Read the story in God's Word here (Genesis chapters 2-3) and listen to what God is teaching you today.
It all began with Prophet Adam آدم .
There are so many things we can say about what's wrong with our world. But what has God revealed to us about His perspectives?
God created mankind in His own image. What does this mean? God wants mankind to bear His characteristics: loving, merciful, creative, relational and just.
God desires to have an intimate relationship with mankind. He desires to communicate and walk with us, and fill our lives with His glory and love.
Yet God did not create mankind to be programmed robots. We enjoy the freedom of choice.
But we desire to be in charge and decide what is best for us. Adam and Eve wanted to decide what's good and evil for themselves, so they did not follow God's will and betrayed God (Chapters 2-3).
This disobedience is called sin. 'Sin' means 'missing the mark', or a failure to meet God's standards.
Sin broke this sacred relationship with God, and this broken relationship leads to shame and death.
But God knew what they had done. God can see through everything and everyone.
God took the initiative to look for us when we are lost.
What is the human response? Shame, blame, fear, and hiding from God.
This is the story of mankind. We dishonour God by sinning. Like Adam and Eve, we have all sinned as we try to replace God in our lives. And shame enters our world.
The relationship between God and mankind is broken.
The relationship between mankind is broken.
The relationship between mankind and the world is broken.
Our evil desires led to the destruction of these three fundamental relationships in the world God has created, leading to suffering, injustice and death. Death is both physical and spiritual. It means an eternal separation from God because God is holy and He cannot tolerate sin.
God is merciful and full of love. He would not give up. God immediately announced a plan-- a plan to make the relationship right, a plan of redemption:
'Seed' means a descendant.
God promised that one day, He would prepare someone who could defeat both sin and death. Through this, the relationship between God and mankind would be restored. We would be able to enter God's presence and paradise again.
But how could this be possible? How can a man crush Satan's head?
God stated very clearly that the fulfillment of this promise would be provided by God Himself. God would reveal the details of this plan to other Prophets.
God provided everything for Adam and Eve, including what it needed to cover their shame (3:21). The clothes to cover their nakedness were made of the skin of an animal. This is the first sacrifice, the shedding of innocent blood to cover mankind's sin and shame. The first death had happened as a result of mankind's disobedience.
How horrible it must have been for Adam to witness blood and death for the first time as the cost of his broken relationship with God!
But God will continue to show His everlasting love and mercy for His people by providing the sacrifice needed to cover our sin and shame. We will see this in His revelations to other Prophets later!
1. What can you learn from Prophet Adam?
2. What does God reveal about Himself and His relationship with His people in this reading?
3. Is God speaking to you? How would you respond to God?
4. Who can you share this story with?
It all began with Prophet Adam آدم .
There are so many things we can say about what's wrong with our world. But what has God revealed to us about His perspectives?
“So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them.” (Genesis 1:27)
God created mankind in His own image. What does this mean? God wants mankind to bear His characteristics: loving, merciful, creative, relational and just.
God desires to have an intimate relationship with mankind. He desires to communicate and walk with us, and fill our lives with His glory and love.
Yet God did not create mankind to be programmed robots. We enjoy the freedom of choice.
What happens to us when sin enters the world?
This disobedience is called sin. 'Sin' means 'missing the mark', or a failure to meet God's standards.
Sin broke this sacred relationship with God, and this broken relationship leads to shame and death.
God asked them, 'Where are you?' (3:7-10)
But God knew what they had done. God can see through everything and everyone.
God took the initiative to look for us when we are lost.
What is the human response? Shame, blame, fear, and hiding from God.
This is the story of mankind. We dishonour God by sinning. Like Adam and Eve, we have all sinned as we try to replace God in our lives. And shame enters our world.
The relationship between God and mankind is broken.
The relationship between mankind is broken.
The relationship between mankind and the world is broken.
Our evil desires led to the destruction of these three fundamental relationships in the world God has created, leading to suffering, injustice and death. Death is both physical and spiritual. It means an eternal separation from God because God is holy and He cannot tolerate sin.
But God provided a way out.
God is merciful and full of love. He would not give up. God immediately announced a plan-- a plan to make the relationship right, a plan of redemption:
"I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your seed and her seed; he will crush your head, and you will strike his heel." (Genesis 3:15)
'Seed' means a descendant.
God promised that one day, He would prepare someone who could defeat both sin and death. Through this, the relationship between God and mankind would be restored. We would be able to enter God's presence and paradise again.
But how could this be possible? How can a man crush Satan's head?
God stated very clearly that the fulfillment of this promise would be provided by God Himself. God would reveal the details of this plan to other Prophets.
How did God cover their shame?
How horrible it must have been for Adam to witness blood and death for the first time as the cost of his broken relationship with God!
But God will continue to show His everlasting love and mercy for His people by providing the sacrifice needed to cover our sin and shame. We will see this in His revelations to other Prophets later!
Your Response: Listen to God and Pray...
2. What does God reveal about Himself and His relationship with His people in this reading?
3. Is God speaking to you? How would you respond to God?
4. Who can you share this story with?
