Adam and Eve Are Driven from Eden
Introduction
1. Some questions from God. (3:9-11). 1) “Where art thou?” 2) “Who told thee that thou wast naked?” and 3) “Hast thou eaten of the tree, whereof I commanded thee that thou shouldest not eat?” Each one of these questions is very important and highly significant in God’s reaction to man’s sin. Let us note in some detail the first question.
2. ‘‘Where art thou?” In effect, God is saying: “You used to come to meet me; you did not fear me at all. You certainly never tried to hide yourself from me. What are you trying to do now?” It is a call to contrast where he was formerly with where he is presently.
3. What about each of us today? Let each one of us ask himself then three questions: 1) Where did you used to be? You were lost in sin, but you heard the gospel. You learned that you were lost in sin, but that because of love, Christ died for our sins (John 3:16: Romans 5:8-9). You were baptized into Christ, having all of your sins washed away (Romans 6:3-5; Acts 22:16; Galatians 3:27). For a time you “walked in the light” (1 John 1:7), you lived a godly life. Your life was such as led others to glorify God and to obey the gospel. 2) But, where are you now? Are you still walking “in the light”? Do you still love the Lord above all else? Do you still love the brethren? Do you still live a godly and pure life? 3) Where will you be? Where will you be one year from today? Will you still be unfaithful? Will you still lack love for God, for your brethren, for your neighbor? Where will you be in eternity? Will you be in Heaven with God and the saved people of all dispensations? Or will you be in Hell—in the lake that burns with fire and brimstone?
These questions should help us to be aware of the importance of today’s lesson.
4. Brief outline of today’s lesson. An outline of today’s lesson is: 1) a call to account and an excuse (3:13); 2) punishment of the serpent (3:14-15a); 3) punishment of the woman (3:15b-16); 4) punishment of the man (3:17-19); 5) the woman named and the pair clothed (3:20-21); and 6) man and woman driven from the garden (3:22-24).
The Golden Text
“For the wages of sin is death.”
This passage tells that what we earn by a life of sin is death—eternal separation from God and everything that is good. (Matthew 25:1-13; 14-30; 31-46). One receives eternal life only by a gift from God—salvation cannot be earned. But, if one passes through the door of death out into eternity with sin yet upon his soul, then he will have earned death! From the foregoing, it is clear that sin has the power to destroy.
1. Sin has the power to destroy angels. “For if God spared not angels when they sinned, but cast them down to hell, and committed them to pits of darkness” (2 Peter 2:4; cf. Jude 6).
2. Sin has the power to destroy cities. “For if God . . . turning the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah into ashes condemned them with an overthrow, having made them an example unto those that should live ungodly . . .” (2 Peter 2: 6; cf. Genesis 19:24; Jude 4-6).
3. Sin has the power to destroy nations. ‘‘Now I desire to put you in remembrance, though ye know all things once for all, that the Lord, having saved a people out of the land of Egypt, afterward destroyed them that believed not” (Jude 5; cf. 1 Corinthians 10:5-10; Hebrews 3:16-19). Sin not only destroyed Israel, it also destroyed such a mighty empire as Rome. It can destroy our great nation.
4. Sin has the power to destroy the people of the world. “For if God . . . spared not the ancient world, but preserved Noah with seven others, a preacher of righteousness, when he brought a flood upon the world of the ungodly” (2 Peter 2:5; 3:6).
5. Sin has the power to destroy churches. To the church of Christ in Ephesus, the Lord wrote, “Remember therefore whence thou art fallen, and repent and do the first works; or else I come to thee, and will move thy candlestick out of its place, except thou repent” (Revelation 2:5; cf. 2:14-16; 2:20-23; 3:5; 3:15-19).
6. Sin has the power to destroy individuals. To Saul, king of Israel Samuel, the prophet, gave this message from God, “Though thou wast little in thine own sight, wast thou not made the head of the tribes of Israel? And Jehovah anointed the king over Israel” (1 Samuel 15:17). Thus Samuel reminded Saul of the humility which characterized Saul in his early life. But after Saul fell into sin, God (through Samuel) told him, “For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, and stubborness is as idolatry and teraphim. Because thou hast rejected the word of Jehovah, he hath also rejected thee from being king” (1 Samuel 15:23). God rejects the man who rejects His word (Deuteronomy 11:26; 2 Chronicles 15:1-2). Sin has the power to destroy (in the sense of being separated from God—not annihilation) in Hell (2 Thessalonians 1:7-9; Mark 9: 44-49; Revelation 20:10-15).
The Text Explained
A Call to Account and an Excuse (Genesis 3:13)
“And Jehovah God unto the woman, What is this thou hast done? And the woman said, The serpent beguiled me, and I did eat.”
1. The call to account. This question really asks, “How could you have done what you did?” It is as if we today might say, “How could you have done such a thing?” It indicates that the deed was prodigiously evil. None of us can know fully the enormous heinousness of even one sin—except by God’s revelation to us. We can learn much of how terrible sin is by learning: 1) the punishment a living God must inflict upon those who live and die in sin (Revelation 20:10-15); and 2) the price which was required for sinners to have a way of salvation from that just punishment: the crucifixion of Jesus Christ, the Son of God (John 3:16; Romans 5:8-9).
When we forget our own sins, it seems incredible that with so many blessings would forget them. but, when we remember our own sins, we are better able to understand their action.
2. The effort to excuse. The woman’s statement literally means, “The serpent caused me to forget or to go astray; the serpent misled me.” In effect, the woman is saying “While it is true that I did eat, you should note that it was not really my fault.” Of the woman whom God had given to man, the man had asserted that she had given him of the forbidden tree and that (as a result) he had eaten of it. Of course, there was truth in what he said: God had given the woman to him. But, he could not blame rightly anyone else for the sin he himself had committed. Just as did the man, the woman tried to evade the responsibility for her own sin. Now that she had fallen into sin, love of truth no longer resided within her heart; she no longer spoke the truth (at least in this matter).
It is true, of course, that the serpent did beguile the woman, but she was under no necessity to give in to his lies. God had told her what to do in simple language. She knew what he had said; there was no doubt in her mind about that. But, on this occasion, she manifested a characteristic which seems common to those who fall into sin: she tried to blame someone else for her sin. In contrast to this evasive action, there were some biblical characters who showed the moral courage and strength necessary to confess forthrightly and sincerely their own sin. David was such a person. When Nathan, God’s prophet, confronted him with his sin, David confessed, “I have sinned against Jehovah” (2 Samuel 12:13). In his prayer for forgiveness he pleaded, “For I know my transgressions; and my sin is ever before me. Against thee, thee only, have I sinned, and done that which is evil in thy sight” (Psalm 51:3- 4).
God did not honor the “excuse” of the woman enough to even reply to it. Let this be a lesson to each of us when we are tempted to offer excuses for our own sins. Sin cannot be excused! Further, we must confess our own sins (Luke 18:9-14).
Punishment of the Serpent (Genesis 3:14-15)
“And Jehovah God said unto the serpent, Because thou hast done this, cursed art thou above all cattle, and above every beast of the field; upon thy belly shalt thou go, and dust shalt thou eat all the days of thy life; and I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed: he shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel.”
No suggestion of possibility of pardon. God does not ask any questions of the serpent. Rather He simply pronounces judgment. The serpent was either the devil or his agent (John 8:44; Revelation 12: 9; 20:2) so there was no possibility of reformation with him. Therefore, there was no possibility of pardon. So, there was no need of a plan of salvation for him. There was only condemnation with no hint that the situation might, at some future time, be different in regard to this matter (cf. 2 Peter 2:4). He had led Eve and Adam to sin. For this, he is placed under a curse and declared to be inferior to all cattle and every beast of the field.
It is the common lot of men to be revulsed by serpents.
The curse specified. 1) “Upon thy belly. . . .” It is doubtful that any one can be certain as to the physical makeup of the serpent prior to the declaration of this curse. Some have suggested that the description here does not necessarily indicate that anything like a complete transformation too place. However, it does seem that at least some change is here indicated and that from the time of that declaration the serpent was to go upon its belly. Whereas most of the rest of animal life have feet or wings (or some other appendage) to use as means of locomotion, the serpent moves by sliding in the dirt. It is surely the case that going upon his belly (in contrast to a former state which was otherwise) was a part of the curse.
2) “. . . and dust shalt thou eat.” This no doubt means that (because of its position of sliding in the dirt) dust would be mingled with what the serpent ate. It is also suggested by scholars that the expression, “dust shalt thou eat” is equivalent to “eat the dust” and means: to be reduced to a condition of shame and contempt. At any rate, we do know (from present-day observation) that, even if prior to this curse the serpent was a magnificent creature, the curse was perpetual for the serpent still literally eats dust with its food. Further, it is “in the lowest possible position in the creative scale.”
It should be stressed that this may well be viewed not so much as punishment but simply action which gives emphasis to the humiliation and defeat of the tempter.
The curse expanded. “And I will put enmity . . .” Jehovah continued the curse upon the serpent by saying, “And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed: he shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel.” During the temptation, the woman had listened to the cunning persuasion of the serpent with attention, delight, and credibility. After the pronouncement of the curse, she was from thenceforth to regard him as an enemy. Some scholars hold that the curse regarding “enmity” has reference only to the abiding antipathy between mankind and serpents. Others hold that it refers to the enmity between mankind and the devil (who used the serpent as his agent). It seems difficult to rule out altogether the view that the curse includes the enmity between men and serpents. Yet, even if this much is granted, it must be insisted that the expression “he shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel” has reference to the work of Christ in overthrowing the work of the devil (cf. Hebrews 2:14-15) .
It is also clear that a state of enmity abides between not only the woman and the serpent but also all of their descendants. It should be noted that the “seed of the woman” would bruise the head of the serpent. Further the serpent would bruise the heel of the seed of the woman. Without doubt this is the first intimation of the gospel message whereby Christ, by crushing the devastating work of the devil, would make the offer of salvation through his blood to all men (Hebrews 2:14-15; 1 Corinthians 15:54-57; Ephesians 1:7; 1 John 3:8; John 12:31-32; Romans 5:8-9; John 3:16). In this connection, it must be emphasized that the reference (in regard to this marvelous work) is to “the seed of the woman.” It is usually the case that descent is traced through the male of the species—not the female. Yet here the tracing is done through the female. Thus reference here can be to none other than the Lord Jesus Christ, who was born of the virgin Mary—without the instrumentality of a human father (Matthew l:18-25).
The “seed of the serpent’“ must surely refer to those descendants of Eve who inbibe the spirit and actions of the devil himself (cf. Matthew 23:33; 1 John 3:10).
This first intimation of the gospel plan of salvation is marvelous evidence that the Bible truly is the word of God. There is no other way of accounting adequately for such wonderful foreknowledge.
Punishment of the Woman (Genesis 3: 16)
“Unto the woman he said, will greatly multiply thy pain and thy conception; in pain thou shalt bring forth children; and thy desire shall be to thy husband, and he shall rule over thee.”
Even though the man and the woman were not cursed, as was the serpent, it is nevertheless the case that sentence was pronounced upon them. In regard to the sentence of the woman, there were three elements: two of which related to her role as a mother and one which related to her role as a wife.
1. Elements of the sentence which related to her role as a mother. 1) “Greatly multiply thy pain and thy conception.” However, this does not imply that pain was to have been the normal lot for women. The point is: woman’s lot from henceforth will involve pain and sorrow (including various matters connected with conception), in fact, many things which are hard to bear. The thought seems to be that women were to suffer in many ways, and, in particular, in connection with conception. 2) “In pain thou shalt bring forth children.” When women become aware of the painful experiences connected with childbirth, they may seek to avoid it, but the fate to be experienced by most women is to be a rather frequent recurrence of it. Each conception results in the pains of parturition. There is no indication that having children is a part of the punishment—it is the bearing of children in pain.
2. Elements of the sentence which related to her role as a wife. 1) “Thy desire shall be to thy husband.” This means that the woman is to be strongly attracted to her husband; she is to have a strong “yearning” for him. It must not be concluded that this yearning is merely sexual in its nature (although this is included). The point is: woman has a strong attraction for her husband which she cannot obliterate from her nature. 2) “And he shalt rule over thee.” In the light of the woman’s effort to take independent action in violation of the will of God (and, thus, in a sense, to attempt to take a measure of control over the man, cf. 2 Timothy 2:14), and of her successful effort to lead him into sin to be controlled by him. Man is the head of woman; Christ is the head of man (1 Corinthians 1l:3). However, men must remember that the Lord forbids their being harsh and overbearing in their leadership. Having learned that the Bible teaches that the wife is to be in submission to the husband, some men become overbearing with their wives. Some husbands act as if they thought their wives had no intelligence at all and regard their wives merely as a tool for the gratification of their sexual desires. Every husband should study prayerfully Ephesians 5:22-32 in order to learn that husbands are to love their wives as Christ loved the church (He died on the cross for it). It will be not only easy, but a source of great happiness for a wife to submit herself to a husband who loves her as Christ loves the church! Thus, Christianity while recognizing woman to be under the headship of man, truly exalts her by making her the object of love which is like that of Christ’s.
Punishment of the Man (Genesis 3:17-19)
“And unto Adam he said, ‘Because thou hast hearkened unto the voice of thy wife, and hast eaten of the tree, of which I commanded thee, saying “Thou shalt not eat of it:” cursed is the ground for thy sake; in toil shalt thou eat of it all the days of thy life; thorns also and thistles shall it bring forth to thee; and thou shalt eat the herb of the field; in the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread, till thou return unto the ground; for out of it wast thou taken: for dust thou art, and unto dust shalt thou return.’”
1. The reason for it. It is because Adam yielded to the temptation (to violate the command of God) put before him by his wife, that he was then to be punished. Adam should have: 1) before the woman’s sin attempted to persuade her not to succumb to the temptation, or 2) having failed to prevent her from sinning, instead of joining her in sin, he should have remained pure (and, perhaps, have become her teacher following her sin in the hope of leading her to repentance—although we have no instruction as to the details of such; this is conjectural). Instead, he sinned in full knowledge of what he was doing (1 Timothy 2:14).
2. Results of the disobedience. 1) “Cursed is the ground.” Whitelaw contends that the “language does not necessarily imply that now, for the first time, in consequence of the fall, the physical globe underwent a change . . . simply, it announces the fact that because of the transgression of which he had been guilty, he would find the land beyond the confines of Eden lying under a doom of sterility” (emp. added). Evidently, Eden was a special place for man to occupy before he fell into sin. After his sin, he was cast out of the garden into a situation which was different from that which he had in the garden. The garden was the perfect situation for pre-fallen man. The world outside the garden was the perfect situation for fallen man. (Read a detailed treatment of this matter in Have Atheists Proved There Is No God? by Thomas B. Warren.) 2) “In toil shall thou eat of it.” In order to eat from thenceforth man must, by hard labor, gain the things he eats from the soil. Man’s very existence depends upon what he obtains (either directly or indirectly) from the ground.
3) “Thorns and thistles shall it bring forth.” Thorns and thistles grow in the fields without any effort on the part of man. But, if he wants anything else, he must labor for it.
4) “Thou shalt eat the herb of the field.” No longer will he be able to eat of the delicacies of the Garden. Now he must eat what he must labor to grow—in the face of the thorns and thistles which would also be growing.
5) “In the sweat of thy face. . . ” Man’s food was to be obtained only by labor which resulted in perspiration.
6) “. . . unto dust shalt thou return.” The mortality of men—except for those who are still alive at the second coming of Christ (1 Corinthians 5:51-53) is certain (Hebrews 9:27). Man’s body came from the ground. To that ground his body will return, but his spirit will continue to live after the death of the body (Matthew 10:28; Ecclesiastes 12:7; Luke 16:19-31.)
Woman Named and the Pair Clothed (Genesis 3:20-21)
“And the man called his wife’s name Eve: because she was the mother of all living. And Jehovah God made for Adam and for his wife coats of skin, and clothed them.”
1. The woman is called Eve. Since the woman was to be the mother of all who would later live on the Earth, and since “Eve” means “life,” the woman was named appropriately.
2. God clothes the pair. Various scholars suggest a number of valuable lessons to be learned from the fact that God clothed the pair with skins. Lack of space here precludes our considering them. It must suffice to note that God did clothe them with the skin of animals. Exactly why He did this, we are not told.
Adam and Eve Are Driven from the Garden (Genesis 3:22-24)
“And Jehovah God said, ‘Behold, the man is become as one of us, to know good and evil; and now lest he put forth his hand, and take also of the tree of life, and eat, and live for ever—therefore Jehovah God sent him forth from the garden of Eden, to till the ground from whence he was taken. So he drove out the man; and he placed at the east of the garden of Eden the Cherubim, and the flame of a sword which turned every way, to keep the way of the tree of life.”
1. “The man is become as one of us.” The “us” here refers to the three persons of the one Godhead (Matthew 3:13-16; 17:1-5; 28:18-20; John 8:15-18). This does not mean that they had become Gods, but simply that the knowledge of “evil” (which they had come to know by their own sin) enabled them know that they were no longer “good.” The implication is that if they remained in the garden, by eating of the tree of life, they could live (physically) forever in their state of sin.
2. God casts them out. God drove sinful man from the garden and placed at the east of the garden the Cherubim (angels who were to keep man from returning to the garden). No doubt, “the flame of a sword” was there for the same purpose.
Thomas B. Warren
(1920-2000)
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The above article is from the files of Thomas B. Warren, 1972.