Thursday, Read Genesis 3 - The Darkest Day in History

As the parents of the whole human race, Adam and Eve were our best shot. Adam specifically, as the representative of us all, obviously made a terrible choice. We could belittle him, if we weren't so prone to follow his example with gusto. Even if we condemn him with our lips; we commend him with our actions.

Why did God give a choice at all though? For one, if no real choice existed, then love and worship would have no sensible definition. Automatons couldn't have offered what God wants and deserves. If we are and were created for God's pleasure (Revelation 4:11) then a genuine autonomy in the human spirit is a necessity.  Can't we believe that God is powerful enough to create creatures with actual prerogatives?

Now, consider these intriguing scenes from that dark day:

Satan promised that they would be like gods (verse 5); but they actually lost much of their God-likeness by partaking of that fruit. Satan said that their eyes would be opened, and their eyes were opened... but what they saw wasn't rewarding like Satan had postulated that it would be.

Eve seems to have been very strict in her interpretation of God's command. She said, "We can't even touch the fruit!" Yet failure followed hard on the heels of her elevated standard. Eve was stricter than God, but she was still deceived by Lucifer.  It is humility that allows God to produce holiness in us, not just higher personal standards.

Adam and Eve's aprons seem to exemplify the inadequacy of human self-righteous, while God's coats (verse 21) prefigure the complete adequacy of the righteousness that is imputed to us by God’s grace through justification.

Then there is the blame game: Adam passed the buck to Eve and to God; Eve passed it on to Satan. All three were punished though.  What does that tell us?

The promise of a conquering Savior is the most precious part of this chapter (see verse 15).

And finally, the curses against Satan, men, women, creation and against mankind generally are direct and precise. Interestingly, some of these curses are also transferable. Men and women can adopt Satan's curse (hell). Women can adopt the man's curse (difficulty in providing). Of course, women are stuck alone with the curse of pain in childbirth (unless you can explain I Timothy 2:15 to us). Most wonderfully though, Christ has taken the ultimate curse of death upon Himself and makes eventual escape from it possible for both men and women.

Satan's plight, of course, is apparently hopeless.  To whom much is given, much is required.  Lucifer was originally the most blessed of all creations.  But, he is doomed, so don't ever fight for that loser. Stay on the winning side!