How did we get here? Great question! Makes for a great story Makes for a great testimony Provides insight, clarity, and understanding It is part of our Headwaters…

Genesis 3:1-7 Now the serpent was more crafty than any beast of the field which the Lord God had made. And he said to the woman, “Indeed, has God said, ‘You shall not eat from any tree of the garden’?”

The woman said to the serpent, “From the fruit of the trees of the garden we may eat; but from the fruit of the tree which is in the middle of the garden, God has said, ‘You shall not eat from it or touch it, or you will die.’ ”

The serpent said to the woman, “You surely will not die The serpent said to the woman, “You surely will not die! “For God knows that in the day you eat from it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.”

When the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was desirable to make one wise, she took from its fruit and ate; and she gave also to her husband with her, and he ate.

Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together and made themselves loin coverings. New American Standard Bible : 1995 Update. LaHabra, CA : The Lockman Foundation, 1995

Some preliminaries… Snakes talk?! Where was Adam? ‘Sup, Eve? (weird flex, answer’s trippin’…) Legitmate questions for sure! But not now Don’t be distracted.

The Questioner Serpent Crafty…wise or insightful Simply presented as a serpent Later revelation illuminates Crafty…wise or insightful Presents itself the paragon of wisdom

The Question Only one, but the key question “Did God say…” Simple and seemingly innocent Designed to introduce doubt Doubt clarity Doubt our ability

Two Declarations “You will not die!” “God knows…you will be like Him” God cannot be trusted God is a liar “God knows…you will be like Him” God withholds what is good for you God is not good

Two Declarations The serpent was wise indeed Questions can disarm and distract Questions can make the indigestible, palatable Twisted truth is no longer truth

The Displacement Eve “saw…the tree…was good” Her desire was for more than God gave her Doubt gave way to prideful desire The original “original sin” – pride, wanting to be God (Isaiah 14:13-14)

The Displacement The creation displaced the image of God Eve displaced the Creator The image of God displaced God Satan became like God, re-creating man in his image

The Disaster “…the eyes of both…were opened…” They got what they wanted They didn’t know what they were getting Shame Separation

“Here is one of the saddest anticlimaxes of history: they eat, they expect marvelous results, they wait…

…and there grows on them the sense of shame” (Leupold, pp. 154)

The Disaster Sin achieved its goal Autonomy from God Separation As Satan experienced, so did the image of God

Where do the waters flow? The goal of Satan (and sin) is separation. The key of doubt opens and unlocks the door to sin and death Wrongful elevation results in disastrous descent.