Welcome to Reflection on Plumb. In this episode, I talk about Genesis 3 where sin enters the world through one man, Adam, and God’s response.Genesis 3 brings us to what is called The Fall. It’s the introduction of sin into the world through that one man, called Adam. We don’t know how long Adam and Eve lived in the paradise of the Garden of Eden, but we learn here that it came to end, and how it ended.In verse 1, we are immediately introduced to the serpent. What’s the first thing you thing of when you hear serpent? A pretty green snake, dangling from the branches of the tree from above? A lot of people have a problem with this chapter precisely because they have the same view. They dismiss this event as myth or folklore, because, seriously, who ever heard of a talking snake?So, let’s talk about this snake for a minute. First, let it be known, that I have never had a problem with the idea of a talking snake in the Garden of Eden. Remember what I said in Genesis 1? God created. If God created the world, the universe, everything in it, than He most certainly could have created a talking snake. Quite frankly, after the sun, the moon, and the stars, oh, and man, I feel like a talking snake would be no big deal.But what we also learn, as the chapter progresses, is that this serpent isn’t your ordinary garden variety snake. While it’s compared twice in this chapter to beasts of the field, meaning that it probably did have some sort of animal form, we also learn that this snake is also known as Satan.This serpent has also been compared to the serpent of Revelations 12:9:And the great dragon was thrown down, that ancient serpent, who is called the devil and Satan, the deceiver of the whole world--he was thrown down to the earth, and his angels were thrown down with him. (ESV)So here’s the question. Was the serpent in the Garden of Eden actually a dragon? It would make more sense when God gives the curse: “on your belly you will go,” if the serpent were a dragon as opposed to a snake which already goes on it’s belly. And Revelations isn’t the only dragon mentioned in the Bible. Job 41 talks about Leviathan, which is described as a sea monster, but look at how else it’s described:His sneezings flash forth light, and his eyes are like the eyelids of the dawn.Out of his mouth go flaming torches; sparks of fire leap forth.Out of his nostrils comes forth smoke, as from a boiling pot and burning rushes.His breath kindles coals, and a flame comes forth from his mouth. (Job 41:18-21, ESV)I don’t know about you, but that sounds like a dragon to me.Now I say all that, only to say, it isn’t really important as to what kind of serpent, physically, we’re talking about. At least I don’t think so. It’s the cunning part. The part that says, this is Satan. The enemy.So Satan convinces Eve that eating the fruit of the tree will not kill her, and that she’ll be like God, knowing good and evil. And let’s face it. Who doesn’t want to be like God? I mean He has all the answers, He’s immortal, and I bet His knee doesn’t ache on a daily basis!Now people like to blame Eve for what happened in the Garden, but throughout Scripture, it’s made clear that Adam ultimately bears the responsibility for sin and death entering the world.Therefore, just as sin came into the world through one man, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men because all sinned-- (Romans 5:12, ESV)Why does he bear responsibility? Let me speculate for a minute, and if someone has a better explanation, let me know!First, Adam is told in Genesis 2:17 that he shall not eat from the tree of knowledge of good and evil, but it’s not until verse 22 that God makes Eve. So the question is, did God tell Eve the same thing, or was that Adam’s responsibility. Scripture doesn’t say, but she obviously knew because she told Satan in Genesis 3:3 that it was off limits.Second, when God discovers their transgression, He confronts Adam:Have you eaten of the tree of which I commanded you not to eat? (Genesis 3:11, ESV)Is Eve blameless? Of course not! But the responsibility lays at Adam’s feet, and that’s where we need to keep it as well.So what are the consequences? Well there are four things that occur next. First, God curses Satan. I already mentioned the part about “on your belly you will go” in the earlier discussion about dragons. But the second, and more important part, at least to me, is what people have termed, The Protoevangelium or "First Gospel." It’s one verse, 15, but it’s made up of two parts. Part one says:I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and her offspringNow I did a search on Bing and there appears to be two main thoughts about this. There are those who say “her” refers to Virgin Mary, since part two refers to her son Jesus. But there are also those who say “her” refers to Eve, and that’s the camp I fall into. As we ...
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