Synopsis

The passage before us shows man as a fallen creature and how we find ourselves in sin. This was against what humanity was created for. Because of sin everything was messed up. The serpent lured the woman in the following ways:

1. The devil plants a thought in Eve which is derived from the word of God. He casts doubt in her about God's Word. By him going to the woman and not the man he struck opposition to God's structure of man's headship.

2. He sought to make her distort and misrepresent God's word. When Satan rephrased the question as he put it towards Eve she too distorts God's word. She belittles and demeans the terms of God. She concentrates on the prohibition that the devil suggests. Similarly, in our weakness we often complain and dwell on what he has not given us as opposed to what he has given us.

3. She overstates the divine prohibition and exaggerates God's restriction. God never said "don't touch it".

4. She misquotes the penalty that God had put forth. Eve is minimising the penalty. She uses "lest you will die" which is not what God said because He said "you will Surely die".

5. Satan denies the word of God. He tells Eve that she will surely not die. By doing so he pushes a god who is in the middle of holiness and just, thus setting a trap for Eve. The devil was aiming to produce moral rebels to the will of God.

Lessons for application:

1. We must not be ignorant of Satan's devices. He loves to twist and distort God's word. He uses deception and lies. We must be sound in Biblical doctrine.
2. We need to affirm and submit ourselves to the supremacy of God's word. God's word is our absolute standard for everything we believe.
3. We need to affirm and appreciate the character of God in our own lives.
4. We must remember Satan promises pleasure in sin but often hides the consequences of the sin. He dangles a bait but he won't tell you that it is deadly poison. Sin is like living extravagantly on borrowed money.
5. We need to understand the gravity of sin. This will help us understand the need for God in our lives. The sin imputed to all men and women necessitated our need for God. We need to accept the Lord Jesus Christ so that we may be reclaimed back to God.