Genesis Chapter 3
Genesis Chapter 3 is one THE MOST IMPORTANT chapters in the while Bible dealing as it does with the FALL of Man. We must firstly address the question if its historicity - that is did it take place in space and time or is this a story that sets timeless truths in a mythical form. Or is it a combination of both? Is some of it symbolic? There are of course no definitive answers to this although scripture does give some indication that it was viewed as an actual historical event - that is one that took place in space and time. That Adam existed and that there was an actual pre-fall condition. Certainly Jesus makes it plain in his encounter with the Pharisees over marriage that the way we are does not reflect the way it was from the beginning. Paul also in all his writings makes it plain that he viewed the FALL as an actual historical event. In my younger days and certainly at the beginning of my ministry I viewed the events in Chapter 3 as being timeless truths set in mythical form. However as I have matured in the faith and come to understand more and more about the Bible and I have come to the firm belief that in the Genesis Chapter 3 we are dealing with an actual and real event. That in Chapter 3 we are dealing not with a description of the way man is but that it actually describes the historical reality of the entrance of sin into the world.
This then is the first point I think we should make. The second must be to deal with the origin of evil. The serpent in the story is of course the devil. But we must ask the question where does the devil come from? He is not an independent evil force. He is not a separate and eternal being giving us an opposing view to that of God. It is made plain to us the Devil was a created being, one who not rebelled but also defected as it were from heavens camp. He is as real a being as you and I. We might ask but why did God allow it? It is one of those questions that has no real answer this side of eternity. We know that God gave FREE WILL and that by giving FREE WILL he allowed the possibility of rejection and deviance from that which is good. But in the sense that the Devil is ultimately of God then we must say that the origin of evil lies with GOD. So that when Adam falls into SIN then Adam becomes a mutation of and within the creation of God.
How are we then implicated in Adam's FALL from Grace? Certainly we are born in a sinful condition, we are born separated from God but nevertheless our sinfulness remains primarily our responsibility even although we may be tempted by the DEVIL, even although we FALL we are still responsible. We must accept our own blame in this. Although there may be mitigating circumstances we must shoulder the blame for our own actions.
The Fall - now why do we call it that? It is because we were created as the very pinnacle of God's work. We could in those pre fall days only reach out to try and be like God himself and in reaching out from the top of the ladder and grabbing at that which was forbidden we could only fall to a lower level. This idea is recorded beautifully by PAUL in his letter to the Philippians. Here Paul draws the contrast between the first ADAM and the second that is JESUS. So he writes: "He always had the nature of GOD but he did not think that by force he should try to become equal with GOD...". Do you see here I hope the contrast with ADAM and EVE who tried to become equal with God and so fell from a great height to become a mutated and sinful creature.
Now let's look a little more closely at verses 1-6. Do you see here how SIN worms its way in. Sin come in by lies and deceit not a full frontal approach. That is the way of the Devil of course. Look at the the opening question. It challenges the Word of God, it raises doubt? It impugns God's motives. Eve in her answer to the Devil's question subtly changes the words of the command. She adds in the words "touch it" which God had never said and more importantly she leaves out the reason for not eating the fruit but keeps in the penalty thus making God's ruling sound absurd. Satan of course picks up on this and works on it and slowly and carefully twists her thinking and leads her to believe by the end of the conversation the exact opposite of the truth. Satan continues to work that way in our lives for he is a liar and wherever SIN is found lies abound. He subtly distorts the WORD of GOD. He doesn't challenge it as such but rather works his way into our minds and twists the clear word of God around until we feel a freedom grow within us to disobey the WORD because it never actually said that anyway. So we get ultimately to the point where the devil is able to convince us that the exact opposite of the WORD is the truth. We see this at work in all levels of society including the press and television and in gossip where false reporting which is what EVE was engaged in leads to real untruth and a real departure from the WORD of GOD. The Devil attacks understanding and allows Eve to see things differently. And Satan works deep in our psyches without our realising it.
Beyond verse five we move into action and then follow the consequences and note too the way that once this process starts it soon sucks others into its evil trap.
In verses 7 -13 we come to the attempted cover up. It fails of course. Note that even before GOD arrives on the scene they are trying to cover things up. Suddenly as unruly sexual desire creeps into their minds they try and physically cover themselves up. This is symbolic too of the sudden failure of real communication and the covering up of personality. They run away and try to hide. These creatures made for friendship with God run and hide. Tress made for delight, for shade for pleasure become place to hide. Nothing of course can be hidden from GOD. But suddenly shame, fear, accusations of the worst kind appear. We see developing immediately the attitude - "Please Sir it wasn't me!" There comes note a consciousness of wrong but no acceptance of responsibility nor a seeking of a remedy.
In verse 14 to 24 we come to the judgement of GOD. But even before God pronounces judgement the effect of sin is already seen in the misuse of trees, in the covering of themselves - the whole mood and fabric of creation is already becoming distorted and begins to break down. Death already creeps into the picture and over the next centuries the profound effects of the FALL begin to appear. Like a spreading cancer it starts to diminish the life span of all creatures, the life span of human beings falls from eternity, through tumbling figures downwards to our mere seventy years. Even the very nature of the soil changes and is cursed. But in the condemnation, the devil loses out also - his attempts to win the human race fail. He remains an enemy to the human race. What was good becomes misshapen - once it was good to cultivate the soil - now it no longer cooperates - frustration and failure creep in and all things are destined to return to dust. And death itself the ultimate corruption enters the scene. Death becomes multi dimensional affecting all things. Child bearing becomes difficult - everything but everything is affected in the cosmic nature of the FALL.
But we must also see in all of this the loving graciousness of GOD. Even the interrogation is gentle. God still gives Adam and Eve a place to live. He still allows them the possiblity of a livelihood. There is here no obliteration. There is separation from God but not a severance. Plus of course in verse 15 we find the promise of salvation. For this verse talks of Christ and his victory and reversal of the effects of the FALL. And that should give us a cause for real rejoicing. We should indeed marvel at the LORD's graciousness in all of this. For in spite of our behaviour he has opened to us the way to heaven. He has given to us the reality of forgiveness. And no matter how we are tempted by Satan no matter how we might fall we can always be forgiven. We can always know salvation.
GOD is good to us and salvation in Jesus can be ours. The effects of the FALL can be reversed! THERE IS HOPE!