Mankind was placed in the perfection of the Garden of Eden. Adam and Eve had it made! They were given a paradise to live and work in and God was near to them. They were given responsibility to cultivate and keep the garden (Genesis 2:15). They were also told that they could eat from any tree apart from one (2:16,17). But they refused to follow the Maker’s instructions and instead they rebelled, sinned and contrived to throw away their access to the paradise. They were deceived by the serpent, it is true, but they willingly disobeyed and walked away from their relationship with God.
Judgement followed their sin and God spoke judgement over the serpent, the woman and then the man. Genesis 3 gives the full account of their fall and outlines the judgement of God in detail (see especially verses 14-19). However, even in this darkest of chapters of Scripture we see a chink of light. Even in the moment of the greatest fall there has ever been, we are able to detect hope.
In verses 14 & 15 God judges Satan who is the deceiver, liar and trickster who takes on the form of a serpent. His judgement contains the phrase, ‘He shall bruise your head’ (v15) referring to the offspring of the man. This means that there will come a day when a man will crush Satan’s head. The sin they have committed is serious enough for man to be removed from paradise, to have to toil in order to tame the ground and to have to endure pain in childbirth. And the sin is serious enough for God to promise an ultimate solution even here at the outset. A Saviour will appear and will crush Satan’s head.
Even in the darkness of the sin of mankind there is the promise of the light of a Saviour.
Even in the moment of the Fall we see the hope of salvation.
Further reading: Romans 16:20 1 Corinthians 15:20-28
Worship Video
To think about:
God asks us for obedience. When have you heard God ask you to do something and you have refused? What grace was extended to you in this?
Creative Response:
 | |
| Drawn by Joel Wilson, aged 11 |
 |
| Photo by Bernice Hopper |
Please share your creative response using the linky below. To use the linky click on 'Click here to enter'. You will need the URL from your own blog or from a photosharing website like Flickr. Alternatively share your response in the Facebook group.
No comments:
Post a Comment
Please leave a comment. If you do not have one of the accounts listed in the 'Comment as' dropdown menu please click on Anonymous, leave your comment and add you name in the comment box.