided clothing for them (Genesis 3:21) and allowed them to have children (Genesis 4). He also promised “the seed of the woman” to crush the power of the serpent (Genesis 3:15). This promise was fulfilled in Jesus Christ, who defeated sin and death on the cross and provides abundant life now (John 10:10) and eternal life with God in heaven (John 3:16). As Romans 5:19 says, “For as by the one man’s [Adam’s] disobedience the many were made sinners, so by the one man’s [Jesus’] obedience the many will be made righteous.” GotQuestions.org Genesis 3:8 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. And they: Ge 3:10 De 4:33 Dt 5:25 cool of the day: Heb. wind, Job 34:21,22 38:1 hid: Job 22:14 Job 31:33 Job 34:22 Ps 139:1-12 Pr 15:3 Jer 23:24 Am 9:2,3 Jon 1:3,9,10 Ro 2:15 Heb 4:13 Genesis 3 Resources - Multiple Sermons and Commentaries SIN BREAKS FELLOWSHIP WITH GOD Allen Ross - The remainder of this chapter falls into three sections: (a) the confrontation with the Lord in which the two sinners, hearing Him, feared and hid... among the trees (vv. 8-13); (b) the oracles of the Lord in which new measures were given to the serpent, the woman, and the man (vv. 14-19); and (c) the clothing by the Lord as a provision for the new order (vv. 20-24). The effects of sin are punishment and provision. Whereas the man and the woman had life, they now had death; whereas pleasure, now pain; whereas abundance, now a meager subsistence by toil; whereas perfect fellowship, now alienation and conflict. The motifs in chapter 3—death, toil, sweat, thorns, the tree, the struggle, and the seed—all were later traced to Christ. He is the other Adam, who became the curse, who sweat great drops of blood in bitter agony, who wore a crown of thorns, who was hanged on a tree until He was dead, and who was placed in the dust of death. (See context in The Bible Knowledge Commentary) They heard the sound of the LORD God walking in the garden in the cool of the day - Blessed thought! God walking with man. Perfect place, perfect oneness. Praise God for the New Covenant in Christ's blood which restores that perfect oneness and identity and communion with God, now experienced only in part for we still live in bodies that harbor the sinful flesh, but one day in glory to be perfectly realized in a perfect environment forever and ever. Amen. Leupold on walking in the garden in the cool of the day: “The almost casual way in which this is remarked indicates that this did not occur for the first time just then … There is extreme likelihood that the Almighty assumed some form analogous to the human form which was made in His image.” Henry Morris - The Defender's Study Bible (BORROW) - walking in the garden. This is not a crude anthropomorphism, but an actual theophany. The "Word of God," Christ in His preincarnate state, regularly appeared in the garden for fellowship and communication with His people. How long this period of fellowship had endured is not stated, but it was long enough for the Satanic rebellion in heaven and expulsion to earth. Since it was not long enough for Eve to conceive children, however, and since she and Adam had been instructed by God to do so, it was probably not more than a few days or weeks.
Gênesis 3
Morris - The Defender's Study Bible (BORROW) - on naked - hid myself. The shame associated with nudity is no artificial inhibition of civilization, but has its source in this primeval awareness of sin. It is only lost when consciences are so hardened as to lose sensitivity to sin. Clothing is even worn in heaven (Revelation 1:13; 19:14). John
Gênesis 3
Morris - The Defender's Study Bible (BORROW) - God's questions were not to obtain information but to encourage Adam and Eve to confess their sin. Instead of repentance, however, they responded by feeble attempts at self-justification, each blaming someone else. In this, they behaved like most of their descendants. Hast thou eaten NET NOTE - Who told you that you were naked? This is another rhetorical question, asking more than what it appears to ask. The second question in the verse reveals the LORD God’s real concern. Genesis 3:12 The man said, “The woman whom You gave to be with me, she gave me from the tree, and I ate.” Ge 2:18,20,22 Ex 32:21-24 1Sa 15:20-24 Job 31:33 Pr 19:3 28:13 Lu 10:29 Ro 10:3 Jas 1:13-15 Genesis 3 Resources - Multiple Sermons and Commentaries ADAM BLAMES EVE DIRECTLY AND GOD INDIRECTLY! The man said - Look at where Adam and Eve place the blame for their sin. What can we learn from this about our own tendencies in dealing with sin? The woman whom You gave to be with me - We see in Adam’s response that with one statement he tries to shift the blame for his sin to both Eve and God. He says, “that woman (blaming Eve) that You gave me ...”(blaming God). Eve takes the same approach, for she tries to shift the blame onto Satan (“the serpent deceived me.”). Our human tendency is to blame someone else, instead of taking responsibility for our sins. David E O'Brien - Adam’s petulant, “The woman you put here with me—she gave me some fruit from the tree, and I ate it” (3:12), is a far cry from the ecstatic cry of recognition he uttered in 2:23. Nothing gives stronger proof of the radical change that has taken place in the relationship between Adam and Eve than this. Here we see the adversary relationship that characterizes so much of our modern literature on the subject. The fall and its effects give rise to notions of subordination and inferiority, not creation. (Today's Handbook for Solving Bible Difficulties) Adrian Rogers - You notice the alibis here, ha? You notice how God is trying to bring them face to face with their sin. But, I want you to notice a proclivity in human nature that does not want to bow its head and say, I am guilty, have mercy upon me. Man constantly wants to make an alibi for his sin. Man wants to believe that he is ill, but not evil. He is sick, but not sinful. He is weak, but not wicked. And it's really the result of environment and here Adam begins to blame it on God. He says the woman whom thou gavest me, in other words, it's not my fault, God, it's your fault or at least it's her fault. The woman whom thou gavest me, she gave to me and I did eat. You gave her to me, she gave it to me. Not my fault, Lord. Adam blamed Eve. God turns to Eve. Eve says, well, the serpent beguiled me and I did eat. She blamed the serpent. Adam blamed Eve. Eve blamed the serpent. The serpent didn't have a leg to stand on. There, just one, two, three. Everybody is being blamed, but nobody is saying it's me, it's me, it's me, oh Lord standing in the need of prayer. Nobody is saying I acknowledge my transgression and my sin is ever before me. But here is the searching eyes of God and here is God trying to bring Adam and Eve into this place where they come into a confrontation with their sin. And that's what God is trying to do today. (CLICK for his sermons on Genesis 3) She gave me from the tree, and I ate - Adam pitifully put the responsibility on God for giving him Eve. That only magnified the tragedy in that Adam had knowingly transgressed God’s prohibition, but still would not be open and confess his sin, taking full responsibility for his action, which was not made under deception (1 Ti 2:14). And something has happened to the relationship between Adam & Eve...''the woman'' So all of a sudden Adam is not her PROTECTOR...he is now her ACCUSER... So here is the POINT...something happened to their relationship to God and the result was a break in their relationship. And we find this manifesting itself in so-called ''mid life crisis'' which previous generations never talked about...our generation has gotten so far away from the truth of God, listened to so many of the serpent's lies, that we have become so alienated from God and when we come to these difficult periods of our life, instead of running to God and casting ourselves upon His mercy and grace, we do what is right in our own eyes and the result is DISASTER! Marriage after marriage is today full of regrets...they did not understand their relationship with God which makes every horizontal relationship upside down BUT ESPECIALLY AFFECTS THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN MAN AND WIFE! DIVORCE OR SEPARATION IS ALWAYS A RESULT OF A PROBLEM IN THE PRIMARY RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN GOD AND MAN/WOMAN. Spouses are leaving bc they did not believe God and did not walk the way God said they were to walk...His torah gives us the instructions for LIFE AND SPIRITUAL HEALTH. So how can you have a marriage without regrets? (1). Make your relationship with God top priority. Counselors can give you bandaids but only God's word gives you the cure for the cancer. God made man first, woman second and woman was to be a HELPER to man. (2). Since we are created male and female one must understand the difference between man and woman. Even at 6 weeks in utero the male is more active than the female. What does the Serpent try to do? He tries to say there is no difference between men and women...they are both same...they both have equal rights (and here he has partial truth)...BUT WE BOTH HAVE A DIFFERENT CALLING...the enemy is trying to distort that distinctiveness of male and female and come up with UNISEX! (A). MEN NORMALLY SEE THE WHOLE PICTURE WOMEN SEE THE DETAILS. Eg, women often interrupt their husbands when they tell a story bc he is off on the details (B). MEN ARE LOGICAL (''I THINK'')... WOMEN ARE INTUITIVE (''I FEEL''). Women move by what they feel but men live by what they KNOW. (C). MEN ARE ACCUSTOMED TO MAKING DECISIONS... WOMEN LACK SELF-ASSURANCE. (D). MEN ARE MORE EMOTIONALLY CALM. WOMEN ARE MORE VOLATILE. E). MEN WORK ON GOALS. WOMEN WORK ON RELATIONSHIPS. F). MEN ARE OBJECTIVE. WOMEN ARE SUBJECTIVE. G). MEN ARE REALISTIC...he is direct and objective so he deals with the facts the way they are. WOMEN ARE IDEALISTIC. Related Resource: Covenant: As It Relates to Marriage Ray Pritchard in his sermon Is It Becoming Easier to Say "I Was Wrong?" observes that "Adam is cornered, caught red-handed, stripped naked if you will of all his excuses. God knows! What will he do? He does what any self-respecting man does. He passes the buck. His answer is a classic form of evasion: “The woman you put here with me—she gave me some fruit from the true, and I ate it.” Did you get that? “The woman you put here with me.” Adam passes the buck twice. First it was the woman. Then it was the woman you put here. “Lord, it was her fault. She gave me the fruit and so I ate it. What was I supposed to do? She’s my wife. You know how it is, Lord, when your wife wants you to do something. What was I supposed to do? Say no and watch her pout all night? And anyway, who put her in the garden? You did! She wasn’t my idea. I’m not complaining, Lord, because she’s beautiful and cute and all that, but I didn’t have this problem when it was just me and the animals.” And so it goes. The first man, the father of the human race, is also the first one to pass the buck. Make no mistake. The Bible is telling us something significant. It is in our nature to deny our own guilt and to try to shift the blame to others. That’s what Genesis 3:8-12 is all about. It’s no coincidence that the first sin led to the first cover-up. The first disobedience led to the first denial. The first trespassing led to the first buck-passing. In all the thousands of years since then, nothing has really changed. Human nature is the same. Passing the buck is in our spiritual bloodstream. We do it now because Adam did it back then. He established the pattern: Disobedience which leads to Guilt which leads to Shame which leads to Fear which leads to Hiding which leads to Blaming others The Chimp’s Birthday Card The man said, “The woman whom You gave to be with me, she gave me of the tree, and I ate.” —Genesis 3:12 Not long ago my wife asked me to pick up a belated birthday card for her brother. Scanning the rack, I ran across a card with a chimpanzee on the front holding a phone receiver in his hand. This is what it said: “I better not hear . . . about how upset you are that I missed your birthday. I mean, how do you know I wasn’t in a serious car accident and lying in some ditch out in the middle of nowhere? . . . Well, I may have forgotten your birthday, but I didn’t exactly get any phone calls to see if I was okay. All I know is you better have a good excuse why I didn’t hear from you on your birthday!” The extent to which people avoid legitimate responsibility is almost laughable, but it is nothing new. When God confronted Adam for eating the forbidden fruit, he chose to blame his wife and God: “The woman whom You gave to be with me, she gave me of the tree, and I ate” (Gen. 3:12). When we have done something wrong, we can either accept legitimate blame for what we have done or shift the blame to others. The way that pleases God and results in spiritual growth is to accept personal responsibility for our actions. Irrationally blaming others is no laughing matter. His eye our secret thoughts behold, His mercies all our lives enfold, He knows our purposes untold, You cannot hide from God! —Ackley A good test of a person’s character is his behavior when he is wrong. You Can’t Say That! “Lord, what do You want me to do?” —Acts 9:6 According to a career-building Web site, certain words should be avoided on the job. When someone in authority asks you to do a project, you shouldn’t say, “Sure, no problem,” if you don’t mean it and aren’t going to follow through. Otherwise, you’ll become known as someone who doesn’t keep his word. And don’t say, “That’s not my job,” because you may need that person’s help in the future. And if your boss comes to you with a problem, careerbuilder.com suggests it’s best not to blame someone else and say, “It’s not my fault!” That’s the excuse Adam and Eve gave to God. They were told not to eat from the fruit on the tree of the knowledge of good and evil (Gen. 2:16-17). When they disobeyed and were confronted by God, Adam blamed God and Eve, and Eve blamed the serpent (3:9-19). They basically said, “It’s not my fault!” Perhaps there are things we should avoid saying to God about what He’s told us to do or not to do. For example, He gives us specific instructions for Christlike behavior in 1 Corinthians 13, yet we may be tempted to say, “I just don’t feel convicted about that,” or “That’s not really my gift.” What is the Lord asking of you today? How will you respond? How about, “Yes, Lord!” God wants complete obedience, Excuses will not do; His Word and Spirit show His will— Then we must follow through. —Sper The highest motive for obeying God is the desire to please Him. The Blame Game The man said, “The woman whom You gave to be with me, she gave me of the tree, and I ate.” —Genesis 3:12 A city employee in Lodi, California, is suing the city for damages after he backed a dump truck into his own parked car. The 51-year-old man argues that because the “city’s vehicle damaged my private vehicle,” the city owes him $3,600. As ridiculous as this sounds, blaming others has been a basic human trait since the beginning. When Adam and Eve ate from the forbidden tree, their eyes were opened and they lost their innocence. God asked the man a simple, yet penetrating question: “Where are you?” (Gen. 3:9). In the past, Adam had intimate fellowship with God, but now he responded in fear and hid himself. God’s follow-up question was more convicting than the first: “Have you eaten from the tree of which I commanded you that you should not eat?” (v.11). Then the blame game started: “The woman whom You gave to be with me, she gave me of the tree, and I ate” (Ge 3:12). The man blamed God and the woman for his sin. The woman blamed the serpent rather than herself. Ever since that day in the Garden of Eden, we tend to blame others rather than ourselves for our sinful choices. When we sin, we should take responsibility. Let’s pray like David: “I acknowledged my sin to You, and my iniquity I have not hidden” (Ps. 32:5). Lord, help me not excuse my sin And blame another person; For if I don’t admit my wrong, My sin will only worsen. —Sper The first step in repenting from sin is to admit that you are to blame. Genesis 3:13 Then the LORD God said to the woman, “What is this you have done?” And the woman said, “The serpent deceived me, and I ate.” Greek Septuagint - kai eipen (3SAAI) kurios o theos te gunaiki ti touto epoiesas (2SAAI) kai eipen (3SAAI) e gune ho ophis epatesen (3SAAI: apatao: deceive, mislead Ep5.6) me kai ephagon (3PAAI) What is this you have done: Ge 4:10-12 44:15 1Sa 13:11 2Sa 3:24 12:9-12 Joh 18:35 The serpent deceived: Ge 3:4-6 2Co 11:3 1Ti 2:14 Genesis 3 Resources - Multiple Sermons and Commentaries Related Passages: Revelation 12:9+ And the great dragon was thrown down, the serpent of old who is called the devil and Satan, who deceives the whole world; he was thrown down to the earth, and his angels were thrown down with him. 1 Timothy 2:14+ And it was not Adam who was deceived, but the woman being deceived, fell into transgression. Then - Marks progression in the narrative. The LORD God said to the woman, “What is this you have done? And the woman said, “The serpent (nachash) deceived (nasha; Lxx - apatao) me, and I ate - Another rhetorical question from God. She had just heard Adam's blamed placed on her, so she quickly passes the buck to the lying snake! Serpent is nachash a snake from the idea of HISS. Serpent (05175)(nachash) is a masculine noun meaning snake. The word nācḥāsh, meaning to make a hissing sound, undoubtedly refers, to the kind of being known to us as a in Ex. 4:3; Nu 21:6; Dt. 8:15; Pr 30:19, Eccl. 10:8, 11; Amos 5:19. Nachash refers to an image of in the famous passage in Nu 21:9+. Sadly Israel began to worship the image of bronze serpent which ultimately had to be destroyed as Nehushtan, which means a worthless piece of brass! (2 Ki 18:4). Nachash is used describing the Devil as Eve's tempter (Ge 3:1, 2, 4, 13, 14). Nachash figuratively described the tribe of Dan as "a serpent in the way" (Ge 49:17). The tribe Dan would be exceedingly dangerous to his foes. In later times members of the tribe of Dan fulfilled these words with remarkable accuracy. After a time in their original territory, the Danites moved to the north and occupied the northernmost point in Israel. These people were never distinguished for their spiritual attainments. In 931 B.C. Jeroboam set up a golden calf in Dan to provide opportunity for pagan worship. Other figurative uses of nachash are the wicked rulers (Ps. 58:4) and enemies (Isa. 14:29; Jer. 8:17; 46:22). In Proverbs 23:32 alcohol is described as "at last it bites like a serpent." Nachash - 29x in 26v in the OT - Usage: serpent(24), serpent's(2), serpents(2), snake(1). Genesis 3:1 Now the serpent was more crafty than any beast of the field which the LORD God had made. And he said to the woman, "Indeed, has God said, 'You shall not eat from any tree of the garden '?" Genesis 3:2 The woman said to the serpent, "From the fruit of the trees of the garden we may eat; Genesis 3: 4 The serpent said to the woman, "You surely will not die! Genesis 3:13 Then the LORD God said to the woman, "What is this you have done?" And the woman said, "The serpent deceived me, and I ate." Genesis 3:14 The LORD God said to the serpent, "Because you have done this, Cursed are you more than all cattle, And more than every beast of the field; On your belly you will go, And dust you will eat All the days of your life; Genesis 49:17 "Dan shall be a serpent in the way, A horned snake in the path, That bites the horse's heels, So that his rider falls backward. Exodus 4:3 Then He said, "Throw it on the ground." So he threw it on the ground, and it became a serpent; and Moses fled from it. Exodus 7:15 "Go to Pharaoh in the morning as he is going out to the water, and station yourself to meet him on the bank of the Nile; and you shall take in your hand the staff that was turned into a serpent. Numbers 21:7 So the people came to Moses and said, "We have sinned, because we have spoken against the LORD and you; intercede with the LORD, that He may remove the serpents from us." And Moses interceded for the people. Nu 21:9 And Moses made a bronze serpent and set it on the standard; and it came about, that if a serpent bit any man, when he looked to the bronze serpent, he lived. 2 Kings 18:4 He removed the high places and broke down the sacred pillars and cut down the Asherah. He also broke in pieces the bronze serpent that Moses had made, for until those days the sons of Israel burned incense to it; and it was called Nehushtan. Job 26:13 "By His breath the heavens are cleared; His hand has pierced the fleeing serpent. Psalm 58:4 They have venom like the venom of a serpent; Like a deaf cobra that stops up its ear, Psalm 140:3 They sharpen their tongues as a serpent; Poison of a viper is under their lips. Selah. Proverbs 23:32 At the last it bites like a serpent And stings like a viper. Proverbs 30:19 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. Ecclesiastes 10:8 He who digs a pit may fall into it, and a serpent may bite him who breaks through a wall. Ecclesiastes 10:11 If the serpent bites before being charmed, there is no profit for the charmer. Isaiah 14:29 "Do not rejoice, O Philistia, all of you, Because the rod that struck you is broken; For from the serpent's root a viper will come out, And its fruit will be a flying serpent. Isaiah 27:1 In that day the LORD will punish Leviathan the fleeing serpent, With His fierce and great and mighty sword, Even Leviathan the twisted serpent; And He will kill the dragon who lives in the sea. Isaiah 65:25 "The wolf and the lamb will graze together, and the lion will eat straw like the ox; and dust will be the serpent's food. They will do no evil or harm in all My holy mountain," says the LORD. Jeremiah 8:17 "For behold, I am sending serpents against you, Adders, for which there is no charm, And they will bite you," declares the LORD. Jeremiah 46:22 "Its sound moves along like a serpent; For they move on like an army And come to her as woodcutters with axes. Amos 5:19 As when a man flees from a lion And a bear meets him, Or goes home, leans his hand against the wall And a snake bites him. Amos 9:3 "Though they hide on the summit of Carmel, I will search them out and take them from there; And though they conceal themselves from My sight on the floor of the sea, From there I will command the serpent and it will bite them. Micah 7:17-note They will lick the dust like a serpent, Like reptiles of the earth. They will come trembling out of their fortresses; To the LORD our God they will come in dread And they will be afraid before You. Deceived (05378)(nasha) means to deceive beguiled, led astray, deluded, seduced. Nasha means to use deceptive methods or deceit to accomplish something as Satan did with Eve (Ge. 3:13). Deceive by political means or giving false hopes of deliverance (2Ki. 18:29; 19:10; 2Chr. 32:15). Death deceives and surprises (Ps. 55:15) Nasha describes false prophecies (Jer. 29:8). It can describe self-deception (Jer. 37:9; 49:16; Obad. 1:3, 7) Used of God (Jer. 4:10). Gilbrant - The Hebrew verb nāshāʾ means "to lend money." But in the Hiphil and Niphal stems, the verb can also mean "to deceive," "to trick" or "to give false hope." This term is often misunderstood in light of the present day banking practice of lending money to a borrower who in turn owes interest along with the repayment of the principal. But this was not a lawful practice within the community of Israel. For example, Exo. 22:25 forbids Israelite lenders from charging interest to Israelite borrowers, but instead, the lender is allowed to hold an item of value pledged by the borrower as collateral (cf. Deut. 23:19; 24:11). Certain guidelines were established pertaining to the taking of a pledge, in order to prevent economic oppression and harassment by the lender upon the borrower. Deuteronomy 24:10f commands, "Do not go into his house to get what he is offering as a pledge. Stay outside and let the man to whom you are making the loan bring the pledge out to you" (NIV). However, charging interest to foreigners was acceptable (cf. Deut. 23:20). In fact, Israel exacted interest of twenty to fifty percent on loans to neighboring nations, insuring the increased wealth of Israel's upper class. A higher rate was charged on grain than on precious metals. For example, in the Old Babylonian era, thirty-three and one-third percent was charged on grain, while twenty percent was charged on silver. When a debtor offered a pledge, this often included a man's property, wife or his children, each of which could become the possession of the lender if the debt were not paid in the agreed fashion. Second Kings 4:1 records the predicament of a widow whose two sons would be collected as a pledge payment by a creditor to whom her husband owed money. Elisha told her to fill as many water pots as could be found with the little oil she possessed. This little amount of oil miraculously provided enough to repay the creditor who would have taken possession of her sons. Furthermore, a just creditor had to return by nightfall a garment taken as a pledge (Exo. 22:26f; Deut. 24:13), and no item that helped support the family, such as a millstone, could be taken as a pledge (Deut. 24:6). In 1 Sam. 22:2, nāshāʾ refers to an individual who owes money to a lender (cf. Isa. 24:2). Nehemiah 5:7 describes the unjust creditors who were oppressing their poor brothers by exacting unlawful interest upon their loans. The Hiphil stem also offers a different meaning. For example, Eve, instead of confessing, pointed to the deception and trickery of the serpent who tempted her to eat of the fruit in Gen. 3:13. This deception can also originate from a king (2 Ki. 18:29), a false god (Isa. 37:10) or one's own heart (Jer. 49:16; Obad. 3). The Niphal stem presents the action of "deceiving oneself" in Isa. 19:13, by stating that the wise men of Memphis had done so by trusting in their own wisdom. (Complete Biblical Library) NET NOTE "This verb (the Hiphil of נָשָׁא, nasha) is used elsewhere of a king or god misleading his people into false confidence (2 Kgs 18:29 = 2 Chr 32:15 = Isa 36:14; 2 Kgs 19:10 = Isa 37:10), of an ally deceiving a partner (Obad 7), of God deceiving his sinful people as a form of judgment (Jer 4:10), of false prophets instilling their audience with false hope (Jer 29:8), and of pride and false confidence producing self-deception (Jer 37:9; 49:16; Obad 3). " Nasha - 14x/14v - come deceitfully(1), deceive(8), deceived(3), deluded(1), utterly deceived(1). Gen. 3:13; 2 Ki. 18:29; 2 Ki. 19:10; 2 Chr. 32:15; Ps. 55:15; Isa. 19:13; Isa. 36:14; Isa. 37:10; Jer. 4:10; Jer. 29:8; Jer. 37:9; Jer. 49:16; Obad. 1:3; Obad. 1:7 Paul picks up on this in warning the church at Corinth... 2 Corinthians 11:3 But I am afraid that, as the serpent deceived Eve by his craftiness, your minds will be led astray from the simplicity and purity of devotion to Christ. Hiding From God The Lord God said to the woman, "What is this you have done?" —Genesis 3:13 Two brothers were extremely mischievous and their parents were at their wits’ end. So they asked their pastor to talk with the boys. The pastor sat the younger one down first. He wanted him to think about God, so he started the conversation by asking, “Where is God?” The boy didn’t respond, so he repeated the question in a stern tone. Again he gave no answer. Frustrated, the pastor shook his finger in the boy’s face and shouted, “Where is God?!” The boy bolted from the room, ran home, and hid in his closet. His brother followed him and asked, “What happened?” The younger boy replied, “We’re in big trouble now. God is missing, and they think we did it!” Sounds a bit like Adam and Eve, who were filled with guilt and tried to hide from God (Genesis 3:10). They had known the Lord’s close fellowship, but now they were afraid to face Him. God pursued them, though, and asked, “What is this you have done?” Instead of repenting, Adam blamed God and Eve, and Eve blamed the serpent. How do we respond when we’ve sinned against God? Do we hide, hoping He won’t notice? If we are His, He’ll pursue us. The wisest choice is to come out of our hiding place, confess our sin, and have our fellowship restored. Heavenly Father, forgive me for trying to hide from You. I confess my sins and ask for Your forgiveness. Help me own up to my wrongs and not let anything come between You and me. Amen. Sin brings fear; confession brings freedom. Genesis 3:14 The LORD God said to the serpent, “Because you have done this, Cursed are you more than all cattle, And more than every beast of the field; On your belly you will go, And dust you will eat All the days of your life; thou art: Ge 3:1 9:6 Ex 21:28-32 Lev 20:25 dust: Ps 72:9 Isa 29:4 65:25 Mic 7:17 Genesis 3 Resources - Multiple Sermons and Commentaries Related Passages: Micah 7:17+ They will lick the dust like a serpent, Like reptiles of the earth. They will come trembling out of their fortresses; To the LORD our God they will come in dread And they will be afraid before You. Isaiah 65:25 “The wolf and the lamb will graze together, and the lion will eat straw like the ox; and dust will be the serpent’s food. They will do no evil or harm in all My holy mountain,” says the LORD. THE SERPENT CONDEMNED TO CRAWL The LORD God said to the serpent (nachash), “Because you have done this, Cursed (arar; Lxx - epikataratos = being under a curse) are you more than all cattle, And more than every beast of the field - It is likely that the serpent which Satan spoke through was not the crawling creature that we know today. The name suggests brightness and glory, but because the creature yielded to Satan and shared in the temptation, it was judged and condemned to a lowly life in the dust. Snakes are a reminder of the danger of temptation and the fall of man. There is a suggested play on words for in Genesis 3:1 the serpent is crafty, Hebrew arum, but now the serpent is cursed, Hebrew arar! Henry Morris - The Defender's Study Bible (BORROW) - God's Curse fell first on the Serpent, representing man's great enemy the devil, as a perpetual reminder to man of his fall. All other animals were also placed under the Curse but the Serpent was cursed above all others, becoming a universal object of dread and loathing. Whatever may have been its original posture, it would henceforth glide on its belly, eating its prey directly off the ground and covered with the dust of the earth. (cursed above all cattle) On your belly you will go, And dust you will eat All the days of your life - "Another one bites the dust!" (so to speak - it's an old rock song). Eating dust is a symbol of humiliation, not an item the serpent's diet! The cattle and all the rest of creation were cursed (Ro 8:20-23 Jer 12:4), but the serpent was uniquely cursed to a greater degree. Cursed (0779) arar refers principally to exclamations, or imprecations, uttered by one person against another. To inflict with a curse.This verb, in a more specific sense, means to bind (with a spell); to hem in with obstacles; to render powerless to resist. It bears the idea of people reviling one another and carries the idea of being bound or banned from something. Therefore, God's original curse to Satan in Ge 3:14, 17, means he was banned from all the other animals and condemned to the dust. In God's curse upon Cain, "you are cursed from the earth" (Ge 4:11, 12), Cain was banned from enjoying the productivity of the earth's soil. Furthermore, the curse pronounced upon Jezebel by Elijah (1 Ki. 21:23) barred her from a proper burial (2 Ki. 9:34). Balaam was hired by King Balak to curse the Israelites (Num. 22:6ff). Although his efforts were unsuccessful, Balak desired Balaam to disable the Israelite forces. The Israelites, however, eventually brought the curse of God upon themselves through idolatry and its accompanying immorality (Num. 25:1-9). Most of the curse sayings are within proclamations of laws (Deut. 27:15-26; 28:16-19) or pronouncements of threats (Jer. 11:3; 17:5). Arar in Genesis - Ge 3:14; Ge 3:17; Ge 4:11; Ge 5:29; Ge 9:25; Ge 12:3; Ge 27:29; Ge 49:7 The Serpent = Satan (07854)(satan, saw-tawn') an opponent: esp Satan, the arch-enemy of good:--adversary, Satan, withstand. The Origin of Satan: 1. Satan’s Original State Ezek. 28:12-18 2.Satan’s Fall Isa. 14:12-15; Ezek 28:15-17; Lu 10:18; 1 Ti 3:6; Rev 12:7-9 The Present Abode of Satan 1.Satan Lives in Heavenly Places Eph 6:11,12 2.Satan Has Limited Access to God’s Presence Job 1:6; Job 2:1; Zech. 3:1-2 3.Satan Roams the Earth Job 1:7; 1 Pet. 5:8; Rev. 2:12,13 The Destiny of Satan 1.Satan Is Destined to Be Defeated Gen. 3:14,15; Isa. 14:12-17; Lu 10:18; Jn 12:31,32; Jn 14:30; Ro 16:20; Col 2:15 2.Satan Is Destined to Be Condemned Jn 16:11; 1 Ti 3:6 3.Satan Is Destined to Be Expelled from Heaven Rev 12:7-12 4.Satan Is Destined to Be Bound Rev 20:1-3 5.Satan Is Destined to Be Thrown into the Lake of Fire Mt 25:41; Rev 20:10 Genesis 3:15 And I will put enmity Between you and the woman, And between your seed and her seed; He shall bruise you on the head, And you shall bruise him on the heel." Here is the Septuagint version of this verse - kai ecthran (enmity, hostility, hatred both as an inner disposition and objective opposition) theso (1SPAI: tithemi - place, put) ana meson sou kai ana mesontes gunaikos kai ana meson (ana meson = in the midst, among as in Mt 13.25) tou spermatos (seed) sou kai ana meson tou spermatos autes AUTOS (Greek pronoun = MASCULINE NOMINATIVE SINGULAR = a prediction of Christ - see Ga 3:16,19-note) sou teresei (tereo = protect, watch, keep guard...somewhat difficult to understand what the Lxx translators were contemplating when they chose this verb to translate "bruise") kephalen kai su tereseis autou pternan An unfortunate translation in the Vulgate changes the pronoun his from the masculine to the feminine, providing spurious support for unfounded claims concerning “the Blessed Virgin Mary.” enmity: Nu 21:6,7 Am 9:3 Mk 16:18 Lu 10:19 Ac 28:3-6 Ro 3:13 between your seed Mt 3:7 12:34 13:38 23:33 Joh 8:44 Ac 13:10 1Jn 3:8,10 her seed: Ps 132:11 Isa 7:14 Jer 31:22 Mic 5:3 Mt 1:23,25 Lu 1:31-35,76 Ga 4:4 He shall bruise you on the head Ro 16:20 Eph 4:8 Col 2:15 Heb 2:14,15 1Jn 3:8 5:5 Rev 12:7,8,17 Rev 20:1-3,10 you shall bruise him on the heel: Ge 49:17 Isa 53:3,4,12 Da 9:26 Mt 4:1-10 Lu 22:39-44,53 Joh 12:31-33 14:30,31 Heb 2:18 5:7 Rev 2:10 12:9-13 13:7 15:1-6 Rev 20:7,8 Genesis 3 Resources - Multiple Sermons and Commentaries THE PROTOEVANGELIUM "FIRST GOOD NEWS!" See protoevangelium And I will put enmity :('eybah/'ebah) In most of its occurrences it connotes the hatred in which a hostile act is perpetrated whether in a legal context (Nu 35:21-22) or a context describing the hostile acts of Israel's enemies (Ezekiel 25:15; Ezekiel 35:5). Any anthology of religion tells the story of man’s search for God. My friend, that is not the way God tells it. Let’s tell it like it is: Salvation is God’s search for man. Man ran away from Him, and God called to him, “Where art thou?” Henrietta Mears - Someone has said that this is the germ of all prophecy that unfolds into the perfect, fragrant bloom of the Rose of Sharon and the Lily of the Valley.....It was through the line of Seth that the Messiah promised in Genesis 3:15 was to come. The greatest teaching of all Genesis 3 is in this fifteenth verse. This is the first Messianic promise. The Redeemer of the race was to be “the seed” of the woman. The entire Bible is occupied with the development and fulfillment of this promise of a coming Savior. Christ was to be born of a virgin, and He would come to put an end to the works of the devil though His death and resurrection. W. H. Griffith Thomas (Genesis - Devotional Commentary) writes: The announcement of enmity between the serpent and the woman, and between her seed and his seed, is the first message of Divine redemption in its antagonism to, and victory over, sin. This is indeed the Protevangelium, and is the primeval promise which is taken up again and again henceforward in Scripture, until He comes Who destroys him that has the power of death, and casts him into the lake of fire. Redemption is not only promised in word, it is also pictured in deed. Man attempted to cover his shame by the leaves of the fig-tree, but this was far too slight a covering for so deep a shame. No human covering could suffice, and so we are told with profound significance that the 'Lord God made coats of skins and clothed them.' This Divine clothing took the place of their own self-made clothing, and now they are clothed indeed. The mention of skins suggests the fact and necessity of death of the animal before they could be used as clothing, and it is more than probable that in this fact we have the primal revelation of sacrifice, and of the way in which the robe of righteousness was to be provided for them. (Genesis 3 The Fall) 'Jesu, Thy blood and righteousness My beauty are, my glorious dress.' GOD DECLARES WAR ON SATAN Warren
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Morris - The Defender's Study Bible (BORROW) - - This verse is famous as the Protevangel ("First Gospel"). The Curse was directed immediately toward the Serpent, but its real thrust was against the evil spirit possessing its body, "that old serpent called the devil" (Revelation 12:9). Satan may have assumed he had now won the allegiance of the woman and all her descendants, but God told him there would be enmity between him and the woman. (enmity between thee) Ryrie on between your seed - (the spiritual descendants of Satan; cf. John 8:44; Eph. 2:2) and her seed (those who are in the family of God). He. An individual from among the woman's seed, namely, Christ, will deal a death blow to Satan's head at the cross, while Satan (you) will bruise Christ's heel (cause Him to suffer). (Borrow the Ryrie Study Bible) Between you and the woman, : This is the first Gospel declared in the Bible: the good news that the woman’s seed (Christ) would ultimately defeat Satan and his seed (Ga 4:4-5). It is from this point on that the stream divides: Satan and his family (seed) oppose God and His family. God Himself put the enmity (hostility) between them, and God will climax the war when Satan is cast into hell (Rev 20:10). Review the Parable of the Tares in Mt13, and note that Satan has children just as God does. In Ge 4, Cain kills Abel, and 1 Jn 3:12 informs us that Cain was “of that evil one”—a child of the devil. The OT is the record of the two seeds in conflict; the NT is the record of the birth of Christ and His victory over Satan through the cross. And between your seed - The "seed" of the Serpent must include all the followers of the Evil One (cf. Jn 8:44, Ro 5:12, Jn 3:5), a family every believer belonged to before he or she was saved (rescued) by grace through faith in Christ! (cf Col 1:13-14+, Acts 26:18+). And her seed - (John 3:3,5 Her Seed = Gal 4:4, 3:16, 19). Biologically, a woman produces no seed, and except in this case Biblical usage always speaks only of the seed of men. This promised Seed would, therefore, have to be miraculously implanted in the womb. In this way, He would not inherit the sin nature which would disqualify every son of Adam from becoming a Savior from sin. This prophecy thus clearly anticipates the future virgin birth of Christ. ESV Study Bible - The motif of the offspring (seed) of the woman is picked up in Ge 4:25+ with the birth of Seth; subsequently, the rest of Genesis traces a single line of Seth’s descendants, observing that it will eventually produce a King through Whom all the nations of the earth will be blessed. (See context in ESV Study Bible) Henry Morris - The Defender's Study Bible (BORROW) - on her seed - The "seed of the woman" can only be an allusion to a future descendant of Eve who would have no human father. Biologically, a woman produces no seed, and except in this case Biblical usage always speaks only of the seed of men. This promised Seed would, therefore, have to be miraculously implanted in the womb. In this way, He would not inherit the sin nature which would disqualify every son of Adam from becoming a Savior from sin. This prophecy thus clearly anticipates the future virgin birth of Christ. (her seed) Ray
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Morris - The Defender's Study Bible (BORROW) on bruise (shûph) you on the head - Satan will inflict a painful wound on the woman's Seed, but Christ in turn will inflict a mortal wound on the Serpent, crushing his head. This prophecy was fulfilled in the first instance at the Cross, but will culminate when the triumphant Christ casts Satan into the lake of fire (Revelation 20:10). (bruise thy head) ESV Study Note - Some interpreters have suggested that by saying “he” and “his,” the intended meaning is that one particular offspring is in view. Within the larger biblical framework, this hope comes to fulfillment in Jesus Christ, who is clearly presented in the NT as overcoming Satan (Heb. 2:14; 1 Jn 3:8; cf. Mt 12:29; Mk 1:24; Lk 10:18; Jn 12:31; 16:11; 1Co 15:24; Col 2:15), while at the same time being bruised. (See context in ESV Study Bible or see online copy of ESV Study Bible) Paul, in a passage strongly reminiscent of Genesis 3, encouraged the believers in Rome, And the God of peace will soon crush (suntribo) Satan under your feet. The grace of our Lord Jesus be with you. (Ro 16:20+) Believers should recognize that they participate in the crushing of Satan because, along with their Savior and because of His finished work on the cross, they also are of the woman’s seed. For more on the destruction of Satan we read about his fate in Hebrews Since then the children share in flesh and blood, He (Jesus) Himself likewise also partook of the same, that through death He might render powerless him who had the power of death, that is, the devil; and might deliver those who through fear of death were subject to slavery all their lives. (Hebrews 2:14,15) Allen Ross commenting on Ro 16:20 - "Crushing Satan" - Paul is probably here referring to the imagery in the garden when Satan tempted Eve and Adam to sin. As a result of the fall, God announced the oracles on the human race. Life would be very different now that sin was present. In those oracles God said to the serpent, Satan, “I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your seed and her seed; he will bruise you in the head, but you will bruise him in the heel” (Gen. 3:15). The declaration was that there would be perpetual conflict between the forces of evil, Satan and his “seed,” and the human race. The “seed of the serpent” would be Satanic forces and dupes, or we can say, demons and humans who do the work of Satan. Recall that Jesus described His enemies as being of their father the devil (John 8:44). They share his work and do his bidding. And so those who oppose the kingdom of Christ or the work of the Gospel ma very well belong to that evil empire of Satan. They may not even know it. And down through history they have delivered crippling strikes to the work of God, and to the good of humanity in the process, for Satan is not attempting to set up a rival, good kingdom. He is the destroyer of life and goodness. It is the nature of Satan and his seed to bruise us in the heel. And you shall bruise (shûph) him on the heel - This primeval prophecy made such a profound impression on Adam's descendants that it was incorporated, with varying degrees of distortion and embellishment, in all the legends, mythologies and astrologies of the ancients since they are filled with tales of mighty heroes engaged in life-and-death struggles with dragons and other monsters. Mankind, from the earliest ages, has recorded its hope that someday a Savior would come who would destroy the devil and reconcile man to God. Jesus Christ is “the last Adam” (1 Co 15:45-49). The first Adam’s disobedience plunged us into sin, but the Last Adam’s obedience brought salvation (Ro 5:12-21). The first Adam was a thief and was cast out of Paradise. The Last Adam told a thief he would enter paradise (Luke 23:43). In Adam we die; in Christ we have eternal life. Henry Morris - The Defender's Study Bible (BORROW) on bruise his heel This primeval prophecy made such a profound impression on Adam's descendants that it was incorporated, with varying degrees of distortion and embellishment, in all the legends, mythologies and astrologies of the ancients since they are filled with tales of mighty heroes engaged in life-and-death struggles with dragons and other monsters. Mankind, from the earliest ages, has recorded its hope that someday a Savior would come who would destroy the devil and reconcile man to God. (bruise his heel) John
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Morris - They learned, in type, that an “atonement” (or “covering”) could only be provided by God and through the shedding of blood on the altar (note Leviticus 17:11).(Borrow the The Genesis Record) ESV Study Bible note - Because God provides garments to clothe Adam and Eve, thus requiring the death of an animal to cover their nakedness, many see a parallel here related to (1) the system of animal sacrifices to atone for sin later instituted by God through the leadership of Moses in Israel, and (2) the eventual sacrificial death of Christ as an atonement for sin. (See context in ESV Study Bible) Allen Ross - "All God's dealings with people as sinners can be traced back to this act of disobedience by Adam and Eve. God is a saving God, however, and the fact that He clothed... Adam and Eve testifies to that. An animal was sacrificed to provide garments of skin, and later all Israel's animal sacrifices would be part of God's provision to remedy the curse—a life for a life. The sinner shall die! (Ezek. 18:20; Ro 6:23) Yet he will live if he places his faith in the Lord, Who has provided a Substitute. The skin with which God clothed Adam and Eve perpetually reminded them of God's provision. Similarly in the fullness of time God accepted the sacrifice of Christ, and on the basis of that atonement He clothes believers in righteousness (Ro 3:21-26)." (See context in The Bible Knowledge Commentary) Warren
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Morris - An incidental bit of instruction from this record is that, in man’s fallen state, a sense of shame relative to nakedness is entirely appropriate. Modern nudists and hedonists, despite protestations about the beauty of the human body and the “freedom” and “naturalness” of displaying it openly, should recall that God Himself took pains to provide clothing to cover the nakedness of the first man and woman. (Borrow the The Genesis Record) Salvation Coats - Genesis 3:21 - John Butler "Unto Adam also and to his wife did the Lord God make coats of skins, and clothed them" (Genesis 3:21). Adam and Eve had clothed themselves with fig leaves but that was inadequate (fig leaves would wear out quickly), so God clothed them with leather (skins of animals—it is a good thing the animal-rights people weren't around then). This covering of Adam and Eve by God is a good picture of the Gospel. FIRST—THE SOURCE IN THE COVERING "The Lord God." The idea of the covering was God's idea, it was God's plan. Man did not figure out that animal skins was a better cover than fig leaves. The Gospel is God's plan, not man's plan. Man would not deem himself so sinful as to need Jesus Christ as Savior. Man thinks his works will prevent judgment. But fig leaves are no comparison to leather. SECOND—THE SACRIFICE FOR THE COVERING "Make coats of skins." In order for God to make these leather clothes for Adam and Eve, the animals had to die. Blood had to be shed. So in the Gospel, in order for man to be saved, to be clothed in robes of righteousness, Jesus Christ had to die. He had to sacrifice His life and shed His blood to provide sinful mankind "with the garments of salvation" (Isaiah 61:10). There is no Gospel salvation apart from the cross of Christ. His death on Calvary was not man overpowering God, but was the plan of God which was necessary for us to be clothed "with the garments of salvation. THIRD—THE SUBSTITUTION FOR THE COVERING "Make coats of skins." In order for Adam and Eve to be clothed, another one, namely, an animal here, had to die. Here is the great doctrine of substitution. Christ was our substitute to die on the cross in our place that we may be clothed in the "robe of righteousness" (Isaiah 61:10) instead of in our sin. "He hath made him to be sin for us, who [Christ] knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him" (II Corinthians 5:21). FOURTH—THE SAFETY IN THE COVERING "Clothed them." This clothing was to provide safety for Adam and Eve from the elements and to cover their shame which came as a result of sin. They would protect Adam and Eve not only from the elements, but from the general wear and tear to the human body as it came into contact with creation. Likewise the Gospel provides us with a shield to protect us from the judgment of God upon sin. The leather garments would provide safety for Adam and Eve. It provides the safety from the damnation of sin and from the curse of sin. Fig leaves would not provide such protection, for they could be easily torn and would dry out quickly and provide no safety at all. But the leather covering was a different story. It was durable, strong and lasting. So is the Gospel, it is durable, strong, lasting. Without it man will perish in their sins. Are your protected from the judgment of God? Clothed by God Human beings generate shame; God covers it with a durable product that requires the shedding of blood. Human beings suffer a metaphysical chill; God warms them with garments they should never have needed. —Melvin D. Hugen and Cornelius Plantinga, Jr. Books & Culture, Vol. 2, no. 2. Genesis 3:22 Then the LORD God said, "Behold, the man has become like one of Us, knowing good and evil; and now, he might stretch out his hand, and take also from the tree of life, and eat, and live forever"-- the man has become like one of Us: Ge 3:5 1:26 11:6,7 Isa 19:12,13 47:12,13 Jer 22:23 tree: Ge 2:9 Pr 3:18 Rev 2:7 Rev 22:2 eat: Ps 22:26 Joh 6:48-58 Genesis 3 Resources - Multiple Sermons and Commentaries Related Passages: Genesis 3:5+ (SATAN'S PROMISE) “For God knows that in the day you eat from it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.” Genesis 2:9+ Out of the ground the LORD God caused to grow every tree that is pleasing to the sight and good for food; the tree of life also in the midst of the garden, and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. Proverbs 3:18 She is a tree of life to those who take hold of her, And happy are all who hold her fast. Revelation 2:7+ ‘He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To him who overcomes, I will grant to eat of the tree of life which is in the Paradise of God.’ Revelation 22:2+ in the middle of its street. On either side of the river was the tree of life, bearing twelve kinds of fruit, yielding its fruit every month; and the leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations. KNOWLEDGE OF GOOD AND EVIL AND THE TREE OF LIFE Then the LORD God said, "Behold, the man has become like one of Us, knowing good and evil - In other words Satan's promise in Ge 3:5 was true because in Ge 3:7 "Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they knew that they were naked." Unfortunately, man instead of knowing good, was instead fixed on knowing evil! They now knew sin but not righteousness, so in that sense, Satan's promise was only half correct. Yes their eyes were opened but they now saw all things with eyes ruled by a sinful heart! And to a degree, they may have known good but they had no power to do good! On the other hand, they knew evil, and unfortunately (as we all know from personal experience) were unable to resist it. They had become totally depraved! One of us has a suggestion of the Trinity. "Us" is referred to as "plural of majesty (see note)" Other passages on God's reference to "Us"... Genesis 1:26+ Then God said, “Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; and let them rule over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the sky and over the cattle and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.” Genesis 11:7+ “Come, let Us go down and there confuse their language, so that they will not understand one another’s speech.” Isaiah 6:8+ Then I heard the voice of the Lord, saying, “Whom shall I send, and who will go for Us?” Then I said, “Here am I. Send me!” And now, he might stretch out his hand, and take also from the tree of life, and eat, and live forever - This declaration is filled with grace and mercy! God could easily have let this happen and He would have been perfectly just. In mercy, he saves mankind from committing a fatal mistake, one from which apparently there would have been no possible redemption, as indicated by His statement that he would live forever. Yes, man would have been immortal and eternal, but he would have been eternally dead. How kind and loving is our great God to protect us from ourselves! He did it then and He still does in the lives of His children as most of us could testify! Henry Morris comments that this verse "gives a brief insight into the inner councils of the triune Godhead. As in Genesis 1:26, such a council was recorded relative to the decision to create man, so now the council decrees his expulsion from the garden and the tree of life. In both passages, the divine unity is stressed (“And the Lord God said”) and also the divine plurality (“us”). The council recognized that man had “become as one of us, to know good and evil.” This statement is not made in irony or ridicule, as some have thought, but in sadness. Man had once known only the goodness of God; but now he had come to know experimentally the evil inherent in rejecting God’s Word, as well as the necessary spiritual and physical suffering resulting from such action, so that he did, indeed, “know good and evil.” His hoped-for “godness,” however, as promised by the Serpent, was indeed a pitiful caricature of what he had anticipated. He had been created in God’s very image, but now that image had been gravely marred and defaced by his experience of evil." (Borrow the The Genesis Record) Ray
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Morris - It would have been calamitous had they continued in a perfect environment as sinful people, especially eating of the life-tree fruit and living on indefinitely in such a condition. They and their descendants to many generations must be taught the true nature and effects of sin, and of living out of fellowship with God, so that they could eventually come to know and understand and love Him fully, as Savior, as well as Maker and Provider....To “keep” (or “guard”) the way of the tree of life, God placed at the east of the garden two cherubim, with a revolving swordlike flame flashing around them like lightning bolts. These creatures, apparently the highest in the angelic hierarchy, are described more fully in Ezekiel 1:4–28; 10:1–22; and Revelation 4:6–8. Satan himself had once been the “anointed cherub” (Ezekiel 28:14) on God’s holy mountain. The cherubim are always associated closely with the throne of God (note Psalm 18:10; 80:1; 99:1) and it is thus intimated that God’s presence was particularly manifest there at the tree of life. Later, His presence was especially revealed over the mercy seat in the holy of holies in the tabernacle (Exodus 25:17–22; Hebrews 9:3–5), and it is significant that this mercy seat was overshadowed by two golden representations of the cherubim. It was here that once each year the high priest entered with the sacrificial blood of atonement to sprinkle over the mercy seat (see Leviticus 16; Hebrews 9:7–9; 24–28). (Borrow the The Genesis Record) The ideal environment of Eden did not prevent the entrance of sin. A favorable environment is not the answer to man’s problems. Consider this prayer in light of the profound lessons in this chapter: Lord You have created me in Your image—You desire to be seen in me. Yet so many times I choose to go my own independent way. I choose my will over Yours. Guard me, I pray, from mishandling Your truth—from making too much of the limitations Your Word places on me, and too little on the freedoms You give. Help me to trust the truthfulness of everything You say and the goodness of all your motives toward me. Help me to look to Your Word for answers when the enemy sends temptation my way. Most of all, when I do blow it, help me not to hide my sin or blame others for it, but to come back to you and make things right. Thank you for Your love, Your grace, Your forgiveness, and most of all for Your empowerment. Help me to walk with you for the sake of Your Almighty name, in the name of Jesus. Amen. Judgment For Sin - Genesis 3:24 - John Butler "So he drove out the man; and he placed at the east of the garden of Eden Cherubims, and a flaming sword which turned every way, to keep the way of the tree of life" (Genesis 3:24). Judgment was the product of sin in the Garden of Eden. FIRST—THE PROMPTING OF JUDGMENT "So." Judgment comes from God when we sin. Adam and Eve sinned against God by eating the forbidden fruit. This prompted judgment. Already God had pronounced judgement upon the serpent—(cursed, repulsive to mankind, crawling; the serpent lost his position and had to literally eat the dust of the ground, and would eventually be destroyed by the seed of the woman whom he deceived), the sinners—(Adam and Eve would now live a much harder life, sin never makes things nicer). Now the climax of the judgment was the excommunication from the Garden of Eden. Sin causes us to lose great blessing. SECOND—THE POWER OF JUDGMENT "He drove out the man . . . Cherubim . . . a flaming sword." Three experiences by Adam and Eve showed this power of judgment. • The power of authority. "He drove out the man." God would not permit Adam and Eve to remain in the Garden of Eden. Driving out indicates man was not willing to leave. But the attitude of man will not stop the judgment of God. Not only was the unwillingness of man evident here but so was the weakness of man. "Drove out" indicates the power of God in judgment. No man can overcome this judgment. It will happen whether man wants it to or not. • The power in the angels. "Cherubims." When Divine judgment comes, the angels of God will be on God's side. No longer will they be "ministering spirits" (Hebrews 1:14) for you, but they will be at enmity with you. • The power of holy anger. "Flaming sword." God was upset with Adam and Eve and the power His holy wrath is seen in the flaming sword which help to prevent entrance into the Garden of Eden. THIRD—THE PURPOSE OF JUDGMENT "He drove out man . . . to keep the way of the tree of life." We can see at least two purposes here in this judgment. • Prohibiting. "He drove our man." Sin limits our blessings. Because Adam and Eve focused on the one thing they did not have instead of on all the things they did have, they lost everything they had plus the thing they thought they could obtain by sinning. We have been in rescue missions men who had it all but lost it all because of booze. • Protection. "To keep the way of the tree of life." God would protect the tree of life in the Garden of Eden. Sin will keep you from experiencing life and from eternal life. Judgment will protect these blessing from going to the wrong people. There will be no bad people in heaven (Revelation 21:27). God protects heaven from evil and from wicked people obtaining blessings they are not to have. (Sermon Starters) GARDEN OF EDEN AND THE TEMPLE The Garden of Eden is a “Temple” in the same sense as the New Jerusalem. There is no separate building or Holy Place because the entire environ is Holy and without sin. In this sense, the entire Garden may be said to be a “Temple” in that there is full and unrestrained access to God by man (Rev. 21:22+). The Garden, like the New Jerusalem, typifies the “Holy of Holies” of every other Temple—the place of unrestricted communion with God without the intimacy-destroying presence of sin. Until the quality of the fellowship man once had with God in the Garden is appreciated more fully, one will be unable to understand the horrible effects of sin and the great effort involved in carrying out the prescribed liturgical details attending the subsequent Temples where man approached God on a limited basis.The effect of The Fall upon man’s communion with God has already been described. No matter how one looks at it, the result was catastrophic. It is as if man reclined and ate at God’s table (John 13:23; Rev. 3:20+) only to find himself removed from the table, locked outside the room, and only able to commune with God through a keyhole. Even on the Day of Atonement on his closest approach to God, the high priest was still required to burn incense when inside the Holy of Holies to cover the mercy seat and separate himself from God’s presence “lest he die” (Lev. 16:13). This would all change for believers in Jesus who are the Temple of the Believer, but that would not come until much later.In a study of the Temple, it is most useful to examine the Garden of Eden in relation to the condition of man immediately after The Fall, after having been driven from the Garden. In addition to the correspondence seen earlier between the earthly and heavenly Temples, there is a correspondence between both Temples and the Garden of Eden after The Fall into sin. In some sense, all of Scripture describes events associated with God establishing a way for man to return to the conditions of Eden prior to The Fall. In this sense, Jesus is Eden’s Bridge.Immediately after The Fall, Adam and Eve were expelled out of the Garden. Evidently, they were driven away toward the East for God placed cherubim “at the east of the Garden of Eden, and a flaming sword which turned every way, to guard the way to the tree of life” [emphasis added] (Gen. 3:24). God barred man’s way to the tree of life by placing Cherubim between the tree and Adam and Eve.When various aspects of the scene at the expulsion of the Garden of Eden are compared with the layout of the Tabernacle and Temple, numerous similarities can be seen:25 Eastern Entry - To return back into God’s Holy presence in the Garden, Adam and Eve would have had to return from the east toward the west. And this is exactly what we see in the pattern of the Tabernacle and Temple, both of which are entered on the east and which have the holiest place at the western extremity where the very presence of God abides. Guarding Cherubim - In the same way that cherubim separated man from the tree of life in the Garden, so too the veils on the east end of the Holy Place and the Holy of Holies contain depictions of cherubim (Ex. 26:31; 36:8, 35; 2Chr. 3:14). The Ark of God within the Holy of Holies, above which God’s Shekinah glory dwelt, was overspread by cherubim (Ex. 25:22; Num. 7:89; 2Chr. 5:7). Flames - The cherubim guarded the way back to the tree of life, but also to the divine presence, with a “flaming sword” (Gen. 3:24). Just outside each veil of separation in the Temple is found an altar upon which fire is found. The priest must pass by the bronze altar of sacrifice before entering the Holy Place, whereas the altar of incense stood before the veil into the Holy of Holies. The fire speaks of purification and judgment of sin. River - A river flowed from the Garden of Eden (Gen. 2:10). The Temple contained a bronze laver with water for cleansing. The Millennial Temple is the source of a river of life (Eze. 47:1). So too the New Jerusalem has a river of life (Rev. 22:1+).' Mountain - Since a river originated in Eden and flowed outward from there, we may safely assume that the Garden was elevated above the surrounding countryside. As we have seen, the Temple stood on a mountain (Mount Moriah). The Millennial Temple will stand upon the “mountain of the LORD’S house” (Isa. 2:2; 27:13; 30:29; 56:7; Eze. 17:24; 20:40; 40:2; Mic. 4:1) as will the New Jerusalem (Rev. 21:10+). Tree of Life - When man fell in the Garden, he lost access to the tree of life by which he would obtain eternal life (Gen. 2:9; 3:22). The testimony of the law of Moses was stored with the Ark of the Covenant in the Holy of Holies within the Temple. When Moses reviewed the law to the new generation about to cross the Jordan, he said “Set your hearts on all the words which I testify among you today . . . observe-all the words of this law. . . . because it is your life, and by this word you shall prolong your days in the land” (Dt 32:46). Thus, the words of the law within the Holy of Holies represent the way of life. This is what Stephen referred to as “the living oracles” (Acts 7:38). John recognized the life-giving power of God’s word when he said, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life” [emphasis added] (John 6:68). Thus, the Tree of Life in the Garden is represented by God’s word recorded in the Holy of Holies of the Temple.26 The Tree of Life in our own age, when no recognized Temple stands on the Temple Mount, is the cross of Christ. Those who embrace it regain access to eternal life. Many more similarities could be identified between the Garden of Eden, the various Temples, and the New Jerusalem (which some see as being in entirety a “Temple,” Rev. 21:22+). But in each case, the primary message we must not miss is that the Temple represents the way back to God. The entire concept of the earthly Temple is concerned with making allowance for sinful man meeting with Holy God in partial communion which is a shadow of what man once had and the redeemed will one day enjoy. The arrangement of the Garden of Eden’s landscape corresponds to that of the Tabernacle and the Temple with its furniture. Eastward movement (out of the Garden) is away from God’s presence; westward movement (through the Sanctuary) is a return [to] God. On the Day of Atonement the high priest reverses the peoples spiritual exile from God and restores them to a relationship with God (through blood sacrifice for sin). [emphasis added]27 Randall Price - The Garden of Eden A number of clues in the book of Genesis reveal that God created the garden of Eden as a pre-temple sanctuary for his presence. The garden and the tabernacle/temple share a similar physical arrangement. In Genesis, God planted the garden “toward the east, in Eden” (Genesis 2:8+ NASV). Later we read that God stationed cherubim at “the east of the garden of Eden” to prevent anyone from returning west to the Tree of Life (Genesis 3:24+). In the book of Numbers, this east-west orientation is the basis for the tribal arrangement for Moses, Aaron, and his sons who perform the service of the tabernacle (Numbers 3:38+). Certain sacred objects also appear in the garden and the tabernacle/temple. The sacred Tree of Life in the center of the garden can be compared to the sacred candelabra (menorah) in the central section of the Holy Place. The two cherubim posted at the east entrance to Eden (Genesis 3:24+) can be compared to the two cherubim overshadowing the mercy seat on the ark of the covenant (Exodus 25:18–22), embroidered on the veil of the tabernacle (Exodus 26:31), and carved into the walls, doors, and paneling of the first temple (1 Kings 6:27–35; 7:29, 36). The duties of Adam in the garden also suggest a sanctuary existed because his responsibility was to “work” and “keep” (Genesis 2:15). These terms, used elsewhere only of the Levites who served in the tabernacle and temple, suggest that Adam had been commissioned to act as a “priest of God” preserving and protecting the holy ground of the garden-sanctuary. When the tabernacle was constructed, God’s presence there depended upon his peoples’ obedience to the laws of the tabernacle (Leviticus 26:1–46). In the same way, God’s presence in the garden depended upon obedience to the one law of respecting the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil (Genesis 2:17; 3:1–3). In Genesis, this exile was from the garden sanctuary (Genesis 3:23–24). For Israel, disobedience meant exile from the presence of God, the destruction of the temple, and exile from the Promised Land. The arrangement of the garden’s landscape corresponds to the arrangement of the tabernacle and temple’s furniture. Eastward movement (out of the garden) is away from God’s presence; westward movement (through the garden) is a return of God. On the Day of Atonement, the high priest moved through the sanctuary closer to the presence of God symbolizing the people’s reversal of spiritual exile from God. For these reasons, it appears that God showed the divine design for the temple at the beginning of history and that later constructions of buildings followed this pattern. When we compare the garden sanctuary to the tabernacle we discover an important difference. The cherubim stationed at the entrance to God’s presence in Eden faced outward, preventing people from re-entering the sacred site. However, in the Holy of Holies, the cherubim were positioned on top of the mercy seat of the ark with their faces turned inward toward God’s presence. These cherubim, rather than turning people away from God’s presence, made it possible for the high priest as a mediator to enter God’s presence (Exodus 25:8, 22). The first man, Adam, served as a representative for humankind and caused exile from God’s presence. The high priest served as a representative for Israel enabling God’s people to reenter God’s presence. God’s command to build him a sanctuary was the gracious means by which he brought humanity back into a relationship with him (Exodus 25:8). (See Rose Guide to the Temple - Page 6) Ray Pritchard brings Genesis 3 to a God glorifying conclusion... Now we see clearly the message of Genesis 3. We were cast out for our own good, to protect us and to teach us that we could never go back in on our own. We were cast out so that someday we might return through Jesus Christ. Paradise Lost has now become Paradise Regained. Learn from this that our God is a God of justice. He takes sin seriously and judged it sternly. But he is also a God of mercy, who in the midst of judgment, closes a door for our own good so that in his time, he might make a way for us to return. Just as he provides the garments for Adam and Eve, he now provides for us the perfect righteousness of Jesus Christ. And where once the cherubs barred the way into his presence, in Christ the door has been thrown wide open. Let the message go out to the ends of the earth. The door to heaven is now open! You who were banished, the Father calls you home. You who were rejected, heaven waits for you. You who were condemned by family and friends, and you whose conscience condemned you all the more, stop your running. Cease from your tears. The Tree of Life with all its fruits is yours for the taking. Let all the sinners come. Let all the failures come. Let all who have blown it big time come and be forgiven. Let the wretched and despised come. Let the hated and rejected come. Let the worst sinners come to the Tree of Life. Were you cast out? Were you called a Hopeless Case? Did you lose everything because of your own stupidity? Join the club. We’re all in the same boat, if the truth were told. And to all of us who fit the label “sinner,” there is good news today. The Tree of Life is waiting, the door has been opened, the Son of God has shed his blood, the price has been paid, the sacrifice made, atonement has been accomplished. Fear not. And don’t wait another moment. Heaven waits for you. Rejoice as you come to Christ, but come quickly and come now, in this very instant. Welcome him into your heart. Then come and eat from the Tree of Life. Why will you die when you could live forever? May God give you wings of faith to fly to Jesus for your salvation. Amen. (Farewell to Paradise: Cast Out That We Might Someday Return) Drove out (01644)(garash) is a verb that means to cast out, drive out. Garash depicts God driving Adam and Eve from Eden (Ge 3:24), God driving Cain from His presence (Ge 4:14), Jonah expelled from God's sight (Jonah 2:4), Pharaoh driving out the Israelites (Ex 6:1; 12:39), Pharaoh driving Moses and Aaron from his presence (Ex. 10:11), repeatedly used of God driving out Israel's enemies (Ex 23:28-31, 33:2, 34:11, Dt 33:27, Jos. 24:12, Ps. 78:55, Ps. 80:8 contrast result because of Israel's disobedience - Jdg 2:3-note, Hos. 9:15) . It is used in the general sense of banishing outcasts from society (Job 30:5). In its figurative usage, it indicates divorcing one’s wife (Lev. 21:7). It describes the sea or a river as driven and tossed (Isa. 57:20; Amos 8:8). The word is also used of a divorced woman in Lev. 21:7, a woman that is “put away from her husband.” Garash - 46x in 45v - Usage: dismissed(1), dispossessed(1), divorced(5), drive(16), driven(6), driven it away(1), driving(1), drove(8), drove them away(1), evict(1), expelled(1), surely drive(1), toss(1), tossed about(1), tossing(1). Gen. 3:24; Gen. 4:14; Gen. 21:10; Ex. 2:17; Exod. 6:1; Exod. 10:11; Exod. 11:1; Exod. 12:39; Exod. 23:28; Exod. 23:29; Exod. 23:30; Exod. 23:31; Exod. 33:2; Exod. 34:11; Lev. 21:7; Lev. 21:14; Lev. 22:13; Num. 22:6; Num. 22:11; Num. 30:9; Deut. 33:27; Jos. 24:12; Jos. 24:18; Jdg. 2:3; Jdg. 6:9; Jdg. 9:41; Jdg. 11:2; Jdg. 11:7; 1 Sam. 26:19; 1 Ki. 2:27; 1 Chr. 17:21; 2 Chr. 20:11; Job 30:5; Ps. 78:55; Ps. 80:8; Prov. 22:10; Isa. 57:20; Ezek. 31:11; Ezek. 36:5; Ezek. 44:22; Hos. 9:15; Amos 8:8; Jonah 2:4; Mic. 2:9; Zeph. 2:4 Cherubim (03742) kerub are angelic heavenly beings who dwell in God's presence and minister to Him. Note that cherubim which are frequently depicted as chubby infants with wings or as feminine creatures has absolutely no scriptural support (Which makes the point again that one should not glean his theology from Biblical art but from the Bible - in fact the first use in Ge 3:24 hardly depicts them as "chubby little babies" but as fearful beings!) In other cultures of the ancient world, cherubim were minor deities protective of palaces and temples; in Israel they symbolized angelic guardians (Gen 3:24). In the OT the cherubim were symbolic attendants that marked the place of the Lord's "enthronement" in his earthly kingdom 1Sa 4:4 = "the LORD of hosts who sits above the cherubim"; 2Sa 6:2 = "the LORD of hosts who is enthroned above the cherubim"; 2Ki 19:15 = "the God of Israel, who are enthroned above the cherubim"; Ps 99:1 = "The LORD reigns, let the peoples tremble; He is enthroned above the cherubim, let the earth shake!" Gilbrant notes that "They are referred to ninety-one times in the OT (thirty-one times in Ezekiel), generally in the plural. The tri-consonantal root (krb) appears throughout the Semitic world. An etymology, though, is difficult. Cherubim are first mentioned in Gen. 3:24 as guarding Eden. Afterward, they are presented as just below, or supporting, the throne of God (Ps. 18:10; Ezek. 10:20). Scripture contains no clear description of their appearance, with the exception that they have faces, hands and wings. It is unlikely that they resemble the Assyrian winged-bulls or any other winged heavenly creature depicted elsewhere in ancient Near Eastern art and literature. The imagery of Ezek. 1:5-25 portrays unhesitancy and directness in their movement ("they went everyone straight forward... and they turned not when they went," v. 12), and associates them with wheels having rims full of eyes (v. 18). Symbolized is God's complete awareness of all that transpires and his ability to act decisively. References where Yahweh is seen enthroned between the cherubim (2 Sam. 4:4; 1 Chr. 13:6) are allusions to the Ark of the Covenant. In Solomon's temple, the Ark, with its cherubim, stood beneath the large statues of cherubim whose wings extended across the entire inner chamber (1 Kings 6:23ff). Ezekiel's temple has no such sculptures. Its inner walls are covered alternately with figures of palm trees and cherubim (Ezek. 41:18ff, 25). Cherubim vary in their biblical representations. Ezekiel 41:19 depicts them with two faces (a man and a lion), not four as earlier. Certainly, the Bible writers had difficulty in describing these extra-dimensional beings from the heavenly realm. There is possible overlap between cherubim which have an "appearance like coals of fire" (Ezek. 1:13) and seraphim (the "burning ones" of Isa. 6:2f, 6). (Complete Biblical Library Greek-English Dictionary) KERUB - 90X/66V - cherub(25), cherubim(65). Gen. 3:24; Exod. 25:18; Exod. 25:19; Exod. 25:20; Exod. 25:22; Exod. 26:1; Exod. 26:31; Exod. 36:8; Exod. 36:35; Exod. 37:7; Exod. 37:8; Exod. 37:9; Num. 7:89; 1 Sam. 4:4; 2 Sam. 6:2; 2 Sam. 22:11; 1 Ki. 6:23; 1 Ki. 6:24; 1 Ki. 6:25; 1 Ki. 6:26; 1 Ki. 6:27; 1 Ki. 6:28; 1 Ki. 6:29; 1 Ki. 6:32; 1 Ki. 6:35; 1 Ki. 7:29; 1 Ki. 7:36; 1 Ki. 8:6; 1 Ki. 8:7; 2 Ki. 19:15; 1 Chr. 13:6; 1 Chr. 28:18; 2 Chr. 3:7; 2 Chr. 3:10; 2 Chr. 3:11; 2 Chr. 3:12; 2 Chr. 3:13; 2 Chr. 3:14; 2 Chr. 5:7; 2 Chr. 5:8; Ps. 18:10; Ps. 80:1; Ps. 99:1; Isa. 37:16; Ezek. 9:3; Ezek. 10:1; Ezek. 10:2; Ezek. 10:3; Ezek. 10:4; Ezek. 10:5; Ezek. 10:6; Ezek. 10:7; Ezek. 10:8; Ezek. 10:9; Ezek. 10:14; Ezek. 10:15; Ezek. 10:16; Ezek. 10:18; Ezek. 10:19; Ezek. 10:20; Ezek. 11:22; Ezek. 28:14; Ezek. 28:16; Ezek. 41:18; Ezek. 41:20; Ezek. 41:25 Bob