Dr Kent Haralson

Genesis: Volume 2 - Paradise Lost Dr Kent Haralson

In volume 1 of this series on the book of Genesis, I covered the first two chapters of the book dealing with the creation of the cosmos and the paradise that God intended for a dwelling place for mankind. Sadly, something happened. The world is full of lawlessness, crime, immorality, adultery, drugs, drunkenness, lying, stealing, cheating, greed, covetousness, extravagance, indulgence, murder, assaults, war-all kinds of sin and evil. But this has not always been true. There was a time when the world was perfect, a time when there was not a single act of violence or evil upon earth. In fact, an evil deed had never been committed. The earth was perfect; both man and woman were sinless. They knew only harmony and peace, satisfaction and fulfillment, love, joy, and peace-all the fulness of life prevailed. Perfection ruled and reigned. What destroyed the perfection and caused such devastation and lawlessness upon earth? What corrupted the heart of man? That is what this book is all about. It reveals so much about temptation and sin. It reveals the tactics of the evil one and enables us to spot the attack early and thus avoid the catastrophic consequences of stepping away from God's design for the family unit. It shows us how important it is to follow God's design and God's instructions. Out of the entire created order, only mankind had the potential of crossing moral boundaries. Freedom can only be maximized if you know where the boundaries are. A fish is not meant to cross the boundaries of the water, but inside the water, it can maximize its freedom. Outside the water, it is not freedom, but death. So, God establishes a boundary for Adam, which was one tree. God gives him the choice of trusting His Word or not. Out of God's goodness, He also warns him of the consequences: "you shall surely die."This book takes a deep dive into the tactics of the evil one and how his approached worked to attack and destroy paradise on earth. Since he was successful, he continues to use those same four approaches on us today. In Genesis 3, the story of the fall, the pattern runs like this: -sin (vv. 1-13, especially v. 6, which describe the temptation, the sin, and God's confrontation of the sinners); -speech (vv. 14-19, which quote the judgment oracles of God to the snake, the woman, and the man); -grace (vv. 20, 21, mainly v. 21, which records the mitigating grace of God); and -judgment (vv. 22-24, which describe the exile from the garden). Thus, it is only fitting that the final chapter of this book deals with God's grace, not only to mankind in this world, but also the glimpses of the ultimate grace that awaits all those who embrace the Gospel of Jesus Christ.