Two new characters enter the story in this chapter.
“Now the serpent was more crafty than any other beast of the field that the LORD God had made.” (Genesis 3:1)
The serpent. The one who deceives. The one who slightly distorts the truth. The one who plants doubt. The one who makes what is forbidden look delicious and exciting. The one who encourages us to take just a small bite.
She ate of the tree . . . the tree that God restricted her from. The ONE thing in the garden they were not to indulge in.
The serpent deceived.
She ate.
Adam hid.
The world changed.
We must understand Genesis 3 to fully understand John 3:16. Because of what happened in Genesis 3 the world will never be the same.
We suffer from sin, choosing independence from God. Believing He is not good, believing His ways are not right, and putting our self above Him. We see it with Adam and Eve and we see it in our own hearts today. We believe the lie, like Eve we eat the forbidden fruit-we do what we shouldn’t do (sin of commission), or like Adam we sit back and hide-we don’t do what we should do (sin of omission).
The wages of sin . . . death. Physical death. Spiritual death. Separation from the Father.
Now separated from God, a perfect relationship with Him. How do we get back, reconciled to what was Good and Perfect? How can we be in relationship with our Heavenly Father again?
The Hero enters.
"I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and her offspring; he shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise his heel." (Genesis 3:15)
The Protoevangelium. The first Gospel. The first glimpse of God’s plan to save us. A reference to what is to come. A male offspring that will suffer some harm, but will conquer in the end. Our Hope . . . our Savior . . . our Deliverer . . . Our Redeemer . . . Our Rescuer . . . He is coming.
"For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord." (Romans 6:23)
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