Genesis - In The Beginning

Genesis – In the Beginning

Chapter Three

by Carri Pratt

“For God knows that when you eat from it your eyes will be opened,and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.”

Genesis 3:5

One of the saddest passages of the entire Bible occurs in the third chapter of Genesis. Adam and Eve go from being innocent friends of God to sinful, banished creatures. The human desire to always want more leads Eve through temptation and directly into sinful disobedience.

What is it that God wants from His creation most of all?

Love, Friendship and Obedience. Why? Because obedience is a demonstration of love.

God knows that when we obey His laws and guidelines we are able to experience an abundant and joyful life. He also knows that when we disobey, we are living out a life that leads to death and destruction; in chains to sin.

However, we have a loving God who bestows freewill upon His creation. We have the choice to give in to temptation or to choose to fight against it.

God has proven over and over in His word that He desires a relationship with His creation. He demonstrates this in one of the most bitter-sweet verses ever written:

“Then the man and his wife heard the sound of the Lord God as He was walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and they hid from the Lord God among the trees of the garden. ⁹ But the Lord God called to the man,

“Where are you?” Genesis 3:8-9

Here we see God reaching out in friendship to spend precious time together. Of course God knew where they were and what they had done. He knows all. However, just as a mother would confront her cookie crumb covered child about the missing plate of chocolate chips, God confronts Adam and Eve about their sin.

Fortunately for us, God is a loving, merciful and righteous God.

“But the Lord Almighty will be exalted by His justice, and the holy God will be proved holy by His righteous acts.” Isaiah 5:16.

Since God is holy, He cannot be in the presence of unholiness.

God is a righteous judge, and sin must be punished:

"To the woman he said,

“I will make your pains in childbearing very severe;
    with painful labor you will give birth to children.
Your desire will be for your husband,
    and he will rule over you.” Genesis 3:16

And then, with much sadness, Adam and Eve were banished from the Garden of Eden:

“So the Lord God banished him from the Garden of Eden 

to work the ground from which he had been taken.” Genesis 3:23

Fortunately, this story ends with an amazing prophecy:

“And I will put enmity
    between you and the woman,
    and between your offspring and hers;
he will crush your head,
    and you will strike his heel.” Genesis 3:15

The best part of this entire chapter is the promise that sin would be overcome by the Messiah, Jesus Christ.  No matter what sin we may fall into, Jesus is there for everyone who repents, calls on His name and puts their faith and trust in Him.

And that is Very Good News!!!

"But he was pierced for our transgressions,
    he was crushed for our iniquities;
the punishment that brought us peace was on him,
    and by his wounds we are healed." Isaiah 53:5

This week read “Cain and Abel” Genesis 4 … read online at Biblegateway.com