"Genesis and Other Things"

Lesson Four - Paradise Lost

Moderated by Bob Huddlestun

    This week, as we continue our study of Genesis 3, we want to consider the second part of the serpent's seductive statement, "You will not surely die, . . . you will be like God, knowing good and evil" (verses 4 & 5). Last week we saw that the first part of this statement was tragically false, this week we'll note that the second half is just as tragically true. Read verses 22 - 24. 

    What was the significance of being "like God, knowing good and evil"? Obviously it involved more than the ability to know right action from wrong since they already possessed that faculty. The test was to see how they would    use that quality, whether they would be obedient to God and make the wise choice. No, "knowing good and evil" seems to    indicate an ability to determine for themselves what is good and what is evil. In effect, they became their own gods, no    longer needing God's guidance, or so they thought. This becomes evident in their reaction to gaining this knowledge and in subsequent events as told in the following chapters. 

    The first reaction - they realized they were naked. This reaction probably had little to do with modesty, but rather, with shame and guilt (compare Gen. 2:25, with Gen. 3:10). They compounded their sin with a decision to cover their shame and guilt. They would do it their way. This tendency continues to plague mankind (See Proverbs 14:12). We read in Genesis 3:21 how God covers them properly, setting the pattern early on, "without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness" (Hebrews 9:22b). Ultimately it was the blood of Christ that was shed for the sins of mankind. There is no other way (See Acts 4:12). 

The next reaction - "they hid from the LORD God . . ." (verse 8). We've all probably experienced similar feelings. Knowing we've blown it, having disobeyed parents or teacher and fearing the consequences we want to hide, avoid  the inevitable embarrassment - or worse. 

Question: Could denying the existence of God be a way of hiding from him? 

    "Where are you?" Though God asks the question I think we can assume that he already knew. It was important that the man confront God and admit his mistake (See 1 John 1:9). Accepting responsibility for our mistakes is rarely easy. Adam chose the route too commonly used by us all, he placed the blame on someone else. "It's not my fault. The woman made me do it." The woman, in turn, says, "It's not my fault. The devil made me do it." Well, it was actually the serpent; but serpent or woman, Adam and Eve both succumbed to the tempter. Both were guilty of disobedience. Both knew better. Both refused to admit their mistake. Remembering the troubles I got into as a child, I wonder, were the punishments that followed this incident only for having eaten the forbidden fruit or were they partly for their refusal to admit it? 

    For his part in this tragedy the serpent would continue to crawl in the dust. More importantly, there would be enmity between the serpent and the woman, between its seed and the seed of the woman. This could point to a natural fear of snakes common especially among women, but many see this as the first prophecy of the Christ. Jesus, the seed of the woman, was struck on his heel, i.e. he died on the cross - but to live again. Ultimately he will destroy the serpent (evil, Satan) totally and forever. 

    The woman would suffer increased pain in childbirth, yet desire her husband and to have children. 

    Man, already having the task of keeping the garden, would now find the job much more difficult. The land is cursed. Now the natural product of the land would be thorns and thistles, weeds. To harvest an edible crop would require constant and difficult labor.  

Question: How does the curse affect those of us who are not farmers? 

    For all of them death was waiting. They were banished from the garden, that perfect environment, to keep them from the tree of life and living forever. Perhaps we can understand the wisdom in this. Someone pointed out to me that the emphatic Hebrew phrase "thou shall SURELY die" could be literally translated, "dying thou shall die". They would not die immediately, but the dying process had begun - the aging process with all its ailments and debilitating aspects. In later stories we'll see other facets in their new found wisdom that, along with aging, make the idea of living forever under these conditions far from appealing. Thus even death, though an enemy (1 Corinthians 15:22-28), can be seen as an act of a loving Father. 

Question: Under what circumstances do you see death as an act of a loving Father? 

Bob Huddlestun

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