CREATION (Gen.1:1-2:25) > CORRUPTION (Gen. 3:1-11:32) > COVENANT (Gen. 12:1-50:26) Corruption—The Consequence of Sin, pt. 1 Genesis 3:14-15 “The LORD God said…” (3:14) Q: What have we already seen (3:1-6, 7-13)? A: The LORD God questions… Q: What do we see now (3:14-19)? A: The LORD God declares… …and ordains consequences… Observations Regarding Consequences in Genesis 3 The consequences are actively and directly imposed (declared and ordained) by God for sin, and in doing so He is not guilty of any wrongdoing. “…cursed are you…” (v. 14), “…cursed is the ground…” (v. 17) “I will put enmity…” (v. 15), “I will surely multiply your pain…” (v. 16) The consequences target the function and relationship of three creatures, especially—the serpent, the woman, and the man. The consequences correspond to who each of the three creatures are, including how God created them. The consequences directly impact the serpent, the woman, and the man, and yet indirectly impact the rest of creation. The consequences are focused on the immediate representatives (the serpent, the woman, and the man), but also have bearing on all subsequent generations. debased / difficulty / death God’s consequences in relation to the serpent (Gen. 3:14-15) Who is ‘the serpent’? (Revelation 12:9)(Revelation 20:1) Devil = Satan = Why does God address ‘the serpent’? 2 Corinthians 11:3; 1 Timonty 2:13 What are God’s consequences in relation to ‘the serpent’? You will be humiliated (v. 14) (James 4:6; 1 Peter 5:5; See also, Proverbs 3:34) You will be defeated (v. 15) Offspring = The addressee in v. 14 (‘the serpent’) is the same as in v. 15, and v. 15 can’t only or primarily be talking about snakes in human history. The emphasis of the consequence in v. 14 seems to be on the status of this particular creature (‘the serpent’) among all other creatures who will also be impacted by the sin of others and God’s consequences (v. 17). The projected enmity between this creature (‘the serpent’) and the ‘the woman,’ according to v. 15, isn’t isolated—it includes more creatures and more time, culminating in a definitive clash between an offspring of the woman and this creature, himself (which, we see clearly later on, is between Jesus Christ and Satan). 1 John 3:8; Hebrews 2:14 Who will be the offspring? Individual beings are guilty of sin, not God. God is in the right to ordain consequences for sin, which He has done. While each individual being bears the weight of their respective consequences, they also impact others. God is not overwhelmed by sin and its necessary consequences, and has in fact provided a remedy for sin even through the consequences. Satan is very real, personal, and powerful…still, today. Satan is perpetually against God, His plan, and His people…forever. Satan is under the sovereign power of God…always. Whose offspring am I? (1 John 3:10-12)