No. 2 – Eve – Go back to the Garden!

Genesis 2:15-25

Eve was the first and only woman to come into the earth by creation from the side of a man, Genesis 2:22. Adam named her Eve as she would become the mother of all living, Genesis 3:20.

Eve had a very definite reason for being here. God had created all the animals. He had brought them all to Adam so that he could name them, but none of them was suitable to be a helper for Adam, Genesis 2:20. God knew how much He enjoyed His own relationship with His Son and His Spirit so He declared that it was not right for Adam to be on his own, Genesis 2:18.

God then created the most perfect woman ever made, just right for Adam, taken from the place closest to his heart, Genesis 2:22. Eve was equal to her husband, their only difference being their sex. Like Adam she was gifted with reasoning and understanding and, in her own unique way, had the job, together with him, of filling and subduing the earth. Like him she had a personal relationship with her Father, God, and obeyed Him very willingly, as they only had one commandment. Everything she saw around her was perfect. All the beauty was new and refreshing. The air she breathed was pure and unspoiled and the water she drank was clear and sparkling. Her marriage relationship was perfect and she had great joy, peace and love. Even the animals lived harmoniously with all others. Eve had everything she could ever want, far more abundantly than she could even think, Ephesians 3:21.

Genesis 3:1-20

Life in the earth was going to change beyond all recognition just because of one lying snake! Once the serpent, Satan, questioned the Word of God and Eve listened and talked to him, her entire happiness, so he said, depended on eating of the fruit of the tree, which stood in the middle of the garden. The serpent questioned what her Father had spoken to her: “Did God really say…” He not only brought in doubt, but also caused her to question God’s love for her.

Because God had ‘carefully hand-crafted’ Eve in His image, she had free will, so she was put in a position of choice. She did not recognise his lying, cheating, deceiving ways or that God’s Word had been twisted. She could, at any moment, have taken up her authority in the garden and put him out, but she listened to what he had to say and then added to God’s Word herself, “… neither shall you touch it…” Satan then got bold and called God a liar and implied that God’s character was that of a person who just wanted to subdue her and limit her happiness: “You will not surely die...” He lied, saying that Eve would be happier than she could even imagine and that she would be like God.

Tree of knowledge of good and evil or the tree of Life?

Satan’s call to Eve to disobey God was fatal for her and for all of us. Her resistance was worn down when she argued with Satan and she took the fruit and ate. That was not the end as she was now in the web of the arch-deceiver and Eve who was deceived became a deceiver. She offered the sign of her disobedience to her husband who, without asking any questions, ate and their entire lives were turned upside down.

The first change was in their relationship with one another. There was no longer a free and easy relationship but they started to hide things from each other and God. They became afraid of Him and ran away. When God entered the Garden, He called Adam, as he was responsible for his family. They each blamed the other for their sin, but it did not change God’s judgement as they had made the choice by their own free will.

From this point on, Eve’s life was difficult. She lost her paradise home. Her perfect marriage became a trial as her husband ruled over her. As for her precious sons (who she had suffered great pain giving birth to), Cain murdered his brother. The whole earth was under a curse and mankind became mortal not eternal and so subject to death. Not only was there physical death, but also spiritual death – separation from God.

We all have the same choice to make today as Eve had. Do we eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil or from the tree of Life?

If we eat from the tree of knowledge of good and evil then:

We know about God but we do not know Him personally, 1 John 1:6.
We have stinking thinking, Romans 8:6-8.
It produces death, Psalm 38:4.
Knowledge increases through reasoning, 2 Timothy 2:3-4.
Every decision is based on knowledge, Colossians 2:8.
We are the head – not God, Isaiah 10:33
We live by our own understanding not by faith, Proverbs 3:5-6.
We do what comes naturally, Jeremiah 2:22.

If we eat from the tree of Life then:

We know God intimately, Romans 8:16.
We live on every Word that comes from the mouth of God, Proverbs 1:33.
We have to reprogram our thinking, Romans 12:2.
Thinking spiritually is life and peace, John 14:15-27.
We speak faith even when things don’t make sense, John 14:12-13.
Jesus is our head, Ephesians 1:22-23; Colossians 1:18.
We lose our own mind, so we have the mind of Christ, Philippians 2:5.
God speaks directly to us, Hebrews 3:7-8.

When we choose to eat from the tree of life concerning a problem,

* We need to get God’s thoughts on the situation, Isaiah 55:8. We do this by entering His gates with thanksgiving and His courts with praise, Psalm 100. We remind ourselves of what He has done 1 John 3:4-6, and we turn away from the problem and focus on God. Then, when we come to a place of peace, we can worship God for Who He is, and we experience fullness of joy, Psalm 16:11. Then the Holy Spirit can show us God’s thoughts and direction, as the demons have no place in the Presence of the Mighty God. Often knowledge will tell us to do the opposite to God.

* We then have to receive God’s Word just like a seed in pregnancy; receive it, feed it, nurture it, protect it, speak life over it and in the fullness of time it will appear in the physical realm. At the beginning of pregnancy, nothing seems to have changed much, but there is a lot going on out of natural sight. If we have doubts we can use them to our advantage. When the voice of a demon whispers that nothing is happening, or that everything is going wrong, we can remember that no truth comes out of his mouth. The opposite of what he says is the truth, so we can walk in the truth – in the Word of God for our situation.

* Move from faith to faith, James 1:5-8. When we are double-minded (because the Word of God tells us one thing and our situation tells us another), we need to keep pushing through with the Word and to keep worshipping. We will come to the place where our mind is completely renewed and we start to think spiritually in every area of our lives, Romans 12:2.Then we only eat from the tree of Life – just as Jesus lived His life. Any knowledge we have is sifted through the Word and so we live in the answer to our problem till we see it with our own eyes, however long that takes. Do not give up!

The analysis of a sin!

1. Question and misquote what God has said, Genesis 3:1

2. Reply and enter into discussion with the demon, Genesis 3:2

3. Add to God’s Word, Genesis 3:3

4. Satan gets bold and counteracts God’s Word, Genesis 3:4

5. Satan offers improved position, not willing to be subject, Genesis 3:5

6. Appeals to the senses, reasoning, Genesis 3:6

7. The sin always has consequences, Genesis 3:6

8. Others drawn in and affected, Genesis 3:6-10

9. Run from God when we realise, Genesis 3:8

10. Play the blame game, Genesis 3:12-13

11. There is always loss, Genesis 3:23-24

12. Jesus’ victory is available at every step, Genesis 3:15

Remember the Truth will set us free.

Romans 8:1 Therefore there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.

2 Corinthians 5:17-21 Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come. All this is from God, who reconciled us to Himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: …Be reconciled to God. God made Him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in Him we might become the righteousness of God.

Philippians 3:13, 14 Brothers I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.

Psalm 103:10-12 He does not treat us as our sins deserve or repay us according to our iniquities. For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is His love for those who fear Him; As far as the East is from the West, so far has He removed our transgressions from us.

Psalm 27:13-14 I am still confident of this: I will see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living. Wait for the Lord; be strong and take heart and wait for the Lord.

Hosea 14:4 TM I will heal their waywardness. I will love them lavishly. My anger is played out.

Proverbs 19:3 The foolishness of man subverts his way (ruins his affairs); then his heart is resentful and frets against the Lord.

1 Corinthians 2:16 Amp For who has known or understood the mind (the counsels and purposes) of the Lord so as to guide and instruct Him and give Him knowledge? But we have the mind of Christ (the Messiah) and do hold the thoughts (feelings and purposes) of His heart.

Ephesians 1:7-8 Amp In Him we have redemption (deliverance and salvation) through His blood, the remission (forgiveness) of our offences (shortcomings and trespasses), in accordance with the riches and the generosity of His gracious favour, which He lavished upon us in every kind of wisdom and understanding (practical insight and prudence).

Colossians 2:9-15 You have been given fullness in Christ…When you were dead in your sins… God made you alive with Christ. He forgave us all our sins… And having disarmed the powers and authorities, He made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the Cross.

Romans 5:17-18 Amp For if because of one man’s trespass (lapse, offence) death reigned through that one, much more surely will those who receive (God’s) overflowing grace (unmerited favour) and the free gift of righteousness (putting them into right standing with Himself) reign as kings in life through the Man Jesus Christ (the Messiah, the Anointed One). Well then, as one man’s trespass (one man’s false step and falling away) led to condemnation for all men, so one Man’s act of righteousness (leads) to acquittal and right standing with God and life for everyone.

Ephesians 2:6 And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with Him in heavenly realms in Christ Jesus.

No.02 – Eve – Go back to the Garden! Challenge Questions

1. What did you enjoy most about the previous study?

2. Read all the notes about Eve, what did you find most interesting and challenging?

3. When considering the tree of knowledge of good and evil and the tree of Life, in which area of your life do you need to change your thinking? What decision have you made? What is God’s Word on this situation?

Sarah’s complete story is in Genesis 11:29–23:20; Hebrews 11:11; 1 Peter 3:6; and Galatians 4:21-31. Read all you can and use the verses given in brackets to answer the questions.

4. In Egypt what did Abram fear and then say to Sarai. What happened to Sarai? (Genesis 12:10-20)

5. How do you think Sarai felt about Abraham giving Lot the best land? (Genesis 13:5-11)

6. How did Sarai take things into her own hands after God’s first promise? (Genesis 16:1-6)

7. Does Sarai regret her decision?

8. Who does Sarai blame?

9. How does Sarai treat Hagar (Genesis 16:6)

10. How do you think Sarah felt about herself when twenty years passed and she did not conceive even though God had said she would? (Genesis 15:2-6; Genesis 17:3-4; Genesis 17:15-16; Genesis 18:10-15; Hebrews 11:11).

11. Can you follow the situations in Sarah’s life that built her faith as the Lord takes her through each one? Name each situation and give references if possible. e.g. Leaving her family. Genesis 12:5.

12. What do you think was the most difficult thing for Sarah’s faith, being in a harem or believing for a baby? Give reasons for your choice.

13. What did Sarah believe for and what was the result? How long did she have to wait? (Genesis 21:1-7)

14. Note Sarah’s positive and negative characteristics. Can you identify with her in any area of your own life? Can you take courage from her faith, to believe for your own problems?

15. Learn Matthew 19:26 Jesus looked at them and said, “With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.” A cross reference with Genesis 18:14. Keep speaking this Word until it is in your heart. Make sure you believe this and be encouraged by Sarah’s life.