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The Garden Ruined · Stornoway Free Church of Scotland - Sermons

0:00
Well, we're turning back to the chapter that we read in Genesis chapter 3.
0:05
! I'm not going to spend much time by way of introduction because we covered all of it last night.
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Remember that I said to you there were four things I wanted to think about.
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One was the uniqueness of the nature of humankind, and then the work that God had given him to do,
0:25
and then the companion that God had created specifically for him.
0:29
But you remember the last one was the choice that man faced, the first man faced.
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And that's what I want to explore with us this evening, the choice that the man faced.
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I want to do that by just thinking about three things.
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One of them, the first one, is the specific arrangement that God came to with Adam.
0:51
The specific arrangement that related to, focused on, the trees he was allowed to eat and the tree that he wasn't allowed to eat.
1:01
And then secondly, I want us to think about the process.
1:04
That's what this chapter is all about, at least in the first part of it.
1:07
The process through which sin entered into the world.
1:12
I want us to think about the conversation that took place between Eve and the serpent.
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And then I want us to think lastly of the fall itself.
1:21
That moment when Eve and Adam, they took the forbidden fruit, and they immediately, everything changed.
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Everything changed.
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The whole atmosphere changed suddenly from one of perfection to one of destruction and shame and darkness.
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And I want us to look at the consequences of God's wrath and his mercy.
1:51
So I think there's enough there to be getting on with for the next half an hour or so.
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First of all, I want us to think about the arrangement, the specific arrangement that God came to with Adam.
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Now, we're not told the half, of course, of what Adam was shown, the kind of conversations that must have taken place between Adam and God.
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There must have been loads and loads of words exchanged between the two of them.
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But the Bible wants us to focus on a very narrow area of interest.
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And the reason for that is because this is where the test of man lay.
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This is where it was going to be determined whether or not the man who was made in the image of God
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was going to live up to that image perfectly and indestructibly.
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And so the focus of the chapter is on what they ate, the trees in the garden,
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and what God was prepared to permit them to eat,
2:55
but also what he forbade, the prohibition that God imposed on the man.
3:02
And we're given this in very, very clear terms, and specific reference is made to it.
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God says, first of all, you may surely eat of every tree of the garden,
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but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat,
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for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die.
3:23
Now, if you think about it, just think about that one verse.
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It's formulated in a particular way.
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And theologians down the centuries have identified such a formulation as a covenant.
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A covenant.
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And so when it came to the writing of the subordinate standard
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that our church adheres to the Westminster Confession of Faith,
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they identify that specific covenant as,
3:55
you should know this,
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the covenant of works.
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The covenant of works.
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And just as an aside,
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it's probably best,
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it's probably valuable to just spend one or two minutes
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just identifying what a covenant was in the first place.
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A covenant was a promised bond.
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A promised bond.
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I suppose that's probably the best way of describing it.
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And it very often takes place in human terms
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between two kings,
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two countries that are at war with one another.
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When one country,
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when it becomes clear that
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one country is going to dominate and win the war,
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to the extent where the other king decides,
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I'm going to surrender,
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they come together and they talk terms of peace.
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And in the old days,
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way back in Old Testament times,
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those terms of peace would be called a covenant.
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The two kings would come together,
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two governments,
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and they would come to a deal,
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if you like,
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in which the winner or the suzerain
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would say to the loser,
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the vassal,
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here are my terms of peace.
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Here is what I'm going to promise you
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by way of security for the future.
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And here is what I'm going to demand of you
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as our vassal.
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And so that made for a resolution of the conflict.
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And it made for a secure future,
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both for the winner king and the loser king.
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And it meant that,
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hopefully,
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if the terms of peace were good,
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which they often were,
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that both countries would be able
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not only to live in peace,
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but actually to improve relations with one another.
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That's how it worked
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in Old Testament times.
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And it wasn't just an agreement.
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It wasn't just a loose agreement.
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It was a very solemn set of...
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They often went through a very solemn ceremony
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in which blood was...
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The blood of an animal was spilled.
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And indeed,
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when you come on to Abrahamic times,
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an animal was cut in half.
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And there was a ceremony
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in which the two kings would go through the...
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walk down the aisle,
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if you like,
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together.
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And they were saying,
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if either one of us breaks this covenant,
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let us be like this animal
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that has been cut in half.
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That was the solemnity of the covenant.
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And a fascinating,
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fascinating theme.
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Not least because the idea of covenant
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is rooted in God.
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That's how God operates.
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By way of a formal promise bond
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in which he comes to his people
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and he says,
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I am the Lord.
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You are my people.
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Here is what I am promising you.
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And here is what I am expecting of you.
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Now, if you put it like that,
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go through the Old Testament
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and you'll find that that occurs
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on several different occasions.
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And the first of them is this one.
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I'm tempted to go through this
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in greater detail,
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but I'm going to say this rather cheekily,
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that if you want to explore this
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in more detail,
7:30
sign up for the ETS Saturday course
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two weeks from today.
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And we will be exploring this
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in great detail
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all the way through the Bible.
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I hope you'll forgive me for a plug.
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But it's all to do
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with what we're doing
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and the kind of work that I do.
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Not just for students,
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but for the whole church.
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The first of these covenants
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is found right here.
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Now, there's some people who say,
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well, there's no mention of a covenant.
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It doesn't tell us
7:59
in other places in the Bible.
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There's clear mention
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that this is a covenant,
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but not here.
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But when it bears
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all the hallmarks of a covenant,
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then I think we can safely assume
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with good reason
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that the covenant exists.
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And here it is again.
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Let me just read it to you once again.
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The Lord God
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commanded the man saying,
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you may eat.
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Here's the provision
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that I'm making for you.
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Here's the promise
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that I'm making for you.
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You may surely eat
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of every tree of the garden,
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but of the tree
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of the knowledge
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of good and evil,
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you shall not eat.
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There's the prohibition.
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There's the terms of peace.
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The terms of agreement
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between the two of us.
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That's how God operates.
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And then he says,
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for in the day
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that you shall eat of it,
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you shall surely die.
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Very often a covenant
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contained not only a prohibition,
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but it contained the consequences
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of breaking the covenant.
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We have all the hallmarks
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of this promise bond.
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And that forms the basis
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of our understanding
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of the arrangement
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between God and Adam.
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One of the objections
9:21
that I've often heard
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to Genesis chapter 3
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is this.
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And I've often heard this.
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Skeptics who come to you
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and say,
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well, you know,
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do you honestly mean,
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do you honestly mean us
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to believe
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that all of the world's problems,
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all of the world's difficulties,
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all of the violence
9:40
and the mistrust
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and the betrayals
9:42
and everything happened
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just because
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someone ate an apple?
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Now, if you put it like that,
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then it does sound
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on the surface
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a bit ridiculous,
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doesn't it?
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I can understand
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when somebody comes
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and they say that.
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And what I would say
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to that person is,
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you haven't really understood
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Genesis chapter 3
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or Genesis chapter 2.
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You've taken
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a very superficial view
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of what,
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and that's the reason,
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that's part of the reason
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I wanted to cover this
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this evening
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because I think people
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do take,
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for one thing,
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all the focus
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is on the forbidden fruit,
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isn't it?
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And when we,
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when we simply think
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about the tree of knowledge
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of good and evil
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and that's all we think about,
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then we lose sight
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of the big picture
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of Genesis 2 and 3.
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There's more to it than that
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and I think it's worth exploring
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the bigger picture
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that is happening.
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The fact is
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that Adam was given
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a choice
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of one path
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or another.
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The tragedy is that
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we pay all our attention
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on the tree of knowledge
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of good and evil
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and we forget
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that there was actually
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another tree
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in the middle of the garden.
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You find it
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in verse 9
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in chapter 2.
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The tree of life
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was in the midst
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of the garden
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along with
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the tree of knowledge
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and good and evil.
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We often think of
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the tree of knowledge
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of evil
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as standing on its own
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but that's not so.
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There were two trees
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in the middle of the garden.
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The tree of life
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and the tree of knowledge.
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Now let that form
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the basis
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for your understanding.
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There was the two trees
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and here's God
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in this covenant
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and he says to the man,
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the first thing
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he says is
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you may surely eat
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of every tree
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of the garden.
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Now you put two
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and two together
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and what does that equal?
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If Adam had
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made use
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of the provision
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that God,
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the invitation
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that God had given him
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to eat of any tree
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of the garden,
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every tree of the garden,
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then,
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you know what the answer,
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he would eventually
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have eaten
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of the tree of life
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because the tree of life
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was one of the rest
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of the trees.
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It's bound to have happened.
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So God's,
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God's intention was,
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God's provision was,
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his invitation was,
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that in the course
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of obedience,
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if Adam had chosen
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to obey
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and just eat
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of the marvelous fruit
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that God had given him,
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he would have eventually
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eaten the tree of life
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and by so doing,
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he would have lived forever.
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And you might ask,
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well,
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why was this?
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Well,
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I'll tell you why.
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Because man
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is given
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free will.
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He's made in the image
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of God.
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He knows the difference
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between,
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he knows right,
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but he's given this command
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as a test.
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It has,
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it has to be tested
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because if he's given
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the ability
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to choose
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and to opt
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for one
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or the other,
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then the way
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to determine
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which way he's going
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to go
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is to test him.
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And so this was
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the test.
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But if he had
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chosen to obey,
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if he had chosen
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plan A,
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if you like,
13:30
then it would have
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been a very different
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outcome,
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not only for him
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and Eve,
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but for the rest
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of humanity,
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I believe.
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If you want to think
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about it like this,
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each tree
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is a door.
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You have door one,
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which is
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the tree of life.
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You have door two,
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the tree of knowledge
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of good and evil.
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Now,
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if you think about it
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that way,
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I think it adds
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a little bit of clarity
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to the situation.
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Adam's choice was
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he either goes
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through door one
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or door two,
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but he doesn't
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get to come back.
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He chooses
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one or the other.
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And what his choice
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is,
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is for himself
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and for all
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of humanity
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because he stands
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as what they call
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the federal head,
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which means that
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we were in him.
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he represented us,
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not just himself
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and his wife.
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Genesis chapter 3
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tells the story
14:42
of how Adam and Eve
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chose to enter
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door two
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by eating
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of the forbidden fruit.
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I hope that that
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clarifies
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the situation
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for us
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and it adds
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depth to the objection.
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Oh,
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well,
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you're not going
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to tell me
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that all the troubles
15:01
of the world
15:01
are because somebody
15:02
ate an apple.
15:03
It's not just that at all.
15:05
This is a solemn covenant.
15:06
This is a solemn choice.
15:08
It's an opportunity
15:09
to exercise his free will
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one way or the other.
15:13
In many ways,
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it doesn't matter
15:14
what the fruit was
15:16
or whether it was fruit
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in the first place.
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It so happened to be
15:19
there cannot be
15:20
an easier,
15:21
more clearer option.
15:25
Nobody could mistake it.
15:28
What's more,
15:30
it doesn't get better
15:32
than the Garden of Eden.
15:34
It was no difficult thing
15:36
for Adam and Eve
15:37
to simply obey.
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If they only had obeyed,
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then they would have
15:44
opted for the right choice
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both for themselves
15:47
and for the rest of humanity.
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But it didn't happen
15:53
that way,
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did it?
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It didn't,
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that's not the way it was
15:55
because through a process
15:57
of conversation,
15:58
this brings me on
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to the second point
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I wanted to raise with you,
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a process of conversation
16:03
in chapter three,
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which sees the introduction
16:07
of the serpent,
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all kinds of questions
16:11
in chapter two,
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chapter one,
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two,
16:13
and three.
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I know that Genesis,
16:15
first chapters of Genesis,
16:16
they conjure up
16:17
all kinds of questions.
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Where did the serpent
16:20
come from?
16:21
Who was the serpent?
16:23
Where did evil come from?
16:28
Where is the origin of evil?
16:31
You read in chapter one,
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God saw everything
16:33
that he had made
16:34
and it was all very good.
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In that case,
16:37
where did the presence
16:38
of evil come from?
16:40
That's the most common question
16:42
everyone asks
16:43
who wants to know
16:45
the Bible more.
16:46
The answer,
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I don't know.
16:50
Nobody can give you
16:51
a definitive answer
16:52
to that question.
16:53
It's one of these areas
16:54
where you just have to
16:54
throw up your hands
16:55
and say,
16:56
there is so much
16:57
I can understand
16:58
about the Bible
16:58
but it's limited.
16:59
We have to leave that
17:00
to God.
17:01
I do not know
17:02
where evil is originated
17:04
but it's there
17:06
and it's personal.
17:10
It takes the form
17:11
of Lucifer,
17:13
Satan,
17:14
whatever you want
17:14
to call him
17:15
and he takes the form
17:17
of a serpent
17:18
and he comes to Eve
17:21
in some way.
17:22
I don't know
17:22
what the serpent
17:23
looked like.
17:23
It doesn't matter.
17:24
He comes to Eve.
17:26
I would suggest
17:27
very quickly
17:28
after God commanded them
17:30
not to eat
17:31
of the tree
17:31
of knowledge
17:32
of good and evil
17:33
and he embarks
17:34
on this conversation,
17:36
the temptation
17:37
to do exactly
17:39
what God had forbidden
17:41
and there are
17:42
certain features
17:42
of this conversation
17:43
that are eerily
17:45
and scarily similar
17:47
to the way
17:47
in which he has operated
17:48
all down the centuries
17:50
even today,
17:51
even maybe even
17:52
right now
17:53
in this building.
17:55
He's never far away
17:56
but I want you to notice
17:57
one or two features
17:58
about this conversation.
18:01
First of all,
18:01
I want you to notice
18:02
that at no time
18:03
does the serpent
18:05
ever tell Eve
18:07
to eat the fruit.
18:08
Do you notice that?
18:12
At no time
18:13
does he actually say
18:14
I think you should
18:15
eat the fruit
18:16
because that's not
18:17
subtle enough
18:18
and it sort of
18:21
gives the lie
18:22
to the idea
18:22
that we think
18:23
of temptation
18:24
as this voice,
18:25
this little demon
18:26
on our shoulder
18:27
and he's whispering
18:27
to us
18:28
this is what you should do.
18:29
That's not the way
18:30
it works at all.
18:32
The way it works
18:33
is that
18:34
he began
18:36
to chip away
18:37
at the woman's trust
18:39
in what God
18:40
had said
18:41
and it was a slow
18:43
drip, drip, drip
18:45
process
18:46
in which he starts
18:48
the conversation
18:49
in a plausible manner
18:52
and says
18:52
to Eve
18:53
you know how
18:55
God said
18:57
what was that
18:58
he said?
18:58
He said
18:59
you can't eat
19:01
any of the tree
19:02
of the garden
19:03
again.
19:03
Remind me again.
19:04
She says
19:05
it's about
19:07
that we mustn't
19:09
touch the tree
19:10
in the middle
19:10
of the garden
19:10
of the tree
19:11
of the good
19:11
and evil
19:12
and at that point
19:13
he seizes
19:14
the opportunity
19:15
to chip
19:16
even further
19:17
and he says
19:18
actually
19:19
in actual fact
19:20
things are not
19:21
the way
19:22
that God
19:22
is presenting
19:23
them to you.
19:25
You're not
19:25
going to surely die.
19:28
He knows
19:30
that the day
19:31
you eat it
19:31
you'll become
19:33
like him.
19:33
that's what
19:34
he wants
19:34
to prevent
19:35
you from
19:36
better things.
19:39
And
19:40
you see
19:40
what he's doing?
19:41
He's chipping
19:42
away and he's
19:42
undermining
19:43
her trust
19:44
in the bare
19:45
word of God
19:46
alone.
19:47
and it works
19:52
because as the
19:55
conversation
19:56
proceeds
19:57
her mind
19:59
is wandering
20:00
away
20:00
from that
20:01
position
20:02
where she
20:02
accepted
20:03
or where
20:04
Adam
20:04
accepted
20:05
the simple
20:07
command
20:07
of God
20:08
not
20:10
to go
20:11
not to
20:12
touch
20:12
not to
20:12
eat
20:13
of the
20:14
tree
20:15
of
20:15
knowledge
20:15
of
20:16
good
20:16
and
20:16
evil.
20:22
I think
20:22
you know
20:23
what this
20:23
is about
20:24
don't you?
20:24
You know
20:25
this voice
20:25
at least
20:26
I do.
20:27
it works
20:30
in different
20:31
ways
20:31
according to
20:32
our
20:32
circumstances
20:33
where you
20:34
are
20:34
this evening.
20:35
The serpent's
20:36
been doing
20:36
this.
20:37
This is the
20:37
first time
20:38
he did it
20:38
to a man
20:39
and a woman
20:39
but he's
20:40
been doing
20:40
it for
20:40
centuries
20:41
ever since
20:41
and he's
20:42
doing it
20:42
probably
20:42
even
20:42
tonight.
20:43
even as
20:46
we speak
20:46
perhaps
20:47
some of
20:48
you open
20:48
the Bible
20:49
and say
20:49
is this
20:50
really
20:51
true?
20:52
Is this
20:53
really
20:54
true?
20:54
Is this
20:54
really the
20:55
basis of
20:56
our
20:56
understanding
20:56
of the
20:57
human
20:57
race?
20:59
I mean
20:59
look at
21:00
all these
21:00
eminent
21:00
scientists
21:01
that are
21:01
telling us
21:02
that we
21:03
can do
21:03
away with
21:04
God
21:04
because we
21:06
know so
21:06
much more
21:07
now in
21:08
the 21st
21:08
century.
21:09
We're so
21:09
advanced in
21:11
our
21:11
understanding
21:12
of science
21:13
and surely
21:15
this belongs
21:16
to the
21:16
Middle Ages
21:17
belongs to
21:18
the past.
21:21
Some of
21:22
you have
21:22
probably heard
21:23
this in
21:24
your place
21:25
of work
21:25
or perhaps
21:26
even people
21:26
in your
21:27
family have
21:27
said to
21:27
you
21:28
are you
21:29
serious
21:31
about this?
21:32
You still
21:32
believe?
21:33
That word
21:34
still is
21:35
really painful
21:36
isn't it?
21:36
You still
21:37
believe?
21:41
And it
21:42
gets to
21:42
you.
21:43
it gets
21:46
to you.
21:49
Can I
21:50
be personal
21:50
the way
21:51
it gets
21:51
to me?
21:54
I'm
21:54
coming to
21:55
the sort
21:55
of senior
21:56
end of
21:56
life.
21:58
I'm
21:58
there.
21:59
Senior
22:00
end of
22:00
life.
22:02
And the
22:02
voice I
22:03
hear very
22:04
often is
22:05
what have
22:07
you done
22:08
with your
22:08
life?
22:08
you
22:11
spent all
22:11
these years
22:12
following
22:12
Jesus
22:13
albeit
22:15
rather
22:16
badly.
22:17
You
22:18
haven't
22:18
made a
22:18
very good
22:18
job of
22:19
it.
22:19
But that's
22:20
just an
22:20
aside.
22:20
You
22:20
follow
22:21
Jesus.
22:23
Look at
22:24
what you
22:24
could have
22:25
done.
22:27
Look at
22:27
all these
22:28
people who have
22:28
decided to
22:29
go on
22:29
different paths
22:30
than you.
22:31
Are they
22:31
all getting
22:32
struck by
22:32
lightning?
22:34
No.
22:35
They're all
22:36
thriving.
22:38
They're having
22:39
a great time,
22:39
far better
22:40
time than
22:40
you are
22:41
choosing all
22:43
the difficulty
22:44
of ministry
22:45
and being
22:46
involved in
22:46
the church
22:47
and following
22:47
Jesus
22:48
instead of
22:49
just making
22:50
the most
22:50
of life.
22:51
You know
22:51
what you've
22:52
done?
22:53
You're only
22:53
going to
22:54
live once
22:54
and you've
22:55
blown it.
22:59
Exactly the
23:00
same thing.
23:00
Chipping
23:01
away.
23:03
the word
23:04
of God.
23:05
That's how
23:06
he does it.
23:06
How does
23:06
he do it
23:07
for you?
23:09
How does
23:09
he do it
23:10
for you?
23:14
Probably in
23:14
a similar
23:15
way.
23:15
What do I
23:17
do about
23:18
it?
23:18
How do I
23:18
respond to
23:19
that voice?
23:20
Well I
23:20
come straight
23:21
back to
23:21
the Bible.
23:23
And I
23:23
discover
23:24
actually in
23:25
the Bible
23:25
that I'm
23:26
strangely not
23:27
alone.
23:29
If you
23:30
read Psalm
23:30
73,
23:32
it's the
23:32
most remarkable
23:33
testimony in
23:35
which the
23:36
psalmist,
23:37
he goes
23:38
through exactly
23:39
the same
23:39
process and
23:40
conversation as
23:42
I've just
23:42
described.
23:43
And he
23:44
tells us that
23:45
the wicked are
23:46
thriving.
23:48
They're happy.
23:50
They're not
23:51
suffering in
23:52
any way.
23:53
And here
23:53
he is.
23:55
following God
23:59
in vain.
24:00
And now
24:01
there's a
24:01
turning point
24:02
in Psalm
24:03
73 where
24:04
he says,
24:05
then I
24:06
went into
24:07
the house
24:08
of God.
24:10
And the
24:10
moment I
24:11
went into
24:11
the house
24:12
of God,
24:12
I saw
24:12
things from
24:13
an entirely
24:14
different
24:15
perspective.
24:16
That's what
24:16
we need to
24:17
do.
24:17
my dear
24:18
friends,
24:19
when we
24:21
are overcome
24:22
by those
24:23
voices of
24:24
doubt,
24:25
we must
24:26
take refuge
24:27
in the
24:28
word of
24:28
God alone
24:29
that tells
24:30
us who
24:31
we are
24:32
and it
24:35
tells us
24:35
where our
24:36
hope and
24:37
our promise
24:38
and our
24:38
assurance
24:39
lies in
24:41
God's
24:42
word alone.
24:43
that's
24:45
what we're
24:45
here for,
24:46
isn't it?
24:46
We don't
24:47
have anything
24:47
yet.
24:47
I mean,
24:48
how else
24:48
when you
24:49
think of
24:49
the most
24:50
impossible
24:52
prospect,
24:53
which is
24:54
the resurrection
24:54
of the
24:55
dead,
24:57
that's what
24:58
God promises.
24:58
He says,
25:00
I am the
25:01
resurrection
25:01
of the
25:01
life.
25:02
He believes
25:02
in me,
25:03
though he
25:04
were dead,
25:04
yet shall
25:05
he live.
25:06
We believe
25:07
that.
25:07
Why would
25:08
we believe
25:08
that?
25:10
Because God
25:11
has said
25:12
it.
25:12
that's all.
25:13
The bare
25:14
word of
25:14
God alone.
25:16
Now,
25:17
I must
25:17
hurry up.
25:19
Then the
25:20
third thing
25:21
is that,
25:22
of course,
25:23
you know the
25:23
rest of the
25:24
story,
25:24
the rest
25:24
literally is
25:25
history.
25:26
The woman
25:26
took the
25:26
fruit,
25:27
and by
25:27
the way,
25:28
Adam was
25:29
as culpable
25:29
as Eve
25:30
was.
25:30
She was
25:31
the first.
25:31
Somebody
25:31
had to be
25:32
the first.
25:32
Well,
25:33
so be
25:33
it.
25:34
But the
25:34
moment that
25:36
Eve took
25:36
the fruit,
25:37
everything
25:38
changed.
25:39
The whole
25:40
environment
25:40
changed.
25:41
Light
25:41
became
25:42
darkness.
25:43
Sweetness
25:43
became
25:43
bitterness.
25:45
Security
25:46
became
25:46
fear.
25:49
Peace
25:50
became
25:50
turmoil.
25:52
Outside
25:52
and inside,
25:54
they knew
25:54
that they
25:55
all of a
25:55
sudden
25:56
discovered
25:56
that they
25:56
were naked.
25:58
Whereas
25:58
beforehand,
25:59
in a
25:59
perfect world,
26:00
that was
26:01
immaterial.
26:02
It didn't
26:02
matter because
26:03
God had
26:03
created them
26:04
that way.
26:04
There was
26:05
no need
26:05
for clothing.
26:06
Now they're
26:07
full of
26:07
shame and
26:08
embarrassment.
26:08
They
26:09
pathetically
26:10
sow fig
26:11
leaves for
26:11
themselves and
26:12
they hide
26:13
from God.
26:14
It only
26:14
gets worse
26:15
as the
26:16
chapter
26:16
proceeds.
26:17
God
26:18
comes into
26:18
the garden
26:19
in the
26:20
cool of
26:21
the day.
26:21
They know
26:22
it's going
26:22
to happen
26:23
because it's
26:23
happened
26:24
before.
26:25
Beforehand,
26:26
they've had
26:26
no problem
26:27
with God.
26:27
God has
26:28
been their
26:28
delight.
26:29
They've
26:29
looked forward
26:30
to him
26:30
coming in
26:31
and to
26:31
every
26:32
conversation
26:33
that they've
26:33
had,
26:34
every opportunity
26:34
of fellowship
26:35
with God.
26:36
They said,
26:36
yes,
26:37
Lord,
26:38
we want
26:38
you to
26:39
come in
26:39
now.
26:39
They don't
26:40
want to
26:40
see him.
26:41
They don't
26:41
want him
26:41
anywhere near
26:42
them.
26:44
And yet,
26:45
he's going
26:45
to come
26:46
in in the
26:46
cool of
26:46
the day.
26:47
It's
26:47
interesting.
26:48
Just a
26:48
little bit
26:49
of an
26:49
aside here.
26:51
When it
26:52
tells us
26:52
that the
26:52
Lord God
26:53
walked in
26:54
the garden
26:54
in the
26:55
cool of
26:56
the day,
26:57
well,
26:57
God,
26:57
that's an
26:58
anthropomorphism
26:59
when God
27:00
describes himself
27:00
in human
27:01
terms because
27:02
God doesn't,
27:04
he doesn't have
27:04
legs to
27:05
walk,
27:05
but that
27:05
doesn't matter.
27:07
We know
27:07
what's being
27:08
said.
27:08
But the
27:09
other question
27:10
here in
27:10
this verse
27:11
is the
27:11
cool of
27:12
the day.
27:14
Be very
27:14
careful,
27:15
very careful.
27:16
This is why
27:16
we teach
27:16
our students
27:17
Hebrew,
27:17
by the
27:18
way.
27:19
It's not
27:20
that cool
27:20
of the day
27:21
is not
27:22
correct,
27:23
but there's
27:26
maybe a
27:26
better way
27:26
of putting
27:27
it and
27:27
something
27:28
that is
27:28
a bit
27:28
more,
27:29
more,
27:30
more,
27:30
that will
27:31
fit the
27:32
context.
27:33
The cool
27:33
of the day,
27:34
walking in the
27:34
garden,
27:35
sort of
27:36
gives the
27:36
impression
27:36
that God
27:37
comes in
27:38
blissfully
27:39
unaware of
27:39
what's
27:39
happened.
27:40
He's going
27:40
for a
27:41
quiet stroll
27:41
in the
27:41
garden,
27:42
and he
27:42
doesn't see
27:43
Adam at
27:43
first,
27:43
and he
27:44
says,
27:44
Adam,
27:45
where are
27:45
you?
27:46
that's not
27:49
the way
27:50
it was.
27:54
You'll
27:55
notice
27:55
there's a
27:56
footnote
27:56
that says
27:59
the wind
28:01
of the
28:02
day.
28:04
This was
28:05
not some
28:06
kind of
28:07
innocuous
28:09
walk.
28:10
walk.
28:11
It
28:11
wasn't a
28:12
stroll.
28:13
This was
28:14
judgment.
28:16
This was
28:16
an angry
28:17
creator
28:18
who was
28:19
righteously,
28:22
exceedingly
28:23
angry
28:24
at the
28:26
fact that
28:27
his image
28:28
has
28:30
deliberately
28:32
disobeyed
28:34
him,
28:34
and he
28:37
has every
28:37
right to
28:37
be angry,
28:39
and he
28:40
seeks them
28:40
out,
28:41
and he
28:41
calls them
28:42
out,
28:43
and he
28:43
begins the
28:44
process of
28:45
interrogation,
28:46
and he
28:47
has three
28:48
things to
28:48
say.
28:50
When he
28:50
hears Adam
28:51
and his
28:51
pathetic
28:52
excuse,
28:53
he says,
28:53
what have
28:53
you done?
28:54
Have you
28:55
eaten of
28:55
the fruit
28:56
that I
28:56
told you
28:56
not to
28:57
eat?
28:57
Adam
28:57
immediately,
28:58
first case
28:59
of passing
28:59
the buck
29:00
in history,
29:02
when he
29:02
blames his
29:03
wife,
29:04
God
29:04
turns to
29:04
her,
29:04
he says,
29:05
what's
29:05
this you
29:05
have done?
29:06
She
29:06
passes the
29:07
buck to
29:07
the,
29:08
it's a
29:08
classic
29:08
case of
29:09
refusing to
29:11
take
29:11
responsibility,
29:12
if ever
29:12
there was
29:13
a mark
29:13
of sinful
29:14
behavior,
29:15
sinful human
29:16
nature,
29:16
it is that
29:17
we refuse
29:18
to take
29:18
responsibility
29:19
for what
29:20
we have
29:20
done.
29:23
It was
29:24
a serpent,
29:24
she says,
29:26
that deceived
29:27
me,
29:27
and I
29:27
ate.
29:28
And so
29:28
therefore,
29:28
God turns
29:29
to the
29:29
serpent,
29:29
and he
29:30
says,
29:30
he then
29:31
decides to
29:31
say three
29:32
things in
29:33
judgment,
29:34
he talks
29:36
to the
29:37
serpent,
29:37
then he
29:37
takes to
29:38
this woman,
29:38
and he
29:38
talks to
29:39
the man.
29:40
I'm going
29:41
to take
29:41
these in
29:41
reverse order,
29:42
simply because
29:44
if I do
29:45
so, we
29:46
will end
29:47
on a
29:47
note of
29:48
hope.
29:49
hope.
29:52
What he
29:52
says to
29:53
the man
29:53
is two
29:55
things.
29:58
There are
29:59
two edges
30:00
to what he
30:01
says to
30:01
Adam.
30:02
There's the
30:03
edge of
30:03
judgment,
30:05
but perhaps
30:06
surprisingly,
30:06
hidden in
30:07
this judgment,
30:08
there is
30:09
grace.
30:13
Where do I
30:14
see that?
30:14
Well,
30:16
what he
30:16
says to the
30:17
man,
30:17
he says,
30:17
because you
30:18
have listened
30:18
to the
30:18
voice of
30:19
your wife,
30:19
verse 17,
30:21
and have
30:21
eaten of
30:22
the tree
30:22
which I
30:22
commanded
30:23
you,
30:23
shall not
30:23
curse to
30:24
the ground
30:24
because of
30:25
you.
30:25
In pain,
30:26
you shall
30:27
eat of
30:28
it.
30:29
Now,
30:30
the good
30:30
news is,
30:31
you shall
30:31
eat.
30:32
In other
30:32
words,
30:32
you're going
30:32
to continue
30:33
to exist.
30:34
to be
30:36
with
30:38
difficulty.
30:39
Whereas
30:39
beforehand,
30:40
when you
30:40
planted seed
30:41
in the
30:41
ground,
30:42
it grew.
30:44
In a
30:44
perfect world,
30:45
if you
30:45
planted seed
30:46
in the
30:46
ground,
30:47
it will
30:47
yield
30:48
100%,
30:49
and without
30:50
any kind,
30:51
now you
30:52
are going
30:53
to have
30:53
frustration
30:54
after frustration.
30:55
And like I
30:56
said last
30:56
night,
30:57
these are
30:57
the first
30:58
fruit,
30:58
these are
30:59
the symbols
30:59
of all
31:01
the difficulty
31:01
that was
31:02
going to
31:02
arise,
31:03
the things
31:03
that go
31:04
wrong,
31:05
either minor
31:06
inconveniences
31:07
or major
31:09
catastrophes,
31:10
natural
31:11
disaster,
31:12
it's all
31:12
contained in
31:14
these words.
31:15
In pain,
31:16
you shall
31:17
eat of
31:17
it all
31:18
the days
31:18
of your
31:19
life.
31:19
Thorns
31:20
and thistles,
31:21
it shall
31:22
bring forth
31:22
to you,
31:23
and you
31:23
shall eat
31:23
the plants
31:24
of the
31:25
field.
31:25
Yet,
31:26
you shall
31:26
eat.
31:26
Do you
31:27
remember?
31:27
Do you
31:27
see that?
31:28
He's repeating
31:28
himself twice.
31:29
You shall
31:30
eat.
31:31
It's what
31:31
we call
31:32
common
31:32
grace.
31:33
It's how
31:35
theologians
31:36
explain the
31:37
fact that
31:37
God allows
31:39
life to
31:40
continue and
31:41
very often
31:41
to thrive
31:42
in a
31:43
sinful
31:43
world.
31:45
It's a
31:46
sign of
31:46
God's
31:47
kindness,
31:48
making the
31:48
sun to
31:49
shine on
31:50
the righteous
31:50
and the
31:51
unrighteous,
31:52
and the
31:52
rain to
31:52
rain on
31:53
the righteous
31:54
and the
31:54
unrighteous,
31:55
in the
31:55
words of
31:56
Jesus.
31:58
But then
31:58
to the
31:58
woman,
31:59
he says
32:00
this.
32:01
He says,
32:02
I will
32:02
surely
32:03
multiply you.
32:05
Two things.
32:06
He was going
32:07
to multiply
32:08
her pain
32:08
and child
32:09
being.
32:09
That was
32:09
going to
32:10
be a
32:10
mark of
32:11
the
32:13
consequence
32:13
that she
32:14
had to
32:14
suffer by
32:15
way of
32:16
her part
32:17
in the
32:17
disobedience.
32:20
It was to
32:20
become a
32:20
feature of
32:22
the human
32:22
race,
32:23
that whereas
32:24
animals with
32:25
relative ease
32:26
gave birth to
32:27
their offspring,
32:28
the woman
32:29
was to do
32:31
so in
32:31
pain.
32:32
I have no
32:33
direct knowledge
32:34
of course of
32:34
this.
32:35
I can only
32:35
talk about
32:36
having witnessed
32:38
the birth of
32:38
my six
32:39
children from
32:40
afar, but
32:41
it is true.
32:42
It's true,
32:43
isn't it?
32:43
But then he
32:44
says this,
32:45
your desire
32:46
shall be for
32:47
your husband
32:47
and he shall
32:48
rule over.
32:49
What does this
32:50
mean?
32:50
Your desire
32:51
shall be for
32:51
your husband
32:52
and he shall
32:53
rule over
32:53
us.
32:53
what it
32:54
means is
32:55
that whereas
32:56
there was
32:57
perfectly
32:58
balanced
32:58
desire for
32:59
him before
33:01
now,
33:02
there is a
33:03
distorted,
33:04
exaggerated
33:05
dependence on
33:07
him now.
33:09
And the
33:10
rule that he
33:10
would have
33:11
had before
33:12
now, which
33:12
was a
33:13
loving,
33:14
balanced
33:15
rule,
33:16
would now
33:17
become a
33:19
monstrous
33:19
one.
33:20
or might
33:22
become a
33:23
monster.
33:23
Again, if it
33:24
wasn't for
33:24
God's common
33:25
grace that
33:26
restrains us
33:27
sometimes more
33:28
than others.
33:30
So what God
33:31
is saying is
33:32
that whereas
33:32
beforehand you
33:34
had a perfect
33:34
equilibrium in
33:36
your relationship
33:37
with each
33:38
other, now
33:39
that's all
33:40
spoiled.
33:42
And your
33:43
view of him
33:44
is going to
33:45
change and
33:46
his view of
33:46
you is going
33:47
to change and
33:48
it's all going
33:48
to become
33:49
ugly.
33:50
Again, to a
33:51
lesser or
33:52
greater extent.
33:52
Let me give you
33:53
an example of
33:53
that.
33:53
I know the
33:54
time is
33:54
going.
33:54
Let me give
33:55
you an
33:55
example of
33:56
this.
33:57
Later on in
33:58
chapter 4,
33:58
we go into
33:59
the next
33:59
chapter and
34:00
chapter 4 as
34:01
the human race
34:01
develops and
34:02
as more people
34:03
are born and
34:03
as things
34:04
happen, you
34:05
come across
34:06
this nasty
34:07
character called
34:08
Lamech.
34:09
Chapter 4,
34:10
verse 23.
34:11
And he
34:12
marries two
34:12
women.
34:13
Well, that was
34:13
a red flag for
34:14
a start.
34:17
One of them
34:18
is called
34:19
Ada and
34:20
the other
34:20
one called
34:21
Zilha.
34:22
A nasty,
34:23
nasty piece
34:23
of work.
34:25
Right?
34:25
And he
34:26
kills a man.
34:27
But it's
34:28
not just
34:28
that.
34:28
He wants
34:29
to boast
34:29
about it
34:30
to his
34:30
wives and
34:30
he says
34:31
to them,
34:31
Ada,
34:32
Zilha,
34:33
hear my
34:34
voice,
34:34
you wives
34:35
of Lamech,
34:35
listen to
34:36
what I've
34:36
said.
34:36
I've killed
34:37
a man for
34:38
wounding me,
34:38
a young man
34:39
for striking
34:40
me.
34:40
What's
34:41
this?
34:41
What's
34:41
the idea
34:42
here?
34:42
The idea
34:43
I believe
34:44
is an
34:44
exact
34:45
fulfillment
34:45
of what
34:46
God said
34:46
to Eve.
34:49
That here
34:50
is a man
34:51
and he
34:51
is threatening
34:52
his wives
34:53
and he's
34:55
saying to
34:56
them,
34:56
see what
34:57
I've done
34:57
to this
34:58
guy.
34:59
Just be
35:00
careful.
35:07
Domestic
35:08
abuse
35:08
didn't start
35:10
in the
35:10
21st
35:11
century.
35:12
It started
35:13
way back
35:14
then.
35:19
But what
35:19
I want
35:20
to end
35:20
with is
35:21
God's
35:21
word to
35:22
the serpent.
35:24
Not only
35:25
was the
35:26
serpent to
35:26
crawl on
35:27
the ground
35:27
forever
35:30
as a
35:31
mark of
35:32
what God
35:32
had said
35:33
to him.
35:34
I don't
35:34
want to
35:34
spend any
35:35
time on
35:35
that.
35:36
I want
35:36
to spend
35:36
all the
35:37
time on
35:38
the next
35:39
bit,
35:39
the second
35:40
bit where
35:40
he says
35:41
I will
35:41
put enmity
35:42
between you
35:42
and the
35:43
woman and
35:43
between your
35:44
offspring and
35:44
her offspring.
35:45
I'm going to
35:46
split the
35:47
human race
35:47
in two.
35:48
There's going
35:49
to be race
35:50
number one
35:51
which is
35:51
going to
35:51
serve me,
35:53
the seed of
35:53
the woman,
35:54
and race
35:55
number two
35:56
which is
35:57
going to
35:57
serve you,
35:58
the seed of
35:58
the serpent.
35:59
They were
35:59
both going
36:00
to look like
36:00
sometimes two
36:02
people in the
36:03
same family
36:03
were born.
36:05
The seed of
36:05
the woman,
36:06
seed of the
36:06
serpent.
36:07
Seed of the
36:07
woman followed
36:08
the Lord.
36:08
Seed of the
36:08
serpent followed
36:09
the serpent.
36:11
I'm going to
36:12
split the
36:12
human race.
36:13
And as you
36:13
read all the
36:14
way through
36:14
the Old
36:15
Testament,
36:15
it becomes
36:16
very clear
36:17
who belonged
36:17
to which.
36:19
He says there
36:19
are going to
36:20
be enmity
36:20
between them,
36:21
there's going
36:21
to be war,
36:22
there's going
36:22
to be conflict
36:24
between these
36:25
two types of
36:26
human being,
36:28
those who
36:28
follow me and
36:29
those who
36:29
follow you.
36:30
But it's going
36:31
to end,
36:32
and here's how
36:32
it's going
36:33
to end,
36:33
because he
36:35
says it
36:36
will culminate
36:37
one day
36:38
in a man.
36:41
The reason
36:42
I know that
36:42
is because
36:43
the masculine
36:44
singular is
36:45
used in
36:46
verse 15.
36:47
He,
36:48
he,
36:50
he
36:50
shall
36:53
bruise
36:54
your
36:55
head,
36:57
and you
36:59
will
37:00
bruise
37:01
his
37:02
heel.
37:03
He'll
37:03
you.
37:05
You know
37:06
what this
37:06
is,
37:06
don't you?
37:08
It's the
37:08
first glimpse,
37:09
the first
37:10
glimmer.
37:11
It's the
37:12
wrath
37:12
remembering
37:13
mercy.
37:15
It's God's
37:16
solution to
37:17
an otherwise
37:18
hopeless,
37:18
catastrophic
37:19
event that
37:21
would have
37:21
ruined the
37:22
world
37:23
forever,
37:25
ever.
37:27
And yet
37:27
here is God
37:28
and he's
37:28
saying,
37:29
yes,
37:30
I'm going
37:30
to judge
37:30
you.
37:31
Yes,
37:31
you're going
37:31
to suffer.
37:32
There's
37:32
going to be
37:33
untold
37:34
suffering in
37:35
the human
37:35
race,
37:36
but
37:36
nevertheless,
37:38
he will
37:40
bruise
37:40
your head
37:41
and you
37:42
shall
37:42
bruise
37:43
his
37:43
heel.
37:44
And you
37:44
know when
37:44
that
37:45
happened.
37:45
You know
37:45
who the
37:46
he is.
37:47
The he
37:47
is Jesus
37:49
Christ,
37:49
the son
37:50
of God
37:50
who was
37:51
going to
37:51
come into
37:51
the world
37:52
as the
37:52
second
37:54
Adam or
37:54
the last
37:55
Adam,
37:55
some people
37:55
prefer to
37:56
call him.
37:57
And by
37:57
so
37:58
representing
37:59
his people,
38:03
he was
38:03
going to
38:03
reverse.
38:04
How was
38:05
he going
38:05
to do
38:05
it?
38:05
He was
38:06
going to
38:06
crush the
38:07
head of
38:08
the serpent
38:08
in his
38:09
death on
38:10
the cross.
38:14
By so
38:15
doing,
38:16
he has
38:17
to go
38:18
through
38:18
death
38:18
by which
38:20
the serpent
38:20
will bruise
38:21
his heel.
38:22
one.
38:24
And that
38:25
leads us
38:25
nicely, I
38:26
hope,
38:26
into tomorrow,
38:27
God willing,
38:29
where we
38:30
are going
38:30
to look at
38:31
the death
38:32
of Jesus
38:32
in terms
38:34
of his
38:34
victory
38:35
over the
38:36
evil one
38:37
as demonstrated
38:38
in the
38:39
temptation.
38:40
But so
38:41
much of
38:41
what I
38:42
said tonight,
38:43
I hope,
38:44
resonates
38:44
with all
38:46
of us.
38:47
We have
38:48
an enemy.
38:48
It goes
38:48
about like
38:49
a roaring
38:49
lion seeking
38:50
whom he
38:51
may devour.
38:51
and using
38:52
the same
38:53
kind of
38:54
tactics,
38:55
chipping
38:55
away of
38:55
the word
38:56
of God.
38:57
And tonight,
38:58
I hope that
38:58
our coming
38:59
here together
38:59
will be
39:00
as laying
39:03
hold as
39:04
never before
39:05
on the
39:05
bare word
39:06
of God
39:07
alone and
39:08
resting
39:09
in the
39:11
he, the
39:11
seed of
39:12
the woman
39:12
who is
39:13
going to
39:13
come and
39:14
one day
39:14
give his
39:15
life for
39:15
us and
39:17
thus bruise
39:18
the head
39:18
of the
39:19
serpent.
39:20
He's got
39:20
the victory.
39:21
And in
39:22
him, we
39:23
have the
39:23
victory.
39:25
And God
39:26
promises that
39:27
in his
39:28
son.
39:28
Our
39:29
father in
39:29
heaven, we
39:30
thank you for
39:30
our time
39:31
together and
39:32
we ask that
39:33
you will bless
39:33
your word to
39:34
us, bless
39:34
us as we
39:35
prepare for
39:36
to sit at
39:37
your table and
39:38
remember the
39:39
death of
39:39
Jesus.
39:40
In his
39:41
name,
39:41
amen.
39:41
Amen.
39:43
Well, we're
39:44
going to
39:44
bring our
39:45
service to
39:45
a close by
39:46
singing in
39:47
Psalm 103,
39:49
verse 3.
39:50
It's the
39:51
Scottish
39:51
Psalters,
39:51
page 369,
39:53
and it's
39:54
verse 3.
39:55
All thine
39:57
iniquities who
39:58
doth most
39:59
graciously forgive,
40:01
who thy
40:01
diseases all
40:02
and pains
40:03
doth heal
40:04
and thee
40:05
relieve.
40:06
And then on
40:07
to verse
40:08
verse 8.
40:09
Psalm 103,
40:11
all thine
40:11
iniquities who
40:12
doth please
40:13
stand if
40:13
you're able.
40:14
Amen.
40:39
Psalm 103,
40:45
doth please
40:49
put
40:51
iniquities who
40:49
put
40:51
iniquities who
40:49
put
40:52
iniquities who
41:08
CHOIR SINGS
41:38
CHOIR SINGS
42:08
CHOIR SINGS
42:10
CHOIR SINGS
42:12
CHOIR SINGS
42:14
CHOIR SINGS
42:16
CHOIR SINGS
42:18
CHOIR SINGS
42:20
CHOIR SINGS
42:22
CHOIR SINGS
42:24
CHOIR SINGS
42:28
O sufferer in counsel to us, in mercy, pectinus.
42:41
Amen.
42:46
Fellowship of the Holy Spirit, rest on and abide with each one of you, both now and always. Amen.
42:58
Amen.