Chapter 2. Genesis 3. The beginning of Sin.
THE happiness of Adam and Eve did not last long, for sin soon came upon the scene through disobedience. In that beautiful garden, everything grew without any labor from the hand of Adam; God made all plants grow. “And out of the ground made the Lord God to grow every tree that is pleasant to the sight, and good for food; the tree of life also, in the midst of the garden, and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, and a river went out of Eden to water the garden.” It was of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil that God said to Adam and Eve, “Thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die.” Of every other tree God said they could freely eat.
There was a serpent, whom God calls “The devil” and “Satan” which deceives the whole world. (Rev. 12:99And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world: he was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him. (Revelation 12:9)). The same said to Eve, “Yea, hath God said, Ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden?” And Eve answered, “We may eat of the fruit of the trees of the garden, but of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God hath said, Ye shall not eat of it, neither shall ye touch it, lest ye die. The serpent said to the woman “Ye shall not surely die.”
How much better it would have been, had Eve not listened to the serpent, but feared God! How much sorrow and suffering, little boys and girls, and grown people, too, would be spared if they would fear God, and not give their ears to Satan, when, he whispers, and tells them to disobey, and do wicked things! When the Lord Jesus was on earth, He said of Satan, “He is a liar, and the Father of it.” (John 8:4444Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it. (John 8:44)).
Eve believed what Satan told her, rather than God, so she looked at the tree, and tasted the fruit, and gave unto her husband and he, also ate of the fruit.
Then their eyes were opened, that is, they realized what they had done, they knew they had disobeyed God. Then they heard the voice of the Lord God while He walked in the garden, and they were afraid, and hid behind the trees. God said “Adam, Where art thou?” He knew where they were, and had seen them when they ate. “The eyes of the Lord are in every place, beholding the evil and the good.” Prov. 15:33The eyes of the Lord are in every place, beholding the evil and the good. (Proverbs 15:3). Adam answered, “I heard Thy voice in the garden, and I was afraid, and hid myself.” It is sin, dear children, that makes us afraid to meet God, who is so holy that He cannot look upon it.
When God’s only Son was put upon the cross to die for sinners, He had to hide His face from Him, because Jesus had the sins upon Him of all those who put their trust in Him. Little reader, is your trust in that Blessed One, whom God sent as your Saviour? God had to curse the whole earth, because of that sin of disobedience. He also cursed the serpent, and told Adam and Eve they should have much sorrow; that they would have to work hard to get their daily food, and that thorns and thistles would grow.
Children, when you prick your fingers or feet with a thorn, remember it was made to grow to remind us of Adam’s sin. Then God killed some animals and made Adam and Eve coats of skin, for they were naked. He showed them by that, that the wages of sin is death, but that He loved them, and promised that He would send a Saviour who would die in their place, and not only for them, but for all, old or young, who, knowing that they are lost sinners, will look in faith to the Lord Jesus, the promised Saviour.
After that, God drove Adam and Eve from the garden of Eden. How sad they must have felt! Now they must go and plow the ground and keep out the weeds so that they could have food.
ML 01/17/1909