| What has gone so terribly wrong? At the | | | | there is anything to hide Jesus can deal with that. |
| beginning, when Almighty God brought everything | | | | Some people have been hiding things for years. In |
| into being, there was no fault nor flaw. Why are | | | | the next sentence Adam and his wife are hiding |
| we in this awful mess, morally, politically, | | | | from their loving merciful Lord God. |
| psychologically, and in so many other ways, when | | | | The enemy's smooth talking had twisted the |
| we know the world was created in perfection, | | | | Word of God. Beware of that! He got the woman |
| and that man was placed in a most beautiful | | | | to question the Word, and persuaded her along |
| environment, that knew nothing of suffering, pain | | | | with her husband to disobey the Word of God. |
| and death? | | | | These words in Genesis Chapter 3 verse 6 |
| An enemy of God came along according to what | | | | describe it all so practically and relevantly and in a |
| actually happened and it is all accurately recorded | | | | way we can identify with - pleasing, desirable, |
| in Genesis Chapter 3. This enemy called Satan - a | | | | took and ate! |
| fallen angel - attacked a very vulnerable Eve. The | | | | The fall of man is such a tragedy. Temptation |
| start of this onslaught can be found in another | | | | came. Question God's Word. Then satan went on |
| article. | | | | to discredit God himself by suggesting, "You have |
| A battle began then, and it has continued since | | | | within you the potential to become something |
| that day. The significance of the temptation was | | | | much higher - to be like God!" Then you will not |
| to get man to become totally independent of | | | | need to be dependent upon God any longer. |
| God. | | | | Adam's fellowship with God was broken - and |
| When you read what was going on, you can hear | | | | soon he was to be subject to corruption - disease |
| what we have to wrestle with in our hearts and | | | | - old age - death. |
| minds and lives. | | | | You cannot reverse corruption. You can place a |
| "I am going to be independent of God - I am | | | | corrupt peach in the fridge - and the corruption |
| going to be free to go where I want - to decide | | | | will slow down - but it can never be reversed! |
| how I want - to make up my own mind. No, I am | | | | The Lord God comes and walks in the Garden. |
| not going to let God dictate to me." | | | | How do we react when God draws close? He |
| Satan actually doesn't do the dirty work. He | | | | loves to walk with the people He loves, and |
| leaves it up to Eve to do it. Did she feel like a | | | | rather than run to Him for mercy and forgiveness |
| liberated woman as she decides to "try it"! As | | | | - they hid. They are afraid - ashamed - guilty - |
| soon as she realises that she has done something | | | | separated. |
| wrong, she wants to drag someone else into it. | | | | In verse 9 we read, "where are you?" What a |
| Have you ever noticed that? Someone does | | | | question - not physically but spiritually? God is |
| something wrong, and they immediately want to | | | | trying to draw out something deeper. "Where |
| involve others. Drag in as many people as possible. | | | | have you got yourself to?" God is giving them the |
| Sin brings loneliness and isolation, so get as many | | | | chance to come and repent and confess - the |
| people involved in your mess as you can. | | | | opportunity to sort things out and put things right. |
| Satan's lie was a half truth. | | | | They begin to answer and pass the buck, and |
| But, they were no longer the same one flesh, and | | | | blame others. Adam blames Eve. Eve blames the |
| sin does this in any marriage. There was | | | | serpent. Adam really blames God, and we do this |
| something now to be hidden, and they are | | | | too. We ask why God allows wars - famines - |
| desperate. Can you imagine them trying to sew | | | | floods - disasters! We do it legally - we call them |
| leaves together? Check out the actual text. Don't | | | | on our Insurance Policies - Acts of God! |
| take my word for it. | | | | Next, we read of the Promise of Salvation. If all |
| When you sin you become desperate and you | | | | God wanted to do was reform man, then there |
| try to cover up. And men seek cover-ups! Have | | | | would be no need for a Saviour - no need for |
| we not seen that in the political and commercial | | | | Jesus Christ to die. God wants to do more than |
| world in the past few months and years? | | | | make man better. God wants to save or rescue |
| They made aprons - not hats or socks or gloves! | | | | man from sin and its consequences. |
| No it was not the apple on the tree that caused | | | | And, God curses as well as blesses. When God |
| the trouble. There is no apple mentioned. It was | | | | goes into poetry, He is speaking from deep within |
| the pair on the ground. | | | | His Heart. Prose is to the head - poetry is to the |
| They were different now, and they realised it. | | | | heart - and these words are given to us in the |
| What was pure and beautiful and innocent was | | | | form of poetry. God is expressing His feelings and |
| now gone. As we read on we see that sin and | | | | emotions. |
| death and pain and suffering and disease and | | | | What are your feelings and emotions as you read |
| corruption and warfare now come into the world | | | | of this tragic incident, from which we are still |
| as a consequence of disobedience to God. | | | | suffering as well as recovering? And when God |
| There is only one way of being covered from our | | | | looks at you what kind of emotions and feelings |
| guilt and disobedience and rebellion. That is by | | | | arise within His heart? These are immense |
| being covered with the blood of Jesus Christ, the | | | | questions, but then we have a big God who come |
| Son of God - and being protected by that | | | | looking for people who so need Him. |
| precious blood - the most precious substance in | | | | We either present good leadership or bad |
| the whole universe. | | | | leadership. |
| Jesus deals with disobedience and rebellion. When | | | | |