1. In what condition was the whole creation when it came from the hand of God? "And God saw every thing that He had made, and, behold, it was very good. And the evening and the morning were the sixth day." (Genesis 1:31)
2. Did this include man also? "Lo, this only have I found, that God has made man upright." (Ecclesiastes 7:29)
3. Did man retain his uprightness? "Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned." (Romans 5:12)
4. What prohibition had God laid upon the pair in the garden of Eden? "But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, you shall not eat of it; for in the day that you eat thereof you shall surely die." (Genesis 2:17)
5. Who first partook of this forbidden fruit? "And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make one wise, she took of the fruit thereof, and did eat, and gave also unto her husband with her; and he did eat." (Genesis 3:6)
6. Was Adam deceived as to the consequences of the act? "And Adam was not deceived, but the woman being deceived was in the transgression." (1 Timothy 2:14)
7. How was Eve deceived? "But I fear, lest by any means, as the serpent beguiled Eve through his subtlety, so your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ." (2 Corinthians 11:3)
8. Who was the serpent? "And He laid hold on the dragon, that old serpent, which is the devil, and Satan, and bound him a thousand years." (Revelation 20:2)
9. How did he begin his work? "Now the serpent was more subtle than any beast of the field which the Lord God had made. And he said unto the woman, Yea, has God said, You shall not eat of every tree of the garden?" (Genesis 3:1)
10. When Eve repeated the prohibition, what did the serpent reply? "And the serpent said unto the woman, You shall not surely die." (Genesis 3:4)
11. What did he say that eating from the tree would do for them? "For God knows that in the day you eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and you shall be as gods, knowing good and evil." (Genesis 3:5)
12. In so saying, what imputation did he cast upon God?
13. In telling them that by eating the forbidden fruit they should be like God, what was Satan instilling into their minds? Pride.
14. What was the cause of Satan's fall? "How are you fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! how are you cut down to the ground, which did weaken the nations! For you have said in your heart, I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God: I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north: I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the most High." (Isaiah 14:12-14)
15. What always follows pride? "When pride comes, then comes shame; but with the lowly is wisdom." (Proverbs 11:2)
"Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall." (Proverbs 16:18)
16. What was it that brought the heathen nations into their deplorable condition? "Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools, And changed the glory of the uncorruptible God into an image made like to corruptible man, and to birds, and fourfooted beasts, and creeping things." (Romans 1:22-23)
17. What was the result of Adam's transgression? "And unto Adam He said, Because you have hearkened unto the voice of your wife, and have eaten of the tree, of which I commanded you, saying, You shall not eat of it: cursed is the ground for your sake; in sorrow shall you eat of it all the days of your life; Thorns also and thistles shall it bring forth to you; and you shall eat the herb of the field; In the sweat of your face shall you eat bread, till you return unto the ground; for out of it were you taken: for dust you are, and unto dust you shall return. (Genesis 3:17-19)
18. Was he allowed to remain in the garden? "Therefore the Lord God sent him forth from the garden of Eden, to till the ground from whence he was taken. 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 3:23-24)
19. How extensive were the consequences of his fall? "Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men." (Romans 5:12)
20. Did death pass upon all men regardless of their character, just because Adam sinned? "For that all have sinned." (Romans 5:12)
21. What kind of nature do all men inherit? "For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders, Thefts, covetousness, wickedness, deceit, lasciviousness, an evil eye, blasphemy, pride, foolishness: All these evil things come from within, and defile the man." (Mark 7:21-23)
22. By what means may we get rid of this evil nature, and have a better one? "Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises; that by these you might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust." (2 Peter 1:4)
"For whatsoever is born of God overcomes the world; and this is the victory that overcomes the world, even our faith." (1 John 5:4)
Notes:
The mean cunning of the serpent may be seen in the way that Satan approached Eve. From the fact that while they were talking Eve took of the forbidden fruit, and ate, indicates that when the conversation began they were near the tree. Said the serpent, "Is it so, that God has said, You shall not eat of every tree of the garden?" (Genesis 3:1)
"Is it possible that God would make so arbitrary and unjust a command?"
The object of this speech can be seen at once. It was threefold, namely:
1. To cause her to doubt the goodness of God;
2. To raise himself in her estimation to the same extent that he lowered God; and
3. To make her feel that she was being deprived of her "rights."
Pride and discontent were aroused, which prepared the way for open rebellion.
"And the serpent said unto the woman, You shall not surely die; for God knows that in the day you eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and you shall be as gods, knowing good and evil." (Genesis 3:4)
Here was a square issue between Satan and God, and Eve had been worked into such a condition of doubt and discontent that she readily sided with Satan. This was the first sermon on the natural immortality of the soul of man. Notice that it was this teaching that caused the fall; consequently the teaching that man is by nature immortal, is responsible for all the evil that has ever come to mankind.
"For God knows," etc. Here again Satan charged God with deliberately withholding a good thing from Adam and Eve, so that He might keep them in a position inferior to that which their natural talents entitled them to. What was that position?
"For God knows that in the day you eat thereof, ... you shall be like God." (Genesis 3:5)
This is just what Satan said, and a literal translation of the Hebrews. Said Satan, "You might as well be like God; He knows this, and has placed this prohibition upon you, so that He may keep you down. Now will you consent to be thus imposed upon? Don't do it; assert your rights and be free."
Who is there that doesn't recognize this kind of talk? We see that Satan caused Eve to fall, by instilling into her mind the same ideas that caused his fall. (See Isaiah 14:12-14) We see, also, whence Spiritualism comes, which claims that:
1. What the Bible calls evil is a necessity;
2. Men cannot die, no matter what they do; and
3. Each individual is the judge of his own acts, and is therefore equal to God.
But read the fate of those who call evil good: "Woe unto them that call evil good, and good evil; that put darkness for light, and light for darkness; that put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter! Woe unto them that are wise in their own eyes, and prudent in their own sight! Woe unto them that are mighty to drink wine, and men of strength to mingle strong drink: Which justify the wicked for reward, and take away the righteousness of the righteous from him! Therefore as the fire devours the stubble, and the flame consumes the chaff, so their root shall be as rottenness, and their blossom shall go up as dust: because they have cast away the law of the Lord of hosts, and despised the word of the Holy One of Israel." (Isaiah 5:20-24)
Beware of the flatterer. When a man begins to sympathize with you, to tell you how you are being "kept down" and abused, and what high positions you might occupy if it were not for the grasping selfishness of some in authority, then make up your mind at once that Satan is talking to you through him. Don't listen to him. Says Paul: "But I fear, lest by any means, as the serpent beguiled Eve through his subtlety, so your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ." (2 Corinthians 11:3)
There is a vast difference between honest praise and flattery. It is right and just to encourage people by letting them know that their good work is appreciated. But flattery is always lying. It is Satanic in its origin. Look up and read carefully what the Bible has to say of the flatterer.
"A man that flatters his neighbor spreads a net for his feet." (Proverbs 29:5)
See also: "Let me not, I pray you, accept any man's person, neither let me give flattering titles unto man. For I know not to give flattering titles; in so doing my maker would soon take me away." (Job 32:21-22)
"The Lord shall cut off all flattering lips, and the tongue that speaks proud things." (Psalm 12:3)
"He that goes about as a talebearer reveals secrets: therefore meddle not with him that flatters with his lips." (Proverbs 20:19)
"A lying tongue hates those that are afflicted by it; and a flattering mouth works ruin." (Proverbs 26:28)
Solomon's words in (Proverbs 20:19) indicate that a tale-bearer is likely to be a flatterer. Satan's question to Eve, "Is it so that God has said..." carries with it the air of virtuous indignation. The idea designed to be conveyed was, "I would never do such a thing; just trust me, and you shall have liberty."
How aptly the apostle Peter describes the people who work in this Satanic manner: "For when they speak great swelling words of vanity, they allure through the lusts of the flesh, through much wantonness, those that were clean escaped from them who live in error. While they promise them liberty, they themselves are the servants of corruption; for of whom a man is overcome, of the same is he brought in bondage." (2 Peter 2:18-19)
The man who comes with some false story about somebody else, trying to cast reflections upon him, does so only to conceal his own faults. The gist of all his talk is this: "You and I wouldn't do such things, would we?"
He is seeking to build himself up, and by flattering your vanity, to take advantage of you. Look out for such; and, above all, "be not like unto them." (Matthew 6:8)--Signs of the Times, January 13, 1888--Lesson 3 - Sabbath, January 21--Genesis 3.
E.J. Waggoner