The word from God, a burst of light; the world was born. Creation, culminating with the crown of creation, Adam and Eve, was good in God’s eyes.
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Snapshot
- Objectives
- A Perfect World
- Forbidden Fruit
- The World with Satan
- Pain and Suffering
- Woman and the Fall
- Satan’s Strategy
- God’s Love
- Discussion
In this journey..
We understand:
- The Consequences of the Fall
- Satan’s Role and Strategy
- The Problem of Suffering
- God’s Hidden Surprises
Adam and Eve – in a Perfect World
Before the fall:
- Perfect rule
- Perfect fellowship
- Perfect environment.
- Perfect enjoyment
- Perfect access
- Perfect communication
Forbidden Fruit
Why did God keep it in Adam’s reach?
- Obedience is a choice
- Following God is a choice
- Following Satan is a choice
Curse, Punishment, or Justice?
- God’s pronouncements represent retaliatory justice.
- The curse was only for Satan and the ground.
God’s Curse
To the serpent
- Crawl on belly
- Be crushed on head
God’s curse (to serpent and Satan)
Genesis 3:14 So the Lord God said to the serpent, “Because you have done this,
“Cursed are you above all livestock
and all wild animals!
You will crawl on your belly
and you will eat dust
all the days of your life.
15 And I will put enmity
between you and the woman,
and between your offspring[a] and hers;
he will crush your head,
and you will strike his heel.”
God’s Justice
To man
- Labour
- Be susceptible to Satanic attack
God’s Justice
To woman
- Bear children in pain
- Desire her husband
- Be ruled over by her husband
The World – in Satan’s Power
Why did Adam and Eve mess their perfect life?
Satan made them:
- Desire what they did not need
- Have a reduced quality of life
- Have broken fellowship
- Take control
- Impact their loved ones
Satan’s Strategy
To make desire so powerful and enticing, that it overpowers reason.
To manipulate you into questioning God’s Word
To persuade you to divert blame instead of owning up 100% and repenting
Why Suffering??
2 Pet 3:9 The Lord is not slow to do what he has promised as some think. Instead He is patient with you, because He does not want anyone to be destroyed, but wants all to turn away from their sins.
Woman’s Redemption
How does woman get over the consequences of the fall?
1 Tim 2:15..women will be saved through childbearing—if they continue in faith, love and holiness with propriety.”
Equal in status, different in role
God's Judgment
How did God respond to Adam’s sin?
- He judged them
- He covered them
- He restored them
- Planned restoration through Jesus
Discussion: Our Response
- When is knowledge of evil best avoided?
- How can we resist today’s forbidden fruit?
- How do we lessen the impact of the fall?
What are we Reaching out to?
Adam and Eve were agonizing over the forbidden tree, that they missed the tree of life – just next to it!
When we pursue Satan’s enticements, we miss out on God’s surprises.
Job 28:28
“The fear of the Lord—that is wisdom, and to shun evil- is understanding.”