Consequences of Sin
Text: Genesis 3:14–24 ESV
Introduction
If there is a part of my life which brings conviction more often than not, it’s my parenting. I am easily frustrated, annoyed, impatient, and angry. I am not quick to forgive, but rather quick to exact punishment. So, I am a sinning, yet saved parent. I am a changing, work in progress, disciplinarian. Because of Jesus I am a parent who is perfect in God’s eyes, but far from perfect in the world’s eyes. But God is not a punishing, distant parent. He is the present, tender, up close, and personal parent. And why do I point this out? Why am I framing God this way? One, we are talking about the curse, and it could be easy to enter our time thinking, “God is about to spank me and send me off to my room and be done with me.” But I would much rather have you think that discipline is coming; it’s right to discipline sin. It doesn’t have to come at the expense of my relationship with my parent; it shouldn’t cause me to question my parent’s love. I don’t leave in shame and feelings of being exposed, but I walk away safe, secure, and full of hope (and this is how I think we should walk away from the curse). Any good parent does the latter.
Proverbs 13:24 tells us
“whoever loves His son is diligent to discipline Him.” (Proverbs 13:24 ESV)
God disciplines us with the curse to restrain our sin, not release it unimpeded. He doesn’t want us to keep drowning in it. That’s why we will get the flood and see God toppling the Tower of Babel because God doesn’t want the world to live in its foolishness. He wants to restrain, impede, and hold it back. So, let’s receive this from our heavenly parent. Also, God isn’t just cursing to hold sin at bay, but He is cursing in place of consuming you. It’s a curse. He’s giving you snow flurries; its NOT the full avalanche of consequence of sin. There could be a BIG…THE END at the end of Genesis 3:13. It is an utter miracle knowing our God and what He has said, that it’s not. The story is not over. God is faithful to complete His long term rescue plan for His people! So KNOW our God from the outset, what I want you to know—He is the cursing God to restrain the pervasiveness of sin. But He will become for us (as the story continues), the cursed God taking the consequences of our sin that we might be cleared. So, my theme for this sermon is the “the crush of the curse”. I want you to understand it in two ways:
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Feel the curse’s crushing heaviness upon us. It should make your back bow & your shoulders ache. There are real consequences; we must feel them—“The Crush of God’s Curse”.
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But also, “God’s Crush of the Curse.” This curse will be crushed and destroyed and will not define the existence of God’s people. So, what a parent. One who curses us to curb the effects of sin and one who is cursed (on the cross) to clear us from the full consequence of our sin. Feel it’s crushing weight on one hand, and be free from its crush once and for all.
As Don reminded us last week, let’s not hide or despise this kind of discipline, but let’s run headfirst into the arms of the cursing and cursed God. I am proud of that type of a parent.
The Context
So, let’s get to some context before we jump into the curse. There will be four of these observations with an application under each one.
First, have you noticed God’s name change that happened just after the opening verses in chapter 2? Ever since we got done with the God who finishes creation and the God who created rest, He had a name change. Did you catch it? Moses now refers to God as the LORD GOD, not just God from our text. God is known oneway in the creation narrative, and He is known another way when He is speaking to the pinnacle of His creation (his people). Do you know him this way? Especially as we talk about His curse? Do you only know his scornful eye, or do you know his sympathetic, saving, and soothing look? We don’t have a smiting God, but a smiling ONE!
Application—know the names of God.
Second, remember where this passage falls. Moses, who was writing Genesis for us, put the curses of God within a much larger scene. Therefore, we don’t read the curse in isolation, but rather within its surroundings. What is the backdrop to these curses? A God who is after, affectionate for, and active in pursuing His people. He’s not the God sitting back ushering a grounding sentence for his people from some holy hill. He is down in the mess walking in the cool of the shade like he had done so many times with them before. The only thing this time is that they are scared (fear had never existed before towards God). And they are scared to death. In fact, they might be scared of death. Because these curses are uttered, and God kills an animal, and I can see them cowering thinking, “He’s gonna kill us too!” And then he puts his hands on their shoulders, covers over their shame with furs, and lifts them to their feet. He gives them their dignity. So, see from bookend to bookend. On the front cover—the coming God who is after me and wants me. Then on the back cover—the clothing God who wants to provide and protect me.
Application—sin doesn‘t keep God from you, why would it keep you from him?
Third, now let’s get to the curse itself…Genesis three is a unique chapter for many reasons, but in it is the entrance of Satan, which is often highlighted, but we fail to mention, that it also contains his EXIT!! We don’t hear from him again except for maybe 1-2 other times in the Old Testament and then another 1-2 in the New Testament. Why am I bringing this up? Because although Satan slithered up in on our spiritual parents, he was silenced by the words of God, subordinated by the curse, his death warrant was signed and destiny determined. He rocks up into God’s garden as a crafty and cocky snake, and he leaves a conquered little worm, whose demise is set into motion. His little coup d’état will come to an end. And so, I ask you to not just lament this curse because God has cursed your enemy and sealed his fate. Love your heavenly Father’s pronouncements of doom and gloom because they are on the head of this snake! His destiny is fixed and eternal. Humanity’s fate can change, but the Devil’s will not.
Take great note, when God utters his curses—He curses some of man’s God-given roles and responsibilities, but He doesn’t curse us (our very being and existence).
“[C]ursed are you…” (Genesis 3:14 ESV)
…He says to Satan. The great God of the Garden has graced us by cursing our enemy. Love, just don’t lament, that he is a cursing God. His curses not only restrain sin, but they gut the very source of sin and rid him from the earth. Satan, that snake of sin is cursed!
Application—who are you mad at? Do you know who we are to all direct our spite and hatred toward? Not one another. At the Serpent. Hate Public Enemy Number 1.
Fourth, don’t just see the demise of the devil. I want us to see the great YAHWEH God. He always has the last word. Take note, that neither Adam nor Eve nor the Devil himself can question, can refute, can utter if, and, or but to our God’s final words. He has the last word and His words have no competitors. He is the LORD of LAST WORDS, and He SILENCES Satan. Satan can talk and question all he wants with God’s image bearers, but he has no response, no refutation to God’s words. His mouth is shut, and the case is closed!
Application—Now, there is a silver lining in this as we think of God’s irrefutable and unchanging words, proclamations, pronouncements, and promises. Who are you listening to? His major and highest pronouncement for you is not Genesis 3, it’s Romans 8.
“Who shall bring any charge against God’s elect? It is God who justifies. Who is to condemn? Christ Jesus is the one who died—more than that, who was raised—who is at the right hand of God, who indeed is interceding for us.” (Romans 8:33–34 ESV)
Let God’s words therefore be the last words about your life and let these fill your mind. Hold onto those!
The Crush of the Curse, Part 1—The Crush of God’s Curse
Now, we have referenced Satan’s curse already. That he was cursed to his core, in who he was. As we will see, Adam and Eve are cursed differently and distinctly, not in who they are. Their curse comes more in terms of what they do. So, what we see is that God is very specific in attaching curses to specific roles/responsibilities/actions that Adam and Eve were called to. It’s not a comprehensive list of all that is cursed in this world. God does give very narrowed focus to: procreation; marriage; and work. Why?
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Now, because this is so narrowed, let me qualify this by saying, “these are not all the things, not the only things that make you male and female. Jesus was not married, did not procreate, and did not carry a normal job so to speak for the last three years of his life, and he was not lacking in anything masculine, but he lives in a fallen and broken world still. So, I don’t want you to think because you’re not married, infertile, or lacking a job that you are less of a man or woman. Neither am I saying that you get out from under the curse if you never get married, never have a normal job, and never have children.
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So hear those qualifiers but let’s ask, “Why does God bring these three up?” Well, one relationship these three cursed roles/privileges have with each other is that they are each a part of God’s original design for Adam and Eve, stated in the first two chapters of Genesis. You can attach the curse on childbirth to the cultural mandate in Genesis 1:28. You can attach the curse of the ground to God’s specific purpose he had for man in Genesis 2:15. And you can attach the curse in their marital relationships to the original design God had in marriage in Genesis 2:18, 24.
I want to offer you some clear life perspective: JUST BECAUSE THESE MANDATES ARE NOW CURSED DOES NOT MEANT THAT THEY ARE INVALIDATED OR UNIMPORTANT. Genesis 3 does not cancel out Genesis 1 and 2. The crush of the curse is not an excuse to be unfaithful to callings God has on your life. The curse does not mean God has somehow lowered his standard for you. Or that we should just be resigned to throwing in the towel in key areas of our lives. Though it can be hard, God still expects you to be faithful in His deployments of you!
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He calls us to faithfulness and follow-through and to bear fruit in keeping with repentance in hard marriages by pushing our men away from indecision, passivity, and poor self-leadership and from pity-parties. We should hold men accountable to leading with sacrifice and service and not strong-arming and ruling over our wives in tyrannical and intimidating means. (And you are still called to do it, knowing that your inclination may be to using your position and not your influence.) You are not excused because of the crush of the curse, but you are called to reverse the curse!
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We want to encourage and call our women in marriage to be wise, strong, and supportive. To produce the fruit of contentedness in their needed helping and supporting role. To not act independently of their husbands, nor belittle them with their words or in their minds. We want to urge them to encourage and amplify their husband’s voice and not drown it out. May the power of a wife’s position be venerated in its God-like role of illustrating the second member of the Trinity: how God the Son submits to God the Father. And may our believing wives win over unbelieving husbands without even a word by the respectful and pure conduct of their lives. (And married women, we are even to do this knowing our husbands will have ill-motives and when our motives are to suppress him and not submit to him) So for both men and women, fight against the curse in our companionship! We are not excused because of the crush of the curse; we are called to reverse the curse!
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We push our singles, widows, and our children to purity, to using their undistracted devotion to serve the Lord, to being content in the season/calling God has for them. For children to respect and honor their parents even when Dad is tempted to provoke them. To highlighting a singles season or calling as a gift to be trumpeted and not despised. And to stop the foolish nonsense that they are cursed because they don’t have a spouse. And we do all this in the midst of hard, conflict-ridden, and discontented seasons. Our fallenness is not an excuse for faithlessness. We are not excused in any of these relationships because of the crush of the curse. We are called to reverse the curse!
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We call ourselves to arrive on time to work, or to pursue work that we do not have, to work excellently unto the Lord and not for men. To do justice and earn our wages fairly and honestly. We cultivate, create, and add benefit to our business and organizations. Work that doesn’t come easily is not an excuse for sloth and laziness. It does not permit selfishness and pridefulness and a comparison mindset. The curse on our work does not pardon work idolatry or achievement obsession or neglect of family, God, and friends. Just because work now comes by the sweat of your brow does not mean you are not called to be a faithful image-bearing worker.
So, hear me: The curse is not our permission to excuse ourselves from God’s callings and commissions on our lives. The curse is the problem that we are called to reverse as “little Christs.” As Christians, we, like Christ, are to show the world the true image of God, the works of God, and the character of God in the midst of a cursed and broken world. For it is through many tribulations that we enter the kingdom of God (Acts 14:22). As we do, we reverse the curse and usher in the Lord’s Prayer,
“Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.” (Matthew 6:10 ESV)
The Crush of the Curse, Part 2—God’s Crush of the Curse
But we look at our theme now, not so much of its crushing effect on us, but that it will be crushed for us. Let’s look at the end of Satan’s curse and the beginning of the woman’s curse. To discuss another relationship that God’s specific curse has on Eve’s child-bearing ,let’s look at Genesis 3:15-16.
Genesis 3:15-16 is known as the Proto-evangelion, the “first gospel proclamation”.
“I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and her offspring; he shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise his heel.” To the woman he said, “I will surely multiply your pain in childbearing; in pain you shall bring forth children.” (Genesis 3:15–16 ESV)
What is God saying? This saving offspring (Jesus), who will deliver you by crushing the serpent’s head and clearing you of the true consequence of sin, will not come easily. His family line will undergo deaths, disease, pain, trauma, floods, pilgrimages, wilderness, enslavement, betrayals, wars, genocides, exiles… But then Galatians 4:4-6…
“But when the fullness of time had come, God sent forth his Son, born of woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons. And because you are sons, God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, crying, “Abba! Father!” (Galatians 4:4–6 ESV)
The curse will be crushed. And so we have come full circle back to relating with God as parent. He is the cursing parent to restrain the sin in our lives. He even curses Satan himself to give us hope. He could consume us in the full consequence of sin, but He cursed Himself. The cursing God became the cursed God. As Christians we cannot get away from the fact that God relates to us through the curse. Though, not the curse due me, but the curse taken for me. The curse absorbed for me and therefore cancelled for me. This is why Eve can still be called, “the mother of all the living…” (Genesis 3:20 ESV) because this foreshadows the birth of the life-giver himself, Jesus Christ, who will raise this dust of the ground and give it a heavenly destiny.
The Reverse of the Curse Eternally
And as we turn our attention to these last lines in Genesis 3:22-24, let’s see how these last lines will be turned on their head in the new kingdom.
“Then the LORD God said, “Behold, the man has become like one of us in knowing good and evil. Now, lest he reach out his hand and take also of the tree of life and eat, and live forever—” therefore the LORD God sent him out from the garden of Eden to work the ground from which he was taken. He drove out the man, and at the east of the garden of Eden he placed the cherubim and a flaming sword that turned every way to guard the way to the tree of life.” (Genesis 3:22-24 ESV)
In the new life, we will not just distinguish between good and evil while still being evil. We will only know good, and all believers will only be good in our very being—having been made righteous in Christ. There will be no worry about us taking from the tree of life any longer. The tree of life will be so big and available to us we will hardly be able to stop ourselves. Its vastness will extend to both banks of the river of life. It will not produce just one type of fruit, but 12 (a number signifying completeness and fullness). It will not only ripen and bear fruit once a year, but every single month, 12 times a year. You will not be sent out from God’s presence, but rather a resounding voice from heaven will publicly proclaim: “The dwelling place of God is with man. You will be my people, and I will be your God.”
And there will no longer be angels blocking you from God’s presence, but more like 1 Peter 1:12 hints, the angels will be beckoning you, pleading, awed over you asking, “What’s it like to be elected from the foundation of the world and to have the Son of God grace you with immeasurable kindness by sacrificing his life for you? What’s it like? It must be like none other?” I highly encourage you to read Revelation 21 and 22 this week so you can know fully what the reverse of the curse will truly be.