One of the most solemn accounts in the Bible is that of the fall of man resulting in separation from holy God who created and loved him. But the wonderful announcement is that in the far-off future, God would graciously provide to meet the fallen sinner’s great, great need.
Verses 1-7. We meet the serpent for the first time. Eve failed in many ways: (1) She listened to the serpent, (2) she spoke to the serpent, (3) she reasoned about God’s command, and (4) she (and Adam too) disobeyed God’s command. Ever since, Satan has succeeded in substituting his lies for God’s truth. He has brought sin, misery and death. Yet people dare to blame God for the present condition of the world.
Verses 7-10. After they disobeyed God, Adam and Eve immediately received a bad conscience. They knew they were naked and they hid from God. A bad conscience always makes us afraid of God.
Verses 11-24. The results of one act of disobedience. Sin separates from God (Isa. 59:2).
Verse 15. This points directly to Christ on the cross, destroying Satan (Heb. 2:14).
Verses 16-17. What a marvelous contrast to this sorrow is the joy and peace with God a believer has through the death and resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ (Rom. 15:13).
Verse 21. An animal had to die to provide the skins to cover Adam and Eve. This reminds us of Christ as the Lamb of God, who died to cleanse us from our sins and give us a perfect standing before God (Heb. 10:14).
Verse 22. The tree of life had a purpose to be fulfilled in the future. We believers are going to eat the fruit of that tree, for we shall live forever (Rev. 22:2)!
Verses 23-24. The sword of judgment kept them out of the garden, away from the tree of life. But the sword of judgment fell on the Lord Jesus (Zech. 13:7), and through the death of the good Shepherd (John 10:11), the door into heaven, the paradise of God, is now open to all who believe.
Genesis 4
Sin, spreading throughout the family of Adam, has affected everyone born since (except the Lord Jesus). In Genesis 3 it was sin against God; here it is murder of another human being. There are many “firsts” in this chapter: (1) the first children, (2) the first offering, (3) the first murder, and (4) the first civilization.
Verses 1-17. Cain’s offering was fruit from the ground that God had cursed (Gen. 3:17). It was a bloodless offering. But Abel’s offering pleased God. It pictures Christ’s death for us on the cross (Heb. 11:4). Men still try as Cain did to be acceptable to God by their efforts and work. No unsaved person can worship God.
Genesis 5
Verse 1. Compare this verse with Matthew 1:1. Genesis 5 is a record of the generations of the fallen descendants of Adam. Matthew gives the book of the generations of Jesus Christ. Adam (the first man) and Christ (the second Man the last Adam) are the heads of these two races.
We are born into the first, but we must be born again (John 3:7) into the second. Through Adam we all die, through Christ we are made alive (Rom. 5:21; 1 Cor. 15:22). Which family are you in?
Very soon, the Lord Jesus is going to come in the air and call every believer (dead and living) out of this world. Enoch (vss. 21-24) is a picture of all those believers who will be living when the Lord catches them up in the air (1 Thess. 4:16-18).
N. Berry
(to be continued)