Genesis 3:1-24
1. Background:
When God created the world, He made it without sin or death. He also gave man the responsibility to keep the garden He made for them. Along with this responsibility was one commandment to not eat of the tree of good and evil.
“But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die.”
Genesis 2:17
The serpent (Satan) convinces Eve that God is hiding something from them. She ponders for a moment that God must not be as good as it seems. She takes the fruit as an act of rebellion against God and gives it to Adam. Adam obediently takes the fruit from his wife and together attempt to rid themselves of God’s authority.
What results will tell us the outcome of sin for all of us.
2. What Can We Observe About God?
God is patient but will finally judge our sin.
God did not immediately enact judgment of death on them. (3:21) Even though in his previous prohibition there would be death, still God stalled judgement for a period of time. Instead of death, they were expelled from His presence, but they go with hope of reconciliation. (3:15) The hope they were given to return to God one day is what we call the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
The final judgment of sin is death and separation from God.
God removes sin and corruption from His presence.
“So 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.”
Genesis 3:24
The garden is where their relationship with God was. They enjoyed His presence there and He took care of them. Their abundant life was there and they had no lack of anything. But when they sinned against God, He removed them from His presence. They were banished with no way back to the innocence they once had.
The banishment Adam and Eve received explains the life sinners now have. Born into this world, we are already separated from God. Our natural inclination is to sin. If we die in our sin, then we will be eternally separated from God.
“Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels.”
Matthew 25:41
Depart from God for eternity?
When man was driven away from the garden, he was also driven away from the only inheritance he really had. The garden was his resting place, his home, and his connection with God. The inheritance God gave us was our our created purpose. Losing God also meant losing our inheritance God gave us. To eternally separated from God is to lose everything that is good.
Separation from God means consumed by sin and evil. Being removed from God’s presence means being filled with corruption and evil.
“And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not convenient; Being filled with all unrighteousness, fornication, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, debate, deceit, malignity; whisperers, Backbiters, haters of God, despiteful, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents, Without understanding, covenant breakers, without natural affection, implacable, unmerciful: Who knowing the judgment of God, that they which commit such things are worthy of death, not only do the same, but have pleasure in them that do them.”
Romans 1:28-32
This is a description of what an everlasting hell is like. It is the complete absence of anything good and full of sin and evil.
Separation from God means eternal torment. What follows is logical. If one is separated from God then one is separated from life and everything that is good. The only thing left is misery and torment.
And the smoke of their torment ascendeth up for ever and ever: and they have no rest day nor night, who worship the beast and his image, and whosoever receiveth the mark of his name.
Revelation 14:11
3. How Does this Passage Point to Jesus and Gospel?
God’s desires to save Sinners from this destruction.
God’s stalled judgment to call sinners to repentance. Let’s go back to Genesis 3:21 when God temporary covered their shame. Instead of enacting judgment right away, God had mercy. Why? Because God does not have pleasure in judging sinners.
“Have I any pleasure at all that the wicked should die? saith the Lord God: and not that he should return from his ways, and live?”
Ezekiel 18:23
It would be hard to trust a God who enjoys punishing sinners, but this is not the case. The picture of God the Bible gives us is a God who is heartbroken over our sin.
“O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, thou that killest the prophets, and stonest them which are sent unto thee, how often would I have gathered thy children together, even as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, and ye would not!”
Matthew 23:37
As we travel through the Bible, we see God making several attempts to call His people to repentance. But after a few generations the people repeat again the same rebellion and the same sin.
But there are individuals in the crowds of people who will respond to God’s call. God sent them His Son to save them from sin. These are the people who desire in their heart to return to God and enjoy life with Him.
“For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.”
Romans 10:13
The salvation through Jesus Christ restores life and our inheritance:
“That in the dispensation of the fulness of times he might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven, and which are on earth; even in him: 11 In whom also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestinated according to the purpose of him who worketh all things after the counsel of his own will.”
Ephesians 1:10
The life we enjoy is the life He gives us and the inheritance we will enjoy is His own inheritance.
4. Application:
Sinners can escape hell and separation from God by submitting themselves to Him. Jesus died for sin so that you can be forgiven. God promises forgiveness of sin to all who come to Him!
“He that covereth his sins shall not prosper.”
Proverbs 18:13
But whoso confesseth and forsaketh them shall have mercy.
As Christians we serve our King who loved us and died for us. Every day is a new day to serve Him.
“I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.”
Galatians 2:20
We recognize the life we life is not ours, but the one Christ gave us. So we use it to serve Him. Through Christ we have escaped hell and sin. Can we not serve Him by telling others the good news in Christ?
J. C. Walz – Faith, Fiction, and DEvotional Writing 
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