Genesis 3:1-7
"Temptation Island" • 10.22.09 • Thursday Night Bible Study
Intro
- We have come to one of the most pivotal chapters of the Bible. Sadly, it comes after one of the more beautiful chapters of the Bible.
- Man and wife have been on their honeymoon in the Garden of delight. There is perfect harmony between themselves and God.
- We are not told how long this lasted. What we do know is that it did not last long enough.
- Tonight, I want us to focus on the first 7 verses, which deal with the subject of temptation.
- It's a subject that we cannot escape, and one that we do well not to ignore.
- Throughout time, people have sought to find helpful ways to deal with temptation.
- Former boxing great Muhammed Ali carried around a box of matches, lit one at the sight of a pretty girl and held his fingers over the flame. Then he put it out with his fingers and said to himself:
˚ "'Hell is a lot hotter than this.'"
- Other men have chosen less painful, but more extreme diversions to avoid temptation. I remember hearing of a monk that locked himself in a box, only to discover that though he was removed from external pressures, temptation from within plagued him just as much!
- Temptation is a reality. Tonight, as we stand facing a section of scripture about it, I feel that I must warn you not to think of yourself in too high a light.
- Turn with me to I Corinthians 10. Paul warns the Corinthians not to judge the Old Testament failures, contextually those of the wilderness, too harshly.
• I Corinthians 10:11,12 : "Now all these things happened to them as examples, and they were written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the ages have come. Therefore let him who thinks he stands take heed lest he fall."
- In the same way, we are to look at this story before us tonight, as an example and for a warning. It will not matter what age or how experienced you are.
- After we have looked at this in a verse by verse treatment, we'll summarize the lessons that we need to take away for ourselves.
Text
• Genesis 3:1 : "Now the serpent was more cunning than any beast of the field which the Lord God had made. And he said to the woman, 'Has God indeed said, 'You shall not eat of every tree of the garden?'" : The serpent was more subtle. The word points to craftiness. It's used 3 times in the OT and it means to entice one to wrongdoing.
- This "serpent" was Satan. Ezekiel 28:13 affirms this to be the case. Additionally, Revelation 12:9 and 20:2 call him "that serpent of old."
- "Why was he allowed in the Garden?" It seems that before this moment, that there was no harm. He had not done or said anything to warrant expulsion.
- Perhaps he made it past Adam's supposed watchful eye. Remember that Adam was, according to Genesis 2:15, commissioned by God to tend and keep, protect, the Garden.
- The serpent's presence in the Garden disturbs me. Somehow, Adam's guard was let down. Maybe he did not perceive a threat or thought that he was strong enough to deal with it.
- Whatever happened here, we need to take the admonition that we should not ever let our guards down for any reason. Satan has not changed.
- Turn with me to Job 1. Job's author gives us a quick look into the heavenly places.
• Job 1:6,7 : "Now there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the Lord, and Satan also came among them. And the Lord said to Satan, 'From where do you come?' So Satan answered the Lord and said, 'From going to and fro on the earth, and from walking back and forth on it.'"
- Satan is walking around. God says have you considered Job. In other words, Satan is looking for tagets!
- Turn with me to I Peter 5. Peter is talking about how to function in this world as a Christian.
• I Peter 5:8, : "Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour.
- What is entrusted to us is worthy of our most focused attention.
- Let's say, for the sake of argument, that Adam and Eve were unaware. We do not have that same excuse. But even so, Peter tells us that we can resist him. We can refuse to listen to his lies.
- The woman did not.
- "Has God indeed said." He speaks with an incredulous tone. Is it possible that he said that you shall not eat of every tree of the garden?" Doesn't He want you to eat? How will you sustain yourself?
- You'll note first that the serpent creates confusion about the nature of God. Could He have said this? That doesn't seem right? Does God's Word really say that? Could it really mean that?
- Before you know it, you are not as clear as you had been.
• Genesis 3:2,3 : "And the woman said to the serpent, 'We may eat the fruit of the trees of the garden; but of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God has said, 'You shall not eat it, nor shall you touch it, lest you die.'" : Woman's answer is less than stellar. She explains that there are no prohibitions regarding the other trees, just the one in the midst of the garden.
- Let me suggest that her recounting of it being just another tree shows her hand. This was no ordinary tree! It was the tree of the knowledge of good and evil!
- At least one commentator suggested that Adam did a poor job of communicating what God had commanded him.
- Knowing us men, it's possible that Adam pointed to the tree and said, "Don't touch it or we'll die." The point being that he only spoke of the prohibition and did not speak of the spirit behind it.
- Let's allow that to be a possibility. But her unwillingness to adopt it's proper name speaks to me of some form of disbelief or disdain.
- Regardless of the man's communicative abilities, and he is not without fault, Eve still has the responsibility to discover the nuances of God's prohibition.
- It is so important to know what God's Word says? When the enemy attacks, it is centered against the Word of God, what He has instructed us to do or not do.
- Turn with me to Matthew 4. Jesus is being tempted by the same person, in the wilderness, after having fasted for 40 days and nights. The devil contests Jesus on a point of scripture.
• Matthew 4:5-7 : "Then the devil took Him up into the holy city, set Him on the pinnacle of the temple, and said to Him, 'If You are the Son of God, throw Yourself down. For it is written: 'He shall give His angels charge over you,' and, 'In their hands they shall bear you up, Lest you dash your foot against a stone.' Jesus said to him, 'It is written again, 'You shall not tempt the Lord your God.'"
- Effectively, Jesus answers, that while that verse says that, it cannot mean that because God says this over here! Our best hope of surviving temptation is to know the Word of God.
• Genesis 3:4,5 : "Then the serpent said to the woman, 'You will not surely die. For God knows that in the day you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil." : Having created confusion, the serpent, Satan, now clearly contradicts what God has said.
- "You will not surely die." And here is a great big, direct lie. God says this will happen when that happens? That won't happen!
- One of the enemy's greatest tactics is to convince us that the consequences won't affect us.
- "You won't lose your relationship?" "You won't get that disease." "You won't get hurt."
- How many have walked into clearly prohibited territory because of this rationale?
- Then, having created confusion, contradiction, the enemy casts doubt on God's motives.
- You won't die! God just doesn't want you to have something. He knows something that you don't know and if you know it, you'll be like them!
- The lies of the enemy play on our greatest fears, mainly that we will miss out on something really good or fun or worthwhile!
- He plays on our mistrust, our disbelief, on those areas that we are just not convinced are true! It's there that he traps us!
- Notice that up to this point, nothing has happened. There is no victory for the serpent, no defeat of the man. Simply, there is temptation.
- There is no sin in being tempted. This is very key to understand. We will all be tempted in one form or another. Jesus was tempted in all points, even as we are, yet without sin!
- The temptation alone is not where the battle is won or lost. It's the next part.
• Genesis 3:6 : "So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree desirable to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate. She also gave to her husband with her, and he ate." : Notice the progression. It was good for food, pleasant to the eyes and could make her wise.
- This is the same material recipe for sin that Satan has used ever since! The lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes and the pride of life.
- These are the temptations that Satan uses over and over again, in a three-fold nutshell.
- She put the equation together alone. It's good for food. It's functional. It's pleasant to the eyes. Literally, her eyes have been longing for it.
- But then, the deception comes to it's apex: It's a tree desirable to make one wise! Satan has fed her a little truth. God had said that it was the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.
- There is implication by the name that there is knowledge to be gained. However, she was never supposed to gain what she gained through it.
- In other words, God would have eventually given her whatever knowledge that she lacked, had she asked. The tree was a short cut. An end run! It was the quick path to a goal.
- Then we see two sets of tragic words. First, she took of it's fruit and ate. The forbidden fruit. This was the tree that measured their allegiance and fidelity to God. That relationship is now wounded, offended.
- Then the second set: She gave also to her husband with her, and he ate.
- Turn with me to I Timothy 2. Paul is addressing the role of women and men in the church and he comments on what transpired here.
• I Timothy 2:13,14 : "For Adam was formed first, then Eve. And Adam was not deceived, but the woman being deceived, fell into transgression."
- Eve was deceived. She legitimately believed that she was helping herself. Adam however, took a bite in open rebellion.
- Some have suggested, likely women who love romantic stories, that Adam loved Eve so much that he ate so that she would not bear the sentence alone.
- Rebellion for noble or romantic reasons is still rebellion! Did Adam resent the prohibition? Did he resent that God had made a distinction by keeping something from him?
- We don't know. We can say definitively that his was a direct act of disobedience.
- Sin rarely only affects one person. Usually, it affects people all around us, known and unknown. In this case, the sin of the man has effected each and every person that has ever walked on the planet.
- Turn with me to Romans 5. Paul makes this amazing statement.
• Romans 5:12,18,19 : "Therefore, just as through one man sin entered the world, and death through sin, and thus death spread to all men, because all sinned--18Therefore, as through one man's offense judgment came to all men, resulting in condemnation, even so through one Man's righteous act the free gift came to all men, resulting in justification of life. For as by one man's disobedience many were made sinners, so also by one Man's obedience many will be made righteous."
- There is an underlying issue of man's abdication of his role. The Garden neglected, the tree unprotected and his wife, opened to deception!
- How many men have woken up and realized that their home has been overrun by the enemy because of their spiritual neglect!?
- What an admonition men: Guard your home. Guard your wife's heart! Be a man of prayer and the Word.
- Turn with me to Ephesians 5. This is how we do this.
• Ephesians 5:25-29 : "Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself for her, that He might sanctify and cleanse her with the washing of water by the word, that He might present her to Himself a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing, but that she should be holy and without blemish. So husbands ought to love their own wives as their own bodies; he who loves his wife loves himself. For no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, just as the Lord does the church."
- Men, do not neglect your role!
• Genesis 3:7 : "Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together and made themselves coverings." : Notice that what the serpent said would happen, did in fact happen. Their eyes were opened. There understanding was opened. Their eyes were opened, but the reality was different.
- They knew that they were naked. So similar to Genesis 2:25.
• Genesis 2:25 : "And they were both naked, the man and his wife, and were not ashamed."
- Here, after they have disobeyed God, there is nothing but shame! Their shame caused them to frantically construct some makeshift clothes from fig leaves.
- One can only imagine what that fashion might have looked like! Eco-friendly people would love us to copy that!
- Interesting that they made themselves coverings. Their inward shame projected outwardly. One can only imagine what they thought that they were doing. Would God not notice?
- Did they think that they could hide it from the Lord? Would He have not noticed, "Hey, nice fig leaves. Why are you wearing those?"
- But this has been the truth of human existence ever since. We disobey God, we sin, and our first natural inclination is to hide and cover it ourselves. This was never God's intention.
Conclusion
- As we come to the end of this passage, let's remember a few things. First, temptation is a reality. We must be on our guards against an enemy that is relentless.
- Satan never takes a vacation, and he is never satisfied with the evil that he has imposed upon your life!
- Second, we must remember that while our enemy is powerful, we can resist him! We never have to take that fruit and he cannot force it down our throats!
- Finally, if we have failed, run first to the Lord, confess your sins and receive His forgiveness.
"Temptation Island" • 10.22.09 • Thursday Night Bible Study
Intro
- We have come to one of the most pivotal chapters of the Bible. Sadly, it comes after one of the more beautiful chapters of the Bible.
- Man and wife have been on their honeymoon in the Garden of delight. There is perfect harmony between themselves and God.
- We are not told how long this lasted. What we do know is that it did not last long enough.
- Tonight, I want us to focus on the first 7 verses, which deal with the subject of temptation.
- It's a subject that we cannot escape, and one that we do well not to ignore.
- Throughout time, people have sought to find helpful ways to deal with temptation.
- Former boxing great Muhammed Ali carried around a box of matches, lit one at the sight of a pretty girl and held his fingers over the flame. Then he put it out with his fingers and said to himself:
˚ "'Hell is a lot hotter than this.'"
- Other men have chosen less painful, but more extreme diversions to avoid temptation. I remember hearing of a monk that locked himself in a box, only to discover that though he was removed from external pressures, temptation from within plagued him just as much!
- Temptation is a reality. Tonight, as we stand facing a section of scripture about it, I feel that I must warn you not to think of yourself in too high a light.
- Turn with me to I Corinthians 10. Paul warns the Corinthians not to judge the Old Testament failures, contextually those of the wilderness, too harshly.
• I Corinthians 10:11,12 : "Now all these things happened to them as examples, and they were written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the ages have come. Therefore let him who thinks he stands take heed lest he fall."
- In the same way, we are to look at this story before us tonight, as an example and for a warning. It will not matter what age or how experienced you are.
- After we have looked at this in a verse by verse treatment, we'll summarize the lessons that we need to take away for ourselves.
Text
• Genesis 3:1 : "Now the serpent was more cunning than any beast of the field which the Lord God had made. And he said to the woman, 'Has God indeed said, 'You shall not eat of every tree of the garden?'" : The serpent was more subtle. The word points to craftiness. It's used 3 times in the OT and it means to entice one to wrongdoing.
- This "serpent" was Satan. Ezekiel 28:13 affirms this to be the case. Additionally, Revelation 12:9 and 20:2 call him "that serpent of old."
- "Why was he allowed in the Garden?" It seems that before this moment, that there was no harm. He had not done or said anything to warrant expulsion.
- Perhaps he made it past Adam's supposed watchful eye. Remember that Adam was, according to Genesis 2:15, commissioned by God to tend and keep, protect, the Garden.
- The serpent's presence in the Garden disturbs me. Somehow, Adam's guard was let down. Maybe he did not perceive a threat or thought that he was strong enough to deal with it.
- Whatever happened here, we need to take the admonition that we should not ever let our guards down for any reason. Satan has not changed.
- Turn with me to Job 1. Job's author gives us a quick look into the heavenly places.
• Job 1:6,7 : "Now there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the Lord, and Satan also came among them. And the Lord said to Satan, 'From where do you come?' So Satan answered the Lord and said, 'From going to and fro on the earth, and from walking back and forth on it.'"
- Satan is walking around. God says have you considered Job. In other words, Satan is looking for tagets!
- Turn with me to I Peter 5. Peter is talking about how to function in this world as a Christian.
• I Peter 5:8, : "Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour.
- What is entrusted to us is worthy of our most focused attention.
- Let's say, for the sake of argument, that Adam and Eve were unaware. We do not have that same excuse. But even so, Peter tells us that we can resist him. We can refuse to listen to his lies.
- The woman did not.
- "Has God indeed said." He speaks with an incredulous tone. Is it possible that he said that you shall not eat of every tree of the garden?" Doesn't He want you to eat? How will you sustain yourself?
- You'll note first that the serpent creates confusion about the nature of God. Could He have said this? That doesn't seem right? Does God's Word really say that? Could it really mean that?
- Before you know it, you are not as clear as you had been.
• Genesis 3:2,3 : "And the woman said to the serpent, 'We may eat the fruit of the trees of the garden; but of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God has said, 'You shall not eat it, nor shall you touch it, lest you die.'" : Woman's answer is less than stellar. She explains that there are no prohibitions regarding the other trees, just the one in the midst of the garden.
- Let me suggest that her recounting of it being just another tree shows her hand. This was no ordinary tree! It was the tree of the knowledge of good and evil!
- At least one commentator suggested that Adam did a poor job of communicating what God had commanded him.
- Knowing us men, it's possible that Adam pointed to the tree and said, "Don't touch it or we'll die." The point being that he only spoke of the prohibition and did not speak of the spirit behind it.
- Let's allow that to be a possibility. But her unwillingness to adopt it's proper name speaks to me of some form of disbelief or disdain.
- Regardless of the man's communicative abilities, and he is not without fault, Eve still has the responsibility to discover the nuances of God's prohibition.
- It is so important to know what God's Word says? When the enemy attacks, it is centered against the Word of God, what He has instructed us to do or not do.
- Turn with me to Matthew 4. Jesus is being tempted by the same person, in the wilderness, after having fasted for 40 days and nights. The devil contests Jesus on a point of scripture.
• Matthew 4:5-7 : "Then the devil took Him up into the holy city, set Him on the pinnacle of the temple, and said to Him, 'If You are the Son of God, throw Yourself down. For it is written: 'He shall give His angels charge over you,' and, 'In their hands they shall bear you up, Lest you dash your foot against a stone.' Jesus said to him, 'It is written again, 'You shall not tempt the Lord your God.'"
- Effectively, Jesus answers, that while that verse says that, it cannot mean that because God says this over here! Our best hope of surviving temptation is to know the Word of God.
• Genesis 3:4,5 : "Then the serpent said to the woman, 'You will not surely die. For God knows that in the day you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil." : Having created confusion, the serpent, Satan, now clearly contradicts what God has said.
- "You will not surely die." And here is a great big, direct lie. God says this will happen when that happens? That won't happen!
- One of the enemy's greatest tactics is to convince us that the consequences won't affect us.
- "You won't lose your relationship?" "You won't get that disease." "You won't get hurt."
- How many have walked into clearly prohibited territory because of this rationale?
- Then, having created confusion, contradiction, the enemy casts doubt on God's motives.
- You won't die! God just doesn't want you to have something. He knows something that you don't know and if you know it, you'll be like them!
- The lies of the enemy play on our greatest fears, mainly that we will miss out on something really good or fun or worthwhile!
- He plays on our mistrust, our disbelief, on those areas that we are just not convinced are true! It's there that he traps us!
- Notice that up to this point, nothing has happened. There is no victory for the serpent, no defeat of the man. Simply, there is temptation.
- There is no sin in being tempted. This is very key to understand. We will all be tempted in one form or another. Jesus was tempted in all points, even as we are, yet without sin!
- The temptation alone is not where the battle is won or lost. It's the next part.
• Genesis 3:6 : "So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree desirable to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate. She also gave to her husband with her, and he ate." : Notice the progression. It was good for food, pleasant to the eyes and could make her wise.
- This is the same material recipe for sin that Satan has used ever since! The lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes and the pride of life.
- These are the temptations that Satan uses over and over again, in a three-fold nutshell.
- She put the equation together alone. It's good for food. It's functional. It's pleasant to the eyes. Literally, her eyes have been longing for it.
- But then, the deception comes to it's apex: It's a tree desirable to make one wise! Satan has fed her a little truth. God had said that it was the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.
- There is implication by the name that there is knowledge to be gained. However, she was never supposed to gain what she gained through it.
- In other words, God would have eventually given her whatever knowledge that she lacked, had she asked. The tree was a short cut. An end run! It was the quick path to a goal.
- Then we see two sets of tragic words. First, she took of it's fruit and ate. The forbidden fruit. This was the tree that measured their allegiance and fidelity to God. That relationship is now wounded, offended.
- Then the second set: She gave also to her husband with her, and he ate.
- Turn with me to I Timothy 2. Paul is addressing the role of women and men in the church and he comments on what transpired here.
• I Timothy 2:13,14 : "For Adam was formed first, then Eve. And Adam was not deceived, but the woman being deceived, fell into transgression."
- Eve was deceived. She legitimately believed that she was helping herself. Adam however, took a bite in open rebellion.
- Some have suggested, likely women who love romantic stories, that Adam loved Eve so much that he ate so that she would not bear the sentence alone.
- Rebellion for noble or romantic reasons is still rebellion! Did Adam resent the prohibition? Did he resent that God had made a distinction by keeping something from him?
- We don't know. We can say definitively that his was a direct act of disobedience.
- Sin rarely only affects one person. Usually, it affects people all around us, known and unknown. In this case, the sin of the man has effected each and every person that has ever walked on the planet.
- Turn with me to Romans 5. Paul makes this amazing statement.
• Romans 5:12,18,19 : "Therefore, just as through one man sin entered the world, and death through sin, and thus death spread to all men, because all sinned--18Therefore, as through one man's offense judgment came to all men, resulting in condemnation, even so through one Man's righteous act the free gift came to all men, resulting in justification of life. For as by one man's disobedience many were made sinners, so also by one Man's obedience many will be made righteous."
- There is an underlying issue of man's abdication of his role. The Garden neglected, the tree unprotected and his wife, opened to deception!
- How many men have woken up and realized that their home has been overrun by the enemy because of their spiritual neglect!?
- What an admonition men: Guard your home. Guard your wife's heart! Be a man of prayer and the Word.
- Turn with me to Ephesians 5. This is how we do this.
• Ephesians 5:25-29 : "Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself for her, that He might sanctify and cleanse her with the washing of water by the word, that He might present her to Himself a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing, but that she should be holy and without blemish. So husbands ought to love their own wives as their own bodies; he who loves his wife loves himself. For no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, just as the Lord does the church."
- Men, do not neglect your role!
• Genesis 3:7 : "Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together and made themselves coverings." : Notice that what the serpent said would happen, did in fact happen. Their eyes were opened. There understanding was opened. Their eyes were opened, but the reality was different.
- They knew that they were naked. So similar to Genesis 2:25.
• Genesis 2:25 : "And they were both naked, the man and his wife, and were not ashamed."
- Here, after they have disobeyed God, there is nothing but shame! Their shame caused them to frantically construct some makeshift clothes from fig leaves.
- One can only imagine what that fashion might have looked like! Eco-friendly people would love us to copy that!
- Interesting that they made themselves coverings. Their inward shame projected outwardly. One can only imagine what they thought that they were doing. Would God not notice?
- Did they think that they could hide it from the Lord? Would He have not noticed, "Hey, nice fig leaves. Why are you wearing those?"
- But this has been the truth of human existence ever since. We disobey God, we sin, and our first natural inclination is to hide and cover it ourselves. This was never God's intention.
Conclusion
- As we come to the end of this passage, let's remember a few things. First, temptation is a reality. We must be on our guards against an enemy that is relentless.
- Satan never takes a vacation, and he is never satisfied with the evil that he has imposed upon your life!
- Second, we must remember that while our enemy is powerful, we can resist him! We never have to take that fruit and he cannot force it down our throats!
- Finally, if we have failed, run first to the Lord, confess your sins and receive His forgiveness.
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