4-28-19 Sermon Notes
“Origins” “Death Comes” – Genesis 3:1-24 and Genesis 4:1-16
Introduction
Eight weeks ago, we looked at man’s fall. Now we continue the sequel of the series entitled, “Origins – Created with Purpose.” We will endeavor to gain more understanding of the impacts of created life on earth in the era immediately following the initial creation and fall. There are significant ramifications for how we understand sin, death and the coming promise of salvation preserved in the chapters ahead.
Let’s begin with a review by re-reading chapter 3 of Genesis. Our focus will be on verses 8, 9, 10, 19, 22 and 23. These verses will also be reflected in chapter 4 of Genesis.
Read Genesis 3:1-24
Genesis 3:1-24 New International Version (NIV)
The Fall
3 “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.”
11 And he said, “Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten from the tree that I commanded you not to eat from?”
12 The man said, “The woman you put here with me—she gave me some fruit from the tree, and I ate it.”
13 Then the Lord God said to the woman, “What is this you have done?”
The woman said, “The serpent deceived me, and I ate.”
14 So the Lord God said to the serpent, “Because you have done this,
“Cursed are you above all livestock
and all wild animals!
You will crawl on your belly
and you will eat dust
all the days of your life.
15 And I will put enmity
between you and the woman,
and between your offspring and hers;
he will crush your head,
and you will strike his heel.”
16 To the woman he said,
“I will make your pains in childbearing very severe;
with painful labor you will give birth to children.
Your desire will be for your husband,
and he will rule over you.”
17 To Adam he said, “Because you listened to your wife and ate fruit from the tree about which I commanded you, ‘You must not eat from it,’
“Cursed is the ground because of you;
through painful toil you will eat food from it
all the days of your life.
18 It will produce thorns and thistles for you,
and you will eat the plants of the field.
19 By the sweat of your brow
you will eat your food
until you return to the ground,
since from it you were taken;
for dust you are
and to dust you will return.”
20 Adam named his wife Eve, because she would become the mother of all the living.
21 The Lord God made garments of skin for Adam and his wife and clothed them. 22 And the Lord God said, “The man has now become like one of us, knowing good and evil. He must not be allowed to reach out his hand and take also from the tree of life and eat, and live forever.”23 So the Lord God banished him from the Garden of Eden to work the ground from which he had been taken. 24 After he drove the man out, he placed on the east side of the Garden of Eden cherubim and a flaming sword flashing back and forth to guard the way to the tree of life.”
Read Genesis 4:1-16
Genesis 4 New International Version (NIV)
Cain and Abel
4 Adam made love to his wife Eve, and she became pregnant and gave birth to Cain. She said, “With the help of the Lord I have brought forth a man.” 2 Later she gave birth to his brother Abel.
Now Abel kept flocks, and Cain worked the soil. 3 In the course of time Cain brought some of the fruits of the soil as an offering to the Lord.4 And Abel also brought an offering—fat portions from some of the firstborn of his flock. The Lord looked with favor on Abel and his offering, 5 but on Cain and his offering he did not look with favor. So Cain was very angry, and his face was downcast.
6 Then the Lord said to Cain, “Why are you angry? Why is your face downcast? 7 If you do what is right, will you not be accepted? But if you do not do what is right, sin is crouching at your door; it desires to have you, but you must rule over it.”
8 Now Cain said to his brother Abel, “Let’s go out to the field.” While they were in the field, Cain attacked his brother Abel and killed him.
9 Then the Lord said to Cain, “Where is your brother Abel?”
“I don’t know,” he replied. “Am I my brother’s keeper?”
10 The Lord said, “What have you done? Listen! Your brother’s blood cries out to me from the ground. 11 Now you are under a curse and driven from the ground, which opened its mouth to receive your brother’s blood from your hand. 12 When you work the ground, it will no longer yield its crops for you. You will be a restless wanderer on the earth.”
13 Cain said to the Lord, “My punishment is more than I can bear.14 Today you are driving me from the land, and I will be hidden from your presence; I will be a restless wanderer on the earth, and whoever finds me will kill me.”
15 But the Lord said to him, “Not so; anyone who kills Cain will suffer vengeance seven times over.” Then the Lord put a mark on Cain so that no one who found him would kill him. 16 So Cain went out from the Lord’s presence and lived in the land of Nod, east of Eden.
Message
We will begin by referencing a few points from the message from eight weeks ago.
When Adam and Eve sinned by disobeying God, moral and spiritual death came immediately. Physical death came later because God said, “when you eat of it you will surely die.” Spiritually, their former relationship with God was destroyed. Their former innocence was replaced by guilt and fear of judgment.
The Bible does not teach that all sinned when Adam sinned or that his personal guilt was placed on the whole human race. It does teach that Adam introduced the law of sin and death to the whole human race and since then, every person has chosen to get his or her own way.
Verse 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.” When Adam and Eve lived in moral innocence, before their rebellion, nakedness was not wrong or shameful. So, here we are centuries later reaping the consequences of their rebellion in this area because of the evil and immorality that nakedness and temptation have caused. Perhaps there is a deeper meaning here – not that Adam and Eve were not physically naked, after all, fig leaves are probably not the best ‘clothes’ in the world, but that they considered themselves morally and spiritually naked.
Verse 8 – “…they hid from the Lord God among the trees of the garden.” The awareness and guilt of sin caused Adam and Eve to avoid God. They were now afraid and uncomfortable in His presence. They realized that they had displeased God by defying His will. This sinful condition robbed them of the confidence to be close to God.
Verses 9-12 – “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.” 11 And he said, “Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten from the tree that I commanded you not to eat from?” 12 The man said, “The woman you put here with me—she gave me some fruit from the tree, and I ate it.”
Why did God ask Adam, “Where are you?” Was it because God didn’t know where he was? Or was it perhaps, a way of asking Adam where he was in his relationship with God? Remember, God is all knowing!
24 After he drove the man out, he placed on the east side of the Garden of Eden cherubim and a flaming sword flashing back and forth to guard the way to the tree of life.”
Now, let’s focus on verses 7, 9, 14 and 16 and look for some parallels to fall of Adam and Eve.
First, in answer to the question of why Abel’s sacrifice was acceptable and Cain’s was not acceptable to God. It simply boils down to the intent that both had. Abel, on the one hand, presented his offering to God with heartfelt thanksgiving, while Cain did not. More about that when we come to the concluding remarks and application.
Verse 7 – “If you do what is right, will you not be accepted? But if you do not do what is right, sin is crouching at your door; it desires to have you, but you must rule over it.” Here God is giving Cain a second chance – an opportunity to do what was right and an escape from what he was about to do. “A ‘little’ sin often turns into ‘big’ sin.” Much like a snowball in Montana rolling down a hill.
Verse 9 – “Then the Lord said to Cain, “Where is your brother Abel?”
“I don’t know,” he replied. “Am I my brother’s keeper?”
Certainly, God knew what had happened. But, He gives Cain an opportunity to confess and ask for forgiveness. Instead, Cain offers an excuse – “Am I my brother’s keeper?” Have we seen anything that resembles that kind of answer in chapter 3?
Verse 14 – “Today you are driving me from the land, and I will be hidden from your presence;” Notice that this is one step (a final step perhaps) further than God driving Adam and Eve out of the Garden.
Verse 16 – “So Cain went out from the Lord’s presence and lived in the land of Nod, east of Eden.” Note that in verse 15 that God continued to value Cain’s life by placing a mark on him so that no one would kill him. Wondering if that means that God’s grace is greater than our sin? Doesn’t seem like a place to dwell without God’s presence!
Concluding Remarks and Application
These remarks and application take the form of questions.
- What does the verse about Cain’s offering not being favorable to God say about our offerings to Him?
- Why should we be concerned about sin crouching at our door? Remember the Montana snowball. Is there a ‘tipping point’ when sin controls us?
- Can we run from God and hide from Him? What does it look like for us to run from God and hide?
- What would it be like to live without God’s presence?
- How great is God’s grace?
One concluding remark – Eve was talked into the sin, Cain could not be talked out of it.
Next Week – The continuation of the Origins series – “Salvation thru Judgement”