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The Beginning of Lies
In this article, I would like for you to look beyond the words of
the
brief story in Genesis chapter three to see what was happening. I would
suggest that in your mind's eye, that you put yourself in Eve's shoes.
Then I would suggest that you PRAY and ask the Holy Spirit
to examine your own life to see if the serpent has lied to you.
Did you take the bait? What has been the results?
Scripture:
I. Satan opened the door to lies by a question.
II. Satan's lies were actually directed toward the nature and character of God.
III. Here are some secondary implications toward Adam and Eve.
IV. Here are some probable thoughts of Eve.
V. Probable precipitated emotions.
VI. Some wrong actions.
VII. What were the actual results?
"Who is a liar but he that
denieth that Jesus is the Christ? He is antichrist, that denieth the
Father and the Son" (I John 2:22).
"Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it" (John 8:44).
"Now the serpent was more subtil than any beast of the field which the LORD God had made. And he said unto the woman, Yea, hath God said, Ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden? And the woman said unto the serpent, We may eat of the fruit of the trees of the garden: But of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God hath said, Ye shall not eat of it, neither shall ye touch it, lest ye die. And the serpent said unto the woman, Ye shall not surely die: For God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil" (Genesis 3:1-5).
"Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it" (John 8:44).
"Now the serpent was more subtil than any beast of the field which the LORD God had made. And he said unto the woman, Yea, hath God said, Ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden? And the woman said unto the serpent, We may eat of the fruit of the trees of the garden: But of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God hath said, Ye shall not eat of it, neither shall ye touch it, lest ye die. And the serpent said unto the woman, Ye shall not surely die: For God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil" (Genesis 3:1-5).
I. Satan opened the door to lies by a question.
A. "And he said unto the
woman, Yea, hath God said, Ye shall not eat of every tree of the
garden?" (Genesis
3:1b).
B. It is extremely dangerous to have a dialogue with the enemy! We can be easy to deceived by the enemy when we enter into conversation with him. In fact, he may even disguise himself as "self". We may think that we are having a monologue with ourselves and we are actually having a dialogue with the deceiver. The word translated "Yea" means, "accession" or "Wouldn't you agree?". The enemy wants us to come into an agreement with his lies. If we do, he takes authority over us through the lies.
C. To protect herself, Eve said, "We may eat of the fruit of the trees of the garden: But of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God hath said, Ye shall not eat of it, neither shall ye touch it, lest ye die" (Genesis 3:3).
D. Satan got her to listen to him and to look at the forbidden tree and herself. When she did this, she went beyond what God said and said that she was not even to touch the tree. When we focus on the temptation, we generally will follow after it. It is a trap of the enemy.
B. It is extremely dangerous to have a dialogue with the enemy! We can be easy to deceived by the enemy when we enter into conversation with him. In fact, he may even disguise himself as "self". We may think that we are having a monologue with ourselves and we are actually having a dialogue with the deceiver. The word translated "Yea" means, "accession" or "Wouldn't you agree?". The enemy wants us to come into an agreement with his lies. If we do, he takes authority over us through the lies.
C. To protect herself, Eve said, "We may eat of the fruit of the trees of the garden: But of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God hath said, Ye shall not eat of it, neither shall ye touch it, lest ye die" (Genesis 3:3).
D. Satan got her to listen to him and to look at the forbidden tree and herself. When she did this, she went beyond what God said and said that she was not even to touch the tree. When we focus on the temptation, we generally will follow after it. It is a trap of the enemy.
II. Satan's lies were actually directed toward the nature and character of God.
A. "And the serpent said unto the
woman, Ye shall not surely die: For God doth know that in the
day ye
eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods,
knowing good and evil" (Genesis 3:4-5).
B. This implied that God had withheld something good from her.
C. This implied that God, Himself, was not good.
D. This implied that God had betrayed her.
E. This may have implied that God was selfish.
F. This implied that God wouldn't supply all her need.
G. This implied that God was a liar.
H. This implied that God, indeed, was evil or unfair.
B. This implied that God had withheld something good from her.
C. This implied that God, Himself, was not good.
D. This implied that God had betrayed her.
E. This may have implied that God was selfish.
F. This implied that God wouldn't supply all her need.
G. This implied that God was a liar.
H. This implied that God, indeed, was evil or unfair.
III. Here are some secondary implications toward Adam and Eve.
A. You have been betrayed
by God.
B. You are not worthy to receive anything from God.
C. You are a mistake. God goofed when he made you.
D. You really need to become wise by eating of the tree.
F. You can't achieve what you desire God's way.
G. God doesn't care about you.
H. You are really on your own.
I. You can't trust God.
J. You should look at the benefits of eating the fruit.
K. This also appealed to the temptation of pride.
L. You won't really die if you eat of the fruit.
B. You are not worthy to receive anything from God.
C. You are a mistake. God goofed when he made you.
D. You really need to become wise by eating of the tree.
F. You can't achieve what you desire God's way.
G. God doesn't care about you.
H. You are really on your own.
I. You can't trust God.
J. You should look at the benefits of eating the fruit.
1. She saw that it was
good for food.
2. It was pleasant to look at.
3. It was something to be desired to make her wise.
4. "For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world" (I John 2:16). Eve was tempted in each way.
2. It was pleasant to look at.
3. It was something to be desired to make her wise.
4. "For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world" (I John 2:16). Eve was tempted in each way.
K. This also appealed to the temptation of pride.
1. The serpent said that
she would become as God.
2. She would come to know both good and evil.
2. She would come to know both good and evil.
L. You won't really die if you eat of the fruit.
IV. Here are some probable thoughts of Eve.
A. I am disappointment.
B. I am emotionally wounded and bruised.
C. I am all alone and deserted.
D. Life is really unfair (God is unfair).
B. I am emotionally wounded and bruised.
C. I am all alone and deserted.
D. Life is really unfair (God is unfair).
V. Probable precipitated emotions.
A. Fear of loss.
She
could lose the opportunity to seize knowing good and evil.
B. Anger. Anger often accompanies the fear of loss.
C. Bitterness. Anger extended over time leads to bitterness.
D. Depression. Depression often follows the above.
B. Anger. Anger often accompanies the fear of loss.
C. Bitterness. Anger extended over time leads to bitterness.
D. Depression. Depression often follows the above.
VI. Some wrong actions.
A. Rebellion against God.
It becomes easy to rebel against some whom we believe that
has mistreated us.
B. Disobedience. We usually find it difficult to obey those whom we don't trust.
C. Withdrawal (hiding). This is a result of guilt and fear of being found out.
D. Denial of responsibility. *** This is a major defense mechanism. Once we believe a lie and face guilt and shame because of our actions, it becomes easy for us also to lie.
E. Blaming others. This is our means of false self justification. Eve blamed the serpent and Adam blamed Eve.
F. Self efforts to fix the problem. They tried to cover their problem with fig leaves.
B. Disobedience. We usually find it difficult to obey those whom we don't trust.
C. Withdrawal (hiding). This is a result of guilt and fear of being found out.
D. Denial of responsibility. *** This is a major defense mechanism. Once we believe a lie and face guilt and shame because of our actions, it becomes easy for us also to lie.
E. Blaming others. This is our means of false self justification. Eve blamed the serpent and Adam blamed Eve.
F. Self efforts to fix the problem. They tried to cover their problem with fig leaves.
VII. What were the actual results?
A. They experienced a
spiritual death.
B. They loss their fellowship with God.
C. They began to live under the curses.
D. They began to experience real loneliness.
F. They and their seed were also to experience physical death.
G. They and their seed were caught in the bondage of sin.
*** Adam and Eve could no
long have the "relationship" which God.
B. They loss their fellowship with God.
*** God would no longer
walk with them in the garden in the cool of the evening.
C. They began to live under the curses.
1. There was to be
continual conflict between mankind and Satan.
2. They and their seed was to be subject to the bruises of Satan.
3. Eve was to conceive and bear children in sorrow.
4. There would be a conflict between her and her husband.
5. The man was to rule over the woman
6. They were thrown out of the garden to till the ground by the sweat of their brows.
7. They would have to content with thorns and thistles.
8. Man was to return to dust from which he was made.
2. They and their seed was to be subject to the bruises of Satan.
3. Eve was to conceive and bear children in sorrow.
4. There would be a conflict between her and her husband.
5. The man was to rule over the woman
6. They were thrown out of the garden to till the ground by the sweat of their brows.
7. They would have to content with thorns and thistles.
8. Man was to return to dust from which he was made.
D. They began to experience real loneliness.
*** Separation from God
brings real loneliness, even when we are in the midst of a crowd.
F. They and their seed were also to experience physical death.
1. Adam lived until he was
930 years old, but he was meant to die.
2. The average life span before the flood was over 900 years.
3. Lamech had the shortest life span of 777 year.
4. After the flood the life spans began to be shorten dramatically.
5. David records, "The days of our years are threescore years and ten; and if by reason of strength they be fourscore years, yet is their strength labour and sorrow; for it is soon cut off, and we fly away" (Psalms 90:10).
6. We don't find a record of sickness until Genesis chapter forty-eight when Jacob became sick. However, with the giving of the Law all sickness were attached with disobedience to the Law.
7. In one sense, God winked at sin before the Law, but after the Law man became subject to the consequences of sin.
2. The average life span before the flood was over 900 years.
3. Lamech had the shortest life span of 777 year.
4. After the flood the life spans began to be shorten dramatically.
5. David records, "The days of our years are threescore years and ten; and if by reason of strength they be fourscore years, yet is their strength labour and sorrow; for it is soon cut off, and we fly away" (Psalms 90:10).
6. We don't find a record of sickness until Genesis chapter forty-eight when Jacob became sick. However, with the giving of the Law all sickness were attached with disobedience to the Law.
7. In one sense, God winked at sin before the Law, but after the Law man became subject to the consequences of sin.
a. Fear of loss.
Fear also affects our digestive track and often brings on
headaches.
b. Anger. Anger is also associated with high blood pressure, blackouts, and strokes.
c. Bitterness. Bitterness may also lead to gall bladder problems and arthritis.
d. Depression. Depression is not only an emotional response, it also depresses our bodies' immune system.
b. Anger. Anger is also associated with high blood pressure, blackouts, and strokes.
c. Bitterness. Bitterness may also lead to gall bladder problems and arthritis.
d. Depression. Depression is not only an emotional response, it also depresses our bodies' immune system.
G. They and their seed were caught in the bondage of sin.
1. The first death was of
Abel who was killed by his brother Cain.
2. By Genesis chapter six, the bondage of sin has taken over the world. "And GOD saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually" (Genesis 6:5).
3. Every bait of sin has a hook buried in it. When we bite, we are hooked for the devil to reel us in.
2. By Genesis chapter six, the bondage of sin has taken over the world. "And GOD saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually" (Genesis 6:5).
3. Every bait of sin has a hook buried in it. When we bite, we are hooked for the devil to reel us in.