This is the third sermon in the “Updating The Garden of Eden to the Contemporary World” series. In this series we see that today we face many of the challenges and options faced by Adam Eve.
Now the serpent was more crafty than any of the wild animals the Lord God had made. He said to the woman, “Did God really say, ‘You must not eat from any tree in the garden’?” (Genesis 3:1 NIV)
As we continue our study in Genesis 3:1–10 we want to ask ourselves what it was about Eve that caused the serpent to choose her for his attack. Why didn’t he start with Adam? What signals did Eve send that indicated she was the easier target?
Genesis 3:1-10 NIV [1] Now the serpent was more crafty than any of the wild animals the Lord God had made. He said to the woman, “Did God really say, ‘You must not eat from any tree in the garden’?” [2] The woman said to the serpent, “We may eat fruit from the trees in the garden, [3] but God did say, ‘You must not eat fruit from the tree that is in the middle of the garden, and you must not touch it, or you will die.’ ” [4] “You will not certainly die,” the serpent said to the woman. [5] “For God knows that when you eat from it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.” [6] When the woman saw that the fruit of the tree was good for food and pleasing to the eye, and also desirable for gaining wisdom, she took some and ate it. She also gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate it. [7] Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they realized they were naked; so they sewed fig leaves together and made coverings for themselves. [8] Then the man and his wife heard the sound of the Lord God as he was walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and they hid from the Lord God among the trees of the garden. [9] But the Lord God called to the man, “Where are you?” [10] He answered, “I heard you in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked; so I hid.”
Text:
Genesis 3:1 NIV [1] Now the serpent was more crafty than any of the wild animals the Lord God had made. He said to the woman, “Did God really say, ‘You must not eat from any tree in the garden’?”
The serpent’s, who we know is Satan, first words indicate his evil purpose, which was to twist the command of God:
“Did God really say, ‘You must not eat from any tree in the garden’?” (v. 1 NIV).
A. Eve actually corrects the serpent’s misrepresentation with the true command of God in
Genesis 3:2-3 NIV [2] The woman said to the serpent, “We may eat fruit from the trees in the garden, [3] but God did say, ‘You must not eat fruit from the tree that is in the middle of the garden, and you must not touch it, or you will die.’ ”
To see how Eve knew of this command we have to look at the timeline of events before the serpent showed up.
We have to go back to Genesis 2:15–17 to find God’s prohibition concerning the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.
Genesis 2:15-17 NIV [15] The Lord God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and take care of it. [16] And the Lord God commanded the man, “You are free to eat from any tree in the garden; [17] but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat from it you will certainly die.”
As you see the command was given directly to Adam from God. Eve wasn’t even created until later, verse 22
Genesis 2:20-22 NIV [20] So the man gave names to all the livestock, the birds in the sky and all the wild animals. But for Adam no suitable helper was found. [21] So the Lord God caused the man to fall into a deep sleep; and while he was sleeping, he took one of the man’s ribs and then closed up the place with flesh. [22] Then the Lord God made a woman from the rib he had taken out of the man, and he brought her to the man.
So it’s pretty obvious that Eve would have learned that they were commanded to not eat from the tree in the center of the garden from her husband, Adam. So Eve’s initial response to the serpent was the word of God she had learned from Adam.
In fact Eve initially rebuffed the serpent,
[3] but God did say, ‘You must not eat fruit from the tree that is in the middle of the garden, and you must not touch it, or you will die.’ ”
But he wouldn’t give up. Again he pressed Eve, but this time he attacked the character of God, and this time Eve yielded to the temptation.
Genesis 3:4-6 NIV [4] “You will not certainly die,” the serpent said to the woman. [5] “For God knows that when you eat from it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.” [6] When the woman saw that the fruit of the tree was good for food and pleasing to the eye, and also desirable for gaining wisdom, she took some and ate it. She also gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate it.
Still the question is “Why Eve?”
Maybe it was because she had second hand knowledge about the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. Second hand knowledge is knowledge obtained from someone else, rather than directly from the source. Adam got the command directly from God which may have made him a more difficult target.
So the serpent went after the one who had to rely on second hand knowledge from Adam and not the original source which was God. She could have relied on the word God that she learned from Adam, but she didn’t.
II. Of course we all would like to have a firsthand miraculous experience with God.
We want to hear an audible voice speak out of the clouds or a bright light to overpower us, similar to what the apostle Paul experienced at his conversion. We want the kind of first hand experience that would drive away all lingering doubts but I want to let you in on a little secret for some people even a miracle won’t work.
Some people find that even the most astonishing events can't fill the void within them.
Let me give you the example, in the story that Jesus told of the rich man and Lazarus recorded in Luke 16:19-31
This rich man died and went to a place of torment in Hades. Lazarus, a beggar, also died and was taken into paradise or Abraham’s side. Some translations say Abraham’s bosom. When the rich man saw Lazarus at Abraham’s side, he asked if Lazarus could come and put just a drop of water on his tongue to help relieve the torture of Hades, but Abraham told him that it was impossible.
Luke 16:25-26 NIV [25] “But Abraham replied, ‘Son, remember that in your lifetime you received your good things, while Lazarus received bad things, but now he is comforted here and you are in agony. [26] And besides all this, between us and you a great chasm has been set in place, so that those who want to go from here to you cannot, nor can anyone cross over from there to us.’
Then the rich man asked in verses 27-28,
… ‘Then I beg you, father, send Lazarus to my family, [28] for I have five brothers. Let him warn them, so that they will not also come to this place of torment.’
Here’s Abraham’s response in verse 29
… ‘They have Moses and the Prophets; let them listen to them.’
Then the rich responded with a request for the spectacular, the miraculous to happen. Here’s what he said in verse 30
Luke 16:30 NIV … ‘but if someone from the dead goes to them, they will repent.’
Here’s Abraham’s response
Luke 16:31 NIV [31] “He said to him, ‘If they do not listen to Moses and the Prophets, they will not be convinced even if someone rises from the dead.’ ”
Even though we long for the spectacular, God says that if we won’t hear Moses and the prophets, if we won’t hear the recorded, written Word of God, if we won’t hear the testimonies around us, then we will not believe even if we have the spectacular.
Today we have the inspired Word of God
2 Timothy 3:16-17: "All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work."
2 Peter 1:21: "For prophecy never came by the will of man, but holy men of God spoke as they were moved by the Holy Spirit."
The Word of God is trustworthy, even when it is communicated through human beings.
Here are a few ways to think about this:
The Bible was inspired by God, meaning that God guided the writers to convey His message accurately. God has preserved His Word through the centuries, ensuring its accuracy and reliability. The Church has a long history of studying and interpreting the Bible, and the testimony of the church throughout the centuries supports the reliability of the Bible.
However, the historical evidence, the testimony of the Church, and the personal experiences of countless believers support the fact that the Bible is a reliable and trustworthy.
There are sermons, hymns, and other forms of spoken word. Ministers, and teachers, play a crucial role preaching and teaching the word of God.
Churches have Bible studies and small groups dedicated to studying and sharing the word of God.
Today we have online resources, social media, and digital copies of the Bible and other religious texts.
Maybe this is why God does not provide the spectacular for some of us. We don’t always have to be the one that had the first hand experience in order for us to accept the information.
Here’s another example.
John 20:19-25 NIV [19] On the evening of that first day of the week, when the disciples were together, with the doors locked for fear of the Jewish leaders, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you!” [20] After he said this, he showed them his hands and side. The disciples were overjoyed when they saw the Lord. [21] Again Jesus said, “Peace be with you! As the Father has sent me, I am sending you.” [22] And with that he breathed on them and said, “Receive the Holy Spirit. [23] If you forgive anyone’s sins, their sins are forgiven; if you do not forgive them, they are not forgiven.” [24] Now Thomas (also known as Didymus), one of the Twelve, was not with the disciples when Jesus came. [25] So the other disciples told him, “We have seen the Lord!” But he said to them, “Unless I see the nail marks in his hands and put my finger where the nails were, and put my hand into his side, I will not believe.”
This is the story of our Lord’s first appearance to the disciples after his resurrection. Unfortunately, Thomas was not present. When the other disciples told him of the miracle of Jesus’ appearance, Thomas declared that he would not believe until he put his fingers into the nail holes of Jesus’ hands and his hand into the spear wound. Thomas would be satisfied with nothing less than a firsthand experience. The report of his fellow disciples was not enough.
The rest of the story is in verses 26-29
John 20:26-29 NIV [26] A week later his disciples were in the house again, and Thomas was with them. Though the doors were locked, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you!” [27] Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here; see my hands. Reach out your hand and put it into my side. Stop doubting and believe.” [28] Thomas said to him, “My Lord and my God!” [29] Then Jesus told him, “Because you have seen me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.”
This time Thomas was present, and the Lord invited him to fulfill his wishes, to feel the nail holes and the spear wound.
When he did, when Thomas got firsthand information when he got first hand experience, Thomas cried, “My Lord and my God!” (v. 28).
Here's the main point of this entire sermon and I don't want us to miss it. Listen to Jesus’ response to Thomas. He said, “Because you have seen me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed” (v. 29 NIV).
That’s us today isn’t it? Ultimately, the decision to trust the Word of God is a matter of faith. We don’t have the pillars of fire or giant clouds to direct us as the children of Israel when they left Egypt. Most of us do not and will not experience an audible voice or blinding lights. Yet all of us have the recorded Word of God, the Bible; and we have the commendation of Jesus, which is “Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.”
Here is part of the priestly prayer Jesus prayed before his arrest and crucifixion. The full prayer is chapter 17 of John. After Jesus prayed for His disciples. Then He prayed;
John 17:20-22 NIV [20] “My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, [21] that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me.
III. The Holy Spirit helps us hear.
Remember in my last series I said that the Holy Spirit has a ministries for both non-believers and believers
In His ministry to unbelievers Jesus declares that the Holy Spirit will convict the world of guilt in regard to sin and righteousness and judgment.
John 16:7-11 NIV [7] But very truly I tell you, it is for your good that I am going away. Unless I go away, the Advocate will not come to you; but if I go, I will send him to you. [8] When he comes, he will prove the world to be in the wrong about sin and righteousness and judgment: [9] about sin, because people do not believe in me; [10] about righteousness, because I am going to the Father, where you can see me no longer; [11] and about judgment, because the prince of this world now stands condemned.
B. Here’s the Holy Spirit’s ministry to believers.
John 14:26 NIV [26] But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you.
John 16:13 NIV [13] But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all the truth. He will not speak on his own; he will speak only what he hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come.
Conclusion
However, whenever and through whatever means God speaks to us, our responsibility is to obey.
Hebrews 3:7-8 NIV [7] So, as the Holy Spirit says: “Today, if you hear his voice, [8] do not harden your hearts as you did in the rebellion, during the time of testing in the wilderness,
Eve was responsible. Eve heard the commands of God, even though they came through Adam. She even corrected the Devil with her knowledge of God’s commandments. She was responsible for obeying those commandments just as if God had said to her personally, “You must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.” But Eve deliberately chose to disobey God.
We are responsible too. You and I have the Word of God in Scripture, we have that ultimate Word of God in Jesus Christ.
John 1:1 NIV In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
We have the ultimate revelation of God dwelling within us, as God’s continuing presence in the form of the Holy Spirit, who guides us into all truth, who helps us know when God is speaking.
John 14:16-17: "And I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may be with you forever; that is the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees Him nor knows Him. But you know Him, for He dwells with you and will be in you."
Romans 8:9-11: "If anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he is not His. And if Christ is in you, your body is dead because of sin, but your spirit is alive because of righteousness. If the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who dwells in you."
1 Corinthians 6:19-20: "Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, for you were bought with a price. Therefore glorify God in your body."
I pray that we are people who do not have to have miracles, although God still performs them, but I pray that we will always turn to the Word of God that is available to us all the time, miracle or not. If we are obedient to and trust the Word of God the enemy will find no easy targets among us.
Luke 11:28 NIV He replied, “Blessed rather are those who hear the word of God and obey it.”
Heavenly Father,
We come before You today with hearts filled with gratitude and trust. We acknowledge Your divine Word, a beacon guiding our paths and illuminating our understanding.
While we may yearn for the miraculous, we know that our faith does not rest solely on the extraordinary. It is grounded in Your promises, revealed through Your written Word. We believe in the power of Your truth, even when it challenges our senses or defies our expectations.
Help us to cultivate a deep-rooted faith, one that is unshakeable in the face of doubt or adversity. May we cling to Your Word as a lifeline, trusting that it is sufficient to lead us to a deeper relationship with You.
In Your holy name, we pray. Amen.
The following is from a devotion written by Greg Laurie of Harvest Ministries, Riverside, CA
Writing to the church in Corinth, Paul referred to a specific instance in the lives of the Israelites when they worshipped the golden calf. He wrote, “These things happened as a warning to us, so that we would not crave evil things as they did, or worship idols as some of them did” (1 Corinthians 10:6–7 NLT).
The children of Israel had seen God work in dramatic ways. They saw God deliver them from the land of Egypt with a number of miracles that He performed on their behalf. He turned the Nile River into blood, sent plagues of lice and frogs, and even killed the Egyptians’ firstborn sons.
Then, when they began their journey, God opened the Red Sea for them, and they crossed on dry ground. Afterward it closed behind them, drowning the Egyptian army in the process. In addition, the Lord provided a miraculous navigation system: a huge cloud guided them during the day, and a fire in the sky directed them at night.
And every morning when they walked outside their tents, a breakfast of manna was waiting for them, supplied by the Creator Himself. But despite all these miracles, the people turned their backs on God and engaged in full-blown idolatry.
The problem was their faith was shallow. Thus, they were fickle. And from the moment that Moses left their midst to meet with God on Mount Sinai, it was only a matter of time until they started looking for something to take his place. So, the plan for the golden calf was devised, and the Bible tells us about the horrible results.
Certainly, miracles and supernatural phenomena do not guarantee a mature faith that will resist the temptations in our paths. Sooner or later, we must take personal responsibility for our actions and our sins and call them what they are.
Let’s guard ourselves from the subtle trap of idolatry. Let’s not allow anyone or anything to take precedence over Jesus Christ in our hearts.
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