Introducing Evil Into the World

God's work in creation was perfect. He designed the universe so that all the physical and chemical conditions necessary for life on earth would be present according to His design. He created man and gave him work, gave him provisions, and gave him a companion. God gave man authority to rule over all the earth, under God. However, man's status was conditional, not permanent. If he obeyed, then he could eat of the Tree of Life and live forever, untainted by sin. If he disobeyed by breaking the one command, the result would be death and all that it implied. Genesis Chapter 3 reveals how it all unfolded.

The serpent of Genesis Chapter 3 is the devil or Satan (Revelation 12:9). He deceives the woman with cunning, attacking God's word and impugning God's character suggesting to Eve that God was holding out on them. Satan's temptation was laced with the truth. They would know good and evil. It was also a brazen lie in telling them that they would not die.

The introduction of evil had the following immediate and permanent consequences:

1. A disruption of the perfect unity between man and wife, between male and female - a feeling of shame at being naked. Woman and man would try to rule over each other.

2. A disruption of the perfect unity between man and God. - a feeling of unworthiness to be in God's presence.

3. A disruption of the perfect provision of God.- Thorns and thistles instead of abundance; pain in childbearing and childbirth. Labor and sweat at maintaining health and life.

4. A disruption of man's authority. - Man would experience death. There would be a godly line and there would be those who are the seed of the serpent. A promise that the godly line would ultimately defeat the serpent.