THURSDAY, June 11, 2009                                                       READ: Genesis 3: 1 – 19                                                                                                        

ADAM AND EVE FACED SIN’S CONSEQUENCES

MEMORIZE: ‘Then to Adam He said, “Because you have heeded the voice of your wife, and have eaten from the tree of which I commanded you saying, “You shall not eat of it: Cursed is the ground for your sake; in toil you shall eat of it all the days of your life ….”’         Genesis 3: 17

God designed the human family to serve His divine purposes. In today’s reading, based upon, Genesis 3: 1 – 19, we will see how both Adam and Eve, the first human couple, acted iresponsibly towards God. As a result of their sin, they faced consequences which affected and continue to affect their descendants. In v. 6, see how the woman allowed herself to be deceived into distrusting God and disobeying His command which was communicated to her by her husband. The woman having sinned against God, then proceeded to entice her husband to eat of the fruit. He knowingly and intentionally chose to eat of the fruit forbidden by God. The fruit was forbidden by God, so, to have eaten of it was an act of disobedience and the enforcement of their wills over God’s will. Having eaten indicated that they had chosen to go it on their own, instead of living in reliance upon God. The devil wanted to destroy God plan. In v. 15, we see how God indicate that there would definitely be consequences for the devil for his subversion and effort to destroy God’s plan. There would be enmity between him and the woman. To whom did the “woman” refer? There would be enmity between his seed and the woman’s Seed. The woman’s Seed would do battle with the devil. He would bruise the devil’s head. The devil, in turn, would bruise His heel. The woman’s seed would be the One who would be sent to provide redemption from sin’s bondage for Adam and his descendants. Do you recognize this as a pre-incarnate reference to the One who was designated to be Savior and LORD (cf. Luke 19: 10; 1 Peter 1: 18 – 20; Revelation 13: 8b)? In v. 16, we see how God indicated to the woman that, as a result of what she had done, she would experience multiplied sorrow and conception. She would bring forth children in pain. She would be always seeking after that which rightfully belong to her husband. She might resist it, but he would have the right to rule over her. Has this curse been reversed by Jesus’ coming? Do her descendants experience these consequences today? In vv. 17 – 19, we see the consequences which Adam would experience as a result of his sin (cf. Romans 5: 12- 21). We see in v. 17, that because he listened to, and obeyed the voice of his wife and disobeyed God, putting his wife ahead of God, the ground would be cursed for his sake. He would live a life of toil and labor. He would eat food as a result of having to toil for it. He would die and be buried in the ground, from which and with which he was made. He had been promised that if he chose to eat of the fruit, he would face death. He did not have to die. His decision to eat of the fruit, going against God command, was very serious and has carried long-term consequences for him and his descendants.

The decisions which parents make affect their descendants. Fathers need to come to live in reliance upon God. Fathers need to make decisions which will help their descendants to come to experience God as their Heavenly Father. It is not too late for fathers to do what is right for the benefit of their descendants.

PRAY: LORD, God Almighty, help me to understand how seriously You take the decisions which we make. I am praying for fathers today. Help them to ponder the effect of their decisions on their descendants, in Jesus’ strong name. Amen.