Gen 2 25 3 7 THE CUNNING BEAST

Gen 2: 25 -3: 7 THE CUNNING BEAST

Introduction � Adam and Eve’s shame from being “naked” � Temptation of Eve and the submission of Adam to Eve � How does Satan do it? ◦ Joh 8: 43 -45 Why do you not know My speech? Because you cannot hear My Word. (44) You are of the Devil as father, and the lusts of your father you will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and did not abide in the truth because there is no truth in him. When he speaks a lie, he speaks of his own, for he is a liar

Scripture Reading: Gen 2: 1517 And Jehovah God took the man and put him into the garden of Eden to work it and keep it. (16) And Jehovah God commanded the man, saying, You may freely eat of every tree in the garden, (17) but you shall not eat of the tree of knowledge of good and evil. For in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die.

Scripture Reading: Gen 2: 25 -3: 7 (1) And they were both naked, the man and his wife; and they were not ashamed. (3: 1) Now the serpent was more cunning than any beast of the field which Jehovah God had made. And he said to the woman, Is it so that God has said, You shall not eat of every tree of the garden? (2) And the woman said to the serpent, We may eat of the fruit of the trees of the garden. (3) But of the fruit of the tree which is in the middle of the garden, God has said, You shall not eat of it, neither shall you touch it, lest you die.

Scripture Reading: Gen 2: 25 -3: 7 (2) (4) And the serpent said to the woman, You shall not surely die, (5) for God knows that in the day you eat of it, then your eyes shall be opened, and you shall be as God, knowing good and evil. (6) And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was pleasing to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make wise, she took of its fruit, and ate. She also gave to her husband with her, and he ate. (7) And the eyes of both of them were opened. And they knew that they were naked. And they sewed fig leaves together and made girdles for themselves.

Casting Doubt � And he said to the woman, Is it so that God has said, You shall not eat of every tree of the garden? � Sowing seeds of discontent � The strategy: Divide and conquer � Regrettably, God’s goodness, the Tree of Life was always available

Redefinition � And the serpent said to the woman, You shall not surely “die” � Not changing the words but the meaning � Changing from right to Wong � Die to disconnect with the eternal life source, not dying immediately.

Conflation � For God knows that in the day you eat of it, then your eyes shall be opened, and you shall be as God, knowing good and evil. � Double talk: language that appears to be earnest and meaningful but in fact is a mixture of sense and nonsense

Omission � You would have sinned and become naked � You would have angered God � You would be cast out of Eden!

The Moment of Realizatio n

Satan’s Means of Temptation � And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was pleasing to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make wise, she took of its fruit, and ate. She also gave to her husband with her, and he ate. � Lusts of your father: Something that: ◦ Feels good or pleasing, but you know is wrong! ◦ Is exciting, but you know is wrong! ◦ Gains, but you know is wrong

Applications (1) �Open your eyes ◦ Eph 6: 11 -12 Put on the whole armor of God so that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. (12) For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the world's rulers, of the darkness of this age, against spiritual wickedness in high places.

Applications (2) � Know Satan is impotent unless you let him. ◦ Joh 12: 31 Now is the judgment of this world. Now shall the prince of this world be cast out. � You are in control and more powerful ◦ Joh 14: 30 I shall no longer speak many things with you, for the ruler of this world comes, and he has nothing in Me. � Satan is cunningness: He can’t beat you, so he lies to you

Conclusions � Understand the nature of our battle is spiritual, although exemplified in the world affairs. � The prince of the world is Satan, but the king of kings, the king of all creation is God � Know Satan’s tools of deception and temptation: Casting doubt, redefinition, conflation, omission.