As we continue studying the book of Genesis , Today we are going to look at chapter 2 & 3.
Before be proceed , let us look few details which will help us to unpack today’s message.
Genesis chapter 1-38 reflect a great deal of what we know from other sources about ancient Mesopotamian life and culture. Creation, genealogies, destructive floods, geography and map making, construction techniques, migrations of peoples, sale and purchase of land, legal customs and procedures, shepherding and cattle-raising—all these subjects and many others were matters of vital concern to the people of Mesopotamia during this time. They were also of interest to the individuals, families and tribes of whom we read in the first 38 chapters of Genesis. The author appears to locate Eden, humankind’s first home, in or near Mesopotamia; the tower of Babel was built there; Abram was born there; Isaac took a wife from there; and Jacob lived there for 20 years. Although these patriarchs settled in Canaan, their original homeland was Mesopotamia.
It is supremely a book that speaks about relationships, highlighting those between God and his creation, between God and humankind, and between human beings. It is thoroughly monotheistic, taking for granted that there is only one God worthy of the name and opposing the ideas that there are many gods (polytheism), that there is no god at all (atheism) and that everything is divine (pantheism). It clearly teaches that the one true God is sovereign over all that exists (i.e., his entire creation), and that he often exercises his unlimited freedom to overturn human customs, traditions and plans.
We saw last week, God’s creation.
First Day – Day and Night
Second Day – Sky
Third Day – Vegetation (seed-bearing plants)
Fourth Day – God made two great lights
Fifth Day – Living Creatures (Sea & Land)
Sixth Day – Let us make mankind
Seventh Day : Chapter 2 : 1, 2 – Rested / Celebrated
Today we are going to look at one of the Key event that changed the entire human race.
The Fall of Adam . Today we are going to do a study on the fall and rise of Adam.
Let us read Genesis chapter 2 & 3
So God rested , he celebrated what was created , because it was very good. It did not have to be repeated , revised , it was perfect.
God rested the seventh day , Although the word sabbath is not used here . The Hebrew verb translated “rested” is the origin of noun Sabbath . The sabbath was not an official covenant obligation until the giving of the law in mount Sinai. It was one of the ten commandments.
Let us deep dive into the story of Adam & Eve
The Hebrew word account occurs 10 times in Genesis , at the beginning of each main section . The phrase ‘”Account of heaven and earth”” introduces the record of what happened to Gods creation .
In Verse 4 , we see “When the Lord God”
Often both appears together in the Old Testament, thousands of times. Clearly refers to the one and only one God.
“Lord” means in Hebrew YAHWEH.
“GOD” means in Hebrew ELOHIM, is a general term.
THE RISE OF MAN
Verse 7
Then the Lord God formed a man from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living being.
We are made in the image of God and absolutely have a unique relation with God. And we were created to have a relationship with him.
Now the Lord God had planted a garden in the east, in Eden; and there he put the man he had formed.
Verse 8 , 9
8 Now the Lord God had planted a garden in the east, in Eden; and there he put the man he had formed. 9 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.
Now coming to the Garden of Eden ,
Now the Lord God had planted a garden – God planted a Garden and he gave that to man.
(So we look at the relationship of God and Man). During my college days , whatever stuff I used , would share with my friends . That showed the intensity of our friendship. The same relationship of being a friend / a father is showcased by God to man i.e. God planted a Garden and he gave that to man.
Because he birthed us and cares for us as his child.
Now the Lord God had planted a garden in the east. The garden was thought to be near, where, the Tigris and Euphrates rivers met. What today , is southern Iraq.
Eden – a name synonymous with paradise
Tree of life -Signifying and giving life , immortal, those who eat from it, will live forever.
Tree of Knowledge and evil – signifying and giving knowledge of good and evil , leading ultimately to death to those who eat from it.
It is quite interesting to see these two different trees .one you eat, it gives life and other you eat , you die.
Lets take the argument in this way, Lets Focus on an Important thing, that is to understand when Adam and Eve were created they possessed both i.e. Life and Knowledge of good and evil.
Let us talk about LIFE (Tree 1) – God told Adam and Eve , “don’t eat from any of those trees” . If you eat then you will die. What does that mean ? They already possessed life which was immortal (They will live forever with GOD) because God cannot lie.
Secondly, Knowledge of Good and Evil (Tree 2) MORAL DISCERNMENT as they came from the hand of God. The dialogue between Serpent and Eve. 3 but God did say, ‘You must not eat fruit from the tree that is in the middle of the garden, and you must not touch it, or you will die.’” What does it mean? Does she not possess knowledge of good and evil? She did not know that she is not supposed to eat the fruit.
Their access to the fruit of the tree of life showed that God’s will and intention for them was life. But Adam and Eve sought creaturely (Non human) source of discernment in order to be morally independent of God. They wanted to take their own decision, why to reply on God for every instruction / direction ? That was the deception.
In Verse 15 , 16 – Lord Commanded
15 The Lord God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and take care of it. 16 And the Lord God commanded the man, “You are free to eat from any tree in the garden; 17 but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat from it you will certainly die.”
God said, take care of it – govern the earth and a command to not eat from the tree of knowledge of good and evil.
In Verse 20-25 , A companion for Adam.
But for Adam no suitable helper was found. 21 So the Lord God caused the man to fall into a deep sleep; and while he was sleeping, he took one of the man’s ribs and then closed up the place with flesh. 22 Then the Lord God made a woman from the rib he had taken out of the man, and he brought her to the man.
23 The man said,
“This is now bone of my bones
and flesh of my flesh;
she shall be called ‘woman,’
for she was taken out of man.”
24 That is why a man leaves his father and mother and is united to his wife, and they become one flesh.
25 Adam and his wife were both naked, and they felt no shame.
The divine intention for husband and wife was monogamy. i.e. Only one wife.
In chapter 2 , we see the Rise of Man , Giving him a place which was not planted by him , giving him dominion over all the creatures , giving him a SUITABLE companion , giving him work .
Now The Fall :
Now the serpent was more crafty than any of the wild animals the Lord God had made. He said to the woman, “Did God really say, ‘You must not eat from any tree in the garden’?”
Serpent : The great deceiver clothed himself as serpent. “Did God really say” ?, the question and response that changed the course of human history. By causing the woman to doubt God’s word , Satan brought evil in the world. Here the deceiver undertook to alienate people from God . Elsewhere in the scriptures he acts as an accuser, to alienate God from people.
Verse 3:
3 but God did say, ‘You must not eat fruit from the tree that is in the middle of the garden, and you must not touch it, or you will die.’”
The woman adds to God’s word – “You may not touch it”.
4 “You will not certainly die,” the serpent said to the woman. 5 “For God knows that when you eat from it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.”
Now Satan accuses God of having unworthy motives. your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.”
Is a half true statement , their eyes were opened for sure, but the result was quite different from what the serpent had promised . You will be like God ,Did they become like God? did this happen ? No, it did not. Instead they found themselves naked in a fallen state which God never desired.
I love this , Even after all this , God called man, “where are you?” Verse 10 , the same garden once a place of joy and fellowship with God , became a place of fear and hiding from God.
Then the blame game started : Adam blamed Eve , Eve blamed serpent.
And there was a curse on the land , Adam , Eve and serpent.
THE RISE OF THE SECOND ADAM
Today’s message is incomplete if we don’t discuss the Rise of second Adam.
Verse 15 , he will crush your head,
God’s redemptive plan was in place , that a second Adam or last Adam will come.
He was born from an offspring of woman. It was Jesus.
“The first man Adam became a living being; the last Adam, a life-giving spirit. The spiritual did not come first, but the natural, and after that the spiritual. The first man was of the dust of the earth, the second man from heaven. As was the earthly man, so are those who are of the earth; and as is the man from heaven, so also are those who are of heaven. And just as we have borne the likeness of the earthly man, so shall we bear the likeness of the man from heaven
And we were given a glimpse of that provision in verse 21
21 The Lord God made garments of skin for Adam and his wife and clothed them.
Garment of skin to cover their nakedness, what does it signify. It signifies a sacrifice , it signifies an innocent blood has been shed .
Romans 5 : 19
19 For just as through the disobedience of the one man the many were made sinners, so also through the obedience of the one man the many will be made righteous.
What happened in the garden of Eden , similar events happened in a wilderness. Let us look at both the Adam’s and their response.
Let us read Matthew 4: 1-11
4 Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. 2 After fasting forty days and forty nights, he was hungry. 3 The tempter came to him and said, “If you are the Son of God, tell these stones to become bread.”
4 Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.’”
5 Then the devil took him to the holy city and had him stand on the highest point of the temple. 6 “If you are the Son of God,” he said, “throw yourself down. For it is written:
“‘He will command his angels concerning you,
and they will lift you up in their hands,
so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.’”
7 Jesus answered him, “It is also written: ‘Do not put the Lord your God to the test.’”
8 Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their splendor. 9 “All this I will give you,” he said, “if you will bow down and worship me.”
10 Jesus said to him, “Away from me, Satan! For it is written: ‘Worship the Lord your God, and serve him only.’”
11 Then the devil left him, and angels came and attended him.
Let us look at the comparison of Genesis 2 & 3 with Matthew 4 : 1-11
Satan / Deceiver tried his skills here as well.
Jesus was hungry , and he was tempted
- Make the stone into bread (desirable , pleasing to eyes)
- Throw yourself down (You are not going to die)
- All this I will give it to you , if you will bow down and worship me. (You will become like God , all will be yours)
We can see the similarities of TEMPTATION of first Adam (garden of Eden) and the Second / Last Adam (wilderness) but both their responses were different.
- 10 Jesus said to him, “Away from me, Satan! For it is written: ‘Worship the Lord your God, and serve him only.’”
- 11 Then the devil left him, and angels came and attended him.
Jesus recognized the enemy. His obedience brought us life. Whereas Adam disobeyed and he failed. Jesus is our perfect Adam.
Virjil Selvan is Pastoring the New Hope Community. The New Hope Community is situated in the heart of the city between Old and New Panvel. We can confidently share that New Hope Community is a Church in Kamothe, Church in Khandeshwar, Church in Khanda Colony, Church in Panvel, Church in New Panvel because we are centrally located and these places surround our church Venue.
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