Growing in Christ Bible Study Genesis to Revelation. Week 2

Week 2   Genesis 3&4

  Read Genesis chapters 3&4. What a contrast between chapters 1&2. In 1&2 everything is perfect. Then the adversary enters the scene.

       1.  The adversary - Who was the serpent? You obviously will say "the devil". How do you know that because the passage doesn't say that? Read Rev. 12:4,7-9. Describe what happened in Heaven from this Rev. passage.

           What precipitated this war? (see Isa. 14:12-14 and Ezek. 28:12b - 15)

            What is Satan's goal now? (read John 10:10 and 2 Thes 2:8-10)

            What techniques does he use? (See Gen. 3:1-4 and Matt 4:1-10)

             What is his destiny?
                        Gen. 3:15 -
                            describe also how this is the first prophecy in the Bible
                        Rev. 20:1-3, 7-10


    2. The sin
    
            Read Gen 3:5,22. What is at the heart of all sin? Compare this to Satan's original sin in Isa 14.

           What were the results of sin?
                    Gen. 2:17 and 3:4. Was Satan right?

                    Gen 3:7. What was the significance of realizing they were naked?

                    Gen 3:8  Why did they hide from God?

                     Gen 3:12,13

                    Gen 3:16
                         What happened to the husband wife relationship?

                  Gen 3:17b-19a

                   Gen 3:19b and Rom. 5:12


     3.  It's all about God

                 See Gen 2:17. Why did God even put a tree in the garden that they couldn't eat from? What does this tell you about God?

                    Was He surprised that man sinned? What does this tell you about God?

                   See 3:8,9. What does this tell you about God? (Luke 19:10)
                        How does this illustrate the difference between Christianity and all other religions?

                  See Gen 3:21. What was the significance of this act?

                  See Gen. 4:3,4. Explain why God accepted one not the other and how Cain's offering illustrated the ultimate core of sin and how all other religions try to reach God.



Leader's guide.

             Everything was going great. God created the whole world to reflect His glory. Satan came on the scene and his main goal was not to have people worship him but to desire God's glory for themselves. That is called "sin". I like this video from The Mummy because it illustrates how good everything was at creation when all the mirrors of creation were focused on God. When man chose to turn the mirror on himself suddenly sin and darkness came into the world. Satan came to steal, kill, and destroy. A good example of what he does to people is in Mark 5 with the demoniac by the name of Legion.
           Satan has pretty consistant means of tempting (2Cor. 2:11). He knows the scripture well and twists it. We must know scripture well to fight him otherwise he will deceive us. This is how Jesus countered all of the devil's temptations. He also wants us to doubt God's love for us and God's character. He wants us to think that ultimate freedom is outside of his rules wheras true freedom is found under God's authority. Think about it; when the world was as it should be, there was only one rule. God isn't out to bind us with a bunch of rules. Just love Him and submit to Him.
            When sin came into the world, death came into the world. Physical death eventually but immediately spiritual death. Referring to the Body, Soul, and Spirit diagram in week one, the spirit became dead. That is why in John 3 we hear the need to be "born again". Relationships became flawed with people playing the blame game and even murdering each other, and marriages became power struggles for control. When God says "your desire will be for your husband" in 3:16 the same word desire is used in 4:7 where sin desires to take control. Marriage has been a struggle for control ever since. Work became a chore. Childbirth became painful. You have to believe pain came into the world. Also innocense was lost. Creation was cursed. The Earth became a dangerous place and in order to keep us safe many more rules came into place.
            The worst problem sin caused was separation from God. He is perfect and can't be around sin (Habakkuk 1:13) and thus the daily fellowship with God was broken. Thus, man was expelled from the garden but God installed a way to come back into His presence. He instituted and probably demonstrated animal sacrifice showing that sin demands substitutionary death and the shedding of innocent blood. The ultimate coming of His son Jesus to be wounded but eventually crush sin and death and Satan is prophesied in Gen. 3:15 coming from the seed of a woman. This also foreshadows His virgin birth as everyone else has been born from the seed of man.
            Mankind, since we want to be Gods and save ourselves, have been following the way of Cain, reaching God through our own way and our own "best" rather than the way prescribed and supplied by God.
           What is amazing is that although we have rebelled against God and chosen ourselves over Him, He still comes searching for us. He makes a way for us to come back into His presence while He would have been completely justified to put us to death the moment we sinned because He warned that would happen. Yet He shows his grace and mercy by sending His own son to Earth to be the innocent blood sacrifice demanded by our sin. This is made more remarkable by the fact that God is all-knowing and He knew when He created the world all this would happen, yet he loved us enough and valued having us in Heaven for all eternity with Him so much that He still went through the creation knowing it would mean His death on the cross. The other thing this shows us is how much He values free will. He wanted us to choose Him. He could have not put a tree in the garden but He wanted us to choose him. Be careful of doctrines that deny free will.