Creation, Death, Encouragement, Faith, Forgiveness, God's Plan, God's Promises, Grace, Hatred, Judgement, Love, Mercy, Obedience, Pride, Relationship to Christ, Repentance, Salvation, Sin, Temptation

Sin Enters the World

As we study the book of Genesis, we see that God has created a beautiful world and designated man and woman to be caretakers of the world He has made.  At this point Adam and Eve are without sin, they are innocent, just like children, and walk daily with God, talking with Him in a close relationship. Then Satan enters the picture with temptation that brings discord, sin, broken relationships, and a lack of innocence.  God had instructed Adam that they were not to eat of the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil.  Satan, disguised as a serpent, questions Eve, “Did God actually say, ‘You shall not eat of any tree in the garden’?” (Genesis 3:1 ESV)  Eve tells him that God said they were not to eat of the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil, but then she adds, ”neither shall you touch it, lest you die.” (Genesis 3:3 ESV)  Satan tells her that she will not die, but she will be like God and tempts her to eat of the tree. Eve eats from the tree and so does Adam. When God finds out what has happened, He must enact punishment for Adam and Eve for their disobedience, but also a curse for the serpent for tempting them.  That is our Scripture today, “The Lord God said to the serpent, ‘Because you have done this, cursed are you above all livestock and above all beasts of the field; on your belly you shall go, and dust you shall eat all the days of your life.  I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and her offspring; he shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise his heel.’” (Genesis 3:14-15)

The first thing that I see is that Eve added to what God had instructed. God said they were not to EAT of the tree, He didn’t teach them not to touch it.  I have often wondered about this.  I looked at several commentaries about this, and the Enduring Word website had this to say. “Eve misquoted God’s command to Adam. Her words, you shall not eat it and lest you die are close enough, but she added to the command and put words in God’s mouth when she said, nor shall you touch it. Of course, it was a good idea to completely avoid the temptation; no good could come from massaging the fruit you’re not supposed to eat. But it is a dangerous thing to teach the doctrines of man as if they are the commandments of God (Matthew 15:9).”  J. Vernon McGee, in his commentary on Genesis, said that adding to what God said is a common tactic of cults, liberals, and atheists.  We must be careful not to add to what Scripture states.  (Deuteronomy 4:2)

The next thing I see is that Satan didn’t confront Eve in his original form.  Meaning, he didn’t appear to her as Satan. Why do you think that was?  My husband, Kraig, has written a commentary on Genesis, and he writes, “Why did Satan use the serpent? Why didn’t he just appear to Eve as he is and tempt her? I think that would have been too obvious to Eve and she might have said no. He used the serpent as a disguise to be sneaky. Why? Because Satan wants to deceive each man and woman into believing that he does not exist. What about his evil character? He is a deceiver, he falsely accuses others, he persecutes God’s people, he is a liar, he is a murderer, he casts doubt on God’s word (the holy bible), he is prideful, he gives bad advice to mankind, he hates God, he is rebellious, he causes wars, and on and on it goes. Part of Satan’s control over mankind is strengthened by mankind’s moral weakness.”

The next thing I see is that God shows His plan for redemption from sin.  “I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and her offspring; he shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise his heel.” (Genesis 3:15 ESV)  The “he” referred to here is Jesus.  Jesus’ death on the Cross, burial, and resurrection would defeat Satan and banish him forever to the Lake of Fire.  Jesus’ sacrifice on the Cross conquers sin, death, hell, and the grave, and frees us from Satan’s grasp.  When we ask forgiveness for our sins, ask Jesus to save us and live inside us, and turn from our sinful ways, He promises to forgive us, cleanse us inside and out, and put us on a pathway to redemption, holy living, and eternal life.  If you have not asked Jesus to be your Lord and Savior, today is a good day to do so.  God loves you so much that from creation, He looked down into time, saw you, and devised this plan so that you could be redeemed. 

Unknown's avatar

Published by

Donna Knuth Rice

I am trying a blog for the first time in my life, and frankly, I feel like I don't have a clue as to what I'm doing! But, here goes. I work at a Christian Television network in the Correspondence Department, where I write letters and emails to our viewers, pray with them for their needs, and send materials they request. I am a Christian. I was saved at the age of 11 during a youth meeting at my church. My pastor led me to the Lord, and to say the least, my life has been an adventure. I am a widow. My late husband, Allen, passed away after 34 1/2 years of marriage. He had been sick the last seven years of his life, and it was a struggle, for him and for me. We met as part of a singing group that was affiliated with a Christian Radio station, and we sang together all through our lives together. We both worked in television and radio all through our married life, mostly for Christian stations. Besides singing I also play flute. I had the luxury of having parents who started out as music teachers...so music was in our house constantly. Some people describe me as being a loud-mouthed lime type...can't disagree with that. I have a tendency to put my foot in my mouth more times than I can count! I also have a tendency to say exactly what's on my mind...which is why I get myself in so much trouble! LOL! Trust me, that's something me and God have been working on for a very long time. I have no children here on earth, although I have a baby in heaven. My baby here is my dog Jack. He's a black lab/ chow mix. He's a big boy....thinks he's a lap dog! Can't think of much else to say. The reason I started this blog is because a few months ago in church, a guest pastor came and delivered a message, and when he asked for those of us who wanted prayer to come forward, I did. When he came to me he asked me if I did any journaling. I told him no 'cause I wasn't very good at it. He told me to start, and prophesied over me that my journal thoughts would impact other people. I wasn't sure just how I was to go about doing this. In fact, I was a little hesitant at first. I started journaling at home, and our assistant pastor's wife asked me to submit something for our Senior newsletter. I didn't the first edition, but something I had heard on Christian radio a long time ago and has stuck with me all these years, came to mind so I submitted an article. That article will be my first post. I don't claim to have all the answers, and my thoughts may seem a little "out there", but I feel God has been prodding me to do this, and so here I am. I hope what I post will bring encouragement, and "Something to Think About".

Leave a comment