GENESIS 3 – 6:10

In chapter 3 and 4 we have the beginning of sin and its shattering effects on man, his world and his offspring!

“What makes resisting temptation difficult for many people is they don’t want to discourage it completely.”  What are the pressures of your life????  Pressure can have many effects on you…some good, some bad.  Pressure can weaken your resistance to temptation.  It can cause you to consider some “solutions” to the temptation problem that normally would be out of the question such as “just once won’t hurt…others do it, why can’t I?...just experimenting!...How can I know what it is like if I don’t try it?...God loves me, He wouldn’t limit my freedom!...  (mind considering)

Key question “Did God really say? … grandfather of all lies!!!  Don’t be duped … the fire is worse than the pot!  Check out YOUR pressure point!  Count on TWO things:  Satan knows your weak point and will trip you up if you let him!  God knows your weak point and will fortify you by HIS grace against Satan’s attack … if you will let him!!!!

In 3:1 the “fiery dart” war begins – can it be that God has said,…?  In Eve’s answer it seems that she added ‘neither shall you touch it’  but her answer certainly showed that she KNEW the truth and then entertained the enemy’s question.  She took from His Word, added to His Word and changed His word.  When we begin to question THAT GOD SAID and add to or take away from WHAT HE said, we have begun a trip down a slippery slope!  II Corinthians 11:3

The description of woman becomes clearer as we continue to read:  Her name means “bringer of life” and now we see that a woman’s love of beauty (creator of beauty) can be a detriment!  V. 6 she SAW and IT WAS DELIGHTFUL T LOOK AT, TO BE DESIRED TO MAKE ONE WISE…and she took and ate!

Woman is an influencer.   I  Timothy 2:14 It was the woman who was DECEIVED!  And she gave it to man. 

Satan is REAL…he is the enemy, the tempter, the accuser, the ‘fiery dart’ shooter, the adversary, the slanderer, evil one, murderer, prince of this world, the father of lies, god of this age, ruler of the world system, leader of demonic forces of evil…masquerades as an angel of light…an impersonator, his target was Eve’s mind and our mind is his target today!  “The mind is the battleground!  - therefore,  we must ‘take every thought captive’.  Satan is no pushover and God’s people must be careful not to give him a foothold in their lives…sin is the welcome sign that we put out as an opening to his work in our life.  He has no jurisdiction in the life of a Christian but what we surrender to him.  Eph. 4:27.

Thoughts … fiery darts! If entertained and considered rather than taken captive become a permanent part of our thinking.  Humans are so constructed that they must believe something…if they don’t believe truth, then they will eventually believe lies.  II Thess. 2:10.

God doesn’t ask questions because He needs information.  Being God, He knows everything.  Rather, He asks questions for our good, to give us the opportunity to face facts, be honest and confess our sins.  Adam and Eve should have been running to God confessing their sin and asking for His forgiveness.  Evangelist Billy Sunday said that sinners can’t find God for the same reason criminals can’t find policemen, they aren’t looking!   

When the LORD asked, Adam had an excuse!  I was afraid, because I was naked; and I hid myself! [Why?  Sin separates!]  In further conversation,  Adam blamed another!...the woman YOU gave me!  So, according to Adam, his disobedience was God’s fault.

The woman confessed that she was cheated, outwitted and deceived by the serpent and the LORD dealt with the serpent with HIS prophecy of the enemy’s  fate:

Deception…disobedience…death…destruction!  Sin gives birth to death in a continuous downward spiral.  In the midst of this dismal picture is our wonderful Ray of Hope…the promise of the coming Head-Bruiser!  In verse 15  (Gal. 4:4) the Lord tells the END OF THE BOOK!  A fatal wound to the enemy…only a bruise to the heel of the Savior!

After the pronouncement of the enemy’s fate, the consequences of sin/disobedience is given:  Eve…childbirth will be multiplied in grief and suffering (seems an implication that pain would have been involved, but now would be multiplied!)   And even though this be true, you ladies will still desire your husband and he will rule over you.  Some say that verse means that a woman wants to rule over her husband, but he will rule over you.  I will not debate about this, but to me it seems to say what it says!

The LORD made it very clear that HE had commanded ADAM to not eat of the tree and now his work would be REALLY work…thorns, thistles…sorrow and toil! Sweat…until you return to the dust from which you were made.

v. 21  The LORD covered their nakedness with the hides of animals, which means that there was the ‘shedding of blood’…like the offering of Abel in the next chapter. 

Again an assurance of the Trinity is found in Verse 22…US – Father, Son and Holy Spirit (1:26).  The sentence is not completed in this verse:  as if to hasten to avert the tragedy suggested of men living on forever in their now fallen state.  (by eating of the tree of life.)

And so the LORD sent them out of the garden of Eden…and the garden was kept and guarded to protect them from the tree of life by Cherubim – ministering spirits manifesting God’s invisible presence and symbolizing His action. 

CHAPTER 4…  Adam and Eve had a son, named him Cain as Eve said that it was with the help of the Lord.  And then came Abel.  They had different ‘work’.  They apparently were taught by their parents and they brought their sacrifice to the LORD. 

Cain brought an offering of the fruit of the ground.  This was a result of what he DID (flesh works).  His offering was like the “fig leaves that Adam and Eve had covered their naked bodies.”  …afforded covering their physical nakedness but not to reconcile them – make right the sin that separated them - to the LORD.  This was Cain’s denial that he was a sinful creature under the sentence of Divine condemnation.  He insisted on approaching God on the ground of PERSONAL WORTHINESS.  Instead of accepting God’s way, he offered to God the fruits of the ground …the product of his own toil, the work of his own hands, and God refused to receive it.  3:18 “you shall eat of the plants”.  (instruction clear as to the use of plants … to be eaten!)

The Lord regarded Abel’s offering and Cain became very angry, sad, depressed, dejected.  The Lord spoke directly to Cain (gave opportunity for change) in verse 7…”its desire is for you and you must master it!”  I John 3:12…”the spirit of Cain”

When Cain killed Abel, it was not an enraged passionate act done on the spur of the moment of rage… it was cold blooded premeditated murder:  “let us go out to the field.” 

The Lord’s first question of man was “Where are you?” 3:9  The second “Where is your brother?”  4:9   The commandment “love the Lord thy God with all of your heart, soul and mind and to love your neighbor (brother) as yourself.” Is covered in those two questions.

4:9-16 tells of the Lord’s dealing out the payment of consequences for this awful Cain deed of murder!  Many commentators believe this sign that the LORD set upon Cain v.15 NOT to have been like a brand on the forehead, but something awesome about Cain’s appearance that made people dread and avoid him. 

v. 17…yes, Cain’s wife was Adam’s offspring, Cain’s sister!  Incest had not yet been addressed. 

Then the multiplication began…   Eve born another son, Seth “At that time men began to call upon God by the name of the LORD.”  ‘Called on’ – the beginning of prayer!

Chapter 5…   The written record of the generations of the offspring of Adam.  In verse 22, Enoch walked in habitual fellowship with God, and he was not for God took him home with Him.  Hebrew 11:5.  What a beautiful picture of a life where one walks habitually in fellowship with the LORD.  Oh, that I might be found in such a condition.  AND to be translated…was NOT and then immediately with the LORD!

The chapter names the years that each of these O.T. saints lived and we have the record of Methuselah who is recorded as having the longest life… 969 years!  The rest of this chapter covers up to the record of Noah and his three sons. 

Chapter 6 …  Men continued to multiply … daughters were born and apparently they were very beautiful.  Sons of God are thought to be angels…in verse 3 we readily see God’s displeasure…man’s age is limited to 120 years and God saw v.5 the wickedness of man … every imagination and intention of all human thinking was only evil continually…and the LORD was grieved!

One commentary shows that it would have been possible that Adam and Eve in the 100 years he estimated may have elapsed since their union, that they could have had over 32,00 descendants at the time Cain went to Nod.  All of these would have come from Abel and Cain who married their sisters.

v. 8-10 But Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord.  “Noah was a just and righteous man, blameless in his evil generation…NOAH WALKED IN HABITUAL FELLOWSHIP (as Enoch had) with God… and he had three sons.

A thought to treasure:  Those who have habitual fellowship with the Lord know His secrets!

Enoch was translated and was immediately with God.

Noah built an ark when rain had not been heard of before.

Mary knew what even the disciples did not…she sat at the Lord’s feet rather than “rattling those pots and pans”. 

Ask yourself:

Do I sit at HIS feet?    Do I listen by reading HIS Word? …by being quiet before HIM “be still and know…” to hear His voice and get up to DO (obey)!?