Thursday: Breaking the Relationship
We tend to believe people we know and instinctively distrust those whom we do not. Eve naturally would have distrusted Satan. Furthermore, any direct attack against God would have made her defensive. What steps, then, did Satan take to bypass Eve’s natural defenses? (Gen: 3:1-6).
“Deplorable as was Eve’s transgression and fraught as it was with potential woe for the human family, her choice did not necessarily involve the race in the penalty for her transgression. It was the deliberate choice of Adam, in the full understanding of an express command of God — rather than hers — that made sin and death the inevitable lot of mankind. Eve was deceived; Adam was not.” — The SDA Bible Commentary, vol. 1, p. 231.
Image © Darrel Tank at Goodsalt.com
As a result of this blatant transgression and disregard to God’s command, the relationship between God and humankind is now broken. It changed from open fellowship with God to fleeing in fear from His presence (Gen: 3:8-10). Alienation and separation replace fellowship and communion. Sin appeared, and all its ugly results followed. Unless something was done, humanity was heading for eternal ruin.
In the midst of this tragedy, what words of hope and promise did God speak? (See Gen: 3:15.)
God’s surprising word of prophetic hope speaks of a divinely ordained hostility between the serpent and the woman, between her Offspring and his offspring. This climaxes in the victorious appearance of a representative Offspring of the woman’s seed who delivers a deadly blow to the head of Satan, while he would only be able to bruise the Messiah’s heel.
In their utter helplessness, Adam and Eve were to gain hope from this Messianic promise, hope that would transform their existence, because this hope was God-given and God-supported. This promise of the Messiah and of final victory, however vaguely stated at that time, lifted the gloom into which sinning had placed them.
| Read Genesis 3:9, where God says to Adam and Eve “Where are you?” (NKJV). God, of course, knew where they were. His words, instead of being filled with condemnation, were to draw guilt-ridden humankind back to Him. In short, God’s first words to fallen humanity came with the hope of His grace and mercy. In what ways do we find, even now, God seeking to call us to His mercy and grace? |
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It seems to me that we need to think again about Eve's "natural" reactions. The author wrote
But Adam and Even had zero experience with anyone untrustworthy. They were totally trusting, because they had only experienced self-renouncing love from the Creator and His angels.
That puts a little different slant on Eve's encounter with the serpent. It was natural for her to trust whatever someone said. Beyond that, it was a most wonderful phenomenon - (then) beautiful serpent speaking to her in human words? She was overwhelmed with curiosity and wonder, and that's when she engaged in conversation with the serpent. As soon as she engaged with him, she was ensnared. She should not have wandered away on her own but should have returned to Adam when she realized she was on her own. Instead she trusted her own judgment, and that's when the serpent ensnared her.
The counsel of Proverbs 3:5 was applicable even to Eve.
How many times do we "lean on our own understanding," rather than submitting our daily plans to Him, who is willing to impart His wisdom to us? Do we follow the counsel given by God's messenger to His last-day people?
Without doing this, we are as likely as Eve to be taken in by the great Deceiver.
The biblical narrative does not mention that Eve was alone in that forbidden tree for she gave also to Adam who is with her the fruit of the tree. She apparently became the spoke person in communicating with the serpent between them. The reason they fell is that they allowed the beast to overrule them instead of ruling over the beast as God has commanded; therefore they relegated their leadership as a ruler of this earth to Satan through the serpent. Did they blatantly choose to sin that day? Did they plan, did they intend to sin? Was it self-motivated, premeditated or inherently self-generated thought to sin?- Obviously not; therefore the weight of sin was not totally blamed on them for someone has tricked them, enticed them, deceived them and sabotaged them. Therefore the Creator has the right to devise a way to redeem them and initiated a covenant of grace to save them through the mystery of the gospel
@s I understand it and the author seems to comfirm, Eve was left alone long enough to be deceived. After her deception, she found Adam to share with him the "wonderful" fruit that she had learned about. Eve was deceived, but if Adam had exercised faith in God, the human race need not have fallen into this condition. Unfortunately, Adam's love for Eve led him to make the decision to follow her into sin.
If Adam was not with Eve interacting with the serpent and Eve sinned first then look for Adam elsewhere; why did Adam not observe or notice any change or effect of sin in her? There should be abrupt or sudden change of stature or countenance on Eve having lost her innocence and holy or perfect nature. Why did he not ask if Eve have eaten the forbidden fruit? Why did he not notice she was naked? Gen.3:6-7...she also gave to her husband WHO WAS WITH HER..., verse 7- then the eyes of BOTH of them were opened and they realized they were naked,... Their eyes of BOTH of them were opened at the same time they BOTH ate the fruit, as I noted. I don't know how much clearer we need to observe to rationalize their separation in sinning individually rather than together
Alvin, let's consider this matter with more than just the one passage. First, let's see what the text in question actually tells us. A literal translation of Gen 3:6 in the original language it would read: "woman...took fruit...to give also to man to eat". The words "with her" must be assumed by the translators.
I will acknowledge that this alone doesn't give every detail, but Paul by the Spirit tells us Eve was deceived but Adam was not(1 Tim 2:14). Do we think Adam would quietly stand there with Eve and say nothing while she was being deceived? Also, in answer to God's question, Adam said the woman gave him "[of the] tree to eat", with no mention of the serpent or of being at the tree himself(Gen 3:12).
Together, these 3 passages give a more reasonable understanding of the incident. Also, consider Eve's answer to God(Gen 3:13), with no mention of Adam being with her when she took and ate the fruit.
Scripture is given to fallen man in a way that requires diligent study and comparing one portion with another in order to establish truth. This makes scripture safe from inaccurate interpretations of any single passage.
Whether we believe that the man was with the woman in the direct confrontation with the serpent is inconsequential from the real issue. The directive is for both of them that they should have dominion over the earth and its creatures and rule over them. Allowing the serpent to dictate the action of any of them should ring a bell and not only to be defensive but take stand for their given responsibility to dismiss the snake and command him instead to be gone; just like Jesus did when He was tempted by the devil saying, "be gone Satan you shall not tempt your ruler"
We should not edit the written scripture just because other writers think they have better views or insight but take it as it is written and believe it without interjecting between the lines. At any rate there is no crime or wrongdoing in accepting any translation you are reading because we are not saved of how wise we are or what we know but who you know. What is closer to the truth we try to gravitate but the whole and the real truth to salvation is in Jesus alone
Depends on what you mean by "edit scripture" doesn't it? We have many translations to compare, but even then, to focus on a single verse/passage will often leave us with an incomplete understanding. So we look for any other passages that address the matter and together, these several passages will give us a clearer understanding.
Yes Alvin, I agree with your idea here.
My previous reply was about the facts of the story only.
The actual facts we did not observe since we were not there. You have the right to believe what is inspired by your research or bible readings but personally I stick to the original verse of Gen.3: 6-7...she also gave some to her husband WHO WAS WITH HER...then the eyes of BOTH OF THEM were opened and they realized they were (BOTH) naked. The eyes of BOTH of them were opened at the same time they ate the fruit as I noted. In a practical point of view; If Adam was away and Eve have to look for him elsewhere after she sinned, why did Adam not observe or notice any change in her stature or countenance after she lost her innocence or her perfect holy nature? Why did he not comment of her being naked? Why did he not ask if she had eaten the forbidden fruit? Of course other writers even in the New Testament will write what's in their minds according to the inspiration given them but never dictated word for words, and only present what fits their experience at that.
whether we believe that Adam was with Eve or not in their confrontation with the serpent is inconsequential. The real issue here is not being able to stand their ground in acting on the directive that God has given to both of them- to have dominion over the creatures to rule over them but instead allowing the serpent to dominate and dictate their thoughts and actions; which put them on the defensive rather than to dismiss the snake and subdue him to be gone; Just like Jesus did when Satan tempted Him saying, "Be gone Satan do not tempt your ruler/king"
The first person we meet in the first lines of chapter 3 of the book of Genesis is not Adam or Eve, but the Tempter...! Up till now in the story of Genesis we have had only two people brought before us, but suddenly now we are introduced to the Tempter... Then the story of the temptation follows, revealing to us the strategy which the Tempter uses -- that which he used in the Garden and which he still employs with everyone today. Then it goes on to trace the results that followed the fall and the ultimate fate of both man and the Devil!
My question is did Eve know that the serpent was Satan, the fallen angel, Lucifer?
In Patriarchs and Prophets pg 52 we read that they had been warned about him.
Our first parents were not left without a warning of the danger that threatened them. Heavenly messengers opened to them the history of Satan's fall and his plots for their destruction, unfolding more fully the nature of the divine government, which the prince of evil was trying to overthrow.
And when we read the rest of the Bible we see that is part of the nature of the LORD to always send a warning to His people. So it makes sense that because of the open communication between the LORD and His creation they were warned not to approach that tree which was the only place Satan had access to them.
On pg 54 it continues - "Had she been addressed by a being like the angels, her fears would have been excited; but she had no thought that the fascinating serpent could become the medium of the fallen foe."
I can imagine that it was the same for one third of the angels in heaven, Lucifer was the highest angel, one of the covering cherubs, so they swallowed his lies hook, line and sinker.
What have I learned from these incidents? Beware of anyone who says anything contrary to the Word of the LORD, of anyone who portrays God as having a different character to the one revealed in the Word. Which I have learned is mercy and justice combined.
Shirley, my belief is that while Adam and Eve were warned about Satan, they had no idea what he looked like. Satan choose a form that would be most appealing to Eve. For it was his purpose to first deceive her that she might lead Adam to sin. He was after the first Adam but knew if he went for him, he would most likely recognize him for who he was and dismiss him. But, Satan, like he does with us today, got Adam by working through those he loved the most. The bible warns us that "he that loveth father or mother more than me, is not worthy of me ..." (Matt 10:37)
But of that day and hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels of heaven, but my Father only. Matt 24:36.
Breaking the Relationship
After reading today study a lot of mind opening has appeared in my mind.
1. The human race was not lost when Eve was deceived by Satan and ate the fruit. Eve was deceived, Adam willfully ate/sin in presumption.
2. For me personally, getting up early in the morning and studying the bible makes a lot difference than later in the day or the night especially after a hard days work. In the morning my mind and perception of things are clear. I can focus more and understand better, at the end of the day my mind is so tired and fogged, I cant retain and falling to sleep when ever trying to pray. Reading the bible becomes unclear.
3. According to the author, 'We tend to believe people we know and instinctively distrust those whom we do not.' That is true for many that is why many people are being deceive just like Eve. Some might think they can deceive me but I am someone very hard to believe or be convince about doctrines/philosophers/or other men ideas. Even my very own spouse and children I keep an open eye for because Satan uses the people very close to us to bring our downfall. I go to the bible and pray for a clear understanding of the word. We are warned by Jesus himself about being deceived because he knew Satan will be in humans deceiving many. Bible says many false prophets/leaders shall deceive many. Matt 24:4-28.
4. Many false leaders who once were followers of Christ have being deceived and others followed them unto their death. Brethren, read and study for ourselves.
Testimony- I have a friend from another religion, seems to be a good person. I brought up the conversation of evil spirits and what they do. She told me they were taught in their religion that evil spirits do not exist. Despite that, that religion believe in having a lot of artificial images like in the form of angels to protect them. Protect them from what?
It's like a package that comes with detailed instructions. Very precise and carefully worded, follow the manuscript and results will be according, do it your own way and you destroy the outcome. We all been given the manuscript, the Lord is seeking full outcome.
I have started to relate to God, my creator, more and more as my heavenly Father; not God as an etherical being, but as the real and only Father I have - that is who He is! He chose to come to us in the form of Christ Jesus and so it is easy to see the Father when we look at His Son.
It is much easier now to identify Him as a true Father whose Love for His children sustains all His efforts to bring us back into a happy family relationship with Him. Our relationship with the Father is so fundamental to our wellbeing, that we cannot disregard any of His efforts to reach out to us - they influence our life toward life or death.
Brotherly and sisterly love goes a long way to heal hurts and disappointments, and trust is sacred in any realtionship. Broken trust is incredibly difficult to mend, if ever. How can we enjoy a friendship relationship with a person we cannot trust or have lost trust in? With our heavenly Father it is different, though, because He never wavers in His commitment to earn our Trust, and He is trustworthy.
I learned to understand my trust-relationship-experience on this fundamental level – the level of life versus death; if I were to lose trust in Him, I lose everything. But because of the Father placing His decision to continuously mend His relationship with us in His Love, inexhaustible, everlasting Love, we have nothing to fear. Falling away is only experienced by the individual that has determined not to join the heavenly family.
In our relationship with our heavenly Father we experience emotions just as we do with humans – even disappointment, maybe even anger, but we are admonished to never give up our Faith and Trust in Him. It does not matter what our earthly friends or parents’ shortcomings were, our Heavenly Father’s Love heals and exceeds those expectations as He builds our relationship with us. Our contributing part in maintaining the relationship with our Father is to keep Faith, Trust, and Hope in His unmitigated Love.
Many people’s lives are precariously close to the edge of the abyss; one more step of callous disregard of kindness, refusing to walk the Way of Life given to the Father’s children, can cause them to step into the abyss of death whiles still living.
Our increasing gratefulness for the Love we receive daily from our Father will do away with feelings of guilt and replace it with genuine, deep Love for the Father who has called us out of our darkness to life, living and sharing His marvelous Light of Mercy and Grace.
though it is hard for our sinful nature, God has already done what we can not. So with God leading the way all we have to do is to follow, but only with the leading power of the Holy Spirit.
In Romans 8:20-21 Paul talks about the glorious liberty of the children of God, and creation that was subjected to futility, when created humanity was subjected to this futility, unable to discern, or resist deception.
Humanity was placed on this planet where evil already exists, therefore in Genesis 2:18 God said “ it is no good for Man to be alone, (to be separated branch), I will make him a helper” this helper was not to be Eve but Jesus the Messiah.
Word "alone" H905 in Strong's concordance also means “branch of a tree” in John 15:5 we have the words of our Helper Jesus “I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. “
The word “helper” in Gen 2:18 H5828 is never used in the Bible for human helper, always for God as helper.
In Gen 2:21-23 God branches off Eve from Adam, and in the body of Eve is the seed of the incarnate Messiah, the “seed of the women”.
The fall of Humanity is inevitable, Eve is the mother of humanity in its fallen state, and mother of the embodied Messiah.
Gen 2:25 begins with the human condition of defencelessness against deception, followed by the clothing of Man in the atoning coat of skins in Gen 3:21.
This atoning coat of skins is given to Esau and Jacob, and to Joseph, it symbolises redemption by grace of both Christians and Jews.
The Hebrew Le vad, Le bad can mean branching off, in Strong's Concordance: "From H909; properly separation; by implication a part of the body, branch of a tree, bar for carrying;"
We can say Eve was branched off Adam, as ribs are branches of the human spine, true?
Children are branches of their parents, Adam was also a branching off of our Father in heaven, as is written: Gen 1:27 So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them.
In Gen 2:18 there is a play on the meanings "alone" and "branched off".
Eve was branched off Adam to be "bone of my bones, flesh of my flesh".
She is not called helper, the word ‛êzer is only ever used for G-d as Helper, never for Man as helper, in Gen 2:20 no Helper was found for Adam in all creation, so also Eve is not the primary Helper for Man.
Despite all the subterfuge and disguise, the temptation was clearly to disobey the command of God which Eve reminded the serpent of. There will never be an adequate excuse for sin.
Though man chose to rebel, the means for restoration from all that sin would cause was promised through the Seed of the woman.
The question from God: "where are you?" remains today in the invitation and promise of Christ in Rev 3:20,21.
It's easy to blame Eve as blatantly disobeying God's command or we say that man have chosen to rebel- does not absolutely explain the mystery of sin for they previously did not know what sin is or death as warned. The total gravity of blame was not laid upon them but on the serpent. The choice to sin or not to sin did not originates from them, or planned, or chosen to sin that day; but emanates from the deceiver as victims of travesty of his deceit. That's why God is justified to institute His covenant of grace and activate His redemption process to His deceived subjects. Likewise this redemptive process cannot be extended to the deceiver because he has no one to blame but himself alone.
So why did God warn them to not take of that tree or THEY would die? You and I must answer for OUR sin, but not anyone else's sin. As guilty as Satan may be, his guilt does not clear me when I choose to sin. If I wish to be forgiven, I must confess and repent, exercising faith in Jesus' blood and righteousness. "The soul that sins shall die"(Eze 18:4).
Your countenance is absolutely different from Adam. Whether you choose to sin or not is totally not in your power because you are already born in sin, born to sin; it is already inherent in you to sin. If you claim that you do not sin makes you a liar as Jesus has said. And even if you did not transgress any law, you are already evil as your second nature and you're still affected by the curse of sin which is death. Likewise you cannot absolutely claim that salvation is your choice. You cannot claim that you choose to be saved and definitely you are saved. God has chosen to save you, God has chosen to send his Son to redeem you, Jesus has chosen to shed His blood to atone for your sin; and even if your sins are totally forgiven, you still die- the wages of sin. It needs a total transformation of our being not of your power but by the power of God's grace
Hi Alvin, I think we all believe that in our own power there is no way we can overcome sin, but by God's power we can. That is why Jesus came not in Adam's countenance but in ours.
"The law of Moses was unable to save us because of the weakness of our sinful nature.[c] So God did what the law could not do. He sent his own Son in a body like the bodies we sinners have. And in that body God declared an end to sin’s control over us by giving his Son as a sacrifice for our sins." Romans 8:3 NLT
"Because one person disobeyed God, many became sinners. But because one other person obeyed God, many will be made righteous." Romans 5:19 NLT
"Everyone who sins is breaking God’s law, for all sin is contrary to the law of God." 1 John 3:4 NLT It is not a sin to be human. It is not a sin to be born. (A baby who dies has not chosen sin or earned the wages of eternal death. This is where we get the idea of the age of accountability. By the time this child is old enough to choose what is right and reject what is wrong, he will be eating yogurt[a] and honey. Isaiah 7:15 NLT) It is not a sin to be weak or tempted. It is a sin to willfully and knowingly break God's Law. " Jesus said to them, “If you were blind, you would have no sin; but now you say, ‘We see.’ Therefore your sin remains." John 9:41 NKJV
Ellen White ties this together, " It would have been an almost infinite humiliation for the Son of God to take man's nature, even when Adam stood in his innocence in Eden. But Jesus accepted humanity when the race had been weakened by four thousand years of sin. Like every child of Adam He accepted the results of the working of the great law of heredity. What these results were is shown in the history of His earthly ancestors. He came with such a heredity to share our sorrows and temptations, and to give us the example of a sinless life." -Desire of Ages, page 48.5
In your statement, "in our own power there is no way we can overcome sin", I can agree to that; but when you say, "By God's power we can," confuses me. If the power of God energize you or give you strength to overcome sin then you don't need Christ to save you but you can save yourself through your effort which is by WORKS. The only possible way that salvation works in you is a total surrender to the will of God and allow the Holy Spirit to work in you so that whatever good thing you do is credited to God rather than to your credit. You are not justified as righteous because of your good works but the works or righteousness of Christ is imputed (transferred) to you. For even how much you make yourself appear to be good, you always come short. Mat.5:16 ..Jesus said: "let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your father in heaven". Not to your credit but the result of God's work in you. Eph.2:8-9 "For by grace are you saved through faith- and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God- not by your own works, so that you cannot boast". What? it is not even your own faith that can save you because this faith is the gift of God!- maybe it is the faith of Jesus, the basis of righteousness, that is also imputed to you!
Thank you for your observation, Alvin.
It seems to me that Paul says something not unlike what William wrote in Phil 4:13, "I can do all things through Him who strengthens me."
Paul wasn't saying that he could gain salvaion by his own power or that he could gain salvation by his power combined with God's power. As you rigthly observe, we are not justified because of our good works, but because of the righteousness of Christ imputed to us. Yet the Bible also speaks of being "sanctified" / made holy by Christ. (Heb 10:10) That is Christ's righteousness *imparted* to us.
Christ does more than deem us righteous; He *makes* us righteous. That's what we call the "imparted righteousness of Christ." That's also what enables us to overcome sin.
I also believe that we are born in sin and thus babies are not naturally sinless and inherit eternal life on the basis of their sinlessness. But the Bible tells us that God only accounts sin to those who choose to disobey God. (James 4:17, Acts 17:30) Thus I believe there will be babies and small children saved because the righteousness of Christ covers them, not because they did not sin.
Alvin, could you share some scripture to support that I have no choice, and that I am guilty, even if I did not sin?
"Sin is the transgression of the law"(1 John 3:4), so how is one guilty without transgressing the law? We are "fallen" in nature, which means we are not immortal, cannot see God face to face, etc, but is a newborn child guilty at birth? If so, of what, if we consider Ezekiel 18:4, 1 John 3:4, and James 4:17? If a newborn is guilty, then Jesus was born guilty. Hebrews 2:14 tells us Jesus took the fallen nature, otherwise, how could He have died for us?
Even if you say you did not sin, you have no choice but be a sinner, you are not a saint; and you are guilty deserve to die for everyone will eventually die except Jesus. He did not die for you because you claim that you have no sin and you were born sinless so you are already saved. Jesus died not because he is guilty but because I am guilty of my sin. Every child born in this world will die because he/she is born a sinner by nature. Psalms 51:5 Surely I was sinful at birth, sinful from the time my mother conceived me. 1 John 1:8-10 If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us...If we claim we have not sinned, we make Him out to be a liar...
The bible verses you indicated were unrelated to the sinful inherent inborn nature of man. I don't know about you being righteous but for me I don't need the devil to tempt me to sin because sin is already imbedded in me (Satan is not everywhere) Mat.7:11 Jesus said: "If you, then, though you are evil".. Yes, I claim that my second nature is evil; and I don't have to learn how to be evil, O what a wretched person I am!
Any definitive biblical support or reference regarding the difference between imputed righteousness versus imparted righteousness of Christ to the believer? I don't even find the word imputed or imparted in any verse for that matter.
Imputed is found in the King James version of the following texts which also discuss the difference between faith and works.
James 2:23 And the scripture was fulfilled which saith, Abraham believed God, and it was imputed unto him for righteousness: and he was called the Friend of God.
Gen 15:1-7, Rom 4:1-25, James 2:14-26, Gal 3:1-9
Imparted or given - read 2Peter 1:1-11