Ch 2 - The God Who is There

The Serpent’s Temptation and the Fall in Genesis 3

Down to verse 9. Now the serpent was more cunning than any beast of the field which the Lord God had made. And he said to the woman has God indeed said you shall not eat of every tree of the garden. And the woman said to the serpent we may eat the fruit of the trees of the garden but of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden God has said you shall not eat it nor shall you touch it lest you die.

And the serpent said to the woman you you will not surely die for God knows that in a day you eat it your eyes will be open. You will be like God knowing good and evil. So when the woman saw that tree was good for food that it was pleased pleasant to the eyes and a tree desirable to make one wise she took of its fruit and ate.

She also gave to a husband with her and he ate. Then the eyes of both of them were open and they knew that they were naked and they sewed fig leaves together and made themselves covering. And they heard the sound of the Lord God walking in the in the garden the cooler today.

And Adam and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the Lord God among the trees of the garden. And we'll stop there. So basically as we've been going out progressing through the book the second chapter the the title of the chapter is an interesting title like and it's the God who does not wipe out rebels.

Interesting title an interesting way of introducing this section of scriptures. And of course the book does follow the narrative in chapter 3. And I wanted to think about that in the very beginning I wanted to about the fact that as many people well let me frame it as a question.

Would you think that most people think of God as a God of love or an angry God. If you were just to ask just generally ask a person who maybe has some familiarity with but maybe not. Or even you young people I mean your impression.

What do you think most people would say that God is a God of love or that God is an angry God. You would say most people think he's angry. But anybody else. Any other thoughts. Yeah many people would make that division.

And certainly. Well here's here's the reason why I asked that question. I want us to think about it at the outset. Is this the title of the chapter is the God who does not destroy does not wipe out rebels.

And I began to think about that. I began to think about this. If there's anything that demonstrates that God is a God of love it's the fact that he didn't wipe out the rebels in the garden. When you agree I mean that that reality of God not coming down.

And if you will completely destroying Adam and Eve because of their sin it does that not demonstrate how God is a God of love. Now many other things need to be demonstrated. And you won't have this in your book.

I wanted to read this little piece. This is the the leaders guide which my wife has been peeking in going along. Yeah. But in the leaders guide this little story and I read it to you quickly again. Forgive me if I get stuck because my eyes get a little bad.

But here's a way in which someone sought to represent that to young people. It was it takes place in Ireland. And let me just read this to you and you'll pick it up on it. It says a young schoolteacher in Northern Ireland once told how she taught the substance of these early chapters of Genesis.

Fresh out of college she found herself in job teaching religious education of college I'm sorry religious education in the United Kingdom to young boys in a rather rough school she was making no headway at all.

She decided to try another approach using plaster of Paris. She got them to create their own little creatures. One imagines that one of them were pretty grotesque. And then over the next day their own world complete with a village and animals and a little lake and fences and so forth.

And she had the boys make up the backstory behind each little creature and begin to weave the accounts together. And eventually she asked them to pool ideas for some rules or laws that they thought they should impose to preserve some order.

And the boys came up with quite a number including a prohibition against getting too close to the edge of the world lest they fall off and break. And a prohibition against going to the lake which of course they would dissolve.

And these and other laws were grouped together to see if they could be boiled down to for simplicity. And the boys decided that the one law do what I tell you was the most comprehensive. The next day the teacher came into the class and asked them to imagine that one of the little creatures the boys had created stood up and asked his master rather defiantly it said to his master rather defiantly leave me alone.

This is my world not yours. I'll do what I want. I certainly do not want you telling me what to do get out of here and leave me alone. How then should the boys respond. There was a moment of stunned silence and then one of the boys volunteered I'd break his bloody legs.

Now when you think about that now that's a bunch of rowdy young boys and that was their thought after they were given the ability to create if you will or set up this this little world made out of plaster of Paris.

And this the simple rule was do what I tell you. And of course there was there was rebellion and so I think that that's pretty that's a pretty telling way in which people would respond. Don't you especially young people many times they're really they just tell it the way they feel right.

They're not as as good as disguising like we get as we get older in life. But when you think about that and you think about what we're looking at in the fall and what took place in the garden and then the head of the chapter being the God who doesn't wipe out rebels.

And again I think it really is a way for us to understand and to use as we speak to others when people will come against us and say well you know even as you said brother you know the God of the Old Testament was a God of war and angry God.

And and and and if God is so loving why does he do this. And why does he do that. Why does he allow this that the other thing. And they lose sight of the fact that God in his in his great grace did not did not wipe out Adam and Eve for their rebellion because their rebellion is is so much greater than just this little story of the the boys creating their own little village and setting out a rule.

So I wanted to think about that to get us started and to ask you to to consider that because again I think the story of the fall or the account of the story the account of the fall is is almost ingrained in in especially when anybody has any exposure to the Bible it's one of the first things that is presented in the Bible.

And certainly it's something that many people have some acquaintance with but I don't think that they really understand the implications of it. So as you read the book I hope you found that as DA Carson begins to unfold this he's seeking to to unveil the reality of the hideousness and and the the great evil that took place in the garden.

Evil as Opposition to God’s Character and the Meaning of the Fall

I wanted to go back to something that was said last week you remember we had a small discussion brother Mike was teaching about what evil is right. Has anybody come up with the answer since last week of what evil is.

No anything that opposes God. Is that too simple sir so would we not agree then that evil is everything that is opposed to the person and character of God. Would that be a fair way to to kind of not get into the details of every little thing.

But if you think about it when people talk about evil really from the reality of God is good even as he created his creation and said it was good and his creatures and said it was good that evil is. And I agree with you brother Chris that evil can be simply defined as anything that opposes not not only opposes God but opposes God's character.

As brother Mike I think is saying that that as as we have good because God is good only good always good that anything that anything that is contradictory to that then becomes evil. Now again we can get into into specifics of how that evil manifests itself right.

But ultimately any anything that opposes God should and would be considered as evil. Therefore if you think about it that way then all the more reason to know what the Bible says concerning the both the goodness of God and the prohibitions of God in order that we might understand what evil is right even as the Apostle said we are to flee from all appearance of evil.

Well if you don't know what evil is and you don't know what good is you just kind of then what you make up your own rules as you go. And that certainly is not what needs to be done. Okay. So so I haven't thought about that.

I wanted to look at a couple of make a couple points and then I want to go back and kind of follow up on what brother Mike thought. Because really what what brother Mike was teaching yesterday last week in chapter 1 what was the God who made everything.

Okay the fall comes and what happens. Can everything that happened in before the fall be the same as what happens after the fall. Right. No. Okay so much that's what I want to really think about. I think that's what brother Mike led as a way to build.

But I wanted to make some thoughts and ask you to think about it first. I want you to go back into into descriptions for a minute and I'm just making some points and if you have all the points or other questions or other comments that's fine but but something that I thought about and I'm sure you have thought about and many have thought about it for many many many generations as we think about the God who didn't just come and destroy the rebels destroy Adam and Eve.

I wanted you to think about this as God comes walking in in the cool of the garden and Lord God called out to Adam and said to him where are you in verse 9. And he said I heard your voice in the garden and I was afraid because I was naked and I hid myself.

And he said who told you that you were naked. Have you eaten of the tree which I commanded you that you should not eat. The man said that the woman you gave me gave to be with me. She gave me of the tree and I ate.

And the Lord God said to the woman what is it that you have done. And the woman said the serpent deceived me and I ate. So the Lord God said to the serpent because you have done this you are cursed above more.

You are cursed more than all cattle more than every piece of the field on your belly. You shall go and you shall eat dust all the days of your life. And I will put enmity between you and the woman and between your seed and her seed he shall bruise your head and you shall bruise you shall bruise his heel.

Now I want to just just think about this. Is it not an indication of the grace the mercy the goodness the patience the purposes of God that before God actually pronounces judgment on what how that curse is going to work out with both the man and the woman.

God first promises what. In other words he he he comes to the serpent and he tells him the serpent you will you will crawl on your belly and eat dust. But is it as you look at it does not God make provision for redemption even before he pronounces the judgment that's to fall on them because of their sin.

Is that not. Is that an indication of God's graciousness. Now God certainly has to provide the covering for it and the righteousness that goes along with it. And certainly that's when he provides the the tunics to cover them which was the blood of an animal.

But it is it is essential for us to understand you see here's the thing if people do not understand what really took place in the fall then they are going to have a very obscured or even obliterated view of redemption.

Wouldn't you agree. In other words if you really don't understand what has taken place between chapter 1 2 and chapter 3 and then what goes forward you really going to have an obscure or at best very distorted view of what redemption really is.

Because to many people there isn't even really a need for redemption because there really is a lack of understanding of what happened in the fall. Am I off base. Would you agree. Would you. What do you think.

Okay that's what I thought you were gonna say. I'm sure. So certainly that that's something to think about isn't it. And as we read the book in the chapter the God who doesn't destroy rebels God is so.

And it's all based on God's what ultimate purpose. You know what brother Mike did. And I thought I thought it was really an excellent way to show it visibly when he drew creation. Right. And then there was what.

And there was the fall. And then there was redemption. Right. And then there was confirmation. But remember how he demonstrated it. And I thought it was very good. If you think about it the Bible says this much about this this much about that.

Right. And all this about this. Then I would you basically what you said. Right bro. Yeah. So when you think about it if you really can't understand well first of all if you can't understand what happened here and you either you can't understand or you ignore what happened here how in the world will you ever have a good understanding what's taking place here.

You can't do. Because in essence this is the this is the lion's share of the revelation of the Bible. Isn't it. So again we can say it over and over and over and over people will still miss the forest for the trees.

That the opening chapters of the book of Genesis are absolutely essential for so many different things. One is redemption. What else will become distorted. So we'll say redemption becomes distorted. What else could we say will become distorted if we don't understand in this sense the way it works out what else can happen.

Okay. So forgiveness becomes a slut. Okay. What else do you think that people can have a right worldview if they can't crash this. Wouldn't you agree that if you if you and I cannot understand what took place before the fall and after the fall then we're really going to have a distorted worldview.

We're going to look at the world and we're going to see things in the world. And then we're not going to be able to match it together. Right. And is that not what happens to many people that we try to we try to fix and those I'm sorry I get excited.

But what people try to do is they try to take this and they try to fit it in here. And what do they usually come up with. Well they come up with things like poverty. Right. If we can only get rid of poverty where everybody will be okay what else.

What else do we come up with sir. Yeah all. Right. If we can only solve problems and that's a big headache. Yeah. If we can only do that we could we could get we can get a better understanding of our world.

Or how about this one. If we can only get people educated how many people have we heard that. What what really is wrong is that either people don't have enough money there's too many people with too many problems.

Or we just need to educate people. Wait a minute we're in we're in Genesis. Do you see any of that that that's going to solve. It's not. Is it the only thing is going to solve it is what God provides in redemption.

And again that's why I say to you unless you really can unless we really can focus here. And this needs to be taught. Right. And I think sometimes this this becomes more of a in a sense a story then then a foundation.

And again whether it's people who have some acquaintance of the Bible no acquaintance with the Bible or think that they're theologians this still is essential for us not only to know the account of it but know the the implications of it.

And so when you think about that and you think about all that is said in these opening chapters and certainly as da Carson try to open it up in in the the God who does not wipe out everything it just seems that so many for and what's the reason by the way why why do people miss.

Let's think about this for a second and I'm gonna flip the board I got some stuff on it. But why do you think people miss this. Why do people miss that. Okay what was one of the things that if you read the chapter what was one of the things that Carson brought up about the fall.

It's about them. Right. It's about pride. It's about and he used the terminology in the chapter of dethroning God and enthroning ourselves.

May Dan speak this chapter. One little small paragraph in this chapter just blew me away and it's really to what we're speaking about right now. Good. It says we should not think that the serpent's temptation is nothing more than an invitation to break a rule arbitrary or otherwise.

That is where a lot of people think that sin is just breaking the rule. What is at stake here is something deeper bigger sadder other and more heinous. It's a revolution it makes.

Me God and thus be God's God. Right. Exactly. Yeah. I mean because it puts it in a very it puts it in a very sustained and and simple way. But it's right at the heart of it. Right. And again many many people well all people apart from believers in Christ they can't get here.

They'll try to go here and a thousand other ways but you're never going to get there. You're never going to get there because as God provides this. Right. This is God's provision isn't it. Redemption belongs to God salvation is of the Lord.

And I agree with you. And the thing that stops people as it was even portrayed in the garden is that Eve decided she's gonna be her own God. Right. I'm not gonna I'm not gonna follow and whether she was deceived in some portion but Adam certainly knew what he was doing.

And so when you think about it from that standpoint the hideousness of sin is so neglected. Right. We wink and we nod at sin. And not only do we wink and nod but would you agree that the majority of people do not believe that God will judge.

Do you believe that that is a an accurate statement that the majority of people do not seek or desire redemption because they believe that God will not judge. And even if God does judge he will judge according to their way of thinking rather than God's righteousness.

You think that's a valid statement. Thank you. Yeah. Right. Right. Sure. And we think that that we can work some sort of arrangement with God. Right. The prohibition in the garden is crystal clear. Right.

Do not. And yet for all of that many people are racist that they believe that God. And I've said this many times most people to me either believe that God can or he won't. That he either can't judge them or he won't judge them.

And I wanted to point to a scripture and this is just something that came actually came to me this morning. But just take your Bible submit it. I want you to go to Psalm 10 and I want to look at something in Psalm 10.

And then like I said I really want to get back to summing it up as we looked at last week compared to this week. But I wanted to read this Psalm. And I want you to read it with me in light of what we just said that the God who does not wipe out rebels is no more thanked by those rebels that he did not wipe out.

Because those rebels that he did not wipe out neither believe that they have a need for redemption or that God will judge. Read this Psalm with me. It says. Why do you stand afar off. O Lord. Why do you hide yourself in times of trouble.

The wicked in his pride as pride persecutes the poor. Let them be caught in the plots which they have devised. For the wicked boasts of his heart's desire. There there is the I'll be my own God and I'll do what I want.

He blesses the greedy and renounces the Lord. The wicked in his proud countenance does not seek God. God is in none of his thoughts. His ways are always prospering. His judgments are far above out of sight.

And all of his enemies. He sneers at him. He has said it now look what it says. He has said in his heart I shall not be moved. I shall never be an adversity. His mouth is full of cursing and deceit and oppression.

And under his tongue is trouble and iniquity. And he sits in the lurking places of the villages in the secret places. He murders the innocent. His eyes are secretly fixed on the helpless. He lies and waits secretly as a lion in his den.

He lies and wait to catch the poor and he catches the poor and he draws them into his net. He crouches and he lies low that the helpless may fall by his strength. With a verse 11. He has said in his heart God has forgotten.

He hides his face. He will never see it arise. Oh Lord. Oh God. Lift up your hand and do not forget the humble. And why did the wicked renounce God. He has said in his heart here it is again you will not require an account.

But you have seen it for you have observed trouble and grief to repay it by your hand. The helpless commits himself to you. You are the helper of the fatherless. Break the arm of the wicked and the evil man seek out his weakness weak wickedness until you find none.

The Lord is King forever and ever. The nations have perished out of his hand. Lord you have heard the desire of the humble. You will prepare their heart. You will cause your ear to hear to do justice to the fatherless of the oppressed.

That the man of the earth may oppress no more. So in this song a number of times specifically it says that that the the proud in heart the self righteous in heart the unbelieving in heart that they don't believe.

Well they don't believe many things. But they certainly that they somewhat maybe they believe in the creation all some loose thought about creation whatever might be. But this is where they fall right here they just can't see this and so therefore they see no need of it.

And even if there is a need they have no desire to be part of it. And again is it not because people in their pride and as you brought up and I think that's probably the case with many many people even if there is a judgment even if there is an accountability again my scale will at the end of the day.

Right. And isn't that what the apostle talks about in Romans 1. So what do we do. We we accuse us we excuse ourselves and we accuse others. Right. I mean I could say I'm tall as long as I'm not standing next to a seven-foot man.

Right. As long as I'm standing next to a five-foot man I'm a giant put me up against a seven-foot man. And what happens again. As long as we do that we're going to come out to a point where we'll work this out for ourselves.

We don't need God. Therefore I can remain my own God. And God's gonna have to abide with how I think how I feel my perception just some things to think about as you go through as we begin to unfold because again in the next session and so on until we get to the end of the book as we said in the beginning was there's the beginning.

Then there's the revelation of God which is progressive and unfolding and God is disclosing himself ultimately to hear what Christ is the summation of it all. And then of course it carries on out to eternity.

The Image of God, Dominion, Work, Relationships, and Fellowship Before and After the Fall

We got just a few minutes left. I want to do something. So if you remember what brother Mike brought up last week he spoke about things that were in the garden and we're right. So I took some notes. Okay.

So one of the things that we talked about was how what was the the situation before the fourth. And so we brought up and thought about man was God's image bearer. And and man was given rule and dominion and and that relationships were right.

And there was work to be done. It was it wasn't that Adam was supposed to sit around on a couch all day. And then it was worship those convicted that man was was innocent versus righteous. And that there was fellowship.

Right. And it was fellowship how there was fellowship vertically. And it was fellowship horizontally. Okay. So what I want to do in the next few minutes is just go through that list and anything else you come up with.

Okay so we read about the fall. We know it take it takes place. We know that the implications are earth shattering in a sense. And not only earth shattering but apart from God they're irreversible. Right.

Unless we not going to believe in as I said the cross the only way out there is what there is no other name on the heaven given among men by which we must be saved. Right. So let's go through this just for a second.

Image bearers. We were image bearers before the fall. Are we image bearers after the fall. Okay are we do you want to quantify that at all. Do we agree with my brother in blue. By the way we got the same memo.

So okay image bearers. So it's it's it's still there. But it's what all. Right. I'm gonna use this where we could have said damage. It's ruined. Right. But that doesn't mean we still have we still not the image bearers got.

We certainly are. We can spend a lot of time talking about what that means. But that's not what I'm trying to do this morning with this. Okay. So that's ruined. Ruling Dominion. Adam wants to name all the animals.

Adam wants to have Dominion subdue the earth before the fall. What happened after the fall. Does that still hold. Sir. So this was a would you agree. This was a blessing and a pleasure. Wouldn't you agree.

How about it. I'm gonna ask you a question. What happens when I put this word down your own right. Certainly I'd have to know came out of the off the animals fear the man versus. But this whole concept of ruling Dominion and certainly it's worn out as God says to Adam what.

Well first he tells Eve having little chitlins not gonna be an easy thing. But as far as man having Dominion it's still there. Isn't it. But in a sense it's ruined it's marred it's damaged it it's used my terminology it's a mess.

Unless you retire then you have six Saturdays and one Sunday. That's what I talked to my cousin. That's what he told me at his retirement was him when he first started said I have six Saturdays and a Sunday.

I've declared that my mother are relationships. Now me and brother Mike have been talking about something but as I said brother I think we would have talked about the whole idea of relationships in marriage between men and women but nevertheless relationships with a with a good with a right.

Before you brought up the point even of the of the animals and even in that sense the relationship of man to the creation was was right. Adam and Eve were right. Adam and the animals were right. Okay.

What's this point here. It's a recurring word growing again not gone. This is why I'm trying to do this and make this point so distinctly is this is where so many people have a flip the board over again and talk about redemption.

This is why so many people really don't understand redemption. Because they think this is natural. It's not. It's a result of what it's a result of sin. It's it's a result of the pronouncing of God's judgment for man's rebellion.

Right. So so people are always trying to focus here again because to them this is the norm this is mother nature this is father time. This is the way it is it is what it is. No this is the way it's. It's become because man decided to be his own God.

And I say they're not just because you you are young people here but I would say to anybody especially young people if you think you're gonna make your way in the world you better realize it's a ruined world.

The only way you're gonna make it is to come in through the Shepherd of the sheep which is Christ all. Right. A couple more Melinda work. They're in the garden. Right. When you. Okay what about work now toil you know what I'm gonna do.

I've learned how to spell this word. So I was never meant to be and praise God that he didn't just destroy it all but rather you pronounce judgment. And not only that but even in the pronunciation of judgment God has prepared one to restore this.

That's the only not created we create new you to God according to the righteousness of God. When we read about heaven isn't it glorious that because of Christ this whole thing will be restored. No not restored make better glorious thing.

What about worship. I think that's a real good point sister. I think when we think about it there was there was perfect harmony and worship and adoration. Right. Now we didn't. It doesn't go away. But truthfully the only way to find it in truth is to be coming through Christ again.

Right again he is the door for not only eternal salvation but he is the door that restores what we messed up. I wanted to read something and I got just a second. There was a I think it was in the book not in the leaders guide.

We see if I could if you remember as you read it there was a there was a person who asked a bunch of important people to write a paper on what they thought was wrong with the world. You remember that when you read the book hey what is brother probably is yep that's it so so that he had asked a bunch of educated smart intelligent people to write a letter write a paper on what they thought was wrong with the world.

And look on top of page 36 it says it asked several eminent writers to contribute pieces under the theme what's wrong with the world. And CH Chesterson replied dear sirs I am sincerely yours CK just now.

Isn't that the truth. Do you not believe that all of us should say you know what's wrong with the world I am. And why. Why can I truthfully say that. Because I have been brought in under that I have been brought in under what took place with Adam as my representative head.

And now in Christ it's being restored. But nevertheless what's wrong with the world. And that's another thing. Right. How easy it is for us to say what's wrong with the world. Is this that. And the other thing what's wrong with the world is that we are ruined and we only find redemption in Christ.

And that's why again take it as a parent as parents all we want for our children is that they would. Well not all but many many parents. All they want is that their children would what be successful be happy be peace have a good life have it easier than I had it.

You know when I was growing up we me and my sister had split the shoes. You know on Monday she wore shoes. On Tuesday I wore the shoes. My brother who's the youngest he never got to wear shoes. But but really what really need for our children is that they would understand what took place and that they would find true redemption.

Because true redemption will bring all those other things. By the way won't they sure they will all right just to finish innocent before the fall innocent after the fall absolutely ruined all. Right. We're gonna write that one and big letters.

Well fellowship. And when I mean fellowship I mean it kind of ties into the relationship. But but there's a reality of can we have fellowship with God apart from God's redemptive revelation. No we can see God in the creation is a visible attributes are clearly seen.

We have the conscience of the witness of conscience in our hearts as Paul picks up in Romans 2. Right. And it bears witness. But the fellowship cannot be had through general revelation. The cop the fellowship can only come through special revelation.

And special revelation is the revelation of who Jesus Christ. So you see when we started the time this morning as he entitled the chapter the God who does not wipe out rebels. How thankful we ought to be that he is the God who doesn't wipe out rebels.

Right. That he is the God who provides provides redemption. Provides a covering provides a way back to what we took and what we ruined. So next week we'll pick it up in the next chapter. But Michael have more to say.

And I assure you whether he says exactly what I said. Or I say exactly we're gonna follow this. Because really all we're gonna do is seek to do what. Follow this this is God's unfolding passage through through the before the before and then redemption.

Ok with that we need to stop.