Genesis 2:15-25

1. Intro.
1. honeymoons are delightful times
1. the word honeymoon is filled with the excitement of young love
2. the term seems to have been coined to convey the idea that the first moon, or first month, of marriage is the sweetest and most satisfying
3. that’s not the way it ought to be
4. God would be pleased for our marriages to get better as time passes
5. every new month should be sweeter and more satisfying than the one before
6. unfortunately, some marriages have turned out just as the word honeymoon implies—the first month was the best, and everything has gone downhill from there
7. maybe we can help reverse the trend by looking into the Word of God
2. the Bible does not specifically say so, but the honeymoon for Adam and Eve probably lasted much longer than a month
3. only God knows how many months or years of pure ecstasy lie between chapters 2 and 3 of Genesis
1. no human relationship ever surpassed theirs in those early days for sheer joy and delight
2. it was, without a doubt, the perfect marriage
2. a wonderful beginning
1. if ever a marriage was made in heaven, this one was
1. it was perfectly planned and perfectly performed by a perfect God
2. first he sculptured Adam - Gen. 2:7
1. Adam had a flawless physique and ruggedly handsome features
2. he was made in God’s own image - Gen. 1:27
1. that means he had a Godlike personality—perfect intellect, emotions, and will
2. he possessed a brilliant mind, undiminished by sin
3. he had faultless emotions, including tender and totally unselfish love, like the love of God
4. he had a will that was in complete harmony with the purposes of his creator
3. what women, wouldn’t like to have a man like that: physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually perfect
3. next He formed Eve – Genesis 2:21-22
1. Adam must have gazed at Eve with awe and appreciation
2. this was God’s creative genius at its best, unblemished grace and beauty
3. fashioned by the hand of God, Eve had to be the most gorgeous creature who ever walked the face of the earth
4. like Adam, she was made in God’s image; Her mind, emotions, and will were unaffected by sin
5. what man wouldn’t go for a woman like that
2. Adam recognized Eve’s similarity to himself – Genesis 2:23
1. no special revelation from God was needed for Adam to knew that Eve was made from him
1. she was part of him; she was his equal; she was his complement and counterpart
2. she ended his loneliness and filled his life with happiness
3. she was exactly what he needed, and nothing brought her more satisfaction than the knowledge that he needed her
2. they found intense and indescribable pleasure in each other’s company
3. their home was located in Eden, the perfect place - Gen. 2:8
1. Eden was a luscious green paradise, with every beautiful and edible growing thing - Gen. 2:9-10
2. they cultivated the ground, and their work was totally effortless and enjoyable
3. side by side they lived and labored in perfect harmony, sharing a sense of mutual interdependence
4. they possessed a deep-flowing affection that bound their spirits to each other
4. there was an order of authority in their relationship
1. Adam was formed first, then Eve - 1 Tim. 2:13
2. Eve was made for Adam, not Adam for Eve - 1 Corinthians 11:9
3. she was his helper - Gen. 2:18
1. in order to be an effective helper she had to share all of life with him
2. she did everything a helper would be expected to do
1. she assisted him, encouraged him, advised him, and inspired him
2. she did it with a spirit of sweet submissiveness
4. Adam never resented her help, not even her advice; because that is why God gave her to him
5. neither did she resent his leadership
6. his attitude was never tainted with superiority or exploitation: how could it be, his love was perfect
7. She was someone special to him and he treated her as such
5. it was a relationship of perfect purity and innocence Genesis 2:25
1. there was no sin in them, there was no strife between them
2. they were at peace with God, at peace with themselves, and at peace with each other
3. this was truly the perfect marriage, how we wish it would have lasted
3. something happened that messed up this perfect marriage: the entrance of sin – Genesis 3:1-7
1. there is no doubt that the subtle tempter who approached Eve in this historical account was Satan
1. his first approach was to question the Word of God - Gen. 3:1
2. after he questioned God’s Word, he flatly denied it - Gen. 3:4
3. finally, he ridiculed God and brazenly distorted His Word - Gen. 3:5
1. they would know evil all right, but they would not be as God
2. in reality the very opposite would be true, because the likeness to God they did enjoy would be scarred and spoiled
3. Satan’s methods have not changed much through the centuries: the doubts, distortions, and denials
4. .we too fall prey to them, we can identify with Eve, we know what it is to yield to temptation
2. Satan used the tree of the knowledge of good and evil to do his sinister work
1. God placed the tree in the garden to be the symbol of Adam and Eve’s submission to Him – Gen. 2:17
2. Satan sometimes uses good things to lure us from God’s will - Gen. 3:6
3. Eve was tempted in all three major areas listed in 1 John 2:16
1. the lust of the flesh—"good for food"
2. the lust of the eyes—"a delight to the eyes"
3. the pride of life—"to make one wise"
4. these are the same areas Satan uses to get us out of sorts with God and with each other
3. instead of fleeing from temptation, Eve flirted with it, and then took it – Gen. 3:6
1. she had everything a person could want in life, but she stood there and allowed her mind to meditate on the one thing she did not
2. it brought her happy honeymoon to an unhappy termination
3. the same kind of greed has ended many a honeymoon since
1. husbands sometimes squander grocery money on recreational equipment, hobbies, cars
2. wives sometimes drive their husbands to make more money so they can have bigger, better, and more expensive things
3. the material possessions of this world will drive a wedge between them
4. when we allow our minds to covet material things, God calls it idolatry - Col. 3:5
4. the words "gave also to her husband with her" might imply that Adam watched her do it
5. we have no idea why he did not try to stop her, or why he did not refuse to follow her in her sin
6. we do know that he failed her woefully on this occasion
1. he neglected to provide the spiritual leadership God wanted him to provide, and instead he let her lead him into sin
2. what a powerful influence a woman has over her man
1. she can use it to challenge him to new heights of spiritual accomplishment
2. she can use it to drag him to depths of shame
3. God gave Eve to Adam to be his helper, but her covetous heart destroyed him
7. together they waited for the new delights of divine wisdom Satan had promised them
1. instead, a horrid sense of guilt and shame crept over them – Genesis 3:7
2. that’s the way it is with sin, it promises so much and delivers so little
3. it promises freedom, wisdom, and pleasure, but it delivers bondage, guilt, shame, and death
4. the painful aftermath
1. sin is accompanied by disastrous consequences whether or not we are willing to accept the blame for it
1. Adam blamed his part of the tragedy on Eve and God - Gen. 3:12
2. Eve said the devil made her do it - Gen. 3:13
3. in much the same way, we may try to blame our marital problems on someone else
4. God held them both responsible, just as he holds each of us responsible for our part of the blame
2. the consequences were almost more than Adam and Eve could bear
1. For Eve – Genesis 3:16
1. the pain of childbirth would be a recurring reminder of her sin
2. she would also experience an unquenchable yearning for her husband, a strong desire for his time, his attention, his affection, and his assurance
3. her need would be so great, her sinful husband would seldom be willing to meet it
2. the authority Adam possessed over Eve from creation was strengthened by the word "rule"
1. in the hands of a sinful man, that rule would degenerate at times to harsh and heartless domination
2. disregard for her feelings and disdain for her opinions
3. Eve was no doubt painfully irritated by the sting of her sin as Adam drifted farther from her
1. he paid less attention to her, and became preoccupied with other things
2. bitterness, resentment, and rebellion began to settle in her soul
3. for Adam
1. cultivating the ground became an endless, tedious chore
2. anxiety over his ability to provide for his family added to his agitation and irritability
3. this made him less sympathetic to his wife’s needs
4. as a result, conflict entered their home, sin always brings tension, strife, and conflict
5. this became painfully obvious to Adam and Eve as they stood beside the first grave in human history
6. the honeymoon was over
3. this would be the saddest story ever told if not for a glorious ray of hope – Genesis 3:15
1. God promised that the seed of the woman would destroy the works of the devil, including the havoc he had made of the home
2. this is the first biblical prophecy concerning the coming Redeemer
3. He has come and His perfect blood has covered the sins of every human being who will trust him
4. He offers to forgive us freely and restore us to His favor
5. He makes available to us His supernatural strength to help us live above our sin
4. He can even help us overcome sin’s consequences in our marital relationships
1. He can give husbands the same tender love and unselfish consideration that Adam had for Eve before they sinned
2. He can give wives the same encouraging helpfulness and sweet submissiveness that Eve had toward Adam before the Fall
3. in other words, the honeymoon can begin again
5. we must first receive Jesus Christ as Savior from our sin
6. there is no hope for a marital relationship to become all it can be until both husband and wife have forgiveness and acceptance by God
7. this assurance can be experienced when we acknowledged our sin and placed our trust in Jesus Christ