For we will surely die and are like water spilled on the ground which cannot be gathered up again. Yet God does not take away life, but thinks up ways so that the banished one will not be cast out from him. - 2 Samuel 14:14
Following their sin in the Garden of Eden, the LORD pronounced curses upon Adam, Eve, and the serpent (aka the Devil). The effects of these curses impacted not only them, but also their posterity going forward. Thus, all of humanity fell under the curse and now suffers from its devastating consequences. Besides people, the earth itself was cursed, including the animals and plants, thereby tainting all of creation.
In last Sunday’s message, we talked about the natural or temporal effects of God’s curses as they apply to our lives on earth. Pain, suffering, strife, sorrow, tiresome labor, and physical death all resulted from the curses, which were issued as the just punishment for man’s sin. Yet, even as God spoke these judgments upon creation, He foretold of a coming Redeemer.
This morning, we are going to focus primarily on the spiritual consequences of Adam and Eve’s sin. These are even more significant and detrimental than the physical ones. I’ve titled this message “Expelled from the Garden” and we will be reading from the final verses of Genesis 3.
I. GARMENTS OF SKIN (v20-21)
Now the man, Adam, called his wife Eve because she was the mother of all living. God made garments of skin for them. He clothed Adam and Eve in these garments.
The name Eve means “living” or “source of life”. Although they didn’t have any children just yet, Adam and Eve would become the original ancestors of all people. As we discussed in a previous sermon, Adam was the only man that God created (Genesis 2:5). So also, Eve was the only woman God created and would become “the mother of all living”. Every person who has ever existed can trace their lineage back to Adam and Eve.
Aware of their guilt, Adam and Eve had sewn together fig leaves to cover their loins. This symbolized their futile attempt to cover their sin. Despite their disobedience, as an indication of His continued love for them, God prepared more suitable clothing for the couple. He made garments for them out of skins, understood to be the hides of animals. This is the 1st example of animal sacrifice in the Bible, performed by God Himself, and it foreshadows the sacrificial system that would be given to Israel centuries later. Ultimately, of course, it points to the only true sacrifice, that of Jesus Christ (Hebrews 10:10-14).
We discover an important Biblical principle in this verse. Without the shedding of blood there is no remission of sin (Hebrews 9:22). Plants are not an acceptable sacrifice for sin, and are not sufficient to atone for or cover it. Although plants are living things, they are not conscious and the Bible does not view them as highly as animals and people.
II. THE TREE OF LIFE (v22)
God said, “Man has become like Us, knowing good and evil”. He concluded that something must be done to prevent the man from eating from the Tree of Life. The fruit from the Tree of Life enabled those who ate it to live forever.
Once again we see God referring to Himself in the plural tense. We encountered this previously when God said, “Let Us create man in Our own image” (Genesis 1:26). These statements show the triune nature of the Godhead. There is 1 God who exists in 3 Persons - the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Furthermore, God acknowledged that mankind had acquired the knowledge of good and evil, and thereby now knew the difference between right and wrong. As we talked about last week, with this knowledge came accountability for choosing to do wrong.
God stated that mankind could no longer have access to the Tree of Life. We have spoken quite a bit in the past few weeks about the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil, but have said very little about the Tree of Life. This verse states that the Tree of Life was like the mythical fountain of youth, and that those who partook of it would live forever. Obviously mankind, who was now destined to die as the result of their sin, could no longer be allowed to eat from it.
III. GUARDING THE GARDEN (v23-24)
So the LORD sent Adam and Eve out of the garden. They were to cultivate the land, grow their own food, and work hard to provide for themselves. In order to prevent man from returning to the garden, God stationed cherubim (or angels) and a flaming sword to guard the way to the Tree of Life.
God expelled Adam and Eve from the Garden of Eden. They could no longer abide personally with Him. Their relationship with God had been severed and they were now alienated from Him. This division did not only affect them, but all of their offspring - that is, every person who has ever lived. As the result of our sin, we are all separated from God (Isaiah 59:2). We have all been, figuratively speaking, cast out of the garden. This expulsion is a picture of our fallen spiritual condition.
In addition to driving them out, God posted a guard to ensure that they could never return. In other words, there was nothing man could do to restore his relationship with God and/or to prevent his eventual physical death. All was lost, or so it seemed…
CONCLUSION
The prospect that we can never be reconciled to God, our Creator, but rather are destined to be separated from Him forever is far worse than any other curse imaginable. The toil and hardships of this present life pale in comparison to that of eternity. But, thankfully, there is hope for lost sinners. There is a way to be forgiven of sin, to be pardoned of its penalty, and to have your relationship with God restored.
That said, it can not be accomplished by human effort. Just as Adam and Eve sinned, so also have we. And, just as they were cast out from God's presence, so also our sin has alienated us from Him. Finally, just as they could not return to the garden, neither can we restore our relationship with God. Fortunately, God Himself provided the Way for us to be reconciled with Him - Jesus Christ.
God so loved the world that He sent His Son, Jesus, to die on the cross as a substitute for mankind’s sin. Jesus bore all of humanity’s sin upon Himself, offered Himself as an acceptable sacrifice before the Father, and secured forgiveness and salvation for all who would believe. Accepting Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior is the only way to be brought back into a proper relationship with God. While we will all still suffer from the temporal consequences of sin in this life, including physical death, Jesus has made a way for us to have eternal life in Him.
Following their sin in the Garden of Eden, the LORD pronounced curses upon Adam, Eve, and the serpent (aka the Devil). The effects of these curses impacted not only them, but also their posterity going forward. Thus, all of humanity fell under the curse and now suffers from its devastating consequences. Besides people, the earth itself was cursed, including the animals and plants, thereby tainting all of creation.
In last Sunday’s message, we talked about the natural or temporal effects of God’s curses as they apply to our lives on earth. Pain, suffering, strife, sorrow, tiresome labor, and physical death all resulted from the curses, which were issued as the just punishment for man’s sin. Yet, even as God spoke these judgments upon creation, He foretold of a coming Redeemer.
This morning, we are going to focus primarily on the spiritual consequences of Adam and Eve’s sin. These are even more significant and detrimental than the physical ones. I’ve titled this message “Expelled from the Garden” and we will be reading from the final verses of Genesis 3.
I. GARMENTS OF SKIN (v20-21)
Now the man, Adam, called his wife Eve because she was the mother of all living. God made garments of skin for them. He clothed Adam and Eve in these garments.
The name Eve means “living” or “source of life”. Although they didn’t have any children just yet, Adam and Eve would become the original ancestors of all people. As we discussed in a previous sermon, Adam was the only man that God created (Genesis 2:5). So also, Eve was the only woman God created and would become “the mother of all living”. Every person who has ever existed can trace their lineage back to Adam and Eve.
Aware of their guilt, Adam and Eve had sewn together fig leaves to cover their loins. This symbolized their futile attempt to cover their sin. Despite their disobedience, as an indication of His continued love for them, God prepared more suitable clothing for the couple. He made garments for them out of skins, understood to be the hides of animals. This is the 1st example of animal sacrifice in the Bible, performed by God Himself, and it foreshadows the sacrificial system that would be given to Israel centuries later. Ultimately, of course, it points to the only true sacrifice, that of Jesus Christ (Hebrews 10:10-14).
We discover an important Biblical principle in this verse. Without the shedding of blood there is no remission of sin (Hebrews 9:22). Plants are not an acceptable sacrifice for sin, and are not sufficient to atone for or cover it. Although plants are living things, they are not conscious and the Bible does not view them as highly as animals and people.
II. THE TREE OF LIFE (v22)
God said, “Man has become like Us, knowing good and evil”. He concluded that something must be done to prevent the man from eating from the Tree of Life. The fruit from the Tree of Life enabled those who ate it to live forever.
Once again we see God referring to Himself in the plural tense. We encountered this previously when God said, “Let Us create man in Our own image” (Genesis 1:26). These statements show the triune nature of the Godhead. There is 1 God who exists in 3 Persons - the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Furthermore, God acknowledged that mankind had acquired the knowledge of good and evil, and thereby now knew the difference between right and wrong. As we talked about last week, with this knowledge came accountability for choosing to do wrong.
God stated that mankind could no longer have access to the Tree of Life. We have spoken quite a bit in the past few weeks about the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil, but have said very little about the Tree of Life. This verse states that the Tree of Life was like the mythical fountain of youth, and that those who partook of it would live forever. Obviously mankind, who was now destined to die as the result of their sin, could no longer be allowed to eat from it.
III. GUARDING THE GARDEN (v23-24)
So the LORD sent Adam and Eve out of the garden. They were to cultivate the land, grow their own food, and work hard to provide for themselves. In order to prevent man from returning to the garden, God stationed cherubim (or angels) and a flaming sword to guard the way to the Tree of Life.
God expelled Adam and Eve from the Garden of Eden. They could no longer abide personally with Him. Their relationship with God had been severed and they were now alienated from Him. This division did not only affect them, but all of their offspring - that is, every person who has ever lived. As the result of our sin, we are all separated from God (Isaiah 59:2). We have all been, figuratively speaking, cast out of the garden. This expulsion is a picture of our fallen spiritual condition.
In addition to driving them out, God posted a guard to ensure that they could never return. In other words, there was nothing man could do to restore his relationship with God and/or to prevent his eventual physical death. All was lost, or so it seemed…
CONCLUSION
The prospect that we can never be reconciled to God, our Creator, but rather are destined to be separated from Him forever is far worse than any other curse imaginable. The toil and hardships of this present life pale in comparison to that of eternity. But, thankfully, there is hope for lost sinners. There is a way to be forgiven of sin, to be pardoned of its penalty, and to have your relationship with God restored.
That said, it can not be accomplished by human effort. Just as Adam and Eve sinned, so also have we. And, just as they were cast out from God's presence, so also our sin has alienated us from Him. Finally, just as they could not return to the garden, neither can we restore our relationship with God. Fortunately, God Himself provided the Way for us to be reconciled with Him - Jesus Christ.
God so loved the world that He sent His Son, Jesus, to die on the cross as a substitute for mankind’s sin. Jesus bore all of humanity’s sin upon Himself, offered Himself as an acceptable sacrifice before the Father, and secured forgiveness and salvation for all who would believe. Accepting Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior is the only way to be brought back into a proper relationship with God. While we will all still suffer from the temporal consequences of sin in this life, including physical death, Jesus has made a way for us to have eternal life in Him.