Bible Study Week 1
Part 4
The First Judgment
The immediate result of mans choice to disobey rather than obey God was the first judgment on sin, in the form of four curses and the expulsion of Adam and Eve from the Garden of Eden.
The Curse on the Devil
The first curse was on the serpent, the devil. God said to him, "Because thou hast done this, thou art cursed above all cattle, and above every beast of the field; upon thy belly shalt thou go, and dust shalt thou eat all the days of thy life" (Genesis 3:14)
The Effect of the Curse on the Woman
The curse would be especially painful for Eve. To her God said, "I will greatly multiply thy sorrow and thy conception; in sorrow thou shalt bring forth children; and thy desire shall be to thy husband, and he shall rule over thee" (Genesis 3:16) As a result of Eves sin, she brought upon the female population of the human race increased sorrow. Even the very blessed and joyous event of childbirth is colored by pain and travail. In addition, God said the man would rule over the woman.
The Curse on the Land
The third curse was upon the land. God said to Adam, "Because thou hast hearkened unto the voice of thy wife, and hast eaten of the tree, of which I commanded thee, saying, Thou shalt not eat of it; cursed is the ground for thy sake; in sorrow shalt thou eat of it all the days of thy life; thorns also and thistles shall it bring forth to thee; and thou shalt eat of the herb of the field" (Genesis 3:17-18) We must carefully plant and cultivate the food we wish to grow, but thorns, thistles and other weeds grow without cultivation. Every time we struggle to grow a beautiful flower, each time we weed our garden, or work to free our lawn from dandelions, we have a reminder of human sinfulness and of our need of God.
The Effect of the Curse on the Man
The curse affected Adam too. God said, "In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread, til thou return unto the ground; for out of it wast thou taken; for dust thou art, and unto dust shalt thou return" (Genesis 3:19)
From this point forward; man would find life a struggle. He would live only by exertion, by effort, and would finally go back to the dust from which he was made.
The First Promise of the Redeemer
In the midst of these curses, however, there was a promise. God said, "And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel" (Genesis 3:15) This was a prediction of the ultimate triumph of the Messiah, Jesus Christ over Satan. From the very beginning, the devils fate has been sealed. He has never been within striking range of achieving victory in his evil struggle. From the beginning, he has been a defeated enemy.
The state of innocence for Adam and Eve ended with God giving them a promise. God also provided a covering for their nakedness, showing that by the shedding of blood He would make a provision to reverse the consequences of their sin (Genesis 3:21)
Adam and Eve Driven from the Garden
As a direct result of their sin, God put Adam and Eve out of the Garden of Eden. In order to prevent them from eating of the Tree of Life, the Lord God sent them from the Garden to till the ground. At the east of the Garden of Eden, God placed cherubims, or angelic creatures, with a flaming sword which turned in all directions to protect the access to the Tree of Life. When they sinned, Adam and Eve were spiritually dead-- separated from the presence of God. They also faced physical death and after that eternal death, which they could avoid only by the saving grace of God. Since that time, every human being has been born in a sinful state, spiritually dead and facing eternal death. But through Jesus Christ we can have salvation and eternal life.
>>> How are the effects Adam and Eve faced after their sin like the consequences you have seen come from the selfishness of peoples sinful choices today?
We understand that even as times change, the question of temptation, sin, and consequences remain. We need the promise of Jesus to redeem us as much now as ever.
Questions for Personal Reflection
1. How should I respond to the fact that God created everything that was made?
2. Since God has given me free will, how can I use my free will to honor him?
3. Some people focus on the negative of God's commands and become frustrated. Is my view of the bible and the idea of instructions from God focused on the positives or the negatives?
4. How was the promise of the Redeemer and the concept of eternal life affected me?
5. What step can I take this week to draw closer to God?