Wednesday 25 February 2009

Adam and Eve

The first man that God created was Adam (adam is the Hebrew word for man). He therefore is our father and his wife Eve is our mother. The human race has not “evolved” we have “descended” from these first created people.

We can learn so much from a detailed study of Adam and Eve. We can learn of our beginnings, our nature, the power of God, God’s commandments, sin and the consequence of sin.

Text – Genesis 1:26-3:24

Gen. 1:26 Man was not created in the same manner as the animals. Adam was created in the image of God. John 4:24 tells us, “God is spirit”. We too have a spirit, see Gal. 6:18, James 2:26, Heb. 4:12. We have an eternal side of us. When our bodies die we still have our spirit. This is that which will survive until eternity.

Gen 1:28 – Be fruitful and multiply. From these 2 the earth was populated. Adam lived 930 years; he may well have been alive in the time of Lamech, the father of Noah! Adam and Eve were given rule over all the earth.

Gen 2:7 Adam was formed out of the dust of the ground. It was God who animated his body. When we die our bodies return to its natural state (Gen 3:17-19).

Gen 2:15-17 The command of God. While Adam and Eve were only given one commandment the same repercussion existed. They would surely die (Gen 2:17 – see Rom 6:23, James 1:15). It is important to note that in the garden of Eden there was the tree of life. After Adam and Eve sinned they were cast out of the garden lest they eat of the tree and live forever (Gen 3:22-24).

Gen 2:18-24 Through Adam and Eve, God gave us marriage. Adam was created out of the dust of the ground. Eve was created out of Adam. They came from one and in marriage they become one again. The marriage relationship is complex (Eph 5:32) but the oneness of it is in the centre of it and an understanding of that is essential to understand marriage. See Eph 5:22-33, Col 3:18-19.


Gen 3:1-6 Temptation. In the first temptation of the devil (Rev 20:2) we see his nature and how he works (1 John 2:16). Satan is the father of lies (John 8:44) and that is how he works. Note what we read about temptation in James 1:13-15. When we give into temptation we fall into sin and that will lead to death.

Adam and Eve in the New Testament

1 Cor 15:20-24. Through Adam and Eve death came to this earth. The sinned and were separated from God and the tree of life. Christ came to rectify the problem. Through His death of the cross we can have life. The proof of this is the resurrection. See also 1 Cor 15:42-46.

2 Cor 11:13 Eve and her fall into sin is presented to us as a warning in order that we are not led astray. Satan is still the father of lies and he is still trying to deceive is. How many times I have heard about the gospel, “it can’t be that easy. This is where the doctrine of the Gnostics came from.

1 Tim 2:11-14 While it may be difficult to understand all that Paul is meaning here, the outcome is quite clear. God has ordained headship for the man (see also 1 Cor 11:3) Adam was created first and while both Adam and Eve sinned, it was Eve who was deceived by the devil.

We learn a lot from our parents. As we grow our mother and father are our very first teachers and they continue to teach us. Though they are long gone we can also learn a great deal from Adam and Eve. And by learning from them, we can grow.

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