The Age of Innocence (Gen 1.1-3.24)

A chart and notes on the Seven Days of Creation were published in the October, 2006 issue of the Believer’s Magazine.

The Environment of the Sanctuary

The Purpose

Eden was the first earthly sanctuary. All was perfect and God’s presence was enjoyed. Out of here man could go to replenish the earth. It is likely that the purpose was for Adam and Eve to take up residence in the garden, but for their children to reside elsewhere as the earth was filled, returning to worship and enjoy the sanctuary.

The Pleasure

Eden means "pleasure" - for God in man and for man in God. The Sabbath rest of God could be enjoyed. There was an abundance of provision for man to appreciate. Rivers were there to water the whole earth. Eden was the source and the earth was the recipient. Man’s responsibility was to dress and guard the garden. The fact that he had to guard it indicates the possibility of attack.

The Probation

Fellowship was based on obedience. Man was made a moral being with the ability to think and reason, and therefore he was allowed to show his devotion to God by obeying His word. Consequent to this, life was linked with the attitude of man to good and evil.

The Provision

Woman was given as a help suitable for him. The creation of woman was unique. Notice the differences between her and the other females.

The Primacy of Man

The giving of names was a sign of lordship and control. God named day and night, heaven and earth, and the seas in days 1, 2 and 3. Naming the beasts and birds denotes man’s supremacy, an authority given to him by the Lord (2.19-20). As the vice-regent on earth of the Lord he wielded such an extensive authority that whatever name he gave them that was what they bore.

The Entrance of Sin (3.1-6)

Note the characters involved in this tragedy. This is the beginning of the great moral struggle which found its climax on the cross.

The Serpent

The serpent was the most subtle beast of the field, the most observant, the one who could use situations to its advantage, the clever one.

Notice that "Satan" is not mentioned. As Satan chose a serpent so it is the serpent which is brought before us and no undue prominence is given to him. How, then, do we know that this was Satan. There are two reasons for asserting that it was he.

The serpent adopts the approach of being suggestive in his opening remarks. He speaks of God as a God of prohibition, ignoring the bounty with which He had blessed man.

He suggests that God is a God of limitation. He will not, through His word, allow man to develop his full potential. Man could be as gods, but God will not allow this. This old first error is still with us today.

He implies that God is a God of distance. God has been known as Elohim (the Mighty God) and Jehovah (the Covenant God) in the opening chapters of the book, and it was the Lord God who spoke to man regarding the trees of the garden (2.16), but when the serpent speaks it is only God (Elohim) who is mentioned.

The Woman

The woman errs in listening to the serpent without consulting her husband. He had authority over the beasts of the field and she should have been aware of the fact that man directed the beasts, not the beasts who directed man.

The second mistake which she makes is in adding to the word of God. She claimed that the Lord God had said the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil should not be touched. It may be that her motive in doing this was of the very best, and that she was trying to keep clear of the suggestion which she felt would be made to her. This, she may have thought, was an additional safeguard. To add to the Scriptures, even as a means of defending them, is to tread on dangerous ground. The third mistake which she made was to turn her eyes to the tree in response to the subtle suggestions which were put to her. Notice the three things which she saw in the tree which she had not seen before. She considered that it could satisfy her physically (it was good for food), aesthetically (it was pleasant to the eyes), and intellectually (it would make one wise).

The Man

Adam was faced with a choice. He could refuse to follow Eve (who was utterly deceived – 1 Tim 2.14) and be separated from her because of her sin, or he could follow her and fall with her. He loved her and so he fell with her. The first bridegroom loved his bride and was not able to lift her up from the snare of sin. The heavenly Bridegroom, the Lord Jesus, also loved His bride and is able to lift her up out of the snare of sin.

The Evidence of Sin (3.7-13)

Shame

What a sight - the lord of all creation sewing together fig leaves in a pathetic attempt to cover themselves up. There was an immediate realisation that things had changed, and there was the need to do work that had not before been necessary.

Fear

They hid themselves from the Lord God who walked in the garden in the cool of the day. This first evening of sin saw the Lord God majestically walking about the earthly sanctuary, and the man hiding himself from His presence.

Ignorance

How could it be possible to hide from the Lord God? This shows how their knowledge had become blunted by sin.

The Effect of Sin (3.14-21)

For the serpent

Condemned to lose its favoured position among the beasts, it will taste dust with every bite of food which it takes.

For the Adversary

There will now be enmity between the seed of the woman and the seed of the serpent. The latter is everyone who refuses to believe God. See Matthew 23.13 and 1 John 3.10 to confirm this fact. The great battle of the ages commences with the words of Genesis 3.15: "And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel". Three battles are indicated. First, there is enmity between the serpent and the woman because she realises that she has been deceived. Second, the serpent’s seed and the woman’s seed will continue this battle throughout the ages. The serpent’s seed are those who obey him. The Lord Jesus states of them that they are of their father the devil. The woman’s seed are those who abhor the serpent and obey God. Third, there will be the great battle at Calvary when the heel of the Conqueror will crush the head of the serpent.

For the Woman

Her position of being subject to the man is now emphasised. Before the Fall love should have made her keep to the position of being a help meet for the man, but because she stepped out of that the position is now formalised. The act of childbirth would now also be associated with sorrow.

For the Man

The ground was now cursed for him and sorrow would attend the working of it. It was rendered less productive than it had been and sweat and labour would be necessary to extract from it the necessities of life. A far cry from being as gods. In place of the trees of the garden he will now eat of the herb of the field.

The Exclusion of Sin (3.22-24)

From eating of the tree of life

There was to be no way of escape from the judgment of God. The tree would not be eaten and man would thus not be able to overcome the judgment. Death now enters for "by one man sin entered into the world and death by sin" (Rom 5.12).

From the Garden

Man is excluded from the Garden to enjoy it no more.