1. BROKEN HEARTS, BROKEN TIES

1. BROKEN HEARTS, BROKEN TIES

Evidences of the Covenant (Genesis 2:4-9, 15-25).

God brought forth a very important concept upon which He would build the entire remaining Word – the concept of covenant.

The definition of “covenant (beriyth, Hebrew)” is determination. God is determined to keep His Word. It is a contract made binding by walking between two pieces of flesh. That is the way the covenant was ratified.

Genesis 15:1-21 – the reward of your faith is knowing God.

John 17: 3 - that they can know the true God.

1. Two major comparisons between God’s covenants with Adam and Abram:

A. Both were in a deep sleep.

B. Both involved the breaking of flesh.

Genesis 2:20 – as God took the flesh from the body of Adam, He laid it to His side, passed between the two of them in covenant, and pronounced them man and wife. Marriage was the first covenant.

2. Three Major Purposes of the First Covenant:

A. The ultimate purpose (Ephesians 5:31-32): To reveal Christ and His bride. God was showing us the most profound relationship that He would ever construct.

B. The corporate purpose (Malachi 2:13-15): To produce godly offspring. Not only are we the bride, but we are the offspring of the marvelous covenant. It is important that we raise godly offspring – the corporate purpose for marriage.

C. The intimate purpose (Genesis 2:18-22): To no longer be alone. It was the first time Adam realized he was alone – there was not one creature there like him. God will confront us with our need, and He will appear to show us that He is the answer to that need; and that He has the answer to that need.

3. The Enemy of Every Godly Covenant.

What can we learn about the enemy from Genesis 3?

Any time you see a determined God, you are going to see a determined enemy, to try to undo the things of God.

Genesis 3

A. His chief goal is to make us doubt God’s Word. In the armor of God, there is only one offensive weapon – the Word of God. It is the only thing that can injure Satan. If he can undermine us to disbelieve or doubt God’s Word, he knows that he can have victory over us.

B. He is a liar. He is the father of lies. Adam and Eve immediately experienced a spiritual death. The blood of an animal had to be slain for God to cover them with coats of skin. They had lost fellowship with God, and salvation had to be gained. We must know the Word of God, so we can recognize when we are being told a lie.

C. He often appears to man through the beautiful and inviting. He will appeal to us through things that look beautiful. He knows how to make the things that would destroy our lives look inviting. He is a master at deception.

D. His certain end is destruction. The Word of God from the beginning to the end chronicles and depicts the destruction of the enemy of God. There is no doubt that he has been destroyed; that he has been overcome on the cross (Genesis 3:15).

What can we learn about our relationship with God from Genesis 3?

A. Women were created with unique power of influence. The serpent came to Eve, because he was far more sure that Eve could talk Adam into eating that fruit, than Adam could talk Eve into eating it. It is a gift from God; but it can either be used for Him, or we can be monsters loosed. We can use that influence outside of the Spirit and be dangerous. Guard the trust of influence you have.

B. Believers must learn to apply Matthew 10:16. God has not called us to naivety. Do not be ignorant of Satan’s devices. We have got to be innocent, but extremely wise to the ways of the enemy.

C. Shame is Satan’s “stamp of approval” in the believer’s life. When shame is the result of anything, it is Satan. Shame is always a stamp that says Satan has been at work. Satan makes promises that he cannot keep. You are given the biblical right to despise that shame; admit it to God, and let Him restore your soul.

D. God created man to walk with Him, not hide from Him (Genesis 3:9). Out of all the creatures, only one creature was created in God’s image (Genesis 1:26). The word “Image (tselem, Hebrew)” means to shade or shadow. We were created to be in the shadow of God; that wherever you find our God, you are going to find us. “In His Image” is to be close to Him, to be like Him, in the respect of fellowship of union, of communion (Psalm 91:1).

E. God’s provision always matches our need. We can see that from Genesis 1-3, and continually through the Gospels. God made sure that when He created us, He had the match for our every need. Revelation calls Christ “the Lamb slain before the foundation of the world.” The moment the world was brought into existence, Christ was as good as dead. He would not have bothered to create man, if He had not also created the provision through which man could be saved.