The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1919-05-09

Lesson Text: Genesis 3: 1-24: Rom
ans /: 1929. James /: IS.
Golden Text: THE wages Of sin is
death: but the free gift of God is
eternal life in Jesus Christ, our Lord"
Romans 6: rs.
Senior-Aduit Theme: THE Nature
and Results of Sin"
Lesson Outline.
/. The First Temptation. Genesis
-3
II The First Sin. Genesis 3: s-13.
III. The First Punishment Genesis
3: 14-24.
| Introduction.
THE Scriptures give us a glimpse OF
Adam and Eve in their original state
of holiness and happiness in h Gar
den of Eden, but we are not old how
long they enjoyed his wonderful fe-
ffrftF,-ft would naturally be inferred
that the time WIS not long The pre-
ceding lesson has furnished the setting
IN full for n great event which we
study today. Cod had, made fun pro-
vision for mans happiness and i'm
mortality. but the test that was y
piled TO his integrity revealed his
weakness, aud the race was plunged
into ruin, The narrative is simple, yet
the explanation of mans condition as
a sinner is ample. The picture is not
wholly dark. In. the midst of the
curse that fell upon the SHINING pair.
the promise was given of a Redeemer.
who would hruise Satan and deliver
ma from his power"
THE LESSON BRIEFLY con-
SIDERED
The First Temptation.
our lesson begins with a reference
10 the serpent. That "A real serpent is
here meant seems plain, unless we are
to take the whole ccoun as an allie
CORY. which would bring to us many
difficulties as does the literal i%nterpre-
iation. 1t Is best to take the story as
IT is.
h temptation OF our first parents
may be appropriately compared with
the temptation OF Jesus. In the for
mer instance Satan appeared in the
TORN OF a serpent-in the latter he
seems 70 have used no bo1ily dis
guise."
The expression more subtle" means
that the serpent was more cunning.
willy, and insidious. He was therefore
an apt tool OF Satan.
Adam and Eve were moral sbeinEs,
having the power of choice~-Satan
would therefore raise a question in
tended TO lead them astray. Prob
ably in their holiness they had no
thought to raise a question about
Gods command hut that there is
power in suggestion Is Illustrated by
the sequel to the Interrogation here
recorded.
Satan artfuliy avoided what he
knew perfectly we'll. that there was no
prohibition against eating of the fruit
OF The trees in general. and the woman
at once undertook to correct wha
seemed 10 be his false impression.
Ky reference to verse II it will be
seen that the original prohibition did
not include the words neither shall
Ne touch it" However. it is probable
that Eve understood the prohibition Of
touching to be involved in the eating,
as the former would naturally be the
occasion of the latter. IT is plain tina
Eve recognized The duty that had been
laid upon her not to partake of the
forbidden fruit.
The serpent said unto the woman,
We shall not surely die" Jesus called
Satan a liar and the father Of lies and
we here see him in that or.
After events make 1t clear that what
Satan said was really a half truth
| given for the purpose OF deceiving, for
1t was true that Eve would not i'm
modiatcly die, physically. from eating
the forbidden fruit. but death would
'NiNaiiAS t'IitN ftT iSpifed ltlCt, anu
a death more dreadful than merely
sudden physical DEATH
To an intelligent being there was
| nothing 81 desirable as knowledge,
therefore Satan takes this advantage
10 make the woman think the Creator
was Withholding from her the right to
higher knowledge. What the temp
I ter said was true, but in a very diff
ferent sense from what he conveyed
to the mind OF Eve.
Our passage from James q: 15)
shows hat our first parents first
desired hat which was forbidden. and
This desire, when IL was conceived,
brought them into sin against God.
The tendency to sin which was left
on the sauls of their offspring has been
! causing men ever since to lust after
that which was forbidden. and sin has
fastened itself upon the human race in
such a way that il cannot he control
led. least of all eradicated. except by
! the grace OF God freely bestowed,
James teaches that no man has a.
! right TO complain that zoe has
tempted him. when he falls into sin,
hut that each is tempted when he
is drawn away by his own lust and
enticed.
The First Sin.
Ewes mind was poisoned by the
tempter's words and she looked long
ingly upon the forbidden tree, until
her Imagination wrought in her the
will TO take that which God had be-
nevolently forbidden her to have.
She also gave unto her husband and
he ate. According to Paul's statement
in T. Timothy 2: IA Adam was not
deceived AZ was Eve. but went Into the