Consequences
Genesis 3:16-21
16 To the woman he said, “I will surely multiply your pain in childbearing; in pain you shall bring forth children. Your desire shall be for your husband, and he shall rule over you.”
17 And to Adam he said, “Because you have listened to the voice of your wife and have eaten of the tree of which I commanded you, ‘You shall not eat of it,’ cursed is the ground because of you; in pain you shall eat of it all the days of your life;
18 thorns and thistles it shall bring forth for you; and you shall eat the plants of the field.
19 By the sweat of your face you shall eat bread, till you return to the ground, for out of it you were taken; for you are dust, and to dust you shall return.”
20 The man called his wife’s name Eve, because she was the mother of all living. 21 And the Lord God made for Adam and for his wife garments of skins and clothed them.
One of my toughest tasks as a parent was allowing my girls to suffer the consequences of their mistakes. Often I would try and remove those consequences and I believe today that may have been a mistake. Consequences help us understand the importance and severity of our sins. Without consequences, we are much more apt to repeat the mistake and perhaps earn even greater negative responses than we got the first time.
Adam and Eve now stand before The Lord as He addresses their disobedience. He doesn't try and hide it; He doesn't say "Ah, that's okay." No, He faces their sin head on and demands that they do the same. The serpent (Satan) has already been dealt with as he learned that he will be the quintessential loser. His head will be crushed and he will ultimately be destroyed.
Eve will experience great pain in childbirth. Most women will tell you that not only is the delivery painful, the previous nine months can be tough too! Eve will also be subject to her husband - but she will forever try and take his place as the leader. Discord enters a once perfect relationship.
Adam will now have to toil long and hard for the food that goes on the table and because of sin, all people will now experience physical death. These are the consequences of the choice for disobedience and we still live with them today.
I find it interesting that God deals with the devil first. I think that is because God is always about grace first and foremost. Before explaining what their disobedience would mean to them and to their relationship with God, he tells them that there will be a Messiah. Even in the moments of our greatest sin all hope is not lost. The Savior who was promised in verse 15 did indeed arrive and defeat sin, death, and the devil for us. While we still have to live with the consequences of our sin, we always have forgiveness through Christ.
16 To the woman he said, “I will surely multiply your pain in childbearing; in pain you shall bring forth children. Your desire shall be for your husband, and he shall rule over you.”
17 And to Adam he said, “Because you have listened to the voice of your wife and have eaten of the tree of which I commanded you, ‘You shall not eat of it,’ cursed is the ground because of you; in pain you shall eat of it all the days of your life;
18 thorns and thistles it shall bring forth for you; and you shall eat the plants of the field.
19 By the sweat of your face you shall eat bread, till you return to the ground, for out of it you were taken; for you are dust, and to dust you shall return.”
20 The man called his wife’s name Eve, because she was the mother of all living. 21 And the Lord God made for Adam and for his wife garments of skins and clothed them.
One of my toughest tasks as a parent was allowing my girls to suffer the consequences of their mistakes. Often I would try and remove those consequences and I believe today that may have been a mistake. Consequences help us understand the importance and severity of our sins. Without consequences, we are much more apt to repeat the mistake and perhaps earn even greater negative responses than we got the first time.
Adam and Eve now stand before The Lord as He addresses their disobedience. He doesn't try and hide it; He doesn't say "Ah, that's okay." No, He faces their sin head on and demands that they do the same. The serpent (Satan) has already been dealt with as he learned that he will be the quintessential loser. His head will be crushed and he will ultimately be destroyed.
Eve will experience great pain in childbirth. Most women will tell you that not only is the delivery painful, the previous nine months can be tough too! Eve will also be subject to her husband - but she will forever try and take his place as the leader. Discord enters a once perfect relationship.
Adam will now have to toil long and hard for the food that goes on the table and because of sin, all people will now experience physical death. These are the consequences of the choice for disobedience and we still live with them today.
I find it interesting that God deals with the devil first. I think that is because God is always about grace first and foremost. Before explaining what their disobedience would mean to them and to their relationship with God, he tells them that there will be a Messiah. Even in the moments of our greatest sin all hope is not lost. The Savior who was promised in verse 15 did indeed arrive and defeat sin, death, and the devil for us. While we still have to live with the consequences of our sin, we always have forgiveness through Christ.
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