Eden’s Triplets of Mercy: Sin, Judgment and Redemption

 

As we have seen throughout Scripture, God’s Word expresses His Triune Nature as Father, Son and Holy Spirit by clustering significant concepts, people and objects in groups of three. Some of the earliest triplet patterns occur in Genesis 2, with the description of the Garden of Eden introducing the central.theme of the Bible. Man is sinful and deserves God’s judgment, but God’s mercy saves him.

This garden was Paradise on earth, created by God for man’s enjoyment (v. 8). God filled the garden with three types of trees: every tree that is pleasant to the sight, and good for food; the tree of life also in the midst of the garden, and the tree of knowledge of good and evil (v. 9).

Through the first two types of trees, God blessed man with beautiful scenery, delicious food, and the promise of perfect life free of aging, illness or pain. The third tree of knowledge of good and evil was a test of man’s faith, submission and obedience. Adam and Eve failed that test by doubting God’s Word, pridefully seeking their own desires rather than pleasing God, and disobeying His commandment (Genesis 3:1-6).

Their rebellion led to guilt (v.7, 10), loss of fellowship with God (v. 10) and suffering the consequences of God’s judgment. This included a threefold curse on the serpent (v. 14-15), on Adam (v. 17-19), and on Eve (v. 16). But God in His mercy restored fellowship by seeking them out as they hid from Him (v.9), covered their sin with animal skins (v. 21), and expelled them from the Garden (v. 22-24).

Although the expulsion from Eden was part of the judgment and consequence of Adam and Eve’s sin, it was also an act of mercy. Had God permitted them to remain in the Garden of Eden, they could have eaten from the tree of life (v. 22). This would have given them eternal life, which would be more of a curse than a blessing. They would have lived forever in their fallen state, continuing to experience the endless toil of physical labor (v. 17-19), the strife of relationships broken by sin (v. 16), and sorrow (v. 16-17).

Instead, God in His mercy had them leave. The duration of their physical life ravaged by sin would be limited (v. 19), and God would give Eve a son whose descendant would bruise Satan’s head (v. 15).  In so doing, God began His perfect plan of redemption, not only for Adam and Eve, but for everyone who would believe in His Son as Deliverer, Lord and Saviour (John 3:16; 1 Timothy 1:1; 2 Peter 1:11). The animal skins with which God clothed Adam and Eve required the shedding of blood, foreshadowing the shed blood of Christ, the perfect Sacrifice Who cleansed us from all our sins, past, present and future  (Romans 5:9; Revelation 1:5).

God watered the Garden of Eden with four rivers defining three lands or countries: Havilah, Ethiopia, and Assyria (Genesis 2:11, 13, 14). Based on current geography, it is difficult to determine from this description the exact former location of the Garden of Eden, as the global flood in Noah’s day would have considerably altered the terrain.

Through their future inhabitants, these three lands remind us of man’s sin, God’s judgment, and His restoration. Havilah was a source of three treasures: gold, bdellium and onyx (v.12). But it also was the dwelling place of Israel’s enemies: the sons of Ishmael (Genesis 25:16-18), as well as the Amalekites (1 Samuel 15:7)

Ishmael represents the consequences of man taking matters into his own hands, rather than trusting God and waiting on the Lord’s perfect timing. God had promised to give Abram (Abraham) and Sarai (Sarah) a natural born son in their barren old age; to make Abraham’s descendants as numerous as the stars; and to give him the Promised Land to inherit (Genesis 15:1-7). As part of a sign to Abraham confirming this promise, God asked him for an offering of three beasts: a heifer, a she goat, and a ram, each three years old (v. 9).

Had Abram and Sarai only waited for God’s perfect timing, they would not have sinned before they heard the rest (and best) of the promise: God would make Abraham the father of many nations, He would be God to him and his descendants, and he and his descendants would possess the land of Canaan forever (Genesis 17:4-8).

But Sarah accused the Lord of keeping her from childbearing, violated God’s plan for marriage by giving her maid Hagar to Abraham, and persuaded him to have a child by her. Because of Ishmael, the son of this adulterous liaison, Hagar hated Sarah, Sarah wanted to be rid of Hagar, and Abraham was caught in the middle (Genesis 16:2-6).

God promised to make Ishmael the father of innumerable descendants (v. 10), just as He did for Isaac, Abraham and Sarah’s promised son born after Ishmael. But unlike Isaac, Ishmael would be a curse, and not a blessing, to Israel, for he would be a wild man; his hand will be against every man, and every man's hand against him (v. 12). The world today is still reeling from the impact of radical Islamists tracing their roots back to Abraham through Ishmael. 

The Amalekites, also inhabitants of Havilah, were another thorn in Israel’s side. As the Hebrews fled from Egypt, Amalek attacked them in a fierce battle at Rephidim. Israel prevailed while Moses prayed, assisted by Aaron and Hur (Exodus 17:10-12). God swore that the Lord will have war with Amalek from generation to generation (v. 16).

God used the Amalekites and Canaanites as an instrument of His judgment against the Hebrews for complaining about Him, lacking faith in His promise by believing an evil report about the Promised Land, and planning to disobey Him by returning to Egypt (Numbers 14). The judgment was threefold: they would be struck by pestilence and the sword; the adults would die in the wilderness (except for Joshua and Caleb who brought a good report); and the children would wander in the wilderness for 40 years before entering the Promised Land.

As severe as this sounds, it was a lesser punishment than they deserved for their lack of faith despite God’s faithfulness, His signs demonstrating His great power, and the report from Joshua and Caleb of the land flowing with milk and honey. But God pardoned them (v. 20), for He is longsuffering, and of great mercy, forgiving iniquity and transgression (v. 18).

The Amalekites continued to threaten Israel (Judges 3:13; 6:3, 7:12), and God commanded King Saul to kill every one of their people, herds and flocks (1 Samuel 15:1-3). But Saul disobeyed God by sparing the life of their king and the best of the livestock. This sin cost Saul dearly, for God judged him by taking away his kingship (1 Samuel 15:7-35). Yet He restored a Godly king to Israel by selecting and anointing David (1 Samuel 16:1-13), a man after God’s own heart (1 Samuel 13:14; Acts 13:22) who ultimately defeated the Amalekites (1 Samuel 31).

Because of God’s great mercy, He does not give us what we deserve, namely eternal punishment in hell, for we are all sinners (Romans 3:23; 6:23). His holiness, perfection and justice (1 Samuel 2:2) demand that sin be punished, but He reconciled us to Himself by the atoning sacrifice of His Son (Romans 5:10-11), Who was crucified, buried, and rose again on the third day so that all who trust Him have everlasting life (1 Corinthians 15:1-4).

We see God’s mercy daily (Lamentations 3:22-23,32) as He works all things together for our good (Romans 8:28), protects us from the full consequences of our transgressions, and gives blessings to mitigate the judgment He requires. Sometimes He allows us go through trials, knowing that they will strengthen our faith, conform us to the image of His Son, and equip us to help others going through similar trials by giving us compassion, wisdom and experience,

Like Havilah, the other two lands comprising the Garden of Eden, namely Ethiopia and Assyria, also have lessons for us regarding man’s sin, God’s judgment, and His restoration. Praise God that even from the beginning, He knew that man would sin, requiring judgment, but that He had a plan to redeem us! 

© 2015 Laurie Collett

Reposted from the archives

Rebellion and Redemption: Expulsion from Eden

 

 

Like labor pains, the signs of Christ's return are increasing in severity and intensity, including wars, rumors of wars, famine, disease, earthquakes in unusual places, Christian persecution, false doctrine and false teachers, and hatred of others, even the unnatural lack of love for one's own flesh and blood (Matthew 24). All these evils can be traced back to the curse of sin on humanity and on the earth because of Adam and Eve's disobedience to God. Yet praise God, He opened the plan of redemption to whosoever would trust in Jesus Christ His Son (John 3:16), giving us a living hope even in these dark, perilous times. I therefore thought it would be appropriate to repost this from the archives.

The overarching theme of the Bible is that of a perfectly loving, holy and just God creating, sustaining and redeeming His rebellious children. Because He is completely holy, He cannot allow sin into His presence (Leviticus 11:45). Because He is righteous and just, He cannot allow sin to go unpunished (1 Kings 8:32; Psalm 7:11). And because He is love (1 John 4:8), He gave His only Son to pay the punishment for our sins, so that he could shower His children with His infinite mercy and grace (2 John 1:3) and give them eternal life in His presence.

Despite the idyllic, blissful life God provided for Adam and Eve in the garden of Eden, where they enjoyed the beauty of His creation, one another, and fellowship with Him (Genesis 1-4), they rebelled against Him.

Satan, in the form of a wise, beautiful and subtle serpent, resorted to his favorite ploy – starting with God’s truth and twisting it into a lie (Genesis 3: 1–3), for he is the father of lies (John 8:44). Eve was deceived and succumbed to the three temptations that are Satan’s signature strategies: the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life (Genesis 3:5-6; 1 John 2:16).

Before the fall, Adam and his wife were innocent and trusted God, as proven by their obedience. When they disobeyed and ate of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, they committed the first sin – rebellion against God’s commandment (Genesis 3:7). They lost fellowship with God and were afraid of Him because they knew they had done wrong (v.:8-10).

Before they had been unashamed of their nudity, as husband and wife should lovingly delight in one another in the sanctity of marriage (Hebrews 13:4). But after their eyes were opened, they knew they were naked and made a pitiful attempt to hide themselves with fig leaves (Genesis 3: 7)

God in His mercy gives Adam ample opportunity to confess (v. 9-11), for when we confess our sins, He is swift to forgive us (1 John 1:9). But instead, Adam and Eve both play the blame game. Adam has the audacity to blame God for giving him Eve, and he then tries to avoid guilt by blaming his wife (Genesis 3: 12). Not that Eve is any better – rather than taking responsibility for her disobedience, she blames the serpent (v. 13). 

Sadly, variations of this scenario are too often repeated, even to the present day. This results not only in failed marriages and relationships, but also in worldwide conflict and even war when rulers refuse to accept responsibility for their actions. Rather than acknowledge their own fault, criminals often blame a failed system or their dysfunctional family for their wrongdoing, which is a major obstacle to rehabilitation.

After Adam and Eve's sin, God first cursed the serpent (v. 14). Before he beguiled Eve, the serpent had feet and walked, but after he was condemned to slither along the ground (v.14). But the true object of God’s wrath is not the serpent that Satan used to tempt Eve, but Satan himself. Since Lucifer’s sin of pride led to his fall from Heaven, he has been the enemy of mankind – looking to kill and destroy (1 Peter 5:8). And the devil is the enemy of the seed of the woman – Jesus Christ, Who ultimately defeats Satan. But first Satan bruises His heel at the cross (Genesis 3 15).

The curse for Eve’s sin is the pain of childbirth and her subjection to her husband (v. 16; Ephesians 5: 20-25), and Adam’s curse is that he must work hard to eat (Genesis 3 17-18) until the day he dies. Sin brought with it the curse not only of hard physical labor, but of physical death (v. 19; Romans 6:23), including eternal spiritual death for those alienated from God.

But the promise of redemption was there in Eve’s seed (Genesis 3: 20). Many generations later, God’s own Son would take on human flesh (John 1:14), be born to Mary – one of Eve’s descendants -- and bring eternal life to all Who trust in His death, burial and resurrection (1 Corinthians 15:1-4) as the only way to Heaven (John 14:6). 

Through His grace and sacrifice, believers are made righteous and freely receive eternal life (Romans 5: 17-19).

The first death occurred in the garden when God killed animals to clothe Adam and Eve with their skins (Genesis 3:21), which symbolized covering, but not removing, their sin, through shed blood. Thus began the “scarlet thread” (Joshua 2:18) of redemption by the blood woven throughout Bible history. The shedding of animal blood for sacrifices commanded by God covered the sins of His people, but only temporarily (Leviticus 4; 3-7).

Not until the perfect Sacrifice of Jesus Christ Himself would believers be washed clean in His blood (Revelation 1:5), their sins removed as far from them as is the East is from the West (Psalm 103:12). through His completed work on the cross.

Because Adam and Eve disobeyed God and ate the fruit of the tree of knowledge, they were marred by the sin of disobedience. If they would eat the tree of life, they would live forever in their sinful, corrupt bodies and would be doomed to hell for all eternity (Genesis 3:22). God had to prevent that so that they and their descendants could ultimately have eternal life in Heaven, so He expelled Adam and Eve from the garden and placed angels with flaming swords at its entrance to guard the tree of life (v.23-24).

Milllennia later, God will finally give His children access to the tree of life. Thanks to His plan of salvation through His Son, those who are born again will ultimately escape their sin-stained bodies and receive glorified bodies that will never age or become sick. In Heaven, in the New Jerusalem, we will eat fruit from the tree of life and its leaves will keep us from getting sick (Revelation 2:7; 22:2,14).

May we lead our lives not in rebellion, but in submission to His perfect will, so that we will ultimately taste the fruit of the tree of life and live forever in His presence!

© 2013 Laurie Collett

Edited, expanded and reposted from the archives

Triplets of Faith: Were Adam and Eve Saved?

As we have seen, God made different covenants with mankind throughout Biblical history. The common element is our faith in Him, as reflected in three true Gospels. Faith is our belief in God Whom we cannot see directly (Hebrews 11:1-3), although His creation reflects His excellence (Psalm 19:1). Without this faith it is impossible to please Him (Hebrews 11:6). 

 

 

How do we demonstrate our faith in God?  Faith is manifest in our obedience to Him (1 Samuel 15:22; James 2), yet each of us has disobeyed God (Psalm 14:1-3; 53:1-3). Sin, or disobedience, is always the result of pride and/or unbelief. 

 

Thankfully, God can take the smallest seed of faith we can muster and grow it into faith that could move mountains (Matthew 17:20; Luke 17:5-6). Paradoxically, He shows His love for us by punishing us when we disobey, just as a loving Father does His children (Hebrews 12:5-11). 

 

The specific requirements of what He asked the faithful to believe and to do differed with each covenant, or promise that God made to His chosen people (Hebrews 11). God did not reveal His entire plan of salvation or Who He is all at once (Isaiah 55:9), nor will we able to understand Him in His infinite glory until we see Him face to face (1 Corinthians 13:12). 

 

Despite their disobedience that ultimately led to every person being born with a sin nature (Psalm 51:5; Romans 5:18), I believe that Adam and Eve were saved because they knew Who God was, and they obeyed Him before the Fall. They recognized that He created them (Genesis 1:26-28; 2:7) and everything else, and that He provided for them (Genesis 1:29; 2:9).

 

Before Adam and Eve disobeyed God, it appears that they enjoyed daily fellowship with Him, speaking with Him as He walked in the garden in the cool of the day (Genesis 3:8). They obeyed God in that Adam named all the animals as God requested, and they both kept and dressed the garden (Genesis 2:15,19-20). 

 

Adam believed what God had done in creating a wife for Him (Genesis 2:21-22), and he recognized the significance of that creation and of their union (Genesis 2:23-24) as one flesh – a forerunner or type of the union between Christ and His Bride the Church (Matthew 19:4-6; Ephesians 5:22-32).

 

Despite this blissful existence with God in the Garden of Eden, Adam and Eve fell prey to Satan’s deception when the serpent convinced Eve to disobey God by eating the fruit of the tree of knowledge of good and evil (Genesis 3:1-6). God, being holy and just, had to punish their sin (Genesis 3:16-19) and banished them from the Garden of Eden. 

 

Yet their banishment from the garden was for their own salvation, for had they stayed there and eaten of the Tree of Life, they would have lived forever in their sinful, corrupted state, in their aging bodies subject to sickness and pain (Genesis 3:2-24).

 

In a futile attempt to cover their own sin, symbolized by their nakedness, with their own works, Adam and Eve sewed fig leaves together (Genesis 3:7). But God covered their nakedness with animal skins (Genesis 3: 21), representing the blood atonement (Leviticus 17:11), or “scarlet thread,” that would culminate in the shed blood of His Son (Matthew 26:28; Hebrews 9:22). 

 

The perfect sacrifice of Jesus Christ, Lamb of God Who takes away the sins of the world (John 1:29), not only covered sin but removed it as far as the East is from the West (Psalm 103:12). When God looks at all those who place their faith in Christ, He no longer sees their sin, but only the perfect righteousness of His Son (1 Corinthians 1:30; Hebrews 1:8; Philippians 1:11; 3:9). 

 

Although the first couple was cast out of the Garden of Eden (Genesis 3:22-23), Eve continued to show her faith in God’s promise that her seed would destroy the serpent’s seed (Genesis 3:15; 4:1, 25). Adam’s faith is not spelled out, but he is mentioned in the genealogy of Jesus (Luke 3:38), suggesting that he was also saved by faith.

 

The disobedience of Adam and Eve resulted in all their descendants being born with a sin nature (Romans 5:12-14). Except for Jesus Himself, all thereafter sinned and came short of the glory of God (Romans 3:23), and none has perfectly kept His commandments. So salvation cannot be based on self-righteousness or works, or none would be saved (Isaiah 64:6; Ephesians 2:8-9). Rather, it is based on believing what God has revealed about Himself at that point in history!

 

© 2013 Laurie Collett (reposted from the archives)

Eden’s Three Lands: God’s Justice, Mercy and Grace

As with Havilah, the other two lands of Ethiopia and Assyria comprising the Garden of Eden (Genesis 2:11-14) also demonstrate how Holy God deals with man’s sin, not only with deserved justice, but with undeserved mercy and grace. When man repents and prays to God, He restores what was lost.

Ethiopia was the home country of Moses’ wife (Numbers 12:1), causing Moses’ siblings Aaron and Miriam to criticize him. Evidently they thought the Ethiopians were inferior to the Jews and unworthy of marrying into their family. In addition to their prejudice, they were guilty of coveting Moses’ favored position with God and of pride in thinking they were as fit as Moses to be God’s spokespersons (v. 2).

God punished their sins by summoning them to stand before Him (what a terrifying thought to be called on the carpet by our Creator!), verbally chastising them, and striking Miriam with leprosy (v. 4-10). But when Aaron confessed his sin, and Moses and Aaron begged God to save Miriam (v. 11-13), in His mercy He let her return to the camp, presumably healed, after seven days (v. 14-15).

The Ethiopians, Lubims and Sukkiims followed king Shishak of Egypt in the attack against Jerusalem, which came as part of God’s judgment for the disobedience of evil king Rehoboam (2 Chronicles 12:1-5). To appease His holy and justified wrath, God allowed the attackers to take the fenced cities of Judah, to enslave the Hebrews and to plunder their treasure. Shishak took spoils of the treasures of the house of the Lord; the treasures of King Solomon's house; and the shields of gold which Solomon had made (v.4-9).

But when the Hebrew king and princes heard God’s judgment delivered by Shemaiah the prophet, they humbled themselves before God and praised Him for His righteousness (v. 5-6). In His mercy, He spared their lives, gave them some deliverance, and vowed not to pour out His anger on Jerusalem by the hand of Shishak (v. 7).

The Ethiopians continued to war against Judah, but during the reign of good king Asa, who prayed to God, obeyed and served Him (2 Chronicles 14:2-7,11), God smote, overthrew, and destroyed the Ethiopians (v.12-13).

Tirhakah, king of Ethiopia, joined with Assyria in warring against the Israelites, causing the Hebrew king Hezekiah to mourn that day of trouble, and of rebuke, and blasphemy (2 Kings 19). But in answer to Hezekiah’s prayer, God kept His promise to save the faithful remnant of His people, to defend the city against the king of Assyria, and to kill 145,000 Assyrian soldiers before they even left their camp.

The people of Assyria were enemies of Israel used by God as an instrument of judgment against the people of God for their disobedience not only in Hezekiah’s day (2 Kings 18:11-17; Isaiah 36), but also in the time of king Hoshea, Jeroboam and Menahem (2 Kings 15, 17). The Assyrians were a bad influence on God’s people, seducing them to worship false gods. Scripture metaphorically describes Israel’s disloyalty to God, calling the Assyrians her lovers, described as desirable, young, renowned horsemen, who were captains, rulers, or great lords (Ezekiel 23:5-23).

Yet God in His mercy could even use the Assyrians for the good of His faithful people. The children of Israel, the priests, and the Levites showed their obedience to God by dedicating His newly built temple of God; making offerings at the dedication; and setting the priests for God’s service. The children of the captivity showed their obedience by keeping the passover; separating themselves from the heathen; and keeping the feast of unleavened bread (Ezra 6:16-22).

In return, the Lord showered them with His grace. He made them joyful, and turned the heart of the king of Assyria unto them, to strengthen their hands in the work of the house of God. (Ezra 6:22).

Assyria’s capital was the wicked city of Nineveh, an exceeding great city of three days' journey (Jonah 3:3). When Jonah disobeyed God by refusing to preach in that den of iniquity, God’s judgment was to allow him to be swallowed up by a great fish and remain in its belly three days and three nights (Jonah 1:17). Once Jonah offered repentance, prayer, and thanksgiving to God, the fish vomited Jonah onto dry land (Jonah 2).

God again commanded Jonah to arise, go to Nineveh, and preach. God spared the Assyrian capital when they fasted, cried out to God and repented, showing His great mercy, grace and redemption even to His worst enemies (Jonah 3).

The one whom the Bible calls “the Assyrian,” suggested by some commentators to be Gog or even the Antichrist, is the rod of God’s anger, and the staff of God’s indignation. He will be used by God in judgment against the people of His anger to take the spoil, and to take the prey, and to tread them down like the mire of the streets (Isaiah 10:5-6).

And yet God promises to protect His faithful remnant from the Assyrian, when God’s indignation shall cease, and His anger in their destruction shall cease, and He shall stir up a scourge for the Assyrian (v. 26). God will remove the Assyrian’s load from His people’s shoulders, and will remove his yoke of bondage from their neck, and destroy his yoke altogether (v. 27).

At times God deals with the enemies of Israel by having them war against one another, as when Assyria leads Ethiopia and Egypt into shame, fear and captivity (Isaiah 20:4-5).  Prophecy tells of Ethiopia being allied with Egypt and Libya against Israel (Ezekiel 38:5; Daniel 11:43).

Ultimately, God redeemed His nation Israel using Ethiopia, Egypt and Seba as ransom (Isaiah 43:1-4), and gave her spoil from the labor of Egypt, and merchandise of Ethiopia and of the Sabeans (Isaiah 45:14). But when Israel rebelled against God, He chastised them by saying they were like children of the Ethiopians (Amos 9:7).

These three lands in the Garden of Eden therefore foretell man’s sinful rebellion, God’s judgment, and ultimately God’s redemption. Not only did God protect His faithful, but He gave them victory in war, and provides for the redemption of all people who place their faith in the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ (1 Corinthians 15:1-4) as the only Way to Heaven (John 14:6).

God’s mercy, love and grace are so great that they extend even to His enemies whom He has judged, and to the foes of His chosen people Israel. God has even promised to bless Assyria, saying, Blessed be Egypt my people, and Assyria the work of my hands, and Israel mine inheritance (Isaiah 19:24-25), for He knows that one day they shall all worship Him in the holy city of Jerusalem (Isaiah 27:13).

The Psalms foretold of even the Ethiopians stretching out their hands to God (Psalm 68:31). That prophecy was fulfilled when the Ethiopian eunuch Ebedmelech rescued God’s prophet Jeremiah from prison (Jeremiah 38:7-13) and when the Ethiopian eunuch witnessed to by Philip was saved and baptized (Acts 8:26-39).

The pagan nations, and those that curse Israel, have reason to fear God’s judgment (Ezekiel 30). Specific judgments for Ethiopia are great pain (v.4,9), falling by the sword (v. 5), and  messengers in ships causing fear (v. 9). But thanks to Jesus Christ, all those born in Ethiopia, or in any nation once fighting God, can now be reborn into the church of God and enter the glorious city of Zion (Psalm 87).

May we learn from Havilah, Ethiopia and Assyria that God’s mercy and grace are greater than all our sins, and may we believe, repent, and pray!

© 2015 Laurie Collett