Monday, January 07, 2019

2019.01.07 Hopewell @Home ▫ Genesis 3:16-19

Questions for Littles: To whom does God speak immediately after to the serpent (v16)? What will happen to her sorrow and conception? Who will multiply them? What will happen to childbirth? Whom will she desire to control? Who will crush her? To whom did God speak after to the woman (v17)? What is the first thing that God points out that Adam has done? What was the second thing that Adam had done? What does God actually curse? How will Adam eat of it? For how long? What will the ground bring forth (v18)? What will he have to eat? By what will he eat bread (v19)? Until what happens? From what was Adam taken? What is he? To what will He return?
In the Scripture for this week’s sermon, we found out about the sin and misery into which the fall brought us. Children who profane God’s image and bring agony instead of joy. Marriages in which wives tend to control their husbands and husbands tend to squelch their wives. Work that is toilsome. Sustenance that is wearisome. Being exposed as dust by death.

The serpent attacked the first marriage/family over God’s provision in the garden. And the sin and misery into which man fell centered upon marriage/family and God’s provision. Later, when God made a covenant with Israel, covenant blessings included blessings upon their children and God’s provision to them. Psalm 128 defined the blessing of the man that fears Yahweh as enjoying the fruit of his work, with his wife being a great blessing to him, and his children shooting up like olive plants around his dining table.

Marriage. Children. Work. A central place in the blessings of Eden. A central place in the serpent’s attack. A central place in the misery of the fall.

And a central place in the spiritual warfare of King Jesus. King Jesus makes His people into light within a dark world, during an evil time (Eph 5:8-16). Rather than drinking the night away, we are to be filled with the Spirit to be aware and active (Eph 5:17-21). This is the great spiritual war of the evil days (Eph 6:10-20). And what are the central places of our battle? Marriage (Eph 5:22-33). Children (Eph 6:1-4). Work (Eph 6:5-9). Everyone’s in this battle. The question is whether or not you are fighting.
What is your current part in the battle between darkness and light? How are you fighting?
Suggested Songs: ARP128 “How Blessed Are All” or TPH128B “Blest the Man That Fears Jehovah”

No comments:

Post a Comment