WEEK 1: DAY 3

Genesis 3 

Key Text  

“Now the serpent was more crafty than any other beast of the field that the LORD God had made. He said to the woman, ‘Did God actually say, “You shall not eat of any tree in the garden?”’ Genesis 3:1

Rebellion in the Kingdom and the Promise of Messiah

Not every voice is worth listening to, including your own. In Genesis 1, God’s voice declares that he alone possesses all authority in the cosmos. The Creator-King speaks and creation appears due to the sheer power of his word. However, Genesis 3:1 provides the first instance in the Bible where we hear a competing call in the Garden: Did God actually say? The serpent intends to use his voice to undermine and misrepresent the voice of the sovereign God of the universe. Satan distorts the good command of God, subtly accusing the King of lying to his children and withholding good things from them. Ultimately, mankind buys into the destructive distortions of the voice of Satan, both historically in the Garden and today. However, God, in his great mercy, speaks of a future hope for mankind—the Messiah, the seed born of woman who will conquer sin and defeat the Evil One. Unlike the rebellious kingship of Adam, this Messiah-King will one day rebuke Satan and his lisping temptations fully and finally. However, we easily forget the reality of God’s promise and its fulfillment in the person of Jesus. Each day, we must fight to listen to the voice of God, drowning out the voice of the serpent through daily worship and praise to our great King.

Casey McCall, “The Seed,” Preached 5/3/2015, Ashland Avenue Baptist Church Website, Accessed 4 December 2015, Available from https://www.ashlandlex.org/podcast/the-seed-genesis-3/.

Connection with Newer Testament  

Matthew 4

For the Kids

Have a child sit in the middle of the room with his eyes closed or blindfolded and tell him to follow your voice. Now, let everyone start giving him instructions even while you call him to where you are.  Explain that, as they grow, they must listen to God’s Word above all other messages.  Every time they disobey, it’s because they have not followed God’s Word.

Prayer Prompts  

  1. Are you listening to God’s voice as proclaimed through his Word? Or are you listening to Satan’s voice by following the desires of the flesh? Ask God to guide you to his voice.
  2. Thank God for Jesus, the seed of woman who overcame evil for us by choosing obedience to God’s voice over the lisp of the subtle serpent.