GENESIS LESSON 9

     We saw in the last lesson, in Genesis chapter 3 verse 15, the
promise of the Saviour.

     Genesis 3:16 "Unto the woman he said, I will greatly multiply thy
sorrow and thy conception; in sorrow thou shalt bring forth children;
and thy desire [shall be] to thy husband, and he shall rule over
thee."

     As we said before, the sin of each one was an individual act, and
the punishment also is individual. We, too, will be judged
individually. We shall stand before Jesus, one at a time. We will
stand or fall on our own belief in Him. Not what our parents believe,
or not what our husband or wife believe, but on what we believe. God
has no grandchildren, just children.

     In V-16, God established the order in the family here on earth. A
husband should rule over his wife in the flesh. As I said before, we
are all responsible to God for our spirits. this Scripture, (that woman
shall suffer in childbirth as her punishment for leading her husband
into sin) has to do with the flesh, not the spirit.

     God did not curse the woman or the man in the judgement that He
spoke on them. He would provide restoration for them through the
Saviour, Jesus Christ. They would each be allowed to accept that
salvation.

     Christianity places woman on the same level with man as regarding
the gospels. Galatians 3:28 "There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is
neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are
all one in Christ Jesus."

     Also, we read the wife is in subjection to the husband in the
flesh. Ephesians 5:22 "Wives, submit yourselves unto your own
husbands, as unto the Lord." Ephesians 5:23 "For the husband is the
head of the wife, even as Christ is the head of the church: and he is
the saviour of the body."

     These Scriptures are trying to help us understand how Jesus is
the husband of the church. He is the groom, we are the bride of
Christ, if we are believers in him, both male and female.

     Genesis 3:17 "And unto Adam he said, Because thou hast hearkened
unto the voice of thy wife, and hast eaten of the tree, of which I
commanded thee, saying, Thou shalt not eat of it: cursed [is] the
ground for thy sake; in sorrow shalt thou eat [of] it all the days of
thy life;"

     God was displeased with Adam because he listened to Eve, instead
of Him.

     God will not allow us to put anything, or anyone, ahead of His
commands to us. The favorite excuse of many women for not coming to
church is, "My husband wouldn't bring me". Come without him,if you
must. He will soon come, too.

     In His punishment for Adam, He cursed the ground (not Adam). The
ground even today produces only what man works and gets from it.
Before, it voluntarily grew. It produces the amount man puts out in
effort to make it produce now.

     Genesis 3:18 "Thorns also and thistles shall it bring forth to
thee; and thou shalt eat the herb of the field;" Genesis 3:19 "In the
sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread, till thou return unto the
ground; for out of it wast thou taken: for dust thou [art], and unto
dust shalt thou return."

     In these verses above, God told man, that through much
opposition from the earthly things, shall he earn a living. I believe
it also means that the devil will oppose him on every side, trying to
alienate him from God.

     The story of the thorns and thistles growing together with the
wheat until the end, showed that a man will be surrounded in this world
by people controlled by Satan. We will have to grow with the Lord in
spite of their trying to choke off Christianity.

     Man's body truly will return to the earth, because it is of the
earth. The spirit of man will not return to the earth, but will be
with Jesus in heaven (if we choose to believe in Jesus). God has
reminded man of his humble beginning. Just through belief in the Lord
Jesus Christ can mankind rise above this humble beginning.

     Genesis 3:20 "And Adam called his wife's name Eve; because she
was the mother of all living."

     This verse above indicated that there were no other people living
(except Adam's family), because Adam said his wife was the mother of
all living.

     Genesis 3:21 "Unto Adam also and to his wife did the LORD God
make coats of skins, and clothed them."

     God loved Adam and Eve. The above Scripture indicates the first
animal was sacrificed for man. God, Himself, provided the sacrifice,
as He did with Abraham when he was about to sacrifice his son, Isaac.
God provided the sacrifice. God's concern was still the needs of
mankind.

     Genesis 3:22  "And the LORD God said, Behold, the man is become
as one of us, to know good and evil: and now, lest he put forth his
hand, and take also of the tree of life, and eat, and live for ever:"
Genesis 3:23 "Therefore the LORD God sent him forth from the garden of
Eden, to till the ground from whence he was taken." Genesis 3:24 "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."
     In V-22 above, the word "us" indicated more than one. V-22, V-23,
V-24, were not really intended as a punishment for man, but really so
that he would not eat of the tree of life, and live forever in his
body that suffered and aged. Jesus is the Tree of Life, and when we eat
of that Tree, being pardoned, our spirits will live forever with Him.
Our earthly body will be changed into a heavenly body to house our
spirits.  This heavenly body will be free of pain, and free from the
ageing process.

     Adam and Eve were doomed to a life of toil and pain; yet, they
were looking for a better life beyond the grave where they would be
restored to a better place than Eden.

     The divine presence in the Cherubims and the flaming swords
showed the majesty and authority of God. He could exclude whomever He
would. Through Jesus Christ, mankind will be able to re-establish his
right to the Tree of Life in heaven. It is interesting to note the
symbolism of the swords. The Bible is spoken of as a two-edged sword.
God is also spoken of as a consuming fire. The flaming swords, The
Bible, is the only entrance into the Tree of Life. Through the Bible,
we learn that Jesus is the Tree of Life, and only belief in Him can
purchase our eternal life with Him.

                                 Notes






























                              Questions 9

1.  Will husbands and wives be judged together?
2.  In V-16 God established the order of what?
3.  Who is head of the home?
4.  What was woman's punishment for leading her husband into sin?
5.  God did not speak a curse, just a punishment on man and woman.
    Why?
6.  We read in Gal. 3:28 as pertaining to the gospel there is neither _____
    nor _________ in Christ Jesus pertaining to man and woman.
7.  Ephesians tells us that in the flesh wives are subject to whom?
8.  What are the Scriptures in Galations, and Ephesians trying to show
    us?
9.  In V-17 God did not curse Adam, what did He curse?
10. What is the favorite excuse of woman for not coming to church?
11. Is that a legitimate excuse?
12. in the Scripture "dust thou are and unto dust thou shalt return".
    what will turn to dust?
13. Man will be surrounded by whom in this world?
14. How is the only way man can rise above his humble beginnings?
15. Why did Adam name his wife Eve?
16. When God made coats of skins for Adam and Eve, what religious
    significance was this?
17. What word in V-22 indicated more than one?
18. What two things did God place at the east of the garden of Eden?
19. Was this for punishment?
20. Why did God not want mankind to be able to eat of the tree of life
    at that time?
21. Our earthly bodies will be changed into what to house our spirits in
    heaven?
22. The divine presence of the Cherubims and the flaming swords showed
    what two things of God?
23. How can mankind re-establish his right to the Tree of Life in
    heaven?
24. What is spoken of as a two edged sword?
25. God is spoken of as____ ______.
26. What teaches us that Jesus is the Tree of Life?