Garden of Eden

Mark Twain wrote, “The Diaries of Adam and Eve” He suggests that Adam wrote: This new creature with the long hair is a good deal in the way. It is always hanging around and following me about. Eve tells me she was made from one of my ribs, but I don’t find that I am missing one. To stare at her reflection, Eve often leans out over the pond, and the other day, she fell in.

He suggests that Eve wrote: I am almost a whole day old now. I arrived yesterday, and it is the only yesterday I can remember. The birds and animals are all friendly to each other, and there are no disputes about anything. I don’t know why we name the fish, since they do not come when they are called.

Genesis 3: Temptation

1. Now the serpent was more crafty than any of the wild animals the Lord had made. He said to the woman, “Did God really say, ‘You must not eat from any tree in the garden’?” 2. The woman said to the serpent, “We may eat fruit from the trees in the garden, 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.’ ” 4. “You will not surely die,” the serpent said to the woman, 5. “For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.”

6. When the woman saw that the fruit of the tree was good for food and pleasing to the eye, and also desirable for gaining wisdom, she took some and ate it. She also gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate it. 7. Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they realized they were naked; so they sewed fig leaves together and made coverings for themselves. 8. Then the man and his wife heard the sound of the Lord God as he was walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and they hid from the Lord God among the trees of the garden. 9. But the Lord God called to the man, “Where are you?”

10. He answered, “I heard you in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked; so I hid.” 11. And he said, “Who told you that were naked? Have you eaten from the tree that I commanded you not to eat from?” 12. The man said, “The woman you put here with me – she gave me some fruit from the tree, and I ate it. 13. Then the Lord God said to the woman, “What is this you have done?” The woman said, “The serpent deceived me, and I ate.”

According to the American Heritage Dictionary “Tempt” means: To entice someone to commit an unwise or immoral act, especially by promise of reward.

James 1:13 – 15 NIV When tempted, no one should say, “God is tempting me.” For God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does he tempt anyone; but each one is tempted when, by his own evil desire, he is dragged away and enticed. Then after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death.

Joshua 7: NIV Achan replied, “It is true! I have sinned against the Lord, the God of Israel. This is what I have done: When I saw in the plunder a beautiful robe from Babylon, two hundred shekels of silver and a wedge of gold weighing fifty shekels, I coveted them and took them. They are hidden in the ground inside my tent…

Temptation – Process Dictionary – immoral act, promise of reward James 1:14 – Evil desire, drawn away, enticed Joshua 7:21 – Achan Saw, Coveted, Took Chain of events – See, Covet or Desire, Take

1. Now the serpent was more crafty than any of the wild animals the Lord had made. He said to the woman, “Did God really say, ‘You must not eat from any tree in the garden’?” 2. The woman said to the serpent, “We may eat fruit from the trees in the garden, 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.’ ” 4. “You will not surely die,” the serpent said to the woman, 5. “For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.”

6. When the woman saw that the fruit of the tree was good for food and pleasing to the eye, and also desirable for gaining wisdom, she took some and ate it. She also gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate it. 7. Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they realized they were naked; so they sewed fig leaves together and made coverings for themselves. 8. Then the man and his wife heard the sound of the Lord God as he was walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and they hid from the Lord God among the trees of the garden. 9. But the Lord God called to the man, “Where are you?”

10. He answered, “I heard you in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked; so I hid.” 11. And he said, “Who told you that were naked? Have you eaten from the tree that I commanded you not to eat from?” 12. The man said, “The woman you put here with me – she gave me some fruit from the tree, and I ate it. 13. Then the Lord God said to the woman, “What is this you have done?” The woman said, “The serpent deceived me, and I ate.”

Summary of Eve’s response: Saw - Fruit Desired- Wisdom, independence Action- Talked herself into it - Made preparations to obtain Took- Ate

Temptation In the Desert

Jesus’ response - Luke 4: 3, 5, 9 Lu 4:3 – Tell this stone to become bread Dt 8:3 Man does not live by bread alone Lu 4:5 – I’ll give you all the kingdoms of the world if you worship me Dt 6:13 Worship the Lord your God and serve him only Lu 4:9 – Throw yourself off the temple and make the angels catch you Dt 6:16 Do not put the Lord your God to the test

Mt 16:26 What good will it be for a man if he gains the whole world, yet forfeits his soul? 1 Co 6:19,20 Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you… therefore, Honor God with your body He 12:4 In your struggle against sin, you have not yet resisted to the point of shedding your blood

This chain of events: 1.See 2.Desire 3.Preparation Action 4.Take Can be interrupted or broken by us at any time before step 4

Our response 1. Admit we are vulnerable 2. Identify anything that can tempt us 3. Be aware of where we are tempted 4. Watch for the pro and con arguments and where they are coming from 5. Prevent preparation actions(Eve’s warning) 6. Maintain consistent Bible reading and prayer 7. Have an escape plan and practice it

Tenth Commandment Ex 20:17 You shall not covet your neighbor’s house. You shall not covet your neighbor’s wife, or his manservant or his maidservant, his ox or his donkey, or anything that belongs to your neighbor.

Tenth commandment Ex 20:17 You shall not covet your neighbor’s house. You shall not covet your neighbor’s wife, or his manservant or his maidservant, his ox or his donkey, or anything that belongs to your neighbor. Dt 5:21 You shall not covet your neighbor’s wife. You shall not set your desire on your neighbor’s house or land, his manservant or maidservant, his ox or his donkey, or anything that belongs to your neighbor.

Encouragement 1 Co 10:13 No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it.

SOME TEMPTATIONS

ARE STRONG

AND PERSISTENT

THEREFORE, TOGETHER

WE MUST BE STRONG

AND CONSISTENT

Tenth Commandment 2012 version You shall not covet your neighbor’s: Ferrari, yacht, stock portfolio, 4X4 truck, furniture, medical insurance, exotic cat, plasma TV, foreign vacations, beachfront cabin, antique collections, fourth wife, 12 person hot tub, Leer jet, or anything else that your neighbor is in serious debt for.