"Genesis and Other Things"

Lesson Three - Problems Pervade Paradise

Moderated by Bob Huddlestun

Read Genesis 3

    The story is simple, but it raises many questions. In the story the serpent, a crafty creature, tempts the woman. First he sows doubt in her mind, "Did God really say . . .?" Then, using the tool of all good con men, half truth, "You won't really die, . . . but you will become like God", he suggests that God's motives are selfish. "God is using scare tactics in all this talk about death just to keep you from becoming as wise as He." Thus, he entices Eve to try the forbidden fruit. 

    "Hey, this is good stuff," she says, "You try some Adam." 

The first question that comes up - Why did God put the tree of the knowledge of good and evil in the garden if He didn't want Adam and Eve to eat of its fruit? 

    God created mankind as creatures of choice. That is, they were already able to discern right from wrong. They were free and able to choose to obey God, to avoid this fruit, or not. Obviously God wants his people to choose to love and obey Him. This was the initial test. They failed. 

Question two - Why was Eve so easily beguiled? 

    The fact is, we don't know how easily she was beguiled. We don't know how many times she walked by that tree and looked at the fruit, or how many nights she lay on her bed thinking about it. We don't know how much effort she put into trying to justify just one bite. We only know she saw the fruit, it looked delicious and beautiful and she was sure that it could make her wise, wise enough perhaps that she could make up her own mind and not always do what God said, or Adam. 

    In this process we begin to understand that Adam and Eve were not just the first humans, they represent all mankind. We'll see this more clearly as the consequences of this first sin unfold. 

    With this in mind read 1 John 2:15-17: " The lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life . . . is of the world. " (K.J.V.). The forbidden fruit fit all of these categories for Eve. In fact every sin seems to fall into at least one of them because, as Dr. Huffer in his book Systematic Theology correctly states, "the essence of sin is selfishness." We each have our serpent to tempt us. We all wrestle with sin, with desires to disobey God, to do our own thing. We, like Eve, all fail the test sometimes. The consequences remain the same. 

The third question - Who was right, God, who said death would be the result of eating this fruit, or the serpent who denied it? 

    We understand death to be the cessation of life, the very opposite of life. The Psalmist describes death in this way - "Do not trust in princes, in mortal man, in whom there is no salvation. His spirit departs, he returns to the earth; in that very day his thoughts perish" (Psalm 146:3-4 NASB). The words of the Preacher tell us "Whatever your hand finds to do, verily, do it with all your might; for there is no activity or planning or wisdom in Sheol (the pit or grave) where you are going." (Ecclesiastes 9:10 NASB). 

    Throughout the scriptures death is compared to unconscious sleep. Look up the following verses: 

    This all seems very simple. However, most people find it very hard to accept. Every civilization since earliest times and nearly every religion has, in some way, denied the fact of death. They all profess that the individual continues to live in some way. Earliest man placed tools and food in the graves with the deceased to sustain them in the afterlife. The ancient Egyptians built elaborate tombs for the wealthy, placing great riches in them for the use of the dead. They often killed the wives and servants, putting their bodies in the tomb to attend to the needs of the deceased husband and master. The ancient Greek philosophers taught that the    immortal soul of the dead went to heaven to be with the gods. The American Indian sends them off to the Happy Hunting Ground. 

    Sadly, many Christians have bought in to this concept - you don't really die, but continue to live on in some fashion. Why would they choose to believe the serpent's lie? Tradition? Certainly that is true of many. Fear? This is also very likely. We tend to fear what we don't understand. Comedian Jerry Seinfeld is reported as saying, 

    "The number one fear of most people is public speaking. The second greatest fear
is death. So, if you must go to a funeral you are better off in the casket than giving the eulogy" (Quoted in Sept. '98 Reader's Digest). 

    Job asks the question, "If a man die, shall he live again?" (Job 14:14). Beginning with verse twelve Job considers this question and proclaims his confident hope, "You will call and I will answer you; you will long for the creature your    hands have made" (verse 15). Job continues this thought in chapter nineteen. Read verses 25 - 27. His hope was clearly in a resurrection at the latter day or in the end. This is the hope set forth consistently throughout the Bible. 

    Death is sure. The serpent lied. Eternal life is promised, but it is dependent on two things: 

    1. the return of Jesus and 

    2. faith in him and the promises of God. 

Paul points out in 1 Corinthians 15:22 - 23, "For as in Adam all die, so in Christ all will be made alive. But each in his own turn: Christ, the first fruits; then, when he comes, those who belong to him." The writer of the Hebrew letter states, "Just as man is destined to die once, and after that to face judgment, so Christ was sacrificed once to take away the sins of many people; and he will appear a second time, not to bear sin, but to bring salvation to those who are waiting for him." (Hebrews 9:27, 28.) 

    The denial of death was only half of the serpent's enticing statement. What do we do with the second part, "You shall be like God, knowing good and evil."? 

We'll dig into that next time. 

Bob Huddlestun

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