The Fall of Man

"The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament sheweth his handywork." — Psalm 19:1

The home of our first parents was beautified by the very hand of God. The blue skies served as their canopy; the earth, with its delicate flowers and carpet of living green, was their floor; and the leafy branches of the beautiful trees served as their curtains. God placed Adam in a garden. This was his first dwelling. In the environment in which the holy pair lived there was a lesson for all time; namely, that true happiness is found in communion with God and His created works.

Questions for Discussion.

1. In what condition was all creation when it came forth from the hand of God? Genesis 1:31.

"And God saw every thing that he had made, and, behold, it was very good. And the evening and the morning were the sixth day."

2. Did this also include man? Ecclesiastes 7:29, first part.

"Lo, this only have I found, that God hath made man upright."

3. Did man maintain his uprightness? Romans 5:12.

"Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned."

Satan and His Field of Action.

Satan, the enemy of souls, saw the happiness and peace that the holy pair enjoyed in Eden, and resolved to induce them to disobey. Thus he would bring misery upon these innocent beings and cause grief in heaven.

Our first parents were warned about the danger that threatened them. Heavenly messengers set before them the history of Satan's fall and explained to them the nature of the divine government, which the prince of evil sought to overthrow.

It was disobedience to God's commandments that had caused the fall of Satan and his hosts. Therefore, it was extremely important that Adam and Eve honor that law. The law was the only means by which it was possible to maintain order.

The Lord had decided to impose upon them a single prohibition, and if they despised His will on this particular point, they would become guilty of transgression. The test of their obedience and of their love for God would be not eating from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil (Genesis 2:17).

"If a man love me, he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him." John 14:23

Lucifer was envious and jealous of Jesus Christ; his heart was full of envy and hatred, but he did not show it publicly. It troubled him that Christ was part of God's special council for considering His plans, while Lucifer was unaware of them. He did not understand, nor was he permitted to know, God's purposes. Instead, Christ was recognized as Sovereign of Heaven, with power and authority equal to those of God. Lucifer had been greatly exalted, but this did not awaken in him either gratitude or praise to his Creator. He aspired to be like God. He glorified himself in his own exaltation.

Were not his garments bright and beautiful? Why should Christ be honored more than he?

The brightness of his garments was a reflection of the glory of God. By focusing on the reflection and not on the Source, he lost his spiritual connection and his gratitude.

Lucifer was a created being, while Christ is the Creator. Although Lucifer was "greatly exalted," he would always be a creature. Christ, being one with the Father, possessed an inherent authority that Lucifer could never attain through effort or position. Lucifer aspired to the sovereignty and power of God ("I will be like the Most High"), but did not desire the character of God (love and service). He wanted honor without sacrifice.

"How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! how art thou cut down to the ground, which didst weaken the nations! For thou hast said in thine heart, I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God: I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north: I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the most High." Isaiah 14:12-14

Thus he gathered the angelic hosts, concealing his true purposes, and presented his theme. He declared that he had gathered them to assure them that he would no longer endure this invasion of his rights and theirs: that he would never again bow before Christ; that he would take for himself the honor that should have been conferred upon him, and would be the leader of all who were willing to follow him and obey his voice.

Revelation 12:7-9

There was great conflict among the angels. Lucifer and his followers struggled to reform God's government. They were discontented and felt unhappy... They rebelled against the authority of the Son.

All of heaven seemed to be in commotion. Satan was contending against God's law out of his ambition to exalt himself and not submit to the authority of the Son of God, the great heavenly commander.

Then there was war in heaven. The Son of God, the heavenly Prince, and His loyal angels came into conflict with the arch-rebel and those who joined him. The Son of God and the faithful angels prevailed, and Satan and his followers were expelled from heaven.

The Father consulted with the Son regarding the immediate execution of His purpose to create man to inhabit the earth. He would subject him to a test to verify his loyalty before he could be considered eternally out of danger. If he endured the test to which God deemed it fitting to subject him, in time he would become equal to the angels. He would have God's favor, could converse with them, and they with him. God did not think it wise to place them beyond the reach of disobedience.

Satan was once an angel honored in heaven, who followed Christ in order!

The Serpent's Disguise

To go unnoticed, Satan chose as his means the serpent (disguise), which was one of the most cunning and beautiful creatures on earth. The serpent had wings and when it flew it dazzled with the color and brilliance of its appearance. Eve, distracted in her pleasant labors, moved away from her husband, and although she sensed danger upon finding herself alone, she dismissed her fears, and very soon found herself enraptured before the forbidden tree, whose fruit was very beautiful. This was the tempter's opportunity. You can find the rest of the story in chapter 3 of the book of Genesis.

Questions for Discussion.

"But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die."

2. Who was the first to eat of this forbidden fruit? Genesis 3:6.

"And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make one wise, she took of the fruit thereof, and did eat, and gave also unto her husband with her; and he did eat."

3. Was Adam deceived about the consequences of the act? 1 Timothy 2:14.

"And Adam was not deceived, but the woman being deceived was in the transgression."

4. How was Eve deceived? 2 Corinthians 11:3.

"But I fear, lest by any means, as the serpent beguiled Eve through his subtilty, so your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ."

5. Who was the serpent? Revelation 20:2.

"And he laid hold on the dragon, that old serpent, which is the Devil, and Satan, and bound him a thousand years,"

6. How did his work begin? Genesis 3:1.

"Now the serpent was more subtil than any beast of the field which the LORD God had made. And he said unto the woman, Yea, hath God said, Ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden?"

7. What did he tell them would happen if they ate from the tree? Genesis 3:5.

"For God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil."

The serpent's objective was achieved, and he succeeded in instilling pride in Eve's heart, telling her that by eating the fruit their eyes would be opened and they would be like gods, knowing good and evil.

The Origin of Man's Sinful Nature.

The serpent's first words to Eve led her to reflect on the justice of God, awakening in her a feeling of discontent.

In verses 4 and 5 of chapter 3 of the book of Genesis, the serpent becomes bolder and openly accuses God of injustice for keeping Adam and Eve in an inferior position.

He said: "Ye shall not surely die..." Thus, Satan fanned into open rebellion the pride and discontent he had first awakened, by making them see that God had made them inferior in order to dominate them.

"Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned" (Romans 5:12).

Through his transgression, Adam lost the moral likeness to God in which he was created, and thus transmitted to his descendants a perverted and sinful nature. As Adam sinned, all sinned.

Questions for Discussion.

1. Were Adam and Eve permitted to remain in the garden? Genesis 3:23-24.

"Therefore the LORD God sent him forth from the garden of Eden, to till the ground from whence he was taken. So he drove out the man; and he placed at the east of the garden of Eden Cherubims, and a flaming sword which turned every way, to keep the way of the tree of life."

2. How far-reaching were the consequences of Adam and Eve's fall? Romans 5:12.

"Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned."

3. What kind of nature do all men inherit? Mark 7:21-23.

"For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders, Thefts, covetousness, wickedness, deceit, lasciviousness, an evil eye, blasphemy, pride, foolishness: All these evil things come from within, and defile the man."

4. How can we rid ourselves of this evil nature and have a better one? 2 Peter 1:4; 1 John 5:4.

"Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust."

"For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith."

The wave of anguish that followed our first parents' transgression is considered by many to be too severe a punishment for such an insignificant sin; and they call into question the wisdom and justice of God in His dealings with man. But if they studied the matter more deeply, they would discern their error. God created man in His likeness, free from sin. The earth was to be populated with beings somewhat inferior to the angels; but His obedience had to be tested, for God was not going to allow the world to fill with beings who despised His law. Nevertheless, in His great mercy, He did not assign Adam a severe test. The very lightness of the prohibition made sin exceedingly grave. If Adam could not withstand the slightest test, neither could he have withstood a greater one, had more important responsibilities been entrusted to him.

Patriarchs and Prophets, p. 44, E.G. White.

When Adam and Eve realized how exalted and sacred God's law was, which demanded the costly sacrifice of the Son of God to save fallen humanity, they understood that their sin would have dreadful consequences. The Father could not abolish or alter a single precept of His law to accept man in his fallen condition. But the Son of God, who together with the Father had created man, could give His life as a sacrifice, bearing the wrath of His Father.

And so it came to pass, as the years went by, Jesus came to this world and gave His life for each one of us.

Lesson 4 (Coming Soon)