God created the world with a perfect rhythm. God and humans were in perfect relationship, and man and woman had a side by side relationship. On this day, however, everything changed. Sin and brokenness entered the world through the first humans' choice to disobey God. The wily serpent tempts Eve and Adam (who was standing their with the woman) with the ability to be like God. That is the original sin. The desire to be God. Adam and Eve immediately recognized their nakedness, and for the first time felt ashamed. When God walks through the Garden and calls out for the man and woman, brokenness rears its ugly head. The first time Adam saw Eve, he was blown away and said "this is bone of my bone, flesh of my flesh!" This time though Adam says, "That woman you gave me did this." Brokenness between man and woman. At the same time, Adam blamed God. After all if that woman was not in the picture, none of this would have happened, all the while knowing that he was as much to blame as anybody else. The same attitude protrudes from Eve as well, as she blames the snake. God then curses the snake and the ground. Notice, however, that God never curses Adam or Eve. He gives consequences for their sin, and shows how brokenness ruins the intent of a side by side relationship, but God never curses them. Even in the midst of sin and brokenness, God shows mercy. He makes them clothes of skin (which by the way shows the first death as an animal had to die to make the clothes). Then God sends them east of Eden. This will be a theme in Genesis. Anytime someone moves away from God, it is always east. Humanity is now where they should not be, away from the perfect rhythm that God created the world with. The powerful aspect to this story is that it still happens. We still take from the tree we are not supposed to. We are still broken. But even in the midst of our brokenness, God still loves and shows us mercy.
"Lord, forgive my sin, my brokenness. Thank you for your mercy and grace given to us through your son Jesus Christ. Help me to live in mercy and grace rather than brokenness."
About Me
- Robert and Ray Miller
- Robert is the pastor of First Baptist Texas City, Tx. And Ray is the pastor of First Baptist Mertens, Tx. Robert brings over 30 years of biblical study as a pastor. Ray brings a younger perspective to the Bible and also a command of the original languages. Our greatest passion is to see lives changed through the good news of Jesus Christ.
4 comments:
Reading today made me realize anew the importance of knowing God's laws and obeying them. The devil would have us not read God's Word so we would be ignorant of His laws or if we know His laws the devil wants us to add our own interpretation as he did with Eve. If God says it, we are to obey and disobedience always brings sad consequences. Thanks for your mention of Him never cursing us, only allowing us to suffer the consequences. My prayer today is to know and obey His Word.
Today reminds me of an old southern gospel song about sin. "Sin will take you farther than you want to go, sin will leave you longer than you want to stay, and sin will cost you far more than you want to pay." I relate to that verse of song so well. The sub-title at the beginning of Chapter 3 in my Bible says "The Fall of Man". It might as well say The Fall of Jeff. I can't help but notice my representation in the first Adam every time I read this section. I say first Adam because I suppose it could be said that we would not have Luke 2 without Genesis 3. I wonder if my mother knew when she was looking at her newborn son on July 28, 1972(as cute as she thought he was)that he was nothing more than a little bundle of wrath and destruction. Harsh? Maybe. Fact? Indeed. The fall still haunts us today with the lust of the eyes, lust of the flesh, and the pride of life. Thank God for the second Adam! "For as in Adam all die, so in Christ all will be made alive" (I Cor. 15:22).
What a shame that Adam didn't show the leadership that he was given by God. My reading says in verse 6 "...she also gave some to her husband who was with her, and he ate it." Sometimes I think we are too hard on Eve. It appears that Adam was as much or more to blame than Eve. If Adam had spoken up as the leader of the household, things might have turned out differently...
And why is nothing ever our own fault? As children, we inherently know this tactic at a very early age, and it seems to stay with us the rest of our lives.
We all blame Adam for the first SIN but it was Eve that took the first bite but if we look at Numbers 30:6-8 we see that a woman makes a vow and the husband finds out he can make the vow of non effect. Another thing in chapter 3the tree of knowledge had all three of the reasons for sin 1 john 2:16 For all that [is] in the world, the lust of the flesh, (good for food) and the lust of the eyes, (pleasant to the eyes) and the pride of life, (desired to make wise) is not of the Father, but is of the world. (Genesis 3:6). of course this is the first use of blaming someone else for what you have done v12-13
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