Gênesis 3

Ray Stedman · Citado em PreceptAustin

Gênesis 3

Stedman - Without a doubt we have here a most remarkable prophecy of the virgin birth of the Lord Jesus Christ. There are those today who tell us that the virgin birth is an unimportant doctrine, but it is one of the most important doctrines concerning our Lord. Here we have a most remarkable prophecy which cannot be explained in any other terms than that it finds fulfillment in the virgin birth of the Lord Jesus. This concept of the seed of the woman is unique. Nowhere else in the Bible do you find such an expression occurring. Everywhere else in Scripture descent is reckoned through the male line. It is the seed of the man that is the line of descent and all the genealogies of the Bible trace the line of descent through the male. The father's name is given and when the mother's name is given it is only incidental, as referring to the wife of so-and-so. (The Devil's Burden | Gen 3:14-15) Thomas Constable on Genesis 3:15 - This is a prophecy of the victory of the ultimate “Seed” of the woman (Messiah) over Satan (cf. Rev. 19:1–5; Gal. 3:16, 19; Heb. 2:14; 1 John 3:8). Most interpreters have recognized this verse as the first biblical promise of the provision of salvation (the protoevangelium or “first gospel”). The rest of the book, in fact the whole Old Testament, proceeds to point ahead to that Seed. (Genesis 3) Adrian Rogers - A Chosen Seed - For example, God said in the Old Testament that Messiah was to come from a race: “Messiah’s not to be an angel; He’s to be a man. Messiah is to be a human being.” (1) A Battle Prophesied - Genesis 3:15—here’s what God said to the serpent: “And I will put enmity”—that means “warfare”—“between thee and the woman”—by the way, women still don’t like snakes today—“I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed”—the word seed means “descendant”—“between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel.” (Genesis 3:15) This is the first prophecy in all of the Bible. It’s found right there on the threshold of the Bible, and it is called by theologians the “protoevangelium,” which means “the first evangelistic message.” And here, a battle is prophesied—the seed of the woman and the seed of the serpent. And, we’re seeing that battle go on through all history. (2) A Birth Prophesied - Not only is the battle prophesied, but a birth is prophesied. Here is the seed. You know, in the Bible, the word seed is used more than one hundred times, and it always refers to the offspring of a male. But here, God speaks concerning the woman—the seed of the woman. The old rabbis used to scratch their heads at this and say, “No, no, no. It’s the seed of the man.” Yet here in Genesis 3:15, it’s called “the seed of the woman,” a prophecy of the virgin birth. (3) A Bruising Prophesied - Not only a battle, not only a birth, but a bruising is prophesied. That seed of the serpent is going to bruise his heel, Messiah’s heel, but Messiah is going to crush his head.Isn’t that an amazing thing? I mean, right there in the beginning of the Bible, you find that Messiah is going to be a human being. He’s the seed of the woman.....Now, let me come to a conclusion tonight and tell you two things: number one, you can trust the Word of God; secondly, you can trust the God of that Word. I mean, if you trust the Word of God, you certainly ought to trust the God of that Word. Now, the Old Testament says that somebody is coming. The New Testament says that somebody has come. And, the book of the Revelation says that somebody is coming again. Now, the New Testament tells you how Jesus, who is coming, gets you ready for His Second Coming, how you can know the Lord Jesus Christ as your Savior and Lord. (The Christ of the Old Testament | Part 1 The Christ of the Old Testament | Part 2) (CLICK for his sermons on Genesis 3) THE FATAL BLOW TO SATAN He shall bruise (shûph) you on the head: This masculine pronoun ("He") definitely indicates that the fulfillment of this promise, the seed of the woman, would be a man, born of a woman. It finds a initial fulfillment at Calvary but awaits its culmination until Rev 20:9,10 that the implications of the verse reach their climax. 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 (Rev 20:10). "Satan trembles when he sees The weakest saint upon his knees." Another couplet may be added: "Satan rejoices when he sees Lukewarm Christians all at ease." Henry

Gênesis 3

Stedman explains why Adam called his wife Eve - In order to understand that we must link it immediately with Verse 15, where we have God's statement to the serpent about the woman: "I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your seed and her seed; he shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise his heel." That is dealing with the woman's issue, the seed of the woman. Verse 20 deals with the same. The woman is to become "the mother of all living." In response to this promise of a seed to come through the woman, Adam changes his wife's name. In the beginning, her name was not Eve (is it not strange that we never refer to her as anything but Eve?) but Adam called her Ishsha which is the Hebrew for "woman." In Verse 23 of Chapter 2 you will note this was the case. Then the man said, "This at last is bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh; she shall be called Ishsha[Woman], because she was taken out of Ish[Man]." (Genesis 2:23 RSV) He called her "Out of Man," and that was her original name. Now he changes her name toChavah, which means "life." He first called her "Out of Man," but now because of God's promise, he calls her "Life," which is the meaning of the word Eve. Our English word, Eve, is simply an anglicization of this Hebrew word Chavah. Ordinarily Verse 20 is taken to indicate Adam's understanding that a race of men and women are to come from Eve, thus, she is to be the mother of all living. But that was rather obvious from the beginning. Adam and Eve knew that they were to be mother and father of a race, because God had told them to multiply and fill the earth. But here, you will notice, this verse immediately follows the announcement that the ultimate doom of man is death. God has said to Adam, "You are dust, and to dust you shall return," and Adam understands, from that, that he is now to become the father of a doomed race, that, because of his sin, that which he begets is doomed to death from the moment of birth. How certainly we know the truth of this. We begin to die the moment we are born, and the process goes on until it results in the inevitable conclusion of the grave. I am always faintly amused by the optimistic reports of the medical profession about the present increase of life span, though I am sure this is progress and is something good. But there is always the implication that ultimately we are going to win this battle. Yet the interesting thing is that though we have won great victories in the medical field, the death rate has remained exactly what it has been for centuries -- a flat 100%. Adam realizes that this is true. But if you read carefully here you will notice something important: Adam changes the name of his wife because Eve has heard God's promise and believed it. This is the only possible explanation for Verse 20. When a human being, guilty in sin, believes the promise of God, truly believes it, he or she passes immediately from death unto life. In recognition of that change, Adam calls his wife's name, "Life," because she has passed from death unto life. "Therefore," he says, "she is the mother of all living," i.e., the first of a long line of those who would pass from death unto life. This ties in exactly with the promise of the seed of the woman (Ge 3:15) which would ultimately come and which would bruise the serpent's head. All those associated with Christ become part of this redeemed humanity, which is the seed of the woman, and Eve was the first of that line. All this is exactly in line with the significance of a change of name throughout the rest of the Bible. Have you noticed how many times biblical characters change their name, and always with this same significance? It means that a person has also changed his nature, changed his character. He has become a different person: A bit later in Genesis we learn that God changed the name of Abram to Abraham, and the name of Abram's wife, Sarai, to Sarah. These names are significant. Later, also, he changed the name of Jacob (which means a supplanter, a usurper) to Israel (which means a prince with God). It is always God who changes these names. In the New Testament, our Lord changed the name of Simon, the brother of Andrew, to Peter, because he said he would become like a rock, which Peter means. He also changed other names. Saul of Tarsus becomes Paul, which means "little." He lost his conceit and became little in his own eyes and so his name was changed to Paul (means small or humble in Latin). Thus you have all through the Scriptures this significant change of name. It always refers to something which had occurred within, which has changed the whole nature of the person. So this is therefore not a promise that Eve was to become the mother of a race of literal human beings; this is the promise, rather, that she is to be the mother of those who would find life through Jesus Christ. Thus the immediate response to the promise of God is an act of faith on Adam's part. After all, this is the only proper response to a promise: to believe it and to act on it. And that is what Adam did. (Exit from Eden) QUESTION - Who was Eve in the Bible? ANSWER - Eve in the Bible was the wife of Adam, the first man that God created. Eve was the mother of Cain and Abel and Seth and “other sons and daughters” (Genesis 4:1–2, 25; 5:4). Eve was the first woman, the first wife, and the first mother in the world. The name Eve comes from the Hebrew word chavâh, which means “the living” or “life.” She was called “Eve” because she was the mother of all living (Genesis 3:20). God created her after allowing Adam to see that he did not have among the animals a suitable companion—that is, there was no other creature like himself. So God created Eve as Adam’s counterpart. Eve was made in God’s image, just as Adam was (Genesis 1:27). God gave a command to Adam (who relayed it to Eve) while he was living in the garden of Eden. God’s command was not to eat of a tree called “the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil” because, He warned, on the day they ate of that tree, they would surely die (Genesis 2:17). The Bible doesn’t tell us how long Adam and Eve lived in the garden without incident, but at some point Eve gave into the temptation to eat from the forbidden tree. She was deceived by the serpent (1 Timothy 2:13–14) who, it is generally believed, was a creature used by Satan. The serpent sowed doubt in Eve’s mind by asking her whether God had really meant what He said in forbidding eating the fruit from the tree (Genesis 3:1). Then, the serpent fed Eve a lie: “You will not certainly die. . . . For God knows that when you eat from it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil” (Genesis 3:4–5). Eve took some of the fruit and ate it and then gave some to her husband, Adam, who also ate. Adam and Eve immediately understood what they had not previously understood—their eyes were opened to both good and evil. But God had not lied—death came as a result of Eve and Adam’s disobedience. Death came to the whole human race as a result of what Eve was tricked into doing and Adam’s subsequent choice to sin. Two specific curses were given to Eve and all her daughters. First, God multiplied Eve’s pain in childbearing. Second, God pronounced that the relationship between man and woman would be characterized by conflict (Genesis 3:16). These two curses have been proved true in every woman’s life throughout history. No matter how many medical advances we achieve, childbearing is always a painful and stressful experience for a woman. And no matter how advanced and progressive society becomes, the relationship between man and woman remains a power struggle, a battle of the sexes, full of strife. Eve was the mother of all the living and also the first to experience these specific curses. However, Eve will be redeemed along with Adam because of the second Adam, Christ, who was without sin (Romans 5:12–14). “For as in Adam all die, so in Christ all will be made alive. . . . ‘The first man Adam became a living being’; the last Adam, a life-giving spirit” (1 Corinthians 15:22, 45).GotQuestions.org QUESTION - Questions about Adam and Eve ANSWER - Were Adam and Eve saved? The Bible does not specifically tell us whether Adam and Eve were saved. Adam and Eve were the only two human beings who knew about God before they became tainted with sin. As a result, they likely still knew God better after their fall than any of us do today. Adam and Eve most definitely believed in and depended on God. God continued to talk with Adam and Eve and provide for them after the fall. Adam and Eve knew of God’s promise that He would provide a Savior (Genesis 3:15). God made garments of skin for Adam and Eve after the fall (Genesis 3:21). Many scholars understand this as the first animal sacrifice, foreshadowing the eventual death of Christ on the cross for the sins of the world. Putting these facts together, it would seem that Adam and Eve were saved and did indeed go to heaven / paradise when they died. How many children did Adam and Eve have? The Bible does not give us a specific number. Adam and Eve had Cain (Genesis 4:1), Abel (Genesis 4:2), Seth (Genesis 4:25), and many other sons and daughters (Genesis 5:4). With likely hundreds of years of child-bearing capability, Adam and Eve likely had 50+ children in their lifetime. When were Adam and Eve created? If Old Testament history and the ages in Genesis chapter 5 are traced using a young-earth creationist view, Adam and Eve were likely created in approximately 4,000 BC. Other interpretations of Genesis have much broader ranges for that date. Were Adam and Eve cavemen? Genesis chapter 3 records Adam and Eve having a fully intelligent conversation with God. In chapter 2, Adam had named all the animals, exercising his dominion and showing great creativity and the abilities to categorize and perceive the true nature of things. Adam and Eve were married, also in chapter 2. Adam and Eve were not primitive, “ape-like,” or intellectually deficient by any means. The first human beings were created flawless, in a perfect state; until they chose to sin, Adam and Eve were the ideal human beings. Did Adam and Eve have belly buttons / navels? A belly button / navel (or bellybutton) is formed by the umbilical cord that connects a baby in the womb to its mother. Adam and Eve were created directly by God, and did not go through the normal birthing process. So, Adam and Eve would probably not have had belly buttons / bellybuttons. GotQuestions.org Related Resources: Is the Adam and Eve story to be understood literally? | GotQuestions.org How long were Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden? | GotQuestions.org What language did Adam and Eve speak? | GotQuestions.org Why weren’t Adam and Eve created at the same time (Genesis 2)? | GotQuestions.org If God knew that Adam and Eve would sin, why did He create them? | GotQuestions.org Genesis 3:21 The LORD God made garments of skin for Adam and his wife, and clothed them. make (KJV): Ge 3:7 Isa 61:10 Ro 3:22 2Co 5:2,3,21 Genesis 3 Resources - Multiple Sermons and Commentaries JEHOVAH JIREH THE LORD PROVIDES The Name Jehovah Jireh means the LORD provides. While that great Name is not encountered until Genesis 22, the principle of divine provision is clearly shown in this passage. The LORD God made garments of skin for Adam and his wife, and clothed them - Note that the sinful couple did not place an order for new clothes. God takes the initiative to provide leather garments to replace temporary fig leaves! This passage surely prefigures Christ being made sin for us that we might be clothed with the righteousness of God in Him (2 Co 5:21), Who became to us "wisdom from God, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption" (1Co 1:30). The aprons fashioned by Adam and Eve were inadequate, testifying that man-made efforts to prepare for God's presence will be rejected. Do not miss the mercy of God, for the first physical deaths should have been Adam and Eve but instead it was an animal, which serves as a shadow of the reality that God would someday slay His own Son as a substitute to redeem sinners from eternal death in hell. Ray Pritchard - God became the world’s first clothing designer. If you think about it, this was inevitable since the fig leaves were never going to be a long-term solution. They were only a temporary solution at best. There are so many problems with fig leaves. They fall apart easily, they itch, it’s hard to find the right size, and every day or two you’ve got to get a new outfit. Plus you can’t do much plowing or planting or serious cooking if you’re wearing fig leaves. I’m smiling as a write this but there is a deadly serious point underneath it all. Man’s puny attempt to cover his sin is always doomed to failure. First there is sin, then there is shame, and then there is a desperate attempt to cover the shame. We don’t use fig leaves today but other than that, nothing has really changed. We use religion, money, sex, power, and a veneer of good works to cover the guilt within. We stay busy, we work hard, we go to church, we try to be good neighbors, we get along with others if we can, and we hope that somehow our meager efforts will calm the voice of a stricken conscience. It works for a while but nothing we do ever works forever. Sooner or later, we have to face our guilt and admit that nothing we do or say can adequately cover our sin and our shame. (Farewell to Paradise: Cast Out That We Might Someday Return) The garments of skin - These are a foreshadowing of substitutionary atonement, which would one day provide the "garment of righteousness" as a result of Christ's sacrifice in sinful man's place (2Co 5:21 1Co 1:30 Isa 61:3,10 cp Isa 63:1). There must be the shedding of blood for Heb 9:22 says "without shedding of blood there is no forgiveness." Heb 10:4 adds that "it is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins." So there had to be an offering of innocent, sinless life for the guilty sinner. Adam and Eve had tried to cover their sin and shame with leaves (Ge 3:7), but these good works were not accepted by God for as Paul says in Eph 2:9 salvation is "not as a result of works, so that no one may boast." Fig leafs were not adequate to cover their guilt and shame. Pritchard adds that "Centuries later the Jews will learn more about it when they are told to sacrifice a lamb and apply its blood to the doorposts so that the death angel will “pass over” them (Exodus 12). And in the Mosaic Law God specifies a number of animal sacrifices that were required as a part of their worship. If you read Leviticus, it seems like they were slaughtering animals left and right. Lots of killing, lots of blood. The message was clear: God must be approached by way of sacrifice because your sins are so great that you dare not approach him on your own. Either come with the blood of a sacrifice or don’t come at all. What starts with a little hint in Genesis 3:21 comes to full flower when Christ died for our sins on the Cross. He was the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world (John 1:29). His death was the ultimate sacrifice, the just dying for the unjust, the Holy One dying for the unholy that he might by his death bring us to God." (Farewell to Paradise: Cast Out That We Might Someday Return) Garments in the Bible are often a picture of salvation. (Isa 61:10 Zec 3:3-5 Col 3:9,10 Ga 3:27 Ro 13:14) The prodigal son was clothed afresh when he came home (Lu 15:22). The garments of self-righteousness and good works are but filthy rags in God’s sight (Isa 64:6). Henry

Gênesis 3

Stedman - God seems to have drastically changed his attitude, hasn't he? He had just accepted Adam and Eve, dressed in the new clothing which he himself had provided, and suddenly now he banishes them from his presence, drives them out, slams and locks the door behind them, and sets a guard in the path to keep them from coming back in. Is there not something wrong here? If we read this passage that way, we have surely misread it. It is important that we note carefully exactly what it does say. Notice that Verse 22 is one of the few unfinished sentences in the Bible. God acknowledges that man has fallen into a condition of self-centeredness. He says, "the man has now become like one of us." Man knows good and evil by relating it to himself. This is the basic problem with mankind. We have no right to know good and evil by relating it to ourselves, but that is what we do all the time. It is recorded in the book of Judges: "Every man did that which was right in his own eyes," (Judges 17:6, 21:25). That is the formula for anarchy. It means we are relating and judging everything by the way it appears to us. This is the way God does it, for he is the measure of all things, but it is wrong for man. God acknowledges this condition and, having done so, he now faces the problem of the other tree in the garden: This is not the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, now, but the tree of life. God says, "What if man, doomed now to guilt, shame, limitation and loss, should now reach forth his hand and take and eat of the tree of life, and live forever." It would mean that man would never physically die but would go on in his evil condition forever. Notice that God leaves the sentence hanging in the air as though the result is too terrible to describe. What if man should do this? Then God's loving solution follows. He says, "Drive him out, cast him out of the garden, and put at the gate of Eden the cherubim [throughout the rest of Scripture cherubim appear; these are what we might call angelic animals, related to the holiness of God] and a flaming sword which turns every way [but now notice] to guard the way to the tree of life." It does not say. "to keep men from coming to the tree of life." That is not what the barrier is for. It is to guard the way to the tree of life, so that men come the right way and not the wrong. We usually read this passage as though God has barred man from the tree of life -- and there is no way to get back in. But that is not true. There was a way in, but it is no longer a physical way. That is what this text is telling us. Man must be kept from trying to come through some physical way, but must be forced to find the right way back. That is what the cherubim and the flaming sword are for. They absolutely cut off any other way to God than the right way. There is no other way, only one. This is why what you do with your body, religiously, is of no importance whatever unless it be a genuine reflection of what you do with your spirit, religiously. This explains why you can come to church every Sunday morning, sit in the pews, nod your head, pray, stand, sit down again, genuflect -- anything you want -- but if the heart is not doing the same thing it is an ugly, distasteful thing in God's sight, and he has no regard for it at all. There is no way to come to God by doing something -- none at all. The physical approach to God is completely cut off. But here, read the words of the Lord Jesus in the 14th chapter of John, Verse 6. What does he say? "I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father, but by me." (John 14:6 RSV) That is the only way there is. That is not only the way to begin the Christian life but it is also the way to continue the Christian life. Do you know the way to the tree of life? In the passage read for us from the book of the Revelation we heard that the tree of life is for healing. Do you know how to find healing, do you know the way to the place of healing? When your spirit has been torn and broken, or you are pressed by despair, or wounded by sorrow or grief, heartache or guilt, whatever it may be, do you know the way to the place of healing, to the place where the living waters flow? Have you learned not to go but once, but many, many times; to drink again and again of the water of life? Do you know what that means? (Exit from Eden) Gleason Archer - In the Garden of Eden, the serpent told Eve that if she and Adam ate of the forbidden fruit, they would be “as gods” (Gen. 3:5 KJV). Then in Genesis 3:22 God says, “Behold, the man has become like one of us” (NASB). Does “gods” and “us” imply the existence of more than one God?- Online on page 78 in Bible Difficulties Not at all. The usual Hebrew term for “God” is ʾelōhím, which is the plural of ʾelôah. It is occasionally used as a true plural, referring to the imaginary gods of the heathen. But usually it refers to the one true God, and the plural ending is known to Hebrew grammarians as the “plural of majesty.” Like ʾadōním (“lords” or “Lord”) and beʿālím (plural of baʿal, “lord,” “master,” “owner,” “husband”), ʾelōhím also may be used to give a heightened impressiveness of majesty to God. As such, this plural is modified by adjectives in the singular and takes a singular verb. In the case of the serpent, serving as Satan’s mouthpiece, his previous uses of ʾelōhím (3:1,5a) are unquestionably intended as a designation of the one true God; hence, it is altogether likely that it should be so used here. Therefore, the proper rendering of 3:5b should be (as ASV, NASB, NIV, and even the Luther Bible): “You will be like God, knowing good and evil,” The last phrase acts as a qualifier; that is, “you will be like God in that you will have personal knowledge of the moral law, with the distinction that it draws between good and evil.” No longer would they remain in a state of innocency, but they would have a (guilty) personal experience of evil and would be to that extent closer to God and His angels in the matter of full moral awareness. Who, then, constitutes the “us” referred to in v.22? Conceivably the three persons of the Trinity might be involved here (as in Gen. 1:26), but more likely “us” refers to the angels surrounding God’s throne in heaven (cf. 1 Kings 22:19; Isa. 6:1–3, etc.). There are a few passages in the Old Testament where the angels are referred to as benê ʾelōhîm (“sons of God,” e.g., Job 1:6; 2:1; 38:6; cf. benê ʾēlîm—a shortened form of ʾelōhîm, Ps. 29:1; 89:6). In some cases, just as benê Yiśrāʾēl (“sons of Israel”) is shortened to Yiśrāʾēl alone (referring to the nation of Israel rather than to Jacob), so also benê ʾelōhîm (“sons of God” in the sense of angels) is shortened to ʾelōhîm, as in Psalm 97:7. It was certainly true of the angels of heaven that they too had acquired a knowledge of good and evil. Before the dawn of human history, there was apparently a revolt against God under the leadership of Satan or “Lucifer” (see Isa. 14:12–15, where Satan is addressed as the patron of the king of Babylon). This is probably alluded to in 2 Peter 2:4: “God did not spare angels when they sinned, but cast them into hell and committed them to pits of darkness, reserved for judgment.” Therefore, those angels who remained true to the Lord were members of His heavenly court, having passed the tests of faithfulness and obedience in the face of temptation. QUESTION - How did the knowledge of good and evil make man like God (Genesis 3:22)? ANSWER - Genesis 3:22 notes, “The man has now become like one of us, knowing good and evil. He must not be allowed to reach out his hand and take also from the tree of life and eat, and live forever.” God is speaking in this verse. The question arises: how, exactly, did knowing good and evil make man like God? Adam and Eve already knew, intellectually, the difference between good and evil because of God’s command to not eat of the tree’s fruit. They knew it was right to eat of those trees and wrong to eat of that tree. However, when they chose to disobey, they knew evil experientially because they themselves had sinned against God. At that point, they fully understood both right and wrong. God, who knows everything, already understood the nature of evil. When Adam and Eve lost their innocence, they, too, understood the nature of evil because of its very real presence within them. They became “like God” in that they now realized what evil was truly like. The serpent’s deception in the Garden had included a grain of truth. Satan told Eve, “God knows that when you eat from it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil” (Genesis 3:5). What the serpent did not say was that knowing evil would damage Adam and Eve’s relationship with God. Half-truths can be as deceptive as full-blown lies. It was enough for humans to understand and experience the good, and much good had been given to them (Genesis 1:31). But Adam and Eve wanted more knowledge and more experience, to their own detriment. The entry of sin into the world was a curse leading to a loss of fellowship with God and other judgments upon Adam and Eve. Those judgments have affected all humanity (Genesis 3:16–19). Only in the end, when God creates new heavens and a new earth, will this curse be broken. Revelation 21:3–4 promises, “Look! God’s dwelling place is now among the people, and he will dwell with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. ‘He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death’ or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.” Revelation 22:3 adds, “No longer will there be any curse.” Knowing good and evil was not a positive thing for Adam and Eve; rather, it served as the entry of sin into humanity. Now, all people sin and fall short of the glory of God (Romans 3:23), and we all live under the twin curse of sin and death (Romans 6:23). “Who will rescue me from this body that is subject to death? Thanks be to God, who delivers me through Jesus Christ our Lord!” (Romans 7:24–25; cf. John 3:16; Ephesians 2:8–9). GotQuestions.org QUESTION - Why was it wrong for Adam and Eve to know good and evil (Genesis 3:22)? ANSWER - In Genesis 3:22 God says, “The man has now become like one of us, knowing good and evil.” Knowledge in itself is not wrong (see Luke 2:52), so what was so bad about man “knowing good and evil”? It is vital to know the context of God’s statement. God had already told Adam not to eat from this tree. Adam was already aware that doing so was wrong, and he knew the consequences, yet he chose to join Eve in eating the fruit. When they ate, they were not simply aware of evil; they experienced evil, to the extent that they became evil—sinners by nature. Man knew what was good: he was created in goodness and was surrounded by it (Genesis 1:31). He had been given everything God wanted him to have, including authority over all the rest of God’s creation. Adam had everything he needed for a fulfilling life. He did not need to “know” evil, especially when the only way for him to “know” it was to experience it. It should have been enough that God had warned Adam against disobedience. God did not want Adam and Eve to “know” evil in the sense of participating in it. The sin of Adam and Eve was not in attaining knowledge but in rejecting God’s will in favor of their own. Because of their sin, Adam and Eve received dire consequences. First, Eve was told, “I will make your pains in childbearing very severe; with painful labor you will give birth to children. Your desire will be for your husband, and he will rule over you” (Genesis 3:16). Second, Adam was told, “Cursed is the ground because of you; through painful toil you will eat food from it all the days of your life” (Genesis 3:17). Third, for both Adam and Eve, “You are dust, and to dust you will return” (Genesis 3:19). They had been told they would “die” if they ate from the tree (Genesis 2:17). This consequence did not happen immediately, but Adam and Eve did both physically die, a pattern followed by all other humans. Fourth, they were expelled from the Garden of Eden: “So the Lord God banished him from the Garden of Eden to work the ground from which he had been taken” (Genesis 3:23). Adam and Eve began life in ideal conditions: an idyllic garden, plentiful food, a harmonious relationship with one another, and close fellowship with God. Due to sin, they lost their garden, were required to work to produce food, experienced interpersonal conflicts, and damaged their fellowship with God. These consequences of Adam’s sin still affect us today. The apostle Paul spoke about the last Adam (Jesus) who came to restore our broken relationship with God (1 Corinthians 15:45). Paul also noted, “Since death came through a man, the resurrection of the dead comes also through a man” (1 Corinthians 15:21). Adam was responsible for sin’s entrance into humanity. Jesus Christ was responsible for providing the way for resurrection. After sin entered humanity, Jesus became the perfect substitute to allow every person the opportunity to believe and receive eternal life (John 3:16). GotQuestions.org QUESTION - What is the meaning of the tree of life? ANSWER - The tree of life, mentioned in the books of Genesis and Revelation, is a life-giving tree created to enhance and perpetually sustain the physical life of humanity. The tree was planted by God in the Garden of Eden: “The LORD God made all kinds of trees grow out of the ground—trees that were pleasing to the eye and good for food. In the middle of the garden were the tree of life and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil” (Genesis 2:9). The centrally located tree of life would have been easily accessible to Adam and Eve from any point in the garden. More details concerning the tree of life come after Adam and Eve’s sin: “The LORD God said, ‘The man has now become like one of us, knowing good and evil. He must not be allowed to reach out his hand and take also from the tree of life and eat, and live forever’” (Genesis 3:22). In his disobedience, Adam lost his eternal life. The tree of life in Eden must have had some role to play in maintaining the life of Adam and Eve (and possibly the animals). Adam would “live forever,” even in his fallen condition, if he had eaten the tree of life after his sin. God placed a sword-wielding cherub at the entrance to the garden specifically “to guard the way to the tree of life” (verse 24). It seems access to the tree of life would have prolonged Adam’s physical life indefinitely, dooming him to an eternity in a cursed world. It was a mercy that God kept us from the tree of life. By barring access to the tree of life, God showed compassion in His omniscience. Knowing that, because of sin, earthly life would be filled with sorrow and toil, God graciously limited the number of years men would live. To live eternally in a sinful state would mean endless agony for humanity, with no hope of the relief that comes with death. By limiting our lifespan, God gives us enough time to come to know Him and His provision for eternal life through Christ but spares us the misery of an endless existence in a sinful condition. In His great love, God provided One who would redeem fallen mankind. Through one man, Adam, sin entered the world, but through another Man, Jesus Christ, redemption through the forgiveness of sin is available to all (Romans 5:17). Those who avail themselves of the sacrifice of Christ on the cross will be resurrected to see the tree of life again, for it stands in the middle of the Holy City, the New Jerusalem, where it bears “twelve crops of fruit, yielding its fruit every month. And the leaves of the tree are for the healing of the nations” (Revelation 22:2). In the eternal state, the curse will be no more (verse 3), access to the tree of life will be reinstated, and darkness will be forever banished (verse 5). Eden will be restored. GotQuestions.org QUESTION - What is the majestic plural (PLURAL OF MAJESTY), and how is it used in the Bible? ANSWER - The majestic plural, also called the royal plural, is the use of a plural word (such as the pronoun we or us) to refer to a single person. As a type of nosism, the majestic plural emphasizes something or honors someone in a stylistic way. Basically, when a member of royalty, referring to himself, says, “We” instead of “I,” he is using the majestic plural. For example, Queen Victoria, upon hearing a tasteless joke, is said to have replied, “We are not amused.” The ancient Hebrews used the majestic plural, and some examples are found in the Old Testament. But the construction is not unique to Hebrew. The Latin language also had what the Romans called pluralis maiestatis (“the plural of majesty”), and, as has been noted, English sometimes uses it as well. Other modern languages using the royal plural include Punjabi, Hindustani, Telugu, and Egyptian Arabic (in which the President of Egypt is referred to as “Your Excellencies”). The effect of the majestic plural is to indicate greatness, power, and prestige. It is normally reserved for use by nobles, kings, popes, and other persons of high rank when speaking in an official capacity or by those of lower rank when speaking of or to their betters. In the Bible, we find four verses in which God refers to Himself using plural pronouns. The most well-known passage is Genesis 1:26: “Then God said, ‘Let us make mankind in our image, in our likeness.’” See also Genesis 3:22; Genesis 11:7; and Isaiah 6:8. The One God is speaking of Himself in plural form: us and our. This is a perfect example of the majestic plural. God’s divine greatness and transcendence are emphasized through the simple use of pronouns. The majestic plural is also found in one of God’s most common names in the Old Testament, Elohim. The word itself is plural (the singular is Eloah), and it is sometimes translated as “gods” (when referring to a plurality of false gods). When it refers to the One True God, Elohim (plural) is correctly translated as “God” (singular). Deuteronomy 4:35 says, “The LORD is God”—literally, “Yahweh is Elohim.” And the famous Shema says, “The LORD our God, the LORD is one.” Again, we have the singular Lord coupled with the plural Elohim, and this time in a verse that is crystal clear that there is only one God. His name’s plural form indicates His sovereign supremacy, His matchless might, and His exceeding eminence. We carefully note that the majestic plural in the Old Testament was not meant to teach the doctrine of the Trinity. It is simply a linguistic tool that God employed to accentuate His greatness. However, the use of plural constructions to refer to God leaves open the possibility of God’s triune nature. Later, when the doctrine of the Trinity is revealed in the New Testament, the use of the majestic plural fits right in. GotQuestions.org QUESTION - Why does God refer to Himself in the plural in Genesis 1:26 and 3:22? SEE RELATED VIDEO ANSWER - Genesis 1:26 says, “Then God said, ‘Let us make man in our image, in our likeness, and let them rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air, over the livestock, over all the earth, and over all the creatures that move along the ground.’” Genesis 3:22 states, “And the LORD God said, ‘The man has now become like one of us.’” There are other passages in the Old Testament in which God refers to Himself using plural constructions. It is also interesting to note that Elohim, one of the primary titles of God in the Old Testament (occurring over 2,500 times), is in the plural form. Some people have used these verses to hypothesize that there are more than one God. However, we can rule out polytheism (belief in multiple gods), because that would contradict countless other Scriptures that tell us that God is one and that there is only one God. Three times in Isaiah 45 alone, God states, “I am the LORD, and there is no other; there is no God besides Me” (Isaiah 45:5, 6, 18). A second possible explanation for God’s referring to Himself in the plural is that God was including the angels in His statement. In saying “us” and “our,” God was speaking of all the heavenly host, Himself included. However, the Bible nowhere states that angels have the same “image” or “likeness” as God (see Genesis 1:26). That description is given to humanity alone. The Old Testament hints at the plurality of God, and the New Testament clarifies this plurality with the doctrine of the Trinity. Since the Bible, and the New Testament especially, presents God as a Trinity (three Persons but only one God), Genesis 1:26 and Genesis 3:22 can only represent a conversation within the Trinity. God the Father is having a “conversation” with God the Son and God the Holy Spirit. The Old Testament hints at the plurality of God, and the New Testament clarifies this plurality with the doctrine of the Trinity. Obviously, there is no way we can fully understand how this works, but God has given us enough information to know that He does exist in three Persons—Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. GotQuestions.org Related Resources: What does it mean when God said, “Let Us make man in Our image” (Genesis 1:26)? What does the Bible teach about the Trinity? | GotQuestions.org Genesis 3:23 therefore the LORD God sent him out from the garden of Eden, to cultivate the ground from which he was taken. to cultivate the ground: Ge 3:19 2:5 4:2,12 9:20 Ec 5:9 Genesis 3 Resources - Multiple Sermons and Commentaries PARADISE LOST! Therefore - A very crucial term of conclusion! Had man stayed and eaten of the tree of life, not only would paradise have been lost so would have been the opportunity for redemption and regeneration! The LORD God sent him out from the garden of Eden - Note the verb "sent" which indicates that they did not want to leave the beautiful (presumably it was still beautiful) garden. But it was not just the loss of the beautiful setting but far more the loss of the special fellowship they had experienced with God! Ray Pritchard - If they stay in Eden and eat from the Tree of Life, they will live forever in their sin, separated from God. What do you call a place where you live forever in sin, always separated from God? Hell! For them, Eden would be like hell itself. Paradise is not only lost, it is now transformed into a prison. It is for their own good that they are cast out. As humiliating as it was, it was also a “severe mercy” of the Lord. If God lets them stay, they are both doomed and damned. Imagine how terrible it would be if sinners never died. What if Hitler lived forever? What if child molesters lived forever, unchanged, always molesting? What if murderers and rapists could never die? This earth would quickly become unbearable. And unlivable. It is judgment indeed that sinners should die, but it would be much greater judgment if they lived forever in their sins. In this life there is always the opportunity to come to Christ. It is only after death that the door is finally closed. (Farewell to Paradise: Cast Out That We Might Someday Return) To cultivate the ground from which he was taken - Adam sent to cultivate the cursed earth. We are still battling with the cursed earth, experiencing droughts, hurricanes, destructive wildfires, tornados, tsunamis, and the list goes on describing the consequences of the curse! Gleason Archer - Can the Garden of Eden be located on a map? - Online on page 73 in Bible Difficulties Genesis 2:10–14 furnishes some clues to the general location of Eden, but it presupposes geological conditions that no longer hold. Hence it is hazardous to conjecture any site more precise than the headwaters of the Tigris and Euphrates rivers in the highlands of Armenia (i.e., the eastern border of modern Turkey). The large river flowing from Eden subdivided into the Tigris and the Euphrates, as well as into two other long rivers (the Pishon, leading down to Havilah, along the southern coast of Arabia, and the Gihon, which went over to Cush—which may have been some Asiatic region lying to the east rather than the African Cush that was Ethiopia). This indicates that the site was high plateau or mountainous region (insuring a cool and comfortable temperature for Eden during the summer season), having copious headwaters to supply the four major river systems this passage describes. The Havilah, through which the Pishon flowed, was rich in gold, spices, and deposits of precious stones—which were found in abundance along the southern or southwestern coasts of Arabia. For the Cush, no such helpful clues are given; the name has been connected by some scholars with Kish in Sumeria or with the Kassites (who are thought to have originated in the Zagros mountain region). The most plausible explanation for the later complete disappearance of the Pishon and Gihon rivers is the theory that mountain-building activity accompanying continental drift (for Arabia was originally connected with the Somalian and Ethiopian coast during prehistoric times) may have terminated those two river systems in the antediluvian period. This would be analogous to the uplift of the Mount Seir Range in Edom, which prevented the Jordan River from flowing all the way down to the Gulf of Aqaba, as it originally did Genesis 3:24 So He drove the man out; and at the east of the garden of Eden He stationed the cherubim and the flaming sword which turned every direction to guard the way to the tree of life. Septuagint - kai exebalen (ekballo: 3SAAI: eject by force Mt8:16) ton Adam kai katokisen (3SAAI: cause to dwell, assign a dwelling place, send to live in Ja4.5) auton apenanti (improper prep. w. gen. lit. of place opposite, in front of, before Mt27.61; fig. of someth. happening before the eyes of onlookers in the presence of,Mt27.24; Ac3.16) tou paradeisou tes truphes kai etaxen ta cheroubim kai ten phloginen romphaian ten strephomenen phulassein ten hodon tou xulou (wood, tree; as an instrument for execution by crucifixion cross Ac5.30 Rev22:2,14) tes zoes LXX English - And he cast out Adam and caused him to dwell over against the garden of Delight, and stationed the cherubs and the fiery sword that turns about to keep the way of the tree of life. ICB God forced the man out of the garden. Then God put angels on the east side of the garden. He also put a sword of fire there. It flashed around in every direction. This kept people from getting to the tree of life. east: Ge 2:8 Cherubim: Ex 25:2,20,22 1Sa 4:4 1Ki 6:25-35 Ps 80:1 99:1 104:4 Eze 10:2-22 Heb 1:7 flaming: Nu 22:23 Jos 5:13 1Ch 21:16,17 Heb 1:7 to keep: Joh 14:6 Heb 10:18-22 Genesis 3 Resources - Multiple Sermons and Commentaries Related Passages: Genesis 2:15; Then the LORD God took the man and put him into the garden of Eden to cultivate it and keep it. Ezekiel 36:35 “They will say, ‘This desolate land has become like the garden of Eden; and the waste, desolate and ruined cities are fortified and inhabited.’ Joel 2:3 A fire consumes before them And behind them a flame burns. The land is like the garden of Eden before them But a desolate wilderness behind them, And nothing at all escapes them. Expulsion from Paradise James Tissot THE MERCY OF GOD IN DRIVING MAN OUT OF THE GARDEN So He drove the man out (garash) - God in effect evicted them, booted them out, kicked them out! As noted above, God had to drive them because otherwise they would have stayed and they would have eaten of the other tree (which they apparently could eat from prior to the Fall). Why did He do this? He loved them. They did not deserve His love, but in love He drove them out to protect them from eternal existence in spiritual death if they had eaten from the tree of life. It is also worth noting that God had to drive man out in order for the prophecy of a future Redeemer (cf Kinsman-Redeemer) to be fulfilled. God's promises are all always fulfilled. Had He allowed man to remain and had man eaten of the Tree of Life, He could not have fulfilled Genesis 3:15 because man would have entered into an eternal state of death. Amazing grace from our amazing God! Praise Him all ye His people! Amen. and at the east of the garden of Eden He stationed the cherubim (kerub) Later in Israel’s history, two cherubim or angelic figures guarded the ark of the covenant and the Holy of Holies in the tabernacle (Ex 25:18-22), where God communed with His people. In a similar way the CHERUBIM woven in the tapestry of the VEIL "guarded" the way into the Holy of Holies [Ex 26:31 36:8, 35] NET NOTE - Angelic sentries (Heb “cherubim”). The cherubim in the Bible seem to be a class of angels that are composite in appearance. Their main task seems to be guarding. Here they guard the way to the tree of life. The curtain in the tabernacle was to be embroidered with cherubim as well, symbolically guarding the way to God. (See in addition A. S. Kapelrud, “The Gates of Hell and the Guardian Angels of Paradise,” JAOS 70 [1950]: 151-56; and D. N. Freedman and M. P. O’Connor, TDOT 7:307–19.) ESV Study Bible note - The placing of cherubim to the east of the garden is reflected in the tabernacle and temple, where cherubim were an important component in the structure and furnishings (see The Ark of the Covenant). (See context in ESV Study Bible) and the flaming sword which turned every direction to guard the way to the tree of life - Guard (shamar) "exercise great care over."The Hebrew depicts the sword as moving from side to side to prevent anyone from passing or as whirling around, ready to cut to shreds anyone who tries to pass. This impediment shows the grace of God: He drove the man and woman out of the garden! They had forfeited their right to the tree of life by disobeying God. If they had eaten of that tree, they would have lived forever in their sinful state. This would mean that the Savior, the Second Adam, could not come to die to deliver humans from sin. Thus, in driving Adam and Eve out of paradise, God was showing His grace and mercy to the whole human race. The tree is guarded but it is not destroyed. The whole truth of salvation hangs on that point. -- Ray Pritchard Ray Pritchard - Cherubim are a particular class of heavenly angels. It appears from the rest of the Bible that they have a special assignment to guard the throne of God. They are the Heavenly Secret Service, if you will, standing guard around the throne, preventing any unwanted person from coming near to God. It’s also worth noting that when God gave the design for the tabernacle, he instructed that a thick veil be hung between the Holy Place and the Holy of Holies. That veil contained figures of the cherubim woven into it. Inside the Holy of Holies was the Ark of the Covenant, with a golden lid called the Mercy Seat. Over the Mercy Seat were the two golden cherubim whose wings almost touched. Once a year, and only once a year, on the Day of Atonement, one man, and only one man, the high priest, entered the Holy of Holies, carrying with him the blood of the sacrifice. When he sprinkled the blood on the Mercy Seat, it was consumed by fire from heaven, signifying that the Lord had covered the sins of the people. If anyone besides the high priest entered the Holy of Holies, or if the high priest entered on any other day than the Day of Atonement, or if he did not bring the blood of the sacrifice, he would be put to death. The cherubim were there to symbolically say, “You can’t come to God on your own. You can’t make it up as you go along. You must come to God in his way, or you can’t come at all.... The door was closed and they could never return on their own. As a result, man is now separated from God because of sin. The progress of the human race will move in two directions from this point. Man will make great strides in the realms of science and technology, and at the same time he will be utterly unable to conquer his own sinful heart. As he climbs out of the pit, he will slide back down again and again and again.” All appears hopeless and lost until we consider one important fact. As the curtain lowers for the final time on Eden, our last view is of the cherubim and the flaming sword guarding the entrance, and somewhere in the distance stands the Tree of Life. Make a note of that. The tree is guarded but it is not destroyed. The whole truth of salvation hangs on that point. If God had destroyed the Tree of Life, none of us would ever be saved. We would live, die, and enter eternal punishment.Eden as a place disappears after Genesis 3. No one ever goes there again. It vanishes from the face of the earth, apparently destroyed in the great flood of Noah’s day. But what about the Tree of Life? What happens to it? To get the answer to that question, we have to go all the way to the last chapter of the last book of the Bible. This is how Revelation 22 begins: “Then the angel showed me the river of the water of life, as clear as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb down the middle of the great street of the city. On each side of the river stood the tree of life, bearing twelve crops of fruit, yielding its fruit every month. And the leaves of the tree are for the healing of the nations” (Revelation 22:1-2). When John gets his final glimpse of the heavenly city of God, he sees the throne of God, and from that throne a mighty river of water–the water of life!–flowing through the midst of the city. And there on each side of the river stood the tree of life. One tree? Many trees? Who knows? The Tree of Life is now everywhere. Each month it brings forth a fruit. And its leaves are for the healing of the nations, meaning that God intends that vast multitudes should come to this tree and find strength, life, help, hope and healing. What was once a single tree for just two people to enjoy has become a vast heavenly orchard with fruit for billions of people. And where are the cherubim? They are gone. Where is the flaming sword? It is nowhere in sight. Now the Lord has opened the way to the Tree of Life. Anyone who is hungry or thirsty, come and eat and live forever. Anyone who wants a new life, come, this tree is for you. How has this happened? What made the difference? When Jesus died on the cross, the great veil in the temple was torn from top to bottom. That veil–the one with the cherubim on it–the veil that constantly reminded the Jews that they could not come into God’s presence on their own, was torn in two. The message is clear as crystal. Through Jesus Christ, the way to God is now open to anyone, anywhere, any time. That’s why the Tree of Life appears at the end of the Bible. Christ has opened the door to heaven, and through him and by him and in him anyone who wants to, can come in. (Farewell to Paradise: Cast Out That We Might Someday Return) 1 Co 10:11 teaches us that “these things happened to them (Adam & Eve) as an example, and they were written for our instruction, upon whom the ends of the ages have come.” We must recognize that the biographical sketches of Adam and of Eve we have just read in Ge 1-3 are not simply a matter of history, but are written for our instruction. This means their lives and their mistakes make demands on our lives. We must be willing to ask several questions How does this apply to me today? Where am I listening to the lies of the crafty adversary? What truths about God am I not clear on, which if I were, they would serve to fight off the fiery missiles of the evil one? Am I reading and memorizing and meditating on God's Word of Truth that I might be fortified against the lies of the Devil? Am I forgetting that the whole world lies in the power of the evil one and am I being drawn into his domain? (1 Jn 5:19-note) Warren