“The Fall” Genesis 3:1-17

The Importance of Our Topic The very heart of everything wrong. –Compare to God’s Creation (Chapter 1) 1:10 …and God saw that it was good. 1:12 …and God saw that it was good. 1:17 …and God saw that it was good. 1:21 …and God saw that it was good. 1:25 …and God saw that it was good. 1:31 And God saw all that He had made, and behold, it was very good.

The Importance of Our Topic The very heart of everything wrong. –Compare to God’s Creation (Chapter 1) –The Fall is entirely Unique. Other religions say it was created this way.

The Importance of Our Topic The very heart of everything wrong. –Compare to God’s Creation (Chapter 1) –The Fall is entirely Unique. With Far-Reaching Implications: –Are conditions today Normal or Abnormal? Is there a basis for HOPE? –Is God Responsible for Evil? Or is God Responsible for FREEDOM… and the Heart of Man is responsible for EVIL… The Fall Means: this is a broken world, scarred by death… And we are part of it!

The Setup Initiated by the devil (“diabolos”). –Now the serpent was more crafty than any beast of the field which the LORD God had made… (Gen.3:1a) Rev 12:10 “Satan; the devil and serpent of old…” Satan exists!

The Setup Initiated by the devil (“diabolos”). “the prince of the devils” (Mat 12:24). “the ruler of the world” (Jn.14:30; 12:31) “the prince of the power of the air” (Eph 2:2); “the god of this world” (2Co 4:4); “the spirit that now [energizes] the sons of disobedience” (Eph 2:2). “a roaring lion, seeking someone…” (1Pe 5:8). People are “taken captive by him” (2Ti 2:26) “has blinded the minds” (2Co 4:4);Mat 12:24Eph 2:22Co 4:4Eph 2:21Pe 5:82Ti 2:262Co 4:4

The Setup Initiated by the devil (“diabolos”). Questions the authority (Word) of God. –Powerfully Deceptive: “a liar and the father of lies” (Jn.8:44) “deceives the nations” (Rev.20:8; 12:9) “deceives those who dwell on the earth” (Rev.13:14) –The Best Defense: Knowing the Word of God Jesus Christ in Luke 4, Matthew 4, Mark 1. And he said to the woman, “Indeed, has God said, 'You shall not eat from any tree of the garden'?” Gen.3:1b

The Setup Initiated by the devil (“diabolos”). Questions the authority (Word) of God. Met by Human strength. –Adding onto the Word of God. –Additional restrictions for safety. –Minimizing the goodness of God’s provisions: “You may freely eat any fruit in the garden…” –Diluting the Word of God with arbitrary restrictions. The woman said to the serpent, "From the fruit of the trees of the garden we may eat; but from the fruit of the tree which is in the middle of the garden, God has said, 'You shall not eat from it or touch it, or you will die.' " Genesis 3:2-3

The Setup Initiated by the devil (“diabolos”). Questions the authority (Word) of God. Met with Human strength. Denies God’s Word. Replaces God’s Word. –“Be like God” is true: (See 3:22). “Discerning good and evil for yourself…” –Yet he lied, leaving out so much… –The effect: suspicion towards God: Repressive, sinister, a liar, reserves privileges only for Himself. The serpent said to the woman, “You surely will not die!” Genesis 3:4 “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 3:5

The Trap Shuts… Three Appeals: –The thrill (Heb:tob) of good-tasting food! –The greed (Heb:taavah) for beauty! –Coveting (Heb:chamad) “to be like God” (so wise!) 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 desirable to make one wise, she took from its fruit and ate… Genesis 3:6 (NASB)

The Trap Shuts… Three Appeals: –The thrill (Heb:tob) of good-tasting food! –The greed (Heb:taavah) for beauty! –Coveting (Heb:chamad) “to be like God” (so wise!) These make the world go ‘round (1 Jn. 2:15-16) –“Lust of the Flesh” -> THRILLS –“Lust of the Eyes” -> GREED, avarice –“the Boastful Pride of Life” -> “Be God!”

The Fallout Deep Psychological Alienation (v.7) –The need to Cover Up: “I need protection…” –A Deep Sense of Shame: “they knew…naked” Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they knew that they were naked… Genesis 3:7a and they sewed fig leaves together and made themselves loin coverings… Genesis 3:7b

The Fallout Deep Psychological Alienation (v.7) Deep Spiritual Alienation (v.8) –Moral Guilt –Can’t face God! –Shift to the insignificant issues. 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. Genesis 3:8 Then the LORD God called to the man, and said to him, "Where are you?" Genesis 3:9 He said, "I heard the sound of You in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked; so I hid myself." Genesis 3:10

The Fallout Deep Psychological Alienation (v.7) Deep Spiritual Alienation (v.8) Deep Social Alienation (v.12) –Broken, separated, scarred relationships. –Human History in a nutshell. And He said, "Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten from the tree of which I commanded you not to eat?“ Genesis 3:11 The man said, “The woman whom You gave to be with me, she gave me from the tree, and I ate.” Genesis 3:11

The Fallout Deep Psychological Alienation (v.7) Deep Spiritual Alienation (v.8) Deep Social Alienation (v.12) Deeply Divided Against Nature (v.17-19) –No more of God’s Provision (Gen.2:9) –Without God, nature takes its course. “Cursed is the ground because of you; In toil you will eat of it All the days of your life. Both thorns and thistles it shall grow for you; And you will eat the plants of the field; By the sweat of your face You will eat bread…” Gen.3:17-19

Tangible Effects of the Fall… God exalted man before the fall: Benevolent rulership Creative accomplishment Free moral agent Relational Sexuality: Unity, Love Shameless, uninhibited & free Selfish domination Work is Drudgery & a sick identity… Substantially lost Can’t relate--lonely Sexual exploitation Ashamed, tied up in selves, afraid of God AfterBefore Becoming “like God” put self at the center

What Does it Mean? The first humans fell because they distrusted God. –The road back begins with trusting God. It was never a choice between right and wrong… –Rather, between life and death. “For in the day that you eat from it you will surely die." Genesis 2:16