Elstree and Borehamwood to become a Christian Community
In Part 1 and 2 we saw God is personal, triune, and the creator of all things, and that He had made all things very beautiful. Today we look at what went wrong.
Read and meditate upon Genesis chapter 3.
Adam and Eve were living in what maybe called a ‘period of innocence.’ There was only one thing they were not to do, and they were told the consequence of disobeying - instant death. We read Satan tricked Eve into disbelieving God.
So who was Satan? Job ch.38 tells us that when God was creating the earth the angels sang and shouted for joy.
Satan was a created an angel who fell from his position of honour through pride. Isaiah 14:12ff goes beyond speaking of Babylon’s king, to the spiritual power behind him, i.e. Satan. Ezekiel 27-28 is a prophesy against Tyre which was fulfilled in history. Like Isaiah, Ezekiel 28:16ff also goes beyond man to spiritual powers.
Satan had been created an angel of light, possibly ‘Heavens worship leader’, very beautiful and was present in the garden of Eden.
Believing he was better than God, he rebelled and was thrown out of heaven.
In Genesis 3 Satan persuades Eve to question what God said, and denies there will be any retribution for disobeying. This is typical of the attitude of humans today. He tells Eve she too can be like God, knowing Good and Evil.
Adam and Eve actually were like God, except they did not have the knowledge of good and evil, because everything they encountered was good. Eve was taken in by Satan’s half truths, just as people are today.
Adam was with Eve when Satan’s conversation with her took place and instead of discouraging Eve from eating the fruit ate some himself. Perhaps believing Eve had not died, and thought he could disobey God without any retribution.
Our eyes can fool us. Cut a flower, or a branch off, it ‘dies’ immediately, but takes time before its death is apparent.
Adam and Eve had been given dominion over the earth, and now all of creation was to suffered until mankind is redeemed, as Romans 8:19ff tells us.
Adam and Eve’s ‘innocence’ also died, for now they experienced shame and guilt, something they hadn’t before. They tried to hide it by sewing leaves together.
Man today tries to hide his shame, or guilt by suppressing it in the vain hope it will go away.
Just as Adam and Eve had to have their shame covered through a blood sacrifice, provided by God when he made them clothes of animal skin, we to have to accept the blood sacrifice offered by God in the person of His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ dying on a cross.
Suffering is a result of man’s sin, which a righteous God had to punish. When I sin, it always effects others, and so did Adam’s.
Covering our ‘private parts’ is a way of acknowledging our guilt. Not to cover them is a way of saying, "I am not guilty", "I don’t need a Saviour".
Imagine a man rapes your daughter or murders your spouse, and he comes before the judge. The judge says, I see he goes to church, he helps in the Foodbank, he gives money to Cancer Research, I will reprimand him and let him go. Would you think that is justice? Of course not.
Many today think their good deeds outweigh their bad deeds and therefore they do not have to face a penalty for their bad deeds - but that is not justice.
Good is what God expects of everyone. Therefore a penalty must be paid for the bad deeds.
The blood sacrifice is a pointer to the solution but the this will be dealt with later.
Good News is found in Genesis 3:15. God tells Satan, "He will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your seed and her seed; He will bruise your head, and you will bruise His heal."
We see the promise of One who is to come who will defeat Satan, though at a cost to Himself.
Jesus is that One, His crucifixion was the cost He paid.
Next time: Muder, Grace, and Death
be be dealt with later.