Good Tuesday to you my “WWJ” friends,
CONSEQUENCES is a big word that probably you and I, and every person, have been wrestling with since the days of our childhood. Oh, we love our freedom and pursuing our desires and dreams but then, way too often, we must face the consequences of our choices, right?
That is “fairness” and “justice” by God’s design. God could have created life WITHOUT the ability to think, make choices, and pursue our own desires…but God didn’t do that! To both Angels and Humans God gave MINDS to think, reason and make decisions. God gave us WILL’s to desire, imagine possibilities and make choices to pursue our desires. But also put in motion RESPONSIBILITY and ACCOUNTABILITY and CONSEQUENCES and therefore both Angels & Humans stand accountable to God for the results of our choices!
Last week we looked at how God handled the choice for rebellion made by Lucifer and other angels as God expelled them from heaven and allowed them to establish the evil, dark kingdom in opposition to God. But God also put in place their ultimate judgement and the consequences of their rebellion will be that their eternal destiny will be the lake of fire forever. (Rev. 20:10)
Did you know there is another reason Satan will end up separated from God in the lake of fire for all eternity future? That is the everlasting consequences for Satan because of his deception of Eve and tempting her to turn away from the perfect relationship she and Adam had with God! That event is the story of Genesis 3 often referred to as ‘the fall’.
Genesis 3:1 shows us Satan’s initial strategy was awakening DOUBT of God in Eve by simply asking one question: “Did God really say you must not eat from ANY tree in the garden?” Oh my, that is so sly. Genesis 2:16 very carefully states what God had actually said to ADAM: “You are free to eat from ANY tree in the garden, but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat from it you will surely die.”
Now please notice these very important realities that are critical to understanding what happened in that Garden of Eden:
1. God’s very clear instruction was to ADAM before Eve was even created!
We assume ADAM lived in obedience to God’s instructions and when finally, God created Eve, Adam was responsible to give Eve the full orientation about life in the Garden of Eden according to God’s perfect design. Now we have no record of what Adam had told Eve, but we have no reason to believe Adam would have told Eve anything differently from what God instructed Adam. Remember, everything was perfect.
2. Did you notice the serpent did not speak to Adam but instead spoke his deception to Eve!
Why? Only God knows. Eve’s response to the serpent was: “We may eat from the trees in the garden, but God did say, ‘You must not eat from the tree that is in the middle of the garden, or you will die.” So, Eve clearly understood the restriction God had put in place, didn’t she? Adam had fulfilled his obligation to lead and instruct his wife Eve very well.
3. So with the first scheme of doubt and distortion of God’s word having failed, the serpent tried a second scheme which the dark kingdom often tries today, outright denial of God’s truth and offering what appears to be a very attractive alternative to God’s truth: “You will not certainly die, for God knows that when you eat from it your eyes will be opened and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.” (Gen. 3:4,5)
Have you ever faced such enticing temptations which would lead you to turn away from God’s truth or moral standards?
4. Suddenly Eve’s perspective on the Garden and that forbidden tree changed.
With doubt of God taking root in her mind, and the tantalizing alternative to God’s truth dangling before her, that tree looked very attractive and she began to entertain rebellion against God as a possible choice, even willing to risk the consequences!
That’s exactly how it works in your world and mine isn’t it my friends? The Deceiver has NOT changed his schemes or tactics. Sadly, generation after generation of humans have not learned that the consequences of believing the Deceiver and turning away from God and His truth are disastrous!
As you read through Genesis chapter 3, you’ll see something very, very significant. The consequences of first Eve and then Adam turning away from their perfect relationship with God and trusting the Deceiver, Satan, unleashed an avalanche of destruction affecting EVERY part of God’s creation. Why? It’s because God had given Adam & Eve the role and responsibility to “rule over” God’s creation on planet earth. (Gen. 1:26-30)
Their act of rebellion against God actually INVITED Satan to replace God in the Garden of Eden and in their lives!! Satan’s evil initiated God’s promised consequences as both Adam and Eve and everything else in creation began to deteriorate toward death!
Instantly SHAME and FEAR entered the minds and hearts of BOTH Adam and Eve. (Gen. 3:7-10) Then BLAME was awakened in Adam & Eve for the first time as they resisted honest accountability to God and first blamed each other and then blamed the Deceiver. (Gen. 3:12,13)
While God pronounced His judgement on Adam and Eve and the serpent and all other creation on planet earth, it’s important we recognize that God made a powerful prediction statement of the ultimate victory of Jesus and His ultimate judgment of Satan: “I will put enmity between you and the woman, between your offspring and hers; He will crush your head and you will strike His heel.” God said to Satan. (Gen. 3:15)
“Her offspring” speaks of the human race which would descend from Adam and Eve and the obvious spiritual & moral battle every person has struggled with since that day in the Garden. “Your offspring” speaks of the demonic forces which do not age or procreate but are all in allegiance to Satan and in full opposition to God’s purposes with humanity. “Your offspring“ also may refer to humans who live their wicked lives in full allegiance to Satan’s opposition to God.
Jesus, God the Son, would one day come to earth and crush Satan’s head by accomplishing His Redemption mission through His sinless life, His atonement death, His victorious resurrection and His ascension back to heaven where He reigns sovereign & supreme over all Creation. (Col. 1:15-20)
Ultimately King Jesus will send Satan and all his dark kingdom and their followers to their deserved eternity in the lake of fire! (Rev. 20:11-15)
Oh “WWJ” friends, please notice in Genesis 4 that the horrible consequences of Adam & Eve’s moral and spiritual failure is first seen in their own family as their first two children, sons Cain and Abel, are rivals and Cain actually kills his brother Abel! As you read through Genesis 4 it’s simply amazing how rapidly the perfection of what God had designed and put in place for Adam, Eve and God’s creation in the Garden of Eden unraveled to a desperate anarchy without any moral sense of right and wrong as generations were born into the devastation of God’s promised consequences and Satan’s intrusion into and corruption of God’s glorious design for our world.
Let’s pause and reflect on how we see the pain and devastation of Genesis 3 & 4 even in our world today, yet at the same time let’s thank God for His hope offered to us in Jesus. Oh yes, even there in the Garden, as God’s wonderful design fell apart by the wrong choices of Adam and Eve, God was looking forward with HOPE for us. Here’s a great worship song which expresses that hope and I’ll meet you back here tomorrow, my friends.
Today’s Scripture: Genesis 3&4.
Choose below to read or listen.
 |  |
Genesis 4
Bible images provided with attribution to www.LumoProject.com.
Have a comment or question about today’s chapter? I’m ready to hear from you, contact me here.
Pastor Doug Anderson
“Let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, with our eyes fixed on Jesus…” (Heb. 12:1,2)
Archived back issues of “Walking with Jesus” and other resources are available by clicking here to open our ‘home page’ (or go to HOME at upper right of this page).
Share with friends. Subscribe below for daily “Walking with Jesus”.