The Fall of Humanity

Genesis 2,3 NLT, Isaiah 9:2, Romans 5:18, 12 -19

In yesterdays post, God Created, we learned about how God created the heavens and the earth. The first thing he did was speak light, beautiful glorious light into existence. If you remember, in our first Advent post, A Great Light will Shine Isaiah is quoted:

"The people who walk in darkness will see a great light." 

Isaiah 9:2 NLT

Adam and Eve Expelled from the Garden

 What did he mean by that? Where did this darkness come from? We will see in this post. Strangely, it is part, a very important part of the story of the Coming of Jesus Christ. It tells us why He came.

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As we saw yesterday, in the beginning God created beautiful heavens and earth. He filled the earth with plants, animals and then He created human beings in His own image. He created them both male and female. These verses go into more detail in how He created the man.

Creation of Adam

 "... the Lord God formed the man from the dust of the ground. He breathed the breath of life into the man's nostrils, and the man became a living person. Then the Lord God planted a garden in Eden... and... placed the man in the garden... to tend and watch over it. " 2:7,8, 15-17

What a beautiful picture of a loving God, breathing the breath of life into the man's nostrils. Then He made a woman as a helper for Adam. "Now the man and his wife were both naked, but they felt no shame." vs 25  The man and his wife lived a life of innocence, a perfect life of beauty and no shame in the garden.

But the Lord God warned him, 'You may freely eat the fruit of every tree in the garden - except the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. It you eat its fruit, you are sure to die.'

 Now here comes trouble:

"The serpent was the shrewdest of all the wild animals the Lord God had made. One day he asked the woman, 'Did God really say you must not eat the fruit from any of the trees in the garden?' 'Of course we may eat fruit from the trees in the garden,' the woman replied. 'It is only the fruit from the tree in the middle of the garden that we are not to eat it or even touch it; if you do, you will die." 3:1-3

 The serpent was very clever in deceiving Eve. First he casts doubt what God says and confuses her by saying "you must not eat the fruit from any of the trees?'" Eve knew that God didn't say that. The serpent continued, "'You won't die!' the serpent replied to the woman. 'God knows that your eyes will be opened as soon as you eat it and you will be like God, knowing both good and evil.'" vs 4, 5 Here the serpent actually accuses God of lying to them. He casts doubt on the goodness of God and His love by suggesting that God was withholding something good from them by not allowing them to become like Him, knowing both good and evil. They were created in His image, so they were already like Him. They already knew good. God wanted them to trust Him. And a as their loving Father He wanted to shield them from the misery of evil. But...

"The woman was convinced. She saw that the tree was beautiful and its fruit looked delicious, and she wanted the wisdom it would give her. So she took some of the fruit and ate it. Then she gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate it, too. At that moment their eyes were opened, and they suddenly felt shame at their nakedness. So they sewed fig leaves together to cover themselves." vs 6, 7

Just one act of disobedience and their innocence was gone... They felt ashamed and naked before God. They could not conceal their sin.

The woman was tempted in three ways, common temptations even to us today.  Do you feel tempted by things you see?... Things that look delicious?... Or do you desire to elevate yourself? For more info on temptation and also why Jesus was tempted see Temptation of Adam and Eve,  and Temptation of Jesus

Her husband was with her, yet he did not try to stop her from eating the fruit; instead he ate the fruit also. The serpent deceived them into thinking that eating the fruit would make their life better. What happened instead?

"When the cool evening breezes were blowing, the man and his wife heard the Lord God walking about in the garden. So they hid from the Lord God among the trees. Then the Lord God called to the man, 'Where are you?' He replied, 'I heard you walking in the garden, so I hid. I was afraid because I was naked.' 'Who told you that you were naked?... Have you eaten from the tree whose fruit I commanded you not to eat?'" vs 8-11

They remind me of children who did something wrong and hid from their mom and dad. Even as adults we can feel shame when we have done something wrong and just want to hide. Adam and Eve spent time with God, their Father. Every evening they enjoyed His love as He spent time with them in the garden. But now, since they disobeyed they were ashamed of their nakedness...  ashamed for God to even see them.

And even though they tried to cover their shame with fig leaves; that was not enough. So the Lord made clothing for them out of animal skins. To get these skins, something had to die, something had to be sacrificed to cover their shame. Sin is costly and brings death of some kind. This points to God's provision for sin.

Since the man and woman now knew evil; God could not let them stay in the Garden of Eden and eat from the tree of life and live forever. Can you imagine how horrible the world would become if people could live forever multiplying evil upon evil? So God sent them out of the garden and they had to grow their own food.

This bondage of sin was passed down from parents to their children and we are inflicted with it as much today as Adam and Eve were on that day. (I think it is likely far worse. At least Adam and Eve knew true goodness at one time.  It seems the evil in our world today is increasing at a rapid rate.)  Evil came into the world and along with it came so much pain and suffering. But God had an answer of how to deliver people from their sin. The curse of the serpent hints at God's solution to this problem and is a promise (prophecy) to bring hope:

 "... I will cause enmity between you and the woman... and between your offspring and hers;
he will crush your head, and you will strike His heel." 3:15 NIV

Though sin came into the world through Adam and Eve as they were tempted by the serpent, 

God promised to bring salvation through the Son of Eve... thousands of years later.
Finally,
Yes, Adam's one sin brings condemnation for everyone, but 
Christ's one act of righteousness brings a right relationship with God and new life for everyone." Romans 5:18 NLT (see 12-19, it is wonderful)

To Read More about the comparison between Adam and Jesus the second Adam who brought reconciliation between God and man; go to Adam, son of God and Jesus, Son of God. Both posts are in January 2014.