Genesis Chapter 3
The serpent was very smart. He convinced Eve to disobey God. He talked her into eating the fruit that God told her not to. She gave some to Adam and he ate.
When we disobey, do we like to talk someone else into disobeying with us?
Do we like to tell someone else we have disobeyed and brag about it?
The serpent encouraged Eve to disobey God by lying (you will not die). twisting the truth (you will be like God) and teasing her about what she would gain.
Things changed after Adam and Eve disobeyed God. Now they were afraid of God and hid from Him. Each one gives God a reason for disobeying.
Adam said Eve gave him fruit and he ate it.
Eve said the serpent tricked her.
Has there ever been a reason to disobey God?
When we disobey God, is there any way we can make up for our disobedience?
God told Adam and Eve they could eat any fruit in the garden except for the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. God said when they ate of that tree they would die.
Did Adam and Eve die?
God now tells what will happen because of their disobedience.
The serpent will crawl on the ground and east dust. There will be hatred between the serpent and the woman. The children of the serpent and the children of Eve will be enemies. The serpent will strike the heel of the children of Eve. The son of Eve will crush the serpent's head.
This is the beginning of the Gospel. But why didn't God send Jesus now to deal with man's sin?
One reason may be that after thousands of years, God made sure the world had experienced enough of life without the Messiah to appreciate Him and see their desperate need for a savior. God designed the world in such a way that He knew to send Jesus, the Messiah at just the right time.
Another reason Christ didn’t come earlier than He did may be so that we might learn faith.
Another way of looking at it is asking, "Why didn't God judge and punish sin immediately?"God’s love will not allow one person, who will believe, to be denied the necessary time to repent and turn from their sin.
But the simple answer is, He didn't want to. He had a perfect plan that will now be carried out. By God waiting to bring both redemption and judgment, we learn more about His faithfulness, His patience, His long suffering and, most importantly, His love for us. Since He always does what He promises, we learn more about His truthfulness.
The woman will be in pain when she gives birth to her children. Her husband will now rule over her.
Because of Adam's disobedience (sin), the ground was cursed. Men will have to work hard and sweat to get their food from the ground. The ground will now produce thorns and thistles along with the produce.
God made clothes out of animal skins for Adam and Eve to wear.
And because of their sin, God made them leave the Garden so they could not eat the fruit of the tree of life. The Lord placed cherubim and a flaming sword on the east side of the garden to keep men out.
Sin has caused Adam and Eve to be removed from the Garden of Eden. God cannot allow sin in His presence. Because of sin now in man, there is a separation between God and man. And now sin will cause man to die. Adam did not die immediately physically, but he began to die. Adam did die spiritually. He could no longer be in the presence of God.
God has a plan to bring man back into His presence and fellowship again. But Satan will try and stop it from happening.
Genesis Chapter 4
Eve gave birth to a son. He was named Cain. Eve next gave birth to a son named Abel. Cain was a farmer. Abel raised sheep.
Cain offered to God some of the things he had grown. Abel offered the best of the firstborn of his flock.
God was pleased with Abel's offering but not Cain's.
Cain became angry. God told Cain to do what is right.
But Cain remained angry and killed Abel.
Some believe God didn't accept Cain's offering because blood wasn't shed. Some believe Cain didn't offer God the best of his crop. Some think Cain made his offering with the wrong attitude.
Why do you believe God accepted Abel's offering and not Cain's?
While we don't offer God an offering by shedding blood, we need to understand God gave His son as our sacrifice. We need to always offer God our best. And we need to offer to God with a willing heart.
Now, both of Adam's sons are dead. It looked as if Satan had stopped God's plan to bring a savior into the world. But God gives Eve another son. She calls him Seth.
Genesis Chapter 5
Seth had a son named Enosh.
Enosh had a son named Kenan.
Kenan had a son named Mahalelel.
Mahalelel had a son named Jared.
Jared had a son named Enoch.
Enoch had a son named Methuselah.
Methuselah had a son named Lamech.
Lamech had a son named Noah.
These aren't all the kids these men had. These are the ones we see God using to bring Jesus into the world. The other children grew up to turn away from God and do bad things.
But why do we need this list?
In Genesis 6 we see that the "sons of God and the sons of man had children together. If we don't have this list of who was the father of who, could it be that Satan could claim he was the one who brought Jesus into the world?