Through the Bible with Les Feldick
LESSON 1 * PART 4 * BOOK 2
Adam & Eve’s Faith and Salvation
Genesis 3:14-24
Now let’s go back to the Book of Genesis as we’ve been out of it now for the past 3 lessons, so let’s pick up where we left off in chapter 3 with the account of when Adam sinned. In verse 14 and 15 we have what I call a parenthetical statement and we’ll just touch on it briefly then we’ll probably come back to it at a later date.
Genesis 3:14
“And the Lord God said unto the serpent, Because thou hast done this, (in other words, he had tempted and caused Eve to fall, which in turn led to Adam’s fall) thou art cursed above all cattle, and above every beast of the field, upon thy belly shalt thou go, and dust shalt thou eat all the days of thy life.”
Now verse 15, and this is one of the primary verses in the book of Genesis. This is also the very first prophecy, if I may call it that, of the coming of the Redeemer. Now I left the word on the board from last week specifically so we wouldn’t miss it, that the redeemer concept is begun right here in chapter 3 and verse 15, and what is it? Where God speaking to Satan says:
Genesis 3:15
“I will put enmity between thee and the woman, (because she was the one that was tempted first, and here’s the important part) and between thy seed and her seed; it (the seed of the woman) shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel.”
Now a lot of people just read that verse and they don’t even know what they are reading or what’s it really talking about? God is going to put an enmity between the forces of Satan and all the powers of darkness and the seed of the woman. Now who is the seed of the woman? Well, we’ve got to take it from Scripture so let’s turn back again to Galatians and as I’ve said so often in my classes, what I say doesn’t really hold that much water. But if we can show that it’s what the Word says, and oh how I want people to learn to just study the Word. Not to just read it casually, but to study it, and then these things get so exciting. Now Galatians chapter 3.
Galatians 3:16
“Now to Abraham and his seed were the promises made. He saith not, And to seeds, (plural) as of many, but as of one. (singular) And to thy seed, which is Christ.”
So according to the Bible the seed of the woman is Christ. Now, like I said, we’re not going to take time in this session, but we’ll be coming back to this subject and following the Seed of the woman, and why that term is used concerning Christ.
Now looking back at Genesis at verse 15 again, there’s going to be a running enmity, this battle between the forces of Satan and the Christ. Now you get a little glimpse of that as you come up through the Old Testament. Every thing that God put in place to bring about the coming of the Messiah, Satan did everything to destroy and disrupt. Now, right off the bat, you come into the line of Cain and Abel. Abel is the one who is in the line of the seed of the woman. What does Satan prompt? Cain to murder him. I imagine Satan thought he’d now already won it. But you see, God in His Sovereignty came back with a replacement for Abel in the man, Seth.
You come on up into Israel’s secular history as a nation, and it was to be through the nation of Israel that the Seed of the woman would come. And how many time did Satan almost succeed in destroying the nation of Israel. Oh he came so close, but the Sovereign God made sure that he didn’t succeed. Then you come to the birth of Christ, and when the wise men went to King Herod inquiring the whereabouts of the One that had been born King of Jews, what does Herod immediately do? Out of jealously and envy put out a decree to put to death all the Jew baby boys under the age of two. Well it wasn’t just Herod, but rather the Satanic effort again to destroy the Seed of the woman. So beware of that as you study your Bible, that the powers of Satan are constantly hindering the work of God, but also remember that God foretold that it would be that way.
Then you go a little further, and God actually foretells the crucifixion, not as crucifixion itself, but rather by the language He’s referring to it in verse 15.
Genesis 3:15b
“…it (the Seed of the woman) shall bruise thy head, and thou (Satan) shall bruise his heel.”
Now when did all that take place? At Calvary! At the cross Satan was defeated, and remember there’s only one way you can put a serpent to death, and that is you attack the head. So that is why that kind of language is used. Christ literally defeated Satan at the cross. He bruised the head of the serpent, but Satan got his licks in also, by bruising the heel of Christ, by causing his suffering, and all he went through there at the cross.
Now let’s go on into the following verses because I want to come on to verse 20 as soon as possible. In verse 16 on down we have the curse that was brought on the scene when Adam ate. Even as we speak today the world is in turmoil over the middle east, and it’s been that way since the beginning of the 6000 years of human history. War, pestilences, catastrophes, and enmity between individuals, nations, and family members. Why? The curse. There’s sickness, and disease, and why? The curse. Every thing that is connected with the world’s problems, all come back to the curse, and you can’t escape it!
As someone has put it, “When Adam was created, he was human, but the moment Adam sinned the human race became in-human.” Now that’s not original with me, but the moment I read that someplace in the past, I thought, isn’t that exactly the way it is? Can you think of a single specie in all of God’s creation that will torture members of it’s own specie like man will with man? My when you read of some of the things that man invent to torture his fellow human shows mankind is in-human. Man is a sinful creature, and is so prone to think up things that will hurt the other individual, and it’s all because of the curse, because of sin. Now let’s begin with verse 16.
Genesis 3:16a
“Unto the woman (we know now as Eve) he said, I will greatly multiply thy sorrow and thy conception; in sorrow thou shalt bring forth children;…”
Do you realize that’s the reason a woman goes through all the birth pains in delivery? That’s not the way God intended it originally, it’s all part of the curse. This is what sin brought in.
Also remember way back in chapter 2, when I said, God looked at all his creation and He had charged the creation with all the energy that it needed, and that became the first law of thermodynamic, do you remember that? The definition of thermodynamic is “there is nothing now being created or destroyed.” Now with sin coming into the picture, and the curse on the scene, the second law of thermodynamic became operative. And do you know what that is? “Even though there is nothing being created nor destroyed, yet everything is constantly going into a less useable state.”
The best way I can describe that is, say you have a beautiful home, and every thing about this home is tip top. Then you decide to leave for a town for a year, and don’t leave anyone in charge to watch over your property, you lock the door and leave. What do you think your beautiful property is going to be like 12 months later, will it be better or worse? Worse! Something is going to happen in that 12 month period. A wind storm will blow off some shingles, a hail storm may break some windows, something is always going to make that house deteriorate. The scientific word of course is entropy. Everything is constantly moving into a less useable state.
Another for instance is, you take a tree that may have taken nature 100 years to grow. It has taken sunlight, rain, and the nutrients from the ground to grow that tree. The tree is cut down and is put it into our fireplace. You burn that tree to the place where’s there nothing left but the ashes. Now in our common everyday thinking, that tree is destroyed. But really it isn’t. Every part of that tree is still in the universe, including the heat that went up the chimney, because heat is energy. The ashes that are left are all part of that which came from the earth and sun to begin with, so that tree was just put in a less useable state.
Gasoline is another example. You fill up your car tank with gasoline, and we think we burn that gasoline up. No we don’t. We merely put it in a less useable state. It goes up into the atmosphere as heat, it creates energy to move our car down the road, and that all part and parcel then of that second law of thermodynamic that everything is constantly going into a less useable state.
Now that should tell us that sooner or later everything is going to run out of steam. But God in His Sovereign Grace has so programmed it that we’re not going to run out and things are going to fall apart, because God has set everything in place so there is enough to take it to the end of HIS program. Now that’s all part of the CURSE!
Now let’s read on in verse 17.
Genesis 3:17-18
“And unto Adam he said, Because thou hast hearkened unto the voice of thy wife, and hast eaten of the tree, of which I commanded thee, saying, Thou shalt not eat of it; cursed is the ground for thy sake; in sorrow shalt thou eat of it all the days of thy life. 18. Thorns also and thistles shall it bring forth to thee; and thou shall eat the herb of the field;”
This is all a result of the curse. Before Adam sinned there were no thorns, and briars, and such. Everything was perfect! But when sin came in the curse just literally ruined everything. Remember everything in this world that is a problem, goes all the way back to the curse, and it will never end until the curse is lifted, and of course it will be, we think one day very soon, at the return of Christ.
Now looking at verse 19.
Genesis 3:19a
“In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread,…”
As long as man lives he’s going to have to work for his living. Iris and I have often talked about, what would our economy be like if people didn’t have to eat? Have you ever thought of that? Have you ever thought of all the jobs, and industries that are all in place simply because mankind has to eat? Just think of all the things that are connected with our having to eat. I mean it’s just mind boggling, but here’s where it started. Man wouldn’t have had to have all that, but yet it had to come about, so our whole economy is structured on the fact that man has to work, and man has to eat:
Genesis 3:19b
“…till thou return unto the ground; for out of it wast thou taken: for dust thou art, and unto dust shalt thou return.”
Now then verse 20 is an interesting verse. But again I’m afraid too many people don’t stop and think of what it says. I don’t know how long Adam and Eve were in the Garden of Eden, because the Bible doesn’t tells, so I wouldn’t have the slightest idea. But however long they were in the Garden, Adam never had a name for his wife. She was called the Woman! But now you see after sin entered, and after the curse has came down, the woman is named.
Genesis 3:20
“And Adam called his wife’s name Eve; because she was the mother of all living.”
Now all Adam has been told from the Scriptural account is, “in the day he would eat of that tree, he would surely die.” But now Adam comes back and names his wife, Eve, which meant the mother of all living. Now what does Adam understand? That even though he has sinned, and lost fellowship with God, God must have told him something that he believed, and what was it? That he’s going to live, and have children, and the whole human race is going to come from him and his wife Eve. Now you have to study that and really think about it to get the whole picture. What’s really involved here is, God told Adam that this is the way it would be, and what did Adam do? He believed it.
So here in verse 20 is the first instance of FAITH, which is taking God at his Word. By faith Adam believed what God said concerning him and the woman, so he named her “the mother of all living.” Now then Adam’s faith promoted God to do something. Just like we saw with our “circles” the last few lessons, that when the Spirit of God prompted us to believe, then God moved in on our behalf and does everything that needs to be done for us to have eternal life. And God does the same thing back here with Adam! Adam shows that particle of faith that he believed what God said, and God moves in and does what needs to be done in verse 21. Keep in mind also that Hebrews chapter 9 says:
Hebrews 9:22
“…and without shedding of blood is no remission.”
So there had to be a sacrifice for Adam and Eve’s sin. In the Old Testament animal sacrifices are merely a foretelling, a picture of that supreme sacrifice that was to come in Christ Himself. So right here with Adam and Eve God institutes animal sacrifice in verse 21. And the animal sacrifices would continue until the perfect sacrifices gave His life one the cross.
Genesis 3:21
“Unto Adam also and to his wife did the LORD God make (Adam and Eve didn’t do this, but rather the LORD God make) coats of skins, and clothed them.”
God somehow or other killed the animals, and the blood was shed. You have to study Scripture in order to comprehend the language here, and we’ll look at that in just a moment. But it says:
Genesis 3:21b
“…the LORD God made coats of skins, (that covered their physical nakedness. But then God did something else) and clothed them.”
Now to get a better understanding of “and He clothed them” let’s go look at the Book of Isaiah chapter 61. I’m afraid too many people think that when they read verse 21, that it just meant, “Well he gave them skins and hides for them to make some kind of a physical covering, but oh it was so much more than that.” Now verse 10 should tell us something.
Isaiah 61:10
“I will greatly rejoice in the LORD, my soul shall be joyful in my God; for he (God) hath clothed me with the garments of salvation, (isn’t that beautiful?) he hath covered me with the robe of righteousness, (whose righteousness? God’s righteousness!) as a bridegroom decketh himself with ornaments, and as a bride adorneth herself with her jewels.”
Now that’s what God has done for you and I as He did for Adam and Eve. Now let’s go back for a moment to Romans chapter 3, where we were in the last lesson. We looked at the verse last week, but I didn’t make this point because it wasn’t the appropriate time, but now we can. We’ll start with verse 21, but verse 22 is the one we want to compare with Isaiah chapter 61. Now remember what Isaiah said. “Thou hast clothed me with the garments of salvation.”
Romans 3:21-22
“But now the righteousness of God without the law is manifested, (or brought into the spot light) being witnessed by the law and the prophets; (that’s all been building to bring us to this point in time) 22. Even the righteousness of God which is by faith (or the faithfulness) of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe;…”
Isn’t that beautiful? Oh the righteousness of God clothes us, like the young man decked at his wedding or like the Bride decked for her wedding there in Isaiah 61:10, So the righteousness of God is placed upon us, and as I said before so that God doesn’t see you and I, but rather God sees in us as believers the righteousness of Christ that covers us. And how do we get that beautiful covering here in the Church Age? By believing Paul’s beautiful Gospel! (I Corinthians 15:1-4 & Romans 10:9-10)
Now look at that verse because I’m going to put things in there that everybody else thinks belong in there, but it’s just not here.
This righteousness comes upon all them that keep the Ten Commandments. See it doesn’t say that. This righteousness comes upon all them that repents and are baptized. It doesn’t say that either. This righteousness comes upon all them that join a Church. It doesn’t say any of those things. Do you see what I’m driving at? We have to understand as much as what the Bible does not say, as what it says. All these things that I’ve just used is not in Paul’s Gospel or his teachings, and also remember Paul tells us that everyone is going to be judged by his Gospel. (Romans 2:16) So just leave the Word as it sets. This righteousness comes how? When we believe. Believe what? The Gospel. And when we believe the Gospel then everything else falls into place.
Oh, we can’t believe all the things that are in Scripture unless you’re a believer. Well, while we’re in the New Testament let me just show you what I’m talking about. Turn over just a few pages to I Corinthians chapter 2. Paul has been rehearsing all through the first 12 verses of this chapter, how that he wasn’t something special, or some great orator that got their attention. But how did he get to where he was? Let’s look at verse 13 & 14.
I Corinthians 2:13-14
“Which things also we speak, not in the words which man’s wisdom teacheth, but which the Holy Ghost teacheth; comparing spiritual things with spiritual. 14. But the natural man (that’s why I’m glad I’ve taught the circles. You should be able to start seeing what we’re talking about. Who is that natural man, that only body and soul? The natural man is the one who is spiritually dead. He can’t comprehend the things of God. He is spiritually dead.) receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God; for they are foolishness unto him, neither can he know them, (Why?) because they are spiritually discerned.”
A lot of times if I have unbelievers come into my class, I’ll just simply, without pointing them out cause we don’t know who is or who isn’t, just make a blanket statement: “If you don’t know the Lord, you’re not going to understand everything that I’m teaching. It’s impossible. It’s just going to go over your head.” But, oh, I’ve had so many people who knew nothing of the things of God, but as soon as they became believers what happened? They could just see the whole thing!! And they could question nothing. I’ve had so many, especially men, come after class and say, “You know it’s just like you turned on a 300 watt bulb tonight.” No, I didn’t. That’s the Spirit’s work.
I just show what the Bible says. I think I spend half my time just reading to people and they will see things as I read that they never saw before. It’s not me, it’s the Spirit at work. That’s what we have to understand. Now let’s come back to Genesis chapter 3. We’ll wind it up now so that we’ll be ready for chapter 4. I’m not going to get to the word “Redeemer” even this time. We’re going to have to leave it up there for the next time. Let’s look at chapter 3 and verse 22. God has now restored Adam and Eve to fellowship by virtue of his faith and the animal sacrifice.
Genesis 3:22
“And the Lord God said, Behold, the man is become as one of us, to know good and evil; and now, lest he put forth his hand and take also of the tree of life, and eat and live forever:”
Do you realize how that leaves you hanging? There’s no period there. The English has a colon and Hebrew has a punctuation that says, “now you just try to imagine what it would be like.” And so that’s where you’re left. What if Adam would have been able to partake of the tree of life and live forever in this body of sin? That would have been awful. Now verse 23.
Genesis 3:23
“Therefore the Lord God sent him forth from the garden of Eden, to till the ground from whence he was taken. 24. He drove out the man and he placed at the east of the garden of Eden Cherubims, and a flaming sword which turned every way, to keep the way of the tree of life.”
And now we’re going to pick it up next week with Adam and Eve out of the garden. It’s all over so far as they’re concerned in that beautiful setting.